Pixelmator Pro Mac App REVIEW

Over the years, I’ve worked with lots of different photo editing applications. Some of them are incredibly complicated to learn but have all the features you want from a professional editor. Other apps are easy to use, but lack options that you need from the ‘pro’ version. I’ve found that Pixelmator Pro is the perfect blend of a full-featured app mixed with an easy-to-use interface. I’ve used Pixelmator off and on for years and I’m happy to say that with their latest release — version 1.1.4 Monsoon — it’s more useful than ever before.

DETAILS

Pixelmator Pro is a powerful, easy to use image editor designed exclusively for macOS. It features a wide range of professional-grade, nondestructive editing tools for your compositions. The interface is so delightfully easy to use that it’s perfect for beginners or seasoned professionals. The app is intuitive and accessible for anyone to use. With the app, you can open and edit images in the most popular formats including JPEG, TIFF, PNG, PSD, HEIF, SVG, PDF, GIF, BMP, TGA, and JPEG-2000. Pixelmator Pro even supports opening and editing Photoshop images with layers and SVG vector images. Because it’s designed specifically for Mac users, Pixelmator works with Mac apps like Photos and can even be launched from that app. Edits are saved directly back to your library in Photos. Pixelmator also works with nearly every major macOS feature — it’s the ultimate Mac app.

Professional Tools

• Easily move, resize, and arrange objects to create stunning compositions
• Adjust the colors in images with a collection of nondestructive color adjustments
• Use the machine learning-powered Auto Color Adjustments to automatically improve image colors
• Enjoy superior support for RAW files, editing RAW images right inside Pixelmator Pro without having to preprocess them
• Create digital or traditional paintings using a collection of handcrafted, fully-customizable, dual-texture brushes with full support for digital graphics tablets
• Combine the built-in effects in Pixelmator Pro to create any artistic or special effects you can imagine
• Nondestructively customize the look of layers in your image using layer styles
• Save the adjustment, effect, and layer style combinations your create, use them in any of your images, and share them with others
• Magically remove small imperfections or entire objects, seamlessly clone parts of your photos, and lighten or darken precise areas using a full set of retouching tools
• Use the reshaping tools to easily change the shape of any object or area in your images, create striking artistic effects or make subtle changes to portrait photos
• Pick out and edit precise parts of your images or copy objects from one image to another using a range of pixel-accurate selection tools
• Add high-quality, customizable vector graphics designed by the Pixelmator Team
• Create your own vector graphics using the Pen and Freeform Pen tools
• Easily design great-looking text with a full set of typography tools
• Optimize and save your images for the web, using advanced compression to shrink images sizes to the smallest possible

USER EXPERIENCE

As I mentioned above, I’ve used Pixelmator for quite some time. I’ve always enjoyed using it because sometimes you just need to make a quick edit — more than you can do in Preview or Photos — but you don’t want to go through the hassle of opening Photoshop. That is what Pixelmator is great for. It takes no time to learn and you can easily take what you learn in Pixelmator to other apps. Pixelmator Pro 1.1.4 Monsoon, a lot of new gorgeous effects have been added along with a wide range of smaller features and stability improvements as well.

So what’s new?

• Export for Web: A modern way to easily prepare images for the web.
• Touch Bar Support: Get quick access to all your Pixelmator Pro tools.
• Auto Color Adjustments: Automatically perfect the colors of a photo using the power of breakthrough machine learning.
• Slice Tool: Divide designs into individual images and optimize each on separately.
• Advanced Compression: Shrink image sizes to the maximum while preserving the highest possible quality.
• Quick Export: Quickly export images optimized with your most used settings.
• Export Presets: Save your favorite export settings to speed up preparing images for the web.
• SVG: Open, edit, and export resolution-independent vector images.
• HEIF: Export images to the modern High-Efficiency Image File format.
• Live Previews: See handy live previews when formatting text and adjusting layer blending.
• Select Color Range: Make selections of precise colors or entire color ranges.

In order to test out Pixelmator Pro 1.1.4, I thought the best way to get started was to open an existing photo I had and make some tasteful edits using the new tools provided by the update. A few weeks ago, I was on a road trip and we stopped to take some photos and I captured this image of corn stalks. When you first open Pixelmator Pro, you will be given the option to select a canvas size. I chose to go with the 720 HDTV preset size (1280×720 pixels) because it’s a 16×9 format and the exported file size ends up being small enough for uploading online.

After I added the photo I wanted to work with, I resized it and positioned it so that it fits within the canvas size. Then, I started working with the Color Adjustment tools. There were many, many color presets to choose from. I felt like it was a little like using a filter in Instagram. Users can make a selection and the image takes on the color set that the app provides. I chose the “Loud” setting to make the colors a bit more vibrant then were present in the original photograph. One of the main features that make the Automatic Color Adjustments different than a filter you would have in a social media app is the fact that you can tweak the color settings however you would like.

Next, I tried out the Slice tool. This feature is something that’s been included in most photo editing applications so that web designers can create the ideal images for their particular use. The Slice tool is very easy to use. You select it and then drag the tool across the area you want to be cut apart from the original image. You can create as many slices as you need to and you can even resize them after the area has been selected.

Finally, I tried out the various export settings that have been added in version 1.1.4 (Export for Web, Quick Export, and Export Presets). When you select Export for Web, you are greeted with a small list of options for file/size that are optimized for web use. After you’ve selected your preferences, you can save it as a preset so that you can use the same settings at a later time. This is very convenient for specific projects.

CONCLUSION

Pixelmator Pro 1.1.4 is an awesome update to an already awesome application. I am very excited about the progress the app has made and where it’s headed for the future. These updates really make Pixelmator Pro a more complete graphics editor. I can recommend the app based on its ease of use and powerful graphics tools. As a part of the Back to School season, Pixelmator is offering the app for a 50% discount at $29.99 for a limited time.

For more information, visit pixelmator.com/pro.
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Originally published at macsources.com on September 24, 2018.