Pixelmator’s Progress - This Photoshop Elements Challenger Is Maturing Fast - Review
Several weeks later, Pixelmator 1.0.2 was released, a refinement and bugfix update with no new features, and then on December 6 a more substantive revision - Pixelmator 1.1 "Kitten" - was rolled out, adding Custom Core Image Units support, Custom Quartz Composer compositions support (Leopard only), Graphics Tablet support, a Quick Look plug-in added (Leopard only), More than 18 additional Core Image-based filters (Leopard only), More than 60 Quartz Composer-based filters were added (Leopard only), plus more refinements and bugfixes.
Just in time for editing all those Christmas photos, Pixelmator 1.1.1 (still "Kitten") was rolled out last month with a few more tweaks, feature enhancements and bugfixes. Pixelmator 1.1.1 featured improved Leopard support, a built-in Quick Look plug-in, and tablet pen sensitivity support, plus Core Image units and Quartz Composer composition support as filters.
This week, Pixelmator 1.1.2 was released, with more refinements, more bugfixes, some minor performance improvements added. With version 1.1.2, fill now works in real-time, and a contextual menu for selection tools is now available. For a full list of changes in 1.1.2 see the Appendix below.
"Since Pixelmator launched just over two months ago.... we've been incredibly focused on harnessing the full power of Mac OS X," said Saulius Dailide of the Pixelmator Team. "And now with Core Image units, Quartz Composer compositions support, and the Quick Look plug-in, Pixelmator proves once again that it is one of the most innovative real-Mac OS X applications."
So this young application is maturing quickly, and with all four of the releases since my initial review I was eager to see whether some of the shortcomings I had encountered in version 1.0.1 had been addressed. Some of them have.
The interface is growing on me too. While I still think that a conventional white and Platinum windowing theme is more functional and practical, Pixelmator's translucent black windows are certainly a feast for the eyes. In fact, Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac, which I should have in hand for a review soon, reportedly ahs an appearance theme that shows signs of Pixelmator's design influence, as do the new photo editing and correction tools in OS X Leopard Preview.Core Image-Based Pixelmator is being promoted as an 'image editor for the rest of us,' and even more ambitiously as a potential "Photoshop-killer." The former is definitely within reach; but the the latter is not quite yet in sight, and Pixelmator is still well-short of matching even Photoshop Elements 4 for features and functionality, with Adobe about to raise the bar substantially with the imminent Elements 6 for Mac release.
There's no point in re-plowing recently-turned ground , so for a profile of its basic capabilities,
check out my original review of Pixelmator 1.0.1 here.
This review is about what's been changed and fixed in the more recent versions, and from the perspective of more experience working with the program, which I think is an important and very promising addition to the Mac image editing category.
I am a fan of Photoshop Elements (and Photoshop CS except for its price), but something that bugs me about Adobe is that in recent years they've been treating Mac users like poor relations. Windows-users have had Photoshop Elements 5 for some time (version 5 will be skipped entirely on the Mac platform), but it will be more than two years after Photoshop Elements for the Mac was upgraded to version 4, again long after PSE 4 for Windows debuted, before we will finally get PSE 6 for Mac, which, yes, will be a Universal Binary application at last. Photoshop Elements is a powerful and capable program at what I consider a bargain price considering how much of the full-zoot Photoshop CS feature set is retained in the "consumer" version, but Pixelmator is a Mac-only application, being actively and continuously developed, and it has a bright future. But what about its now?
One thing I wanted to do in this review is do some more comparisons of the program's photo correction capabilities as opposed to Photoshop Elements 4.0. Pixelmator has fewer photo correction tools than PSE 4, but would it be still possible to do as satisfactory a job of image enhancement and correction using Pixelmator's tool set? I simply applied whatever tools and filters were available in the respective programs in order to achieve the best result I could. This process was definitely quicker and more convenient in Photoshop Elements thanks to its more advanced and automated tool inventory, but I discovered that in some instances, I could get even better (to my eyes) results with Pixelmator than with Elements, in others not.
For example, in this shot The Pixelmator version (top) is more saturated, contrasty, and less sharp than what PSE could achieve with just a couple of mouse clicks (bottom).
On the other hand, in this photo, taken at the same time but from another angle and more backlit, I like the more saturated Pixelmator result better.
In this flash shot, again the Pixelmator image is more saturated and contrasty, as well as less sharp than the PSE image, which I prefer, although the face plate of the drive module is a bit washed-out in the PSE version.
In this shot, I think the PSE image (bottom) is even more decidedly superior.
And in this one, again, PSE 4.0 rendered a more realistic and sharper image.
Photoshop Elements' superior ability to cope with high contrast is highlighted in this comparison.
Overall, I have to say that Photoshop Elements, even at the about-to-be-superseded version 4, still has a substantial edge over Pixelmator for photographic editing in slickness and convenience as well as results.
However, Pixelmator has a few features that out-do PSE already. I especially like the convenient "Exposure" slider tool that lets you alter image "exposure" values in real time very slickly, and is nicer to use than the equivalent tools in Elements.
There are still bugs and angularities in Pixelmator 1.1.2, but more and more are being worked out with each successive release.
One that I am delighted to see squashed is that for some strange reason in Pixelmator 1.0.2 and earlier, jpeg images saved by Pixelmator not only wouldn't open in ToyViewer, but they crashed that application when attempting to open, requiring a Force Quit. This was not a problem with other file formats such as PDF and PNG saved by Pixelmator, and Pixelmator JPEGs always opened fine in Preview, Photoshop Elements, and Color It!, but there is something about them that ToyViewer didn't agree with and that's been fixed in the 1.1.x builds.
Another thing that now works right with Pixelmator 1.1.x, is that it now automatically appends filetype suffixes. Its failure to do that in earlier versions was a minor annoyance that multiplied in magnitude the more saves you did.
Unfortunately, while some of the tool and filter application waiting sluggishness has been improved incrementally with the successive version releases, it's still mighty slow, especially functions like resizing images (although full credit for Pixelmator starting up much faster than Photoshop Elements 4, but I hear the new PSE 6 for Mac is much more lively speed-wise, so that advantage may be temporary). You also still can't opt to open a new image from the Clipboard contents, and if there is a way to adjust the setting for new image default size (640 x 480), it has thus far eluded me. Indeed, the Preferences options are sparse to the point of extreme minimalism.
Yet another shortcoming is that if there is a way in Pixelmator to clone-drag a selection, which is a very useful retouching function supported by both Photoshop Elements and Color It!, I've been unsuccessful in discovering it. The Clone Stamp tool is something of a substitute for this, but not a totally satisfactory one.
I also still have mixed feelings about the black background toolbars and windows. There's no disputing that they look spectacular, but I find it much more difficult to make tool selections without direct concentration on finding the one I'm looking for. Also, with my current favorite Leopard desktop picture, which happens to have a lot of black area, the Pixelmator toolbar just sort of blends in and disappears like the Cheshire Cat.But it looks great!
Pixelmator is an interesting application, which counts for a lot, and while it's not yet quite in the same league as Photoshop Elements, it has a ton of promise. In an interview with TUAW's Mat Lu last fall, co-developer Saulius Dallide affirmed that the objective with Pixelmator is to " definitely give Photoshop a run for its money," and "be able to be a competitor for Photoshop in some way." I hope that they continue following through on that. Photoshop Elements is a wonderful program, but competition improves the breed. They're of to a good start.
And I will say this; lately when I need a graphics application with more power and functionality than my little standby ToyViewer, I find myself increasingly hitting the Pixelmator icon, and being satisfied with the performance. That has to be a good sign!
System requirements:
Mac OS X 10.4 or later, Core Image supported graphics card (recommended), some features require iLife.
System support:
PPC/Intel
$59.00 demoware
For my previous review of Pixelmator (1.0.1) click here.
Pixelmator 1.1.2 is a free update to current Pixelmator customers. Full system requirements, more information, as well as the Pixelmator demo version is available as a free download at the Pixelmator website.
Pixelmator:
http://www.pixelmator.com
Direct Download Link:
http://www.pixelmator.com/download/
Purchase Link:
http://www.pixelmator.com/buy/
Appendix
Pixelmator Releases Version History
New in version 1.1.2:
• Fill now works in real-time
• Minor performance improvements added
• Contextual menu for selection tools now available
• Layer via Copy (Contextual menu or Command+J shortcut) added
• Layer via Cut (Contextual menu or Command+Shift+J) added
• Selection can now be started from outside the canvas area
• Selection tools can be started from outside the canvas area when in Full Screen mode
• Selection cursor is now more precise
• Image Size sheet now remembers recently-used measure units
• Improved window scrolling when using Selection tools
• Transform > Scale now scales proportionally when Shift key is pressed
• Double-click when scaling layer now accepts changes
• Mouse-click on active selection now causes deselect
• Arrow keys on keyboard can be used to move selection
• Refine Selection keyboard shortcut changed to Command+Option+R
• New Image palette now remembers previously-selected units
• Moving selection content when there is preserved transparency on layer is now possible
• Selection tool cursors are now active outside canvas area
• Selection appearance improved when zoomed out
• Selection animation appearance improved
• Strange line when using Lasso tool is now gone
• Bug that did not allow user to select Selection mode in Tool Options palette is fixed
• Bug that did not allow selection mode in launched app is fixed
• Content duplication bug after using Refine Selection is fixed
• Layer now moves together with selection on that layer
• Transforming outside the canvas is improved
• Various Filter Rope improvements
• Minor interface bug fixes
• Fill color shifting bug fixed
• Bug that did not allow fill on empty layer fixed
• Bug that activated Finder window when mouse-clicked outside the canvas in the Full Screen mode fixed
• Bug causing Gradient Tool to generate garbage on small images fixed
• Bug that caused Gradient panel not to update fixed
• Text shadows are no longer cropped
• A layer thumbnail refresh bug after rotating canvas is fixed
• Redrawing bug when moving small selection is fixed
• A console message that said: "Inconsistent set of values to create NSBiapImageRep" is fixed
• A bug that caused inverted Tiff images after saving is fixed
• Tiff compression now works under 10.5 Leopard
• A bug that did not allow selection content to be filled when it was moved is fixed
• A bug that caused Brush to paint behind a moved selection layer is fixed
• A bug that caused switching to another application and back after a selection was created and using transform tools caused wrong selection content is fixed
• A bug that caused a strange line to appear when editing Image Size and using Fill is fixed
• A bug that sometimes did not allow user to add stroke on layer is fixed
• A crash that occurred when using Clone Stamp tool for a while
• A crash that occurred when using Levels adjusent when none of layers was selected is fixed
• A crash that occurred when trying to add custom image to Color Map palette is fixed
• A crash that occurred when saving some specific resolution images as PXM is fixed
• A crash that occurred when painting on image of 10x10 pixels in size is fixed
• A crash that occurred when painting on image after changes in Image Size is fixed
• A bug that caused crash when switching tools with keyboard shortcuts is fixed
• Various crashes that have to do with memory are fixed
• A crash that occurred when trying to use fill without any layer selected is fixed
New in version 1.1.1:
• German language added.
• Ability to select anchors and more measurement units added to Canvas Size.
• It is now possible to scroll the window when using selection tools.
• Quartz Composer Generator and Transition filters now function correctly.
• Full Screen mode improvements.
• Type Tool improvements.
• GIF bug when saving fixed.
• Canvas Size bug with undo fixed.
• Other minor improvements and bug fixes.
New in version Pixelmator 1.1 Kitten (December 6, 2007):
• Custom Core Image Units support
• Custom Quartz Composer compositions support (Leopard only)
• Graphics Tablet support
• Quick Look plug-in added (Leopard only)
• More than 18 Core Image-based filters have been added (Leopard only):
Box Blur, Gamma Adjust, Bump Distortion Linear, Comic Effect, Hexagonal Pixellate, Line Overlay, Spot Color, Spotlight, Eightfold Reflected Tile, Fourfold Reflected Tile, Fourfold Rotated Tile, Fourfold Translated Tile, Glide Reflected Tile, Perspective Tile, Sixfold Reflected Tile, Sixfold Rotated Tile, Twelvefold Reflected Tile, and Bar Swipe Transition.
• More than 60 Quartz Composer-based filters have been added (Leopard only):
Bulge, Dent, Light Tunnel, Pinch, Squeeze, Twirl, Fish Eye, Mirror, Stretch, ASCII Art, Blue Print, City Lights, Compound Eye, Concert, Crystallize, Dot Screen, False Color, Film Stock, Glow, Kaleidoscope, Line Overlay, Line Screen, Monochrome, Neon, Pixellate, Pointillize, Posterize, Tracer, Zoom Blur, Black and White, Color Pencil, Comic Book, Pop Art, Sepia, Thermal Camera, X-Ray, Defocus, Fall, Floor, Gradient, Grid, Image Hose, Moving Shapes, Travelator, Wall, Blur, Color Controls, Exposure Adjust, Flip-Flop, Gamma Adjust, Image Resizer, Motion Blur, Sharpen, Color Invert, Copy Machine, Cube, Dissolve, Mask, Mod, Mosaic Flip, Push, Swing, Zoom, and Dissolve.
• Stroke can now be applied inside, outside, and in the center of the path
• Stroke drawing improved
• Core Image memory leak fixed
• Printing improved
• JPEG files are now non-progressive when saved
• PNG support improvements
• Canvas Size bug in percentage adjustment fixed
• Eyedropper bugs fixed
• Other minor Leopard compatibility issues and bug fixes
New in version 1.0.2:
• Blur and Sharpen tools are now significantly faster
• Tab shortcut now shows/hides all palettes
• Gradients tool now works (Leopard issue)
• Photo Browser bugs fixed (Leopard issue)
• Problems with filters preview fixed (Leopard issue)
• 512 and 256 icons added (Leopard issue)
• Fixed bugs in the Magic Wand tool
• After Cut and/or Clear Layer thumbnail now updates
• Problems when moving selection fixed
• When resizing the whole image layer masks also resize now
• Fixed bugs when moving type layer
• Other Type tool bug fixes
• PSD support improvements
• PNG support improved
• IPTC/EXIF informations is now stored when saving files
• TIFF support improvements
• Software Update issues fixed
• Minor Help bugs fixed
Charles W. Moore
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