After previewing Pixelmator 3.2 a little more than a month ago, the team on Thursday released the updated software for public consumption.
Bumped to version 3.2, Pixelmator’s ‘Sandstone’ update is now available free in the Mac App Store to those who own this popular Photoshop alternative for the Mac. The headline new feature: a much improved Repair tool.
It uses “the latest breakthrough technologies” to make it easy and fun to remove dust, blemishes and entire objects from your images, “with an unsurpassed level of precision and quality”.
Also on tap in this Pixelmator update: a Lock Layers Feature and 16-bits per channel support for all Macs (previously, only the new Mac Pro supported higher-fidelity color channels)…
Saulius Dailide of the Pixelmator Team said:
Packed with incredible features, Pixelmator 3.2 Sandstone delivers the most empowering image editing experience Pixelmator fans have ever had.
Redeveloped from the ground up Repair Tool, 16-bits per channel support and Lock Layers feature make Pixelmator an excellent image editor that is just as fun and easy-to-use as it is powerful.
The improved Repair tool uses sophisticated repairing algorithms and now has three options – Quick, Standard and Advanced – to perform repairs and remove unwanted objects, blemishes and other image/skin imperfections.
As a bonus, it uses four times less memory than its previous incarnation. Here it is in action.
Next, all compatible Macs can now take advantage of Pixelmator’s 16-bits per channel support. Computer images normally use eight-bits per channel for a 24-bit color accuracy giving you sixteen million colors in total.
Having 16-bits per channel to work with allows for a much greater color fidelity while permitting Pixelmator to greatly reduce the risk of color banding.
“This means that you can make advanced color adjustments to an image while keeping its color rich and vibrant,” noted developers.
Other features included in this Pixelmator update: a new Convert Selection into Shape option, a Lock Layers feature protecting any layer from further changes, as well as the usual assortment of improvements, user interface enhancements and fixes related to stability and reliability.
Pixelmator 3.2 changelog:
• All-new Repair Tool: Redeveloped from the inside out, the new Repair Tool is built on breakthrough technology that enables removing unwanted objects or image imperfections with an unsurpassed level of quality and precision.
• 16-bits per channel support: 16-bits per channel support offers the flexibility to make color adjustments that go to extreme lengths while keeping the image color rich and vibrant.
• Lock Layers: When creating large and complex compositions, layer locking makes it easy to protect layer content from any further changes so that you can freely edit the rest of your composition.
• Convert Selection into Shape: A handy new feature that lets you quickly and easily create all kinds of shapes from any selection.
You can purchase Pixelmator in the Mac App Store for $29.99.
The app requires a Mac running a 64-bit Intel chip and OS X 10.8.5 or later.