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Compatibility

This page explains which computers and files work best with DBW Monochrome, and what to do if the app feels slow.

Operating systems

DBW Monochrome runs on:

  • macOS 12 or later: Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
  • Windows: Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Installing on Windows

The Windows build is currently unsigned. Windows may show Unknown publisher or a Windows protected your PC message when you download or open it. Download only from the official DBW website and check that you intended to install DBW Monochrome before deciding whether to continue.

Some Windows security settings, including Smart App Control or an organisation's policies, may prevent an unsigned app from running. An explanation cannot remove those restrictions; on a managed computer, contact your administrator. Keep Windows security protections enabled.

See Microsoft's explanation of SmartScreen reputation.

Graphics

The sliders, masks and brushes update live on the screen. The app uses your computer's graphics hardware to do this, so the speed of the graphics is the biggest factor in how responsive the app feels.

Responsiveness depends on the graphics hardware, image size, display resolution and the number of active layers. Integrated and dedicated graphics can both run the app; speed varies by computer. Keep the operating system and graphics drivers up to date.

If the graphics hardware is not available, DBW Monochrome falls back to a slower drawing method. The app still works, but previews take longer to update.

Supported files

You can open these image types:

  • TIFF, grey or colour, 8-bit or 16-bit, uncompressed or compressed (LZW, Deflate or PackBits). Very large scans, hundreds of megapixels, open quickly.
  • PNG and JPEG.
  • Camera RAW files from many cameras, such as Nikon NEF and Adobe DNG.
  • DBW projects: .dbw files saved from DBW Monochrome.

Grey files open straight into the editor. RAW files and colour pictures open in the Develop panel first. See RAW and colour files.

See Saving and exporting for the formats you can export to.

Large photographs

Large, high-resolution files need more memory and more room to work. The app keeps what it can in memory and writes the rest to a scratch file on disk, so a big scan still opens on a modest computer. If the app feels slow:

  1. Close other applications that use a lot of memory or graphics.
  2. Choose a fast drive with plenty of free space for the scratch folder, and check Memory for pictures in Settings.
  3. Save your project and reopen it if the app has been open for a long time.

Reporting a problem

If something does not work on your computer, note your operating system, the type of graphics card, and the file type you were working with. These details help to reproduce the problem.

If something goes wrong

DBW Monochrome keeps a log file that records problems, including crashes caused by an error inside the app. If you contact support about a problem, attach it. It is called app.log:

  • Windows: %AppData%\DBW Monochrome\logs\app.log (paste this into the address bar of a File Explorer window)
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/DBW Monochrome/logs/app.log (in the Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder and paste it)

The log lists technical messages and the names of files you opened. It does not contain your pictures. Look it over before you send it if you want to.