Luminar 1.28 is a Skylum desktop update documented in the company’s August 5, 2026 changelog. Skylum’s wording uses both “Luminar” and “Luminar Neo” on its update page, so verify the name shown in your account and installer rather than assuming every platform and license has been renamed the same way. This is a release-note summary, not a hands-on performance test.
Luminar 1.28: what Skylum lists
Skylum’s desktop changelog describes Catalog and Edit brought into one space, navigation breadcrumbs, a redesigned right sidebar, and Extra tools including HDR Merge and generative options. It lists support for several newer camera raw files and separate Mac and Windows fixes. Consult that page for your platform and camera, and test a copy of an important file before changing an active workflow.
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Performance and upgrade claims
The changelog reports export, preset-preview and masking improvements under Skylum’s tests. Those numbers are not a guarantee on your hardware or files; this article makes no independent speed claim. An August press announcement describes a later second phase, but future features and licensing can change. Do not treat announced fall tools as features already in 1.28.
Before updating, check Skylum’s current release notes and your account’s license terms, back up the catalog and export a test image. The old post’s “free for all existing users,” precise feature percentages and future paid/free split are not repeated without account-specific confirmation.
