Engrave / Emboss

Engrave / Emboss is a simple-to-use plugin developed for Paint.net, which gives you the possibility to apply engrave and emboss effects to image files as well as to tweak a couple of settings.
It's intuitive enough to be tackled not only by advanced Paint.net users, but also by those just starting to get to know this graphic editor.

How to set up and access

In order to install this extension, all you have to do is copy the downloaded files to the "Effects" folder of Paint.net, whether you have an installer or portable edition. There is no actual setup kit involved.
Just remember to restart the photo editor if it's already running. From this point on, you can access the Engrave / Emboss plugin from the "Stylize" submenu of the "Effects" menu. It can be easily spotted thanks to a small icon that resembles a puzzle piece, which highlights all Paint.net external plugins.

Set the engrave or emboss filter

The picture is immediately taken into account for the photo processing operation. You can pick the preferred style between engrave and emboss, as well as set the filter width by moving a slider, entering the numerical values, or clicking on two arrow buttons to increase or decrease the number. Apart from the fact htat you can preview modifications, there are no other notable options available.

Evaluation and conclusion

The add-on hasn't received updates for a pretty long time. However, we haven't experienced any compatibility issues with the most recent version of Paint.net. The image rendering speed during preview was good. It didn't cause the graphic editing application to hang, crash or show error notifications.
On the other hand, Engrave / Emboss doesn't leave room for customization, since it only facilitates one configuration setting for the engrave or emboss effect.