Pixelmator Pro

£38.99/$39.99

“Powered by the Metal 2 graphics technology, the painting feels staggeringly responsive”

There are many reasons why Pixelmator ranks highly among our favourite apps: it’s powerful, its userfriendly interface looks fabulous and it is designed exclusively for Mac. The latest version (1.3 Prism) introduces a wide range of handy new features that make creating advanced illustrations and designs easier than ever, such as layer colour tags, filtering and search, clipping masks, quick opacity and blending controls, and much more once you start to scratch away at the surface.

Above everything though, the same intuitive Pixelmator interface shines through. With tools for moving, re-sizing and arranging layers, as well as smart spacing guides that appear automatically, it is easy to place every object in your composition exactly where you want it. Advanced alignment tools also let you line up multiple objects with a single click, which is a great time-saver. Thanks to a cutting-edge engine that is powered by the Metal 2 graphics technology, painting feels staggeringly responsive, fluid and, most importantly, completely natural. More handcrafted brushes (with dual textures) and advanced brush dynamics have been packed into this version, providing greater freedom to realise your art, whether you’re just scribbling, sketching or creating more complex paintings.

Of course, Pixelmator doesn’t scrimp on the effects either and these can be applied in multiples to a single layer and with the ‘Recipes’ function you can even develop your own and share them with others. A stunning package and a snip at the price.