Pixelmator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been using Photoshop for more than ten years, and I typically spend up to hours a day using it. Even though I (and every other designer I know) loves to complain about Photoshop, there really isn't a professional alternative. Even though every new release makes Photoshop feel more bloated, clunky, and complex, at the same time it's literally the only tool for many jobs.

Pixelmator is one of several new Mac-only image editing programs to try to compete. Well, I'm not sure that "compete" is the right word--it seems like Pixelmator's trying to fill the large gap between consumer-level image software like iPhoto's editing tools and Photoshop. That's a *big* gap, with plenty of room for new tools. I'm enjoying using Pixelmator for some tasks, though it's not nearly ready to replace Photoshop in my Dock. In any case, Pixelmator's clearly modeled very closely after Photoshop (its keyboard shortcuts are mapped to Photoshop's nearly identically thank goodness).

There are several genuinely impressive user interface improvements Pixelmator has over Photoshop, including the excellent gradient editor, and the lightweight info messaging that announces tool selection. You wouldn't think that a message flashing in the middle of the screen could be unobtrusive andhelpful, but it is.The "Slice" tool for saving pieces of an image to various web formats works well, and previews the export quality "live". This is far better than Photoshop's Save for Web tool, a clumsily grafted-on version of what Adobe used to sell separately as ImageReady. Pixelmator's "Trim" tool is an excellent shortcut, though geared probably towards less-experienced users. The Crop tool is outstanding--an innovation where you wouldn't think there could be any: it lets you rotate the image your cropping underneath the crop area to adjust more accurately. It's hard to describe but instantly obvious.

Unfortunately the downsides of Pixelmator are what keep it from becoming a tool I'll use often. I am not a fan of the all-black, often cartoony user interface, which seems kind of kewl and idiosyncratic for its own sake, not for good UI reasons. The Pixelmator designers often can't restrain themselves from adding a needless zoomy animation where none is needed--these things get on my nerves the fiftieth or sixtieth time I see them. Type handling is simply awful, relying totally on OS X's Fonts pallete. There's no fine control of kerning, leading, or any other basic attribute of setting type; that's a gigantic hole in the product for a professional designer. Pixelmator also lacks some of Photoshop's most useful tools. For me, the things I miss most are layer effectsand adjustments, which allow you to apply non-destructive changes to layers; and vector shapes, which let you draw and edit more precise shapes.

All in all though, Pixelmator is totally worth the price, which is what, 10% of the cost of Photoshop? If you're mostly doing photo editing and basic color adjustments, it's great. I think it's worth it simply to support someone competing with Adobe.

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Product Description:
Pixelmator is an easy-to-use, fast and powerful image editing program that has everything you need to enhance, edit and retouch your photos. Pixelmator's powerful toolset includes selection, painting, color correction and retouching tools that easily transform and enhance your photos and images. Layer-based image editing, filters and special effects help you quickly achieve impressive imagery. Add text to your pictures, analyze colors, crop, transform, rotate or move anything in your pictures. Made for the Mac, Pixelmator takes advantage of built-in iPhoto support and one-click access to iSight. This user-friendly image editor has everything you need to achieve professional results.

Create Exceptional Photos and Stunning Images

Pixelmator is an easy-to-use, fast and powerful image editing program that has everything you need to enhance, edit and retouch your photos. Choose from powerful selection, painting, retouching, and color correction tools. Made for the Mac, Pixelmator takes advantage of built-in iPhoto support and one-click access to iSight. Use layer-based image editing, color management, filters and special effects to quickly achieve impressive imagery.
Pixelmator is a user-friendly image editor that has everything you need to achieve professional results. Click to enlarge.
Choose from 130+ filters and special effects to transform your images. Click to enlarge.
130+ Filters and Special Effects
See results in real time--choose from standard filters such as blur, sharpen and distort, as well as many unique filters like comic-style halftones, tile, kaleidoscope and thermal camera.
Layer-Based Image Editing
Stack portions of your image on top of one another and quickly create layers from photos, selections and more. You can also blend layers, change layer opacity and add layer masks to hide portions of layers. Add images as layers via drag-and-drop.
Layer-Based Image Editing enables you to quickly create layers from photos, selections and more. Click to enlarge.
Pixelmator offers more than 16 color correction tools for adjusting brightness, hue, saturation and more. Click to enlarge.
Color Correction Tools
16+ color correction tools help you make quick corrections to your images with Auto Enhance, Levels and Curves. Adjust hue, saturation, exposure, brightness, contrast and more.
Select, Paint and Retouch Tools
20+ tools, including crop, select, paint and erase help you enhance your images. You can also import and customize Adobe Photoshop Brushes, and graphics tablet support enables you to draw by hand.
Add Text to Your Images
Create editable text layers and use the type tool to create your own invitations and logos.
Select from 20+ tools, including crop, select, paint and more to enhance your images. Click to enlarge.
Access your iPhoto Library, events, albums, Smart Albums and Pictures folder with the built-in Photo Browser. Click to enlarge.
Made Exclusively for the Mac
One-click iSight support takes your picture and adds it as a layer in Pixelmator. Access your iPhoto Library, events, albums, Smart Albums and Pictures folder with the built-in Photo Browser. Supports Spotlight, ColorSync, Quick Look and many other Mac-only technologies, and takes advantage of Core Image and OpenGL. Built-in Automator actions let you quickly enhance, resize and transform images with batch processing.
Supports Popular File Formats
Export to 100+ file formats including PSD, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, PICT, BMP and PDF. Also supports Adobe Photoshop files with layers.

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