Pixelmator 3.7 for macOS fully compatible with High Sierra, launchable from Photos app

AppleInsider

Image editing app Pixelmator has been updated with full compatibility for macOS High Sierra, with version 3.7 'Mount Whitney' of the app also adding support for HEIF files and more integration with the Photos app, along with a number of other performance improvements and bug fixes.

As part of the macOS High Sierra compatibility, Pixelmator's High Efficiency Image File (HEIF) support allows images using the image format to be imported into the editing tool. HEIF photographs created by iOS devices are said to be more efficiently compressed than equivalent JPEG images, effectively taking up less of an iPhone or iPad's storage while maintaining quality.

The increased integration empowered by High Sierra now means that it is possible to open Pixelmator from within the Photos app, by right-clicking and selecting Pixelmator under the "Edit With" menu. Once editing has completed, the resulting image can be saved back into the Photos app library.

Pixelmator's existing Photos app extensions have also been updated, fixing an issue where the extensions would quit unexpectedly on "certain new Mac computers," according to the update's release notes.

Other changes included as part of the update include improvements to the repair tool algorithm to make it faster and more accurate, better support for Photoshop files, and a repositioning of the quick selection tool's live preview. A bug where the rulers would occasionally disappear when text was being edited has been fixed, and the developers have also reintroduced the ability to drag and drop images from Safari and Photos directly into Pixelmator documents.

The update is available to download free from the Mac App Store, where Pixelmator is priced at $29.99.

An upgraded version of Pixelmator is due to arrive this fall to take on the dominant Adobe Photoshop, with Pixelmator Pro introducing a redesigned interface, new tools for retouching images, and a "remove and replace" repair tool powered by Apple's Core ML. Custom key layouts for the MacBook Pro Touch Bar, iCloud sync between the iOS and macOS versions, and split-screen multitasking on the iPad are also touted in this new version.

Pricing and a release date for Pixelmator Pro remain unknown, but the company confirms Pixelmator will continue to be maintained after Pixelmator Pro ships.

SpamSandwich

Pixelmator will never be a credible alternative to Photoshop until they offer full CYMK and Pantone PMS color management for print. 

Would really like to see some serious competitors to Adobe software.

nht

SpamSandwich said:

Pixelmator will never be a credible alternative to Photoshop until they offer full CYMK and Pantone PMS color management for print. 

Would really like to see some serious competitors to Adobe software.

Here you go:

https://developer.apple.com/programs/

SpamSandwich

nht said:

SpamSandwich said:

Pixelmator will never be a credible alternative to Photoshop until they offer full CYMK and Pantone PMS color management for print. 

Would really like to see some serious competitors to Adobe software.

Here you go:

https://developer.apple.com/programs/

Mutiyear exposure to coding and Apple’s dev tools ended up proving to me once and for all that I have no talent as a developer and I have no problem admitting as much. There are far better people out there capable of doing that work.

coolfactor

Pixelmator continues to be awesome, but I disagree with their introduction of a "Pro" variant. One of the beautiful things about Pixelmator was that it was positioned as a Photoshop competitor in a friendly, cheaper package. Now the waters are getting muddied. The same problem affects Omni apps, such as OmniGraffle. It creates unnecessary decision-making on part of the consumer to the point that many (including me) don't even bother making that decision and just stick with what they have long after new versions come out.

RacerhomieX

Is this a good Photoshop replacement?

paisleydisco

RacerhomieX said:

Is this a good Photoshop replacement?

Depends on your needs and skills with Photoshop! Visit their website and learn all about the features, seek out reviews, youtube videos, etc.

maciekskontakt

coolfactor said:

Pixelmator continues to be awesome, but I disagree with their introduction of a "Pro" variant. One of the beautiful things about Pixelmator was that it was positioned as a Photoshop competitor in a friendly, cheaper package. Now the waters are getting muddied. The same problem affects Omni apps, such as OmniGraffle. It creates unnecessary decision-making on part of the consumer to the point that many (including me) don't even bother making that decision and just stick with what they have long after new versions come out.

Seriously? You belive that? Have you run a professional publishing and editing studio or just speculate? We ran it for last 10-15 years now. And yes I experimented with alternatives, but you need consider entire process and not what you pixelate on your screen. Once it goes out of device it needs to support other imaging devices and local screen only.

Otherwise the world would already be on free GIMP that works on all major OS's. Unfortunatelly it is not like Photoshop.

lorin schultz

Are there any graphics or pre-press pros here who use both Pixelmator and Photoshop?

I'm no longer doing paid work so I'd kinda like to get off the Adobe Perpetual-Pay Plan. I'm interested in how well Pixelmator does the things Photoshop does.

Back in the early '90s I started working on a project in CorelPaint. The feature list looked almost identical to Photoshop so I didn't see any reason to buy another app to do the same things I could already do. Then a colleague provided me a copy of Photoshop to try out and the light went on. The difference wasn't that Photoshop could do things that CorelPaint couldn't, it was that it did things so much BETTER. Edges were cleaner. Colour conversions were more accurate. Blurs were smoother. Effects were more natural looking.

Pixelmator provides nine-tenths of what I use in Photoshop at a fraction of the cost. What I wonder is if there's an appreciable difference in the perceived quality of functions? Does a Gaussian blur in Pixelmator look the same as applying the same effect in Photoshop? Does the automatic selection tool in one do a better job of cutting out around hair than the other? Are the resizing algorithms comparable?

Any insights into the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two is welcome!

MicDorsey

maciekskontakt said:

coolfactor said:

Pixelmator continues to be awesome, but I disagree with their introduction of a "Pro" variant. One of the beautiful things about Pixelmator was that it was positioned as a Photoshop competitor in a friendly, cheaper package. Now the waters are getting muddied. The same problem affects Omni apps, such as OmniGraffle. It creates unnecessary decision-making on part of the consumer to the point that many (including me) don't even bother making that decision and just stick with what they have long after new versions come out.

Seriously? You belive that? Have you run a professional publishing and editing studio or just speculate? We ran it for last 10-15 years now. And yes I experimented with alternatives, but you need consider entire process and not what you pixelate on your screen. Once it goes out of device it needs to support other imaging devices and local screen only.

Otherwise the world would already be on free GIMP that works on all major OS's. Unfortunatelly it is not like Photoshop.

Oh, calm down. Nobody seriously expects a $30 app to compete with the industry standard. Pixelmator is fine (actually better than fine) for personal image editing.