This is where Axeloa enters the chat. While most photographers use WeTransfer or Google Drive, those platforms have hard limits (2GB to 5GB free) and questionable privacy for proprietary model weights.
Axeloa solves the specific pain point of the 892023 offline installer:
# Sender
zip -er models_892023.zip ~/Library/Application\ Support/Topaz\ Photo\ AI/models/
# Enter strong password
onionshare models_892023.zip
The term axeloatransfer combines two ideas: “Axel” (a command-line download accelerator) and secure transfer. Axeloa Transfer is not a single app but a methodology using AES-256 encryption and segmented downloading to move large files (4GB to 200GB+) faster than HTTP/S.
On your source machine (the one with internet), navigate to:
C:\ProgramData\Topaz Labs LLC\Topaz Photo AI\models (Windows) or ~/Library/Application Support/Topaz Labs LLC/Topaz Photo AI/models/ (Mac). This is where Axeloa enters the chat
Zip the entire folder, noting the 892023 revision date.
Topaz Labs’ software typically phones home to download AI models on demand. However, version strings like 892023 often refer to specific legacy builds or enterprise-locked distributions where users prefer offline AI model packages. Why?
The problem? These offline model bundles are massive. We’re talking 10GB to 30GB of .tz and .tpz model files. Trying to sneakernet them via USB drives is slow. Trying to email them is impossible. The problem
Before you close this article, ensure you have:
✅ Topaz Photo AI installed with the specific 892023 model pack located in the correct cache directory.
✅ Verified that the software launches and runs a “Denoise” task with your WiFi turned OFF. This is where Axeloa enters the chat
✅ Downloaded Axel (or a Resilio Sync equivalent) to serve as your axeloatransfer solution.
✅ Encrypted your external drive before transferring the 14GB model folder to a secondary PC.
✅ Never entered a credit card for the “free install” phase (use the legitimate trial).