AKVIS has released the seventh version of Sketch, one of its foremost rendering tools. Operating either as a stand-alone or a plug-in, the software converts photos into either sketches or watercolors, in color or black-and-white; results can be tweaked for more precise effects. Version 7.0 adds a variety of new post-effects, such as rotational blur, or blending of the final illustration with the original photo.

Other effects include selective blurs to emphasize different regions of an image. To help with this AKVIS has incorporated "Keep" and "Drop" selection pencils, which let users roughly outline areas that should retain sharpness, and those that can be blurred. Sketch costs $72, and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later; the plug-in component is compatible with Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro and other programs.