Pixelmator: Image editing for the rest of us

Do you want to make or edit interesting images? Do you want a high quality image editor without your wallet taking a pounding from Adobe? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you will definitely want to try Pixelmator; a phenomenally powerful image editor built exclusively for OS X.

Pixelmator will set you back $59, a price that once you have used the application, you will find very easy to justify. Upon opening Pixelmator, you will be greeted by a gorgeous looking interface; that is as easy to use as it is upon the eyes. By default you will see a ‘Tools’ menu and a ‘Layers’ palette. This is easy to customize to show many different things such as your brushes. Not only do these features make the application look great, they also make using the application very efficient. Below is an image of  the kind of screen you can expect to see when using Pixelmator.

In addition to being beautifully simplistic, Pixelmator is also extremely powerful. Photoshop users will be familiar with it’s different tools, such as it’s ’selection’ and ‘painting’ tools. These tools all work as promised, and basic knowledge of them can be picked up very quickly. What makes some of these tools better still is their compatibility with other software. For instance, you can import many different brushes, including those originally pertaining to Photoshop.

Something else which Pixelmator benefits from is a host of incredible technologies. It uses both Core Image and OpenGL; these add the ability of using the Mac’s video card for image processing, giving the application an altogether snappier feel. It also takes advantage of OS X’s quartz composer, giving the user the ability to produce even more stunning images. Some will also benefit from Pixelmator’s graphic drawing tablet support.

I would recommend Pixelmator to anyone. It is powerful, aesthetically pleasing, easy to use, and great value for money. I have compared it to Photoshop throughout this review, and although it is no rival to Photoshop on a professional standpoint, it is definitely a rival in the average consumer market. It is perfect for anyone who takes their image editing/creation moderately seriously but cannot justify the financial commitment that is Photoshop. Pixelmator is currently retailed at $59 and it is an amazing deal for such a powerful application.