Pixelmator is a series of graphics editors developed by Pixelmator Team for macOS and iOS. Pixelmator apps are largely built on Apple-specific technologies such as CoreML and Metal.[4] Pixelmator uses a proprietary format across their apps (.PXD), but supports a variety of file types including Photoshop, RAW, and WebP.[5] All Pixelmator apps support image editing, but Pixelmator Pro also supports video and vector graphics.[6]

Pixelmator
Developer(s)Pixelmator Team
Initial release25 September 2007
Stable release
  • Pixelmator Pro: 3.5 (December 13, 2023; 12 months ago (2023-12-13)[1]) [±]
  • Pixelmator for iOS: 3.0.12 (August 30, 2023; 15 months ago (2023-08-30)[2]) [±]
  • Photomator: 3.1.2 (September 1, 2023; 15 months ago (2023-09-01)[3]) [±]
Written inSwift, Objective-C
Operating systemmacOS and iOS
TypeGraphics software
LicenseProprietary
Websitewww.pixelmator.com

History

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Pixelmator Team was founded in 2007 by Lithuanian brothers Saulius and Aidas Dailidė.[7] and released Pixelmator (now Pixelmator Classic) 1.0 in September of the same year.[8] The company currently resides in Vilnius, Lithuania.[9] In November 2024, Pixelmator Team agreed to be acquired by Apple for an unknown monetary amount, pending regulatory approval.[10]

Pixelmator Classic

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Pixelmator Classic was the original version of Pixelmator released for Mac on September 25, 2007. It uses a palette-style interface compared to Pixelmator Pro's single-window interface. It is no longer being updated and has been delisted from the Mac App Store.[11]

Pixelmator iOS

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Pixelmator for iOS launched on October 23, 2014 as an iPad-exclusive app with touch-optimized versions of Pixelmator's desktop features.[12] In May 2015, Pixelmator for iOS 2.0 was released with support for the iPhone.[13]

Pixelmator Pro

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Pixelmator Pro is an image, video,[14] and vector[15] editing software for macOS that launched on November 29, 2017. It was a paid upgrade for Pixelmator Classic users, featuring a redesigned interface, a graphics pipeline rewritten using Metal, Apple silicon support and a greater focus on ML/AI editing features.[16]

Photomator

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Photomator (Formerly Pixelmator Photo[17]) is a photo-oriented editing app which launched on iOS in 2021[18] and macOS in 2022.[19] After launching the macOS version, the app moved from a one-time purchase to a subscription, however, a lifetime license can still be purchased for $99.[19]

Photomator differentiates itself from other Pixelmator apps with features such as batch editing of full photoshoots and AI-powered color correction. Edits in Photomator are made on a single layer and are non-destructive.[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "What's New - Pixelmator Pro". Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  2. ^ "What's New - Pixelmator for iOS". Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  3. ^ "What's New - Photomator". Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Pixelmator Pro image tool with CoreML, Metal 2 enhancements coming in the fall to iOS, macOS". AppleInsider. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  5. ^ Team, Pixelmator. "Tech Specs - Pixelmator Pro". Tech Specs - Pixelmator Pro. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Pixelmator 3.2 released: Affordable Mac image editing app adds video editing". DPReview. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  7. ^ "New Mac Company Introduces the World's First GPU-powered Image Editor - Pixelmator Blog". www.pixelmator.com. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  8. ^ "More image editors for the rest of us | Macworld". Macworld. 28 September 2007. Archived from the original on 12 December 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Pixelmator Team". www.pixelmator.com. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  10. ^ Roth, Emma (1 November 2024). "Apple is acquiring the popular image editing app Pixelmator". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  11. ^ Team, Pixelmator. "Upgrade to Pixelmator Pro - Pixelmator". Upgrade to Pixelmator Pro - Pixelmator. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  12. ^ Parker, Jason. "Pixelmator for iPad review: The best image editor on the iPad". CNET. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  13. ^ "Pixelmator for iPhone Is Now Available - Pixelmator Blog". www.pixelmator.com. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Pixelmator Pro 3.2 for Mac Introduces Video Editing Support". MacRumors. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  15. ^ Mayo, Benjamin (31 May 2018). "Pixelmator Pro updated with Touch Bar support, SVG editing, advanced web export and slicing tools". Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  16. ^ Jackie Dove (23 January 2018). "Pixelmator Pro Review: Still a Powerful Bargin". Tom's Guide. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  17. ^ Mayo, Benjamin (12 April 2023). "Pixelmator Photo renamed to Photomator, adds AI-powered subject selection and more". 9to5Mac. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  18. ^ Stephen Warwick (16 December 2021). "Pixelmator Photo arrives on iPhone". iMore. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  19. ^ a b Mendez, Andrew (18 August 2022). "Pixelmator Photo is coming to Mac with sub-based model". TechCrunch. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  20. ^ "Photomator Photo Editor Now Available on Mac". MacRumors. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.