So you want to use Topaz Adjust, but don’t want to leave Lightroom 3?? Well, you can by installing Topaz Fusion Express!  It’s a FREE program from Topaz Labs.   For Mac users, you can even use Topaz Fusion Express to access all of your Topaz plugins while in Aperture and iPhoto.  Since the Mac install is very straightforward, just follow this link to Topaz Labs and take a look at their short video.

But, for PC users, you need to specify the correct install location in order to tie everything together.  Take a look below:

1.  PC users must specify the install location!

I installed Topaz Fusion Express on Windows 7 Professional 64bit a few times before it would work.  You can NOT just let the program install to the default location.  You must install here:

C: \ Program Files \ Common Files \ Topaz Labs \ tlfusionexpress2.exe

This is the real folder for the Topaz executables in any Windows PC.  Topaz Fusion needs to be in this location to access the other plugins.  You will need to remember this location for step #3.

2. Start Lightroom 3 and go to Preferences.

Topaz Fusion is going to be a new External Editor for Lightroom 3.  Go to Edit > Preferences and you will see this dialog box.  Under Additional External Editor, click Choose.

3. Find the install location in Step #1.

You will need to tell Lightroom 3 where to find Topaz Fusion.  Remember, in Step #1, it was installed in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Topaz Labs\tlfusionexpress2.exe . This location will be the same in all versions of Windows from XP through Windows 7.  In the case of a 64-bit operating system (like my Windows 7  Professional 64-bit), you will want to select tlfusionexpress2_x64.exe in this location.  That’s it!  Now, let’s see how it use it…

4. In either the Library tab or the Develop tab, just right-click on the photo and select Edit In.

With Topaz Fusion correctly installed and configured, it is now as simple as right-clicking on the photo you want to use and selecting Edit In > Edit in tlfsionexpress2.

5. Select Edit a Copy with Lightroom Adjustments.

Lightroom will now make a copy of the photo for you to manipulate in any of the Topaz plugins.  All of your previous Lightroom settings will be applied to the photo before the copy is made.

6. All of your Topaz plugins (for Photoshop) will now be available.

Just select which Topaz plugin you want to use from the list.  I am using Topaz Adjust 4 for this example.

7. You will have full access to the plugin’s features and presets.

The Topaz Adjust pop-up window looks just like the one you see in Photoshop CS5.  All of the features and presets are available.  Since Topaz Adjust connects with Topaz DeNoise, even that is available.  Pretty cool!  When you have finished just click OK to apply to the Copy created in Step #5.

8. The Copy with the Topaz Adjust modifications now appears in Lightroom 3 as a stack with the original photo.

Back inside Lightroom 3, you will see the manipulated photo as part of a stack with the original photo.  Just click the stack to directly access the manipulated copy.

So, now you don’t have to run Photoshop CS5 to manipulate photos through any other Topaz plugins.  Just install Topaz Fusion Express and keep going!  And it’s FREE from Topaz Labs.