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If you're looking for a full-featured image editor at a relatively low price, Pixelmator fills the bill nicely. Sporting a smooth Mac-friendly interface, Pixelmator offers a layout much like Adobe Photoshop with separate toolbars offering standard selector and paint brush type tools, a color-picker, a layer manager, and a brush picker with large array of options, from "follow direction" to multiple jitter settings. Pixelmator also has support for Adobe Photoshop brushes.
Also like Photoshop, Pixelmator comes with all the image manipulation tools you might need for adjusting color, saturation, brightness and contrast, and many more. If you want to add effects to your images, you can pick from several different common filters like distortion, blur, sharpen, halftone, and stylize, along with more esoteric filters like clouds and noise. Essentially, Pixelmator gives you a lot of the same tools, effects, filters, and capabilities (like save for Web and trim) that you would find in Photoshop, though you won't find many of Photoshop's more advanced tools.
Perhaps the biggest difference most users with above average image editing needs will notice is Pixelmator's price ($59). It's important to note the demo version watermarks all your images, but once you see the amount of features this app has, you probably won't mind paying for all that functionality.
Publisher's Description
From Pixelmator Team:
Pixelmator is an image editor for Mac OS X that allows you to create, edit, and enhance your images. Interface designed for work with images, layers-based image editing, use over 20 tools for selecting, crop, painting, retouching, typing, measuring, and navigation. Use over 15 color correction tools, use over 50 filters, adjust image size and resolution. Transform images, layers or selections using transform tools, fill and stroke images, layers or selections, photo browser offers quick access to iPhoto Library, events, albums, smart albums, and pictures folder. Use your iSight camera to add pictures to your compositions. Includes automator actions for converting, resizing, enhancing, adding special effects, and transforming images. Image processing is powered by core image and open GL.
What's new in this version:
- Smart Shape Tools: Quickly adjust shapes' outlines with easy-to-use controls to get just the look you're after.
- Custom Shapes palette: Packed with dozens of readily available shapes that are as easy to add as dragging and dropping.
- Shape Style palette: Effortlessly create more polished, advanced shapes with the new Fill, Stroke Style, Shadow and Inner Shadow features.
- Smart Move Tool: Knows when you are working with image or shape layers and gives you the opt... See all new features
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All versions:
3.5 starsout of 23 votes
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Current version:
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"It's OK... for a cheap product"
Version: Pixelmator 2.1
Pros
Inexpensive, and sort of easy to figure out. It's good for snapshots. Some of the special effects are nice.
Cons
It crashes a lot. I like the apps I used on my PC a lot better, especially ACDSee. Unfortunately, ACDSee doesn't have a good Mac version. So I'm looking for something comparable. The tools are lousy in Pixelmator, especially "heal," "burn," and "dodge," which are essential! The text boxes don't have a professional look.
Summary
I got what I paid for. But I'm still looking. Maybe I'll bite the bullet and go with PhotoShop.
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"Thought it was fine until..."
Version: Pixelmator 2.0.5
Pros
Cheapish, Simplish.
Cons
I was quite enjoying this little app until it simply disappeared a valuable image.
No warning, no nothing - there one moment, gone the next.
I used Pixelmator for the first time in a couple of months this morning - and the same thing happened, luckily with an easily-replaceable image.Summary
Random image-loss is unforgivable, particularly with Lion, which purports to autosave as you go along - a trait I loathe btw, along with the incomprehensible decision to ditch 'save as' and pursuit of eye candy in place of functionality.
I cannot tell whether this is a bug or not - neither does Pixelmator, apparently.
All Pixelmator-users beware - use ONLY with dupe images. -
"Well, I am impressed"
Version: Pixelmator 2.0.2
Pros
Great functionality for a low price
Cons
Nothing to me said
Summary
I don't like Photoshop as it's rather complicated. Pixelmator gives me everything I need for the photo editing without any unnecessary and complicated features
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"User-frindly photo editor"
Version: Pixelmator 2.0.2
Pros
I'm glad that is the price is cheaper
Cons
nothing negative for me
Summary
I'm not a great proffecional in photo design -that's why i have enough benefits of this tool. It is not a Photoshop, really - but it's a good alternative version!
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"Good Alternative to Photoshop"
Version: Pixelmator 2.0.1
Pros
Much less expensive than photoshop. Sufficient photo-editing software. Has most of the basic features. Fast and clean UI.
Cons
Crashes from time to time. Wish it could do vector art.
Summary
Pixelmator may not have everything that PhotoshopCS5 has, but it's still a great editing application, nonetheless. It has most of the essential features like layers, masks, paths, filter effects, etc. It's fast, simple, and has a clean user interface that is easy to navigate. It works best for small projects, but you may have a tougher time when it comes to large projects. Overall it's a pretty good alternative to Photoshop.
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"Too much Lion eye candy"
Version: Pixelmator 2.0
Pros
Trial-Version
Cons
Am I the only one who can't read the grey on black text? Tiny, tiny icons. The animations are annoying. At first glance I wasn't able to edit png files with a mask.
Summary
Could be a good app, but there is too much eye candy. But it's good that they kept their trial version. Otherwise I would have asked for a refund.
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"Rubbish without a bin."
Version: Pixelmator 1.6.7
Pros
Does photo editing
Cons
Hard to navigate, badly laid out, tricky, have to watch videos and tutorials to figure out how to do basic things.
Summary
I have a Windows product that is 10 times easier to use and has more flexibility like photo stitching which I would consider a basic editing function. I haven't even found it on Pixelmator because I couldn't be bothered trying to find out what they call it or how they achieve it, if in fact it can be done with this software. For a Mac product it is a total let down. Imagine a Windows product out gunning a Mac one?..... If I could get a refund I would, and look for something else. But typically of these software companies making millions, it's just all too hard. I'd say this is total crap but you can do most things on it. It's just hard to use.... I use ArcSoft Photo 2000 which does everything easier. Adding txt, stamps, cropping, stitching.... is all so much easier. Pixelmator is rubbish.
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"Photoshop Elements still THE VERY BEST!"
Version: Pixelmator 1.6.5
Pros
I tried it, and all others, and to tell the truth, nothing comes close to the power and ease of use of PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS. Period.
Cons
Photoshop Elements 9 costing only 20 dollars more, is much better option and a much better tool, easy, powerful and user-friendly
Summary
I don't understand WHY on the list of "popular editing software", there is no Photoshop Elements...???!!!
It seems to me, the list is not accurate at all.
And another thing: Pixelmator price of $60 is not much less than of a more superior Photoshop Elements, which is $80.
Why would anybody go for Pixelmator, if for $20 more you can get a much better PSE9 ???? -
"It's not Photoshop but a great alternative"
Version: Pixelmator 1.6.4
Pros
Fast, great price
Cons
Only for Snow Leopard
Summary
A great alternative for Photoshop but for new users. If you are an experienced Photoshop user this is not for you. You must keep paying the sky limit price of the Adobe products. But for a new user who wants to experiment with layers and photo retouching is Top product.
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"Great product"
Version: Pixelmator 1.6.4
Pros
Pixelmator has always been a fun app, but now it is even more intuitive and fun to work with.
Cons
Haven't found any negatives yet.
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