Look sharp with jAlbum 30.1

jAlbum 30.1 is a “sharp” release 😉. When we introduced Variants back in 2021, the galleries were given extra sharpness by providing higher-resolution images for screens where it matters. Now, the thumbnails within the jAlbum software appear super sharp as well. Here’s a comparison:

For this example, I zoomed jAlbum’s thumbnails to max size using the zoom slider or CTRL+PLUS. The difference is less obvious with the standard zoom level, but anyone with a HiDPI or high-resolution screen will value this improvement.

jAlbum’s thumbnails have previously only been rendered at 160×120 pixels resolution due to performance concerns: jAlbum quickly reads the embedded “EXIF” thumbnail, which is only 160×120 pixels large. We now achieve higher quality without any noticeable slowness by quickly reading the embedded thumbnail first and then (after 500ms) quickly* reading a 360×270 pixel version if the thumbnail is still in view. All is done using multiple “background threads” to ensure the user interface is as responsive as before. You’ll be amazed how quickly the thumbnails “sharpen up” in a split second.

(You can use Preferences → Explorer → Thumbnail quality to switch to normal quality if you, for any reason, don’t want the higher resolution to be loaded)

* To achieve this super fast reading of the higher resolution thumbnails, we only read every n:th pixel so that the resulting image is larger than 320×320, but not nearly as large as the original size. The image is then quickly scaled down to fit a 320×320 bounding box

As always, you can read the full release notes here.

Updating

As always, jAlbum 30.1 is a free update to anyone who is on a current “support & update” plan (check “About jAlbum” for your terms). If you need to extend your plan to cover v30.1, sign in and purchase a license again. You’re automatically given 30% off the regular price. You can now use jAlbum 30.1 forever AND any versions we release within 12 months from purchase.

If you have an expired jAlbum storage subscription, then purchase a storage subscription instead. Your existing storage subscription is then extended another 12 months. An active storage subscription always allows you to run the latest and greatest jAlbum version.

Troubles?

If you encounter any troubles installing jAlbum 30.1, then uninstall jAlbum and ensure that no files are left under C:\Program\JAlbum. Now run the installer again. Don’t worry, this won’t affect your existing settings and projects.