Pixelmator Team, the company behind a number of award-winning graphics apps for Apple devices, has released on November 19, Pixelmator Pro 2.0—the largest ever upgrade to the Mac image editor designed to make powerful professional tools accessible to everyday users.
The new update brings full, native support for the new M1-powered Macs, which makes the performance of ML-powered tools like ML Super Resolution up to 15 times faster. According to Simonas Bastys, the lead developer of Pixelmator Pro, the staggeringly improved performance is important when it comes to finding the right pace of work and can usually be the decisive aspect when choosing photo editing software.
“Speed is usually the limiting factor when it comes to getting work done and, in terms of what makes one app better than another, their speed and reliability will be the biggest factors,” said Bastys. “So if you are looking to buy the new, powerful Mac, you will find the performance of Pixelmator Pro will be pretty incredible.”
The upgrade also features a new, fully-customizable, and fresh-looking interface, designed exclusively for the modern look of macOS Big Sur. Almost every part of the interface, from the familiar toolbar to every individual menu and switch, has been refreshed and refined, making Pixelmator Pro even more intuitive and easy to use.
“Pixelmator Pro is a powerful app with many different features for many different workflows,” said Bastys. “It has something for photographers, illustrators, designers, and digital painters. Of course, with such a wide range of tools, it makes sense that different users will want to display different tools or organize the interface to their liking.”
The new Effects Browser makes it simpler than ever to find and apply stunning special effects to images. Users can now quickly search for effects and apply any effect using just a few clicks. And the new Workspaces feature lets users choose from thoughtfully designed app layout presets specially optimized for photo editing, design, illustration and painting. The interface is also fully customizable, offering complete freedom to personalize the creative environment of Pixelmator Pro.
The new update also brings over 200 new presets and more than 50 vector shapes for the Color Adjustment, Effect, Style, Shape, and Gradient tools, which, thanks to preset collections, can now be grouped and even shared with others. According to Bastys, the presets make it easier to create good-looking images quickly and make the overall experience of photo editing more functional and effective.
“And they are not just for photo editing—there are many new vector shapes, layer styles, and gradients, which make it easier to create designs,” said Bastys. “The color adjustment presets let you change the look and feel of a photo, giving it a cinematic or analog film feel with just a click. We have also included workspace presets created specifically for photographers, illustrators, designers, and painters.”
