Beauty Retouch panel Archives - Retouching Academy Lab

Important Update: Legacy RA Panels (CEP) and the New UXP Upgrade

RA Lab Team — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 19:59:13 +0000

Since 2022, Adobe has been retiring the legacy CEP framework used by non-UXP Photoshop extensions. With the most recent security updates, CEP extensions can no longer be installed or used, even inside older Photoshop environments on both Windows and macOS. Because this change was made at the platform level by Adobe, it is unfortunately not technically possible for us to maintain, reinstall, or update the old panels.

To ensure continuity for professionals who rely on our scripts, we spent over a year rebuilding all RA Panels from the ground up in Adobe’s UXP format – the only plugin framework supported in current Photoshop versions. The UXP versions preserve the familiar workflows from our legacy panels and minimize any need to re-learn processes.

With that said, your options are:

► Keep your legacy purchase (we won’t remove it from your account) and use it only on older Photoshop versions that still allowed CEP extensions (functionality not guaranteed and no longer supported by Adobe).

► Upgrade to the new UXP version for ongoing compatibility, updates, and support.

To log into your Member Account, please use the email address that this message was sent to. If you cannot log in, please follow these instructions.

To honor the original investment of our long-time panel users, we offer a significant legacy-user discount. You can subscribe at a discounted upgrade fee of $29 (see available billing options on the upgrade page linked below).

We also honor the original annual Maintenance & Support fee at $29/year that was set when the UXP panels just came out, while it is now $39.99/year for all new users. You can lock that in your account when you upgrade today.

Upgrade to Beauty Retouch v5 (UXP) »

Over 90% of our old panels’ users have already upgraded to the UXP versions to continue saving their precious time while retouching.

Please review some Frequently Asked Questions at the bottom of this page.

Our New UXP Panels

Today, the new Beauty Retouch v5 is equipped with even newer tools and scripts:

● Includes all legacy panel scripts and workflows.

● Read about the only script that has been removed from the old panel here and more: Frequency Separation: Gaussian Blur vs Median.

● Adds new AI-powered tools for even more efficient professional-level retouching

● Installs via Creative Cloud and appears under the Plugins menu in Photoshop

● Fully compatible with current Photoshop on both Windows and macOS, including M-series Apple computers.

● One of the many upsides of the UXP Panels is that one Software License allows you to install and use your RA Panel on both Windows and Mac OS computers.

You will find all the instructions here: Upgrade Your Legacy Panel to the latest UXP version (including the option to upgrade to the UXP panel as a one-time payment, no annual fees going forward).

Now, we are working on the MUA Retouch panel upgrade.

Below are some video tutorials demonstrating the new functionality of the Beauty Retouch UXP v5.

New AI-Powered Tools for Beauty Retouching

The creative industry has been dramatically changing with the introduction of new AI tools.

One of the biggest shifts in today’s professional photography and retouching is the growing client demand for faster, more affordable high-quality results.

Clients now often choose to hire creative professionals who leverage automation and smart retouching tools so they can offer high-quality work at lower rates.

Here’s a video tutorial on how the new Beauty Retouch v5 panel’s AI Tool button works:

AI-Powered Tools for Hair Retouching

In this new Hair Retouching course lesson, we share how these new AI-powered and latest selection tools in Photoshop can help get hair retouching work done faster in beauty and portraits: AI-Powered Tools for Hair Retouching

Can You Retouch Skin in Just a Couple of Minutes?

One of the most exciting additions to the new Beauty Retouch v5 Panel is the New Skin script.

In just a couple of minutes, it will help you even out skin tone, remove blemishes, and blend in a realistic skin texture layer, all while allowing you to keep full control over the final look.

This script is designed specifically for close-up beauty and portraits, where we always want to preserve as much visible skin texture as we can while combating the blotchiness and imperfections.
Here is a quick video of what it can do for you: Retouch Skin in a Couple of Minutes? On that page, scroll down past the video to see all the new buttons and functions of the new Beauty Retouch v5.

You can also enroll in our FREE Beauty Retouch panel Training for the detailed tutorial: The New Skin Script Lesson.

Frequently Asked Questions

I purchased a lifetime license for Beauty Retouch panel. Why do I have to pay for it again?

Your original purchase was indeed a lifetime license for the old RA Panel (Photoshop CEP legacy extension). The new UXP panel is not the same product, it was designed to copy the functionality of the old product to minimize the need for our existing users to re-learn anything.

When upgrading your old panel to this new UXP plugin, you are reimbursed for what you had already paid by using the significant legacy-user discount that is listed on the upgrade page.

So, no, you are not asked to pay for the same product again, but you do have an option to upgrade if you find the new panel’s scripts beneficial and want to continue using them for your retouching work even though Adobe discontinued the old panels (Photoshop Legacy Extensions).

Why do I have to pay for a subscription?

When we found out that Adobe was going to eventually discontinue legacy extensions in Photoshop, our small team invested a whole year of our time, energy, and funding to create a new product for thousands of our users who loved and trusted the retouching scripts on our old panels and wanted to continue using them in their work.

We wanted to give our users a choice: to continue using our scripts on the new panels (even though in a completely new format) in the newer versions of Photoshop, OR to stay in the older versions of Photoshop with the Legacy Extensions that they had purchased as a “one-time payment” before, if they do not wish to upgrade. Unfortunately, the Legacy Extensions got abandoned by Adobe anyway.

It was a very long, difficult, and costly project, which made us realize that, as a small business, to continue supporting 18K+ (at the time) of our existing users, we must change to a subscription model for the new UXP panels, or go out of business and leave all of our users with nothing at all.

Yes, we are as saddened as you that it is simply unrealistic for a small business in today’s economic landscape to provide perpetual maintenance and support for software through a one-time purchase.

Maintaining, updating, and upgrading our panels while providing support requires a significant monthly investment. A subscription model allows us to continue offering high-quality service, everyday technical support, and periodical updates and enhancements for our amazing retouching panels that professionals around the world love, trust, and use every day.

We are confident that you understand this basic logic!

How do I log in to my RA Lab Member Account?

Please log in to your Member Account here with the same email address you used at the time of purchase.

If you cannot log in, please follow these instructions.

Then, proceed to Upgrade Your Legacy Panel to the latest UXP version.

We hope this helps, and you will be delighted to start using the latest Beauty Retouch UXP panel!

If you have any further questions, please reach out to our friendly RA Panels Support Team!

The post Important Update: Legacy RA Panels (CEP) and the New UXP Upgrade appeared first on Retouching Academy Lab.

New Beauty Retouch Version 5 is Finally Here!

RA Lab Team — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 16:36:17 +0000

Beauty Retouch v5 panel

The new Beauty Retouch Panel v5 has finally arrived, bringing powerful AI tools to make your retouching work faster and easier.

This version introduces exciting features like the New Skin script (watch video below) for quick skin retouching and the AI Tool with Generative Fill (watch video below) that allows you to quickly remove elements, such as tattoos, messy hair flyaways, or other distracting elements, and even add accessories or new clothing in your beauty and portrait images.

Even if you start the basic cleanup phase of your retouching workflow in a RAW processing software or on an AI-based platform, most beauty, portrait, and fashion images will still require precise finishing touches in Photoshop. That’s where the Beauty Retouch v5 Panel becomes your most reliable assistant, streamlining the detailed work and helping you maintain professional-quality results with greater speed and consistency.

We’ve also added two full rows of essential retouching and selection tools (including the AI-powered Subject Select feature and Object Selection tool), along with several new useful scripts for professional retouching.

See the new Beauty Retouch v5 interface and all its new functions here.

This new version of the legendary Beauty Retouch panel will help you work more efficiently and consistently achieve professional results!

Take this linear Beauty Retouch panel training after the purchase (or upgrade from the old non-UXP panel) to get the most out of this panel.

See the details of the new Beauty Retouch v5 interface and all its new functions in this video overview:

Update Your UXP panel to Beauty Retouch v5.0

IMPORTANT! Because Version 5 uses a new set of custom brushes, please follow these special installation steps carefully, especially Step 5, to install it correctly when updating your UXP panel to this new version.

Don’t forget to reset your panel license activations here.

If you encounter any installation issues, please refer to the Troubleshooting page.

As always, reach out to our Support Team if you have any issues – we are here to help!

The New Skin Script Video Tutorial

This script is designed for close-up portraits and beauty images captured on a professional camera with a large sensor. Learn how to use it here: The New Skin Script (accessible to Beauty Retouch panel customers via Member Account).

The AI Tool Video Tutorial

Every photographer knows the regret of certain choices made during a shoot. With our new AI tools, you can not only fix mistakes and save your hard work, but also take your creativity to a whole new level!

The post New Beauty Retouch Version 5 is Finally Here! appeared first on Retouching Academy Lab.

New Review of the Beauty Retouch Panel

RA Lab Team — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 02:46:21 +0000

For thousands of retouchers around the world, the Beauty Retouch and Pixel Juggler Panels have brought efficiency to their workflow by optimizing the retouching techniques we often use.

RA Panels are an extension that works with Adobe Photoshop CS6 and CC versions, allowing users the ability to dodge and burn, use visual aids, add digital skin texture, correct skin tones, liquify, fix teeth and eyes and more with a click of a button. The shortcuts and scripts within the RA Panels are perfect for retouching beauty, fashion, and portrait photography.

For those that may be on the fence about purchasing the RA Panels, we bring you a recent testimonial by photographer and retoucher, Tatan Zuleta. Tatan shares his opinion on the panels and how they have become an integral part of his workflow. His video also contains a demonstration and brief walkthrough of the components of the Beauty Retouch Panel.

As mentioned in the video, the RA Panels are not a filter-like plugin similar to Portraiture or Portrait Professional, but an action-based panel that makes the real-world retouching tools that we use daily much faster to generate.

This gives the retoucher full control over their retouching process to customize, fine-tune, and maintain as much detail to their work as they desire. Because the RA Panels are not a one-click-fix-all-program, practicing your retouching techniques will be essential.

To get the most out of the RA Panels, we highly recommended watching our video tutorials, as well as reading through the detailed User Manual that comes with your purchase.

Tatan Zuleta is a photographer and retoucher from Colombia, based in Miami. To view more of his video tutorials, visit his YouTube Channel, or view his work at his website.

// Written by Kendra Paige

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