ZERNO.
Support

Support

Answers to what people ask about most. Your case isn't here — write to us: ask@zerno.photo.

01 · Requirements
Mac
macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later · Apple Silicon and Intel, one disk image. You need a Mac that supports macOS 14 officially: the rendering runs on the graphics processor and requires Metal 2, and a patched system does not change the hardware
Windows
Windows 11 · a graphics card with DirectX 12 (feature level 11_0), integrated or discrete · about 4.5 GB of video memory for a 60 MP master (an integrated card takes it from system memory) · 16 GB of RAM. The installer also runs on Windows 10 version 2004 or later, but we have not tested it there yet — the five-day trial will show
Input formats
RAW from most cameras, JPEG, HEIF
Internet
with a licence — about once a month, to renew the licence file; in the trial — at every launch
02 · Frequent questions

  1. Where do I start?

    Add frames, pick the keepers, set up the rack, get a print — step by step in the First steps guide.

  2. Can I try it before buying?

    Yes, for five days. Download the program and press "Try it for 5 days" in the licence window — no code is needed for that. Everything works: films, lenses, printing, batch export, social copies, the contact sheet. You need the internet at every launch — the server keeps count of the days. The trial is given once per Mac.

  3. What happens to my projects when the trial ends?

    They stay where they are: the trial is the same program as the licensed one. Buy a code, enter it — and everything opens as it was.

  4. macOS says it cannot verify Zerno

    That is expected while the build carries no Apple signature. Press "Done", then System Settings → Privacy & Security → "Open Anyway". In detail — in First steps.

  5. Windows: Edge or the system will not let the installer run

    This is how an installer without a developer certificate is met — it is neither an error nor a virus. If Edge says while downloading that the file is not commonly downloaded, press “…” → Keep in the downloads list, open the hidden options in the next window and press Keep anyway. If Windows says “Windows protected your PC” at launch, press “More info” (not “Don't run”), then “Run anyway”. The rest of the installation is ordinary. Step by step — on the Download page.

  6. I reinstalled macOS — will I lose the activation?

    No. This Mac's code survives a reinstall, and the seat stays yours. Activate with the same code.

  7. I reinstalled Windows — the program asks for the code again

    Usually this does not happen: the computer code is tied to the motherboard. But some boards do not name themselves, and then the code comes from Windows itself — after a reinstall it is new. Write to us, we will reissue it.

  8. I bought a new computer

    On the old one press "Unlink this Mac" — the seat is freed at once. If the old one is out of reach, the seat frees itself after 30 days of silence; there is no need to wait, write to us and we will free it by hand.

  9. The logic board was replaced in a repair

    This Mac's code changes, and the program will say the file was issued for another Mac. That is normal: write to us, we will reissue it.

  10. I lost the key, the email never came

    Write from the address the licence was issued to — we will send it again. If no emails arrive at all, check the spam folder: keys end up there more often than anywhere else.

  11. "An internet connection is needed"

    The licence file is valid for 30 days and renews itself whenever the program goes online. The message means it has not been online for more than a month. Connect — the renewal goes through silently, nothing needs pasting.

  12. "The licence ended"

    The paid year is over. Write to us and we will renew it; the program finds out by itself the next time it goes online. Your source files and finished exports are untouched — only the processing is unavailable.

  13. I will have no internet for months

    There is a licence for a year without a single connection. It is issued by hand, by arrangement — write in advance, before you leave.

  14. "The developer cannot be verified"

    The build has not yet been notarised by Apple. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and allow it to run there. After notarisation the warning will disappear.

  15. The files have moved, the disk is not connected

    The project does not break: the frames keep their settings and marks, show a preview from the cache and a ⚠︎ badge. The bar above the grid offers "Locate…" — point it at the folder, and ZERNO reconnects the files by their fingerprint. A frame with no original is skipped on export rather than exported from its preview.

  16. I spoilt a project — how do I get it back?

    "File → Restore from Backup…": the program keeps the last three states and one per day for two weeks. An unlucky "apply to all" no longer costs you the project.

  17. Will there be a Windows version?

    There already is — Zerno for Windows. The licence is one: two activations on any two computers, Mac or Windows.

  18. How do I update

    The program tells you about a new version itself, downloads it and shows it in Finder. Moving it to Applications is done by hand — automatic replacement comes after notarisation. On Windows the program likewise tells you about a new version and downloads the installer — run it over the old one, projects and the licence stay. What changed in the version — on the What's new page.