Pixelmator Pro
A viable alternative to Photoshop
$59.99 From Pixelmator, pixelmator.com/pro Features Solid editing tools, Machine Learning Needs macOS 10.13 or later
Pixelmator Pro is a Mac-only photo editing and graphics app, distinct from the existing Pixelmator app and with a new interface and some advanced technologies. Its single-window interface, with controls you can quickly access and hide at the edges, allows you to focus on your images instead of juggling windows. The workflow is quick to pick up, you won’t waste much time delving into sub-menus, and there’s a wealth of tools on offer, from advanced shapes, type, and transformations to pens, selections, layers, and more. The brushes are particularly responsive and fun to use. The art tools do a good job of not seeming too daunting to less experienced users while providing plenty of depth for more heavyweight tasks as well.
From a photographic point of view, there’s support for Raw as well as all other major file formats (including PSD) and very solid editing tools with control over every aspect of an image’s light and color. It’s several steps up from a standard photo editing app in terms of what you can do with photos, while arguably not having the really fine grained tools of a dedicated (and more expensive) tool like Lightroom or Capture One. Layers and masks are handled more intuitively than in Photoshop, appearing in a stack on the left of the window for easy access and editing.
The retouching tools are excellent, with easy-to-use clone and repair brushes. The repair tool is especially impressive — it was able to accurately remove even large, complex elements from a picture by simply brushing over them, and do so better than any similar tool we’ve used. This is assisted by the app’s clever new Machine Learning capabilities, which enable it to recognize and interpret certain features within images. They require a Mac with support for Apple’s Metal 2 graphics technology, but also deliver automatic, intelligent layer naming, horizon detection, and accurate quick selection tools.
Import, integration with Photos, and export (including export to social media) are all well handled. So is History: The software appears to constantly save with each step and periodically save versions as well, meaning there’s a Time Machine style history option for reverting to earlier states. Plus, all edits are nondestructive.
Does it have the sheer depth of Photoshop? Probably not, but then neither does it have its complexity, or the legacy of years of cross-platform code to deal with. Pixelmator Pro is a pure Mac app: slick, gorgeous, and powerful, and with more than enough features for all but the most demanding graphic artist or photographer. A one-off cost of under $60 for an app this much fun to use is also a bit of a bargain. It’s an excellent choice for graphics, layout, and photo editing, with an intuitive workflow.
The bottom line. A slick, powerful alternative to Photoshop, which should suit all but the most demanding designers and photographers. Hollin Jones