Pixelmator releases version 3.2 'Sandstone' with 16-bit support and new Repair Tool
The Pixelmator Team on Thursday revealed the newest version of their popular Photoshop alternative for Mac, bringing a number of enhancements that now allow users to work with 16 bits of color per channel, easily remove unwanted objects from images, and lock specific layers.
The update's landmark feature is the new Repair Tool, which the company says has been "redeveloped from the inside out." The tool allows users to simply paint over an object that they would like to remove from an image with broad stokes -- the software will then remove that portion and automatically stitch together a replacement background.
Users have three options with the new repair tool: quick, standard, and advanced repairs. Thanks to algorithmic enhancements, the Pixelmator Team says that the new tool uses four times less memory than its predecessor.
The group has also added support for working with 16 bits of color per channel, a feature now available on every Mac. In addition, layers can now be locked individually, and users have access to a new Convert Selection into Shape option. The company also promises "a number of improvements, user interface enhancements, and fixes related to stability and reliability."
"Packed with incredible features, Pixelmator 3.2 Sandstone delivers the most empowering image editing experience Pixelmator fans have ever had," Pixelmator cofounder Saulius Dailide said in a release. "Redeveloped from the ground up Repair Tool, 16-bits per channel support and Lock Layers feature make Pixelmator an excellent image editor that is just as fun and easy-to-use as it is powerful."
Pixelmator version 3.2 is available now as a $29.99, 35.7-megabyte download from the Mac App Store.
The update's landmark feature is the new Repair Tool, which the company says has been "redeveloped from the inside out." The tool allows users to simply paint over an object that they would like to remove from an image with broad stokes -- the software will then remove that portion and automatically stitch together a replacement background.
Users have three options with the new repair tool: quick, standard, and advanced repairs. Thanks to algorithmic enhancements, the Pixelmator Team says that the new tool uses four times less memory than its predecessor.
The group has also added support for working with 16 bits of color per channel, a feature now available on every Mac. In addition, layers can now be locked individually, and users have access to a new Convert Selection into Shape option. The company also promises "a number of improvements, user interface enhancements, and fixes related to stability and reliability."
"Packed with incredible features, Pixelmator 3.2 Sandstone delivers the most empowering image editing experience Pixelmator fans have ever had," Pixelmator cofounder Saulius Dailide said in a release. "Redeveloped from the ground up Repair Tool, 16-bits per channel support and Lock Layers feature make Pixelmator an excellent image editor that is just as fun and easy-to-use as it is powerful."
Pixelmator version 3.2 is available now as a $29.99, 35.7-megabyte download from the Mac App Store.
Comments
Granted it's not as convenient as a 1 click tool but it's not a massively difficult effect to achieve manually... Pixelmator even have a tutorial - http://www.pixelmator.com/tutorials/effects/vignette-effect/
Sorry, but this is simply not a credible alternative to Photoshop.
Care to elaborate? I personally know a number of professional designers who have replaced Photoshop with Pixelmator recently and have only glowing praise.
Sorry, but this is simply not a credible alternative to Photoshop.
Who ever said it was?
It is a welcomed inexpensive alternative for those of us who do not need all the professional features of Photoshop.
I bought this and keep an eye on its development, very happy to see some kind of competition to Adobe. Unfortunately, at least for a photographer, this is a long way from being anywhere near the capabilities of Photoshop.
The biggest missing things for me are non-destructive layer effects and compatibility with third party plug-in filters as I make extensive use of Alien Skin's Exposure and occasionally some others.
I use Photomerge for joining multiple shots into larger files. This has become a specific workflow I now use all the time because Photomerge makes it so easy.
The filters and Photomerge are two very specific things to my workflow, but the non-destructive layer effects is a very generic one for photographers.
On the positive side, maybe this should not really be seen as a Photoshop competitor, but something a bit different. I see it as more comparable with Photoshop Elements at its current level of sophistication.
The shift to support 16 bits suggests the developers hope for professional users and I guess some very hard up photographer might struggle to use this, but when Photoshop is only a few bucks a month... why struggle.
I bet one day Adobe buy the company and ruin like they did with Macromedia and anything else they have touched.
I wish Adobe would just drop dead.
Designers maybe but not many full-time, professional graphics folks would give up Photoshop IMHO.
Sorry, but this is simply not a credible alternative to Photoshop.
Sorry, but this is indeed a credible alternative for some Photoshop users, as evidenced by BobJohnson's comment above.
I bet one day Adobe buy the company and ruin like they did with Macromedia and anything else they have touched.
I wish Adobe would just drop dead.
So by ruin you mean Adobe put their name on the former Macromedia products?
I previously owned the entire Macromedia suite including Coldfusion, and personally, I think Adobe has made significant improvements to the entire product line, of course with the exception of Freehand, for obvious reasons.
Care to elaborate? I personally know a number of professional designers who have replaced Photoshop with Pixelmator recently and have only glowing praise.
Sure:
For what this application cost there should be none of this "Photoshop" talk. You cant even buy Photoshop anymore. Adobe went full blown money grab in recent times. I own this application, and I bought it to ween me off of my pirate Photoshop version. For the record, I have bought one suite to the tune of 1500.00 as well as used the $30.00/mo version for a year. Quite a lot just to edit graphics for fun.
I'm all for alternatives. Pixlemator is just nowhere near the functionality of Photoshop.
Another simple comparison:
http://photo-graphics-software.findthebest.com/compare/4-5/Adobe-Photoshop-CC-vs-Pixelmator
Also, despite the prevalence of web-only design work, print is still a very large industry. Pixelmator is useless for printed things (no CMYK, no Pantone Matching System).
At least Pixelmator has a better icon than PS. I absolutely hate the Adobe app icons of late. For a product suite centered on image and creative content production, they can't come up with better icon designs than a square with letters for the initials of the name of the app in it? They're almost as bad as the icons for Microsoft's Office apps. "W", "X", "P". Gee, thanks. Remember when Photoshop had an eyeball floating over a beach? That was cool! Even the feather wasn't bad. The current ones are pathetic.
At least Pixelmator has a better icon than PS. I absolutely hate the Adobe app icons of late. For a product suite centered on image and creative content production, they can't come up with better icon designs than a square with letters for the initials of the name of the app in it? They're almost as bad as the icons for Microsoft's Office apps. "W", "X", "P". Gee, thanks. Remember when Photoshop had an eyeball floating over a beach? That was cool! Even the feather wasn't bad. The current ones are pathetic.
Couldn't disagree more. The reason they got rid of those fancy icons is because most professionals are using multiple apps from the suite and could not remember which feather, butterfly or flower represented which app hence were forever clicking the wrong one and have to wait for it to launch only to quit. The letter icons came from Macromedia and Adobe was smart to adopt that style.
I would agree it is a fantastic slick application I've been a graphic designer for over 20 years and now a web designer, traditionally using the adobe suite. I hated illustrator and currently looking at sketch. Pixelmator is without doubt a credible alternative and at the price it's an absolute no brainier!
It is in no way a credible replacement for the range available with Illustrator or Photoshop. Yes, it has some fun effects, but it would need another ten years of development before it could be considered a threat to Adobe.
Sorry, but this is simply not a credible alternative to Photoshop.
The hell it isn't.
I'm all for alternatives. Pixlemator is just nowhere near the functionality of Photoshop.
Another simple comparison:
http://photo-graphics-software.findthebest.com/compare/4-5/Adobe-Photoshop-CC-vs-Pixelmator
Also, despite the prevalence of web-only design work, print is still a very large industry. Pixelmator is useless for printed things (no CMYK, no Pantone Matching System).
CMYK will fall more quickly out of your To Do List. Incorporating LittleCMS 2.6.x into Pixelmator, if not already done, will be a synch in the future.