As someone who dabbles in both photography and graphic design, I spend a lot of time in graphics-oriented apps. There are several leading apps in this category, but which is the right one for you? Is Photoshop better than GIMP? Is Pixelmator better than Photoshop?
GIMP 2.6
The free one. GIMP is free, open source, and cross platform. It has a reasonably good feature set, but doesn't perform particularly admirably and has a user experience that is decidedly un-Mac-like.GIMP is free.
Photoshop CS5
The big one. Photoshop has been around for a long time, and is the industry standard. Photoshop is the archetypical ‘professional' app: tons of features (some questionable), a usable-but-not-great UI, and a ridiculous price.Photoshop CS5 is $700, Photoshop CS5 Extended is $1000. Amazon has small discounts. Students and teachers get big discounts.
Pixelmator has a lot of built-in effects. With these effects, Pixelmator is a great alternative to Photoshop if you want to produce something quickly and easily. If you don't have a lot of experience with Photoshop, Pixelmator is the best tool to use because it's very simple to learn. Pixelmator has a lot of built-in effects. With these effects, Pixelmator is a great alternative to Photoshop if you want to produce something quickly and easily. If you don't have a lot of experience with Photoshop, Pixelmator is the best tool to use because it's very simple to learn. Pixelmator and GIMP are the competitors of Adobe Photoshop CC. Pixelmator comes with multiple format support, user-friendly interface, attractive effects, filters, layers and brushes features. However, it's only compatible with Mac OS which can be a problem for some users. Selection capability for Photoshop was nine, and six for Pixelmator. Ease and speed of use were eight for Photoshop and ten for Pixelmator. Combined scores were 17 for each. There was no apparent winner for this test. Summary: Photoshop vs Pixelmator Review. The standard features, of both products rate equally well.
Pixelmator 2
For example, here you can review Pixelmator Pro and Adobe Photoshop CC for their overall score (8.6 vs. 9.6, respectively) or their user satisfaction rating (95% vs. N/A%, respectively). You can even compare their individual modules and pricing terms along with other helpful details below. When matching products make sure to check their.
The shiny new one. Pixelmator is relatively new, incredibly inexpensive, and has quickly gotten a good reputation. Pixelmator is beautiful and a pleasure to use, performs very pleasingly, and has a respectable feature set.Pixelmator is $30 on the Mac App Store.
To review and compare these apps, I came up with four real-world tests to put them through. The tests are designed to evaluate the apps' capabilities and performance doing actual work, as well as give me a good idea of what it's really like to use them.
Each test has a set of metrics assigned to it. To be sure that they accurately reflect the most important elements of a successful app, I chose these metrics based on the mental comparisons I made while actually performing the tests.
Each app is given a score from 1 to 10 on each metric. The app with the highest score in a given test is deemed the ‘winner' of that test.
In addition to the per-test metrics, I've included at the end several general metrics that don't apply to a specific test but to the apps in general.
The first test was the simplest. This was designed to evaluate the design-focused features of the apps by creating a simple vector design: the Ask Different logo we all know and love.
GIMP: I was able to use GIMP to almost re-create the logo. The part I was unable to replicate was the 3D effect on the command sign: I had to go with a uniform border instead. I also had to convert the text and background shape into raster objects (which isn't ideal because it makes changing text and font impossible).
Photoshop: Photoshop could easily replicate the logo, complete with all 3D effects and no loss in mutability.
Pixelmator: Pixelmator came a little closer than GIMP did. I was able to re-create the drop shadow with more accuracy and leave the shape as a vector object. Like in GIMP, I had to revert to a uniform border and a rasterized symbol, but Pixelmator's border was cleaner than GIMP's.
Results:
Scores:
| Metric | GIMP | Photoshop | Pixelmator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape & Text Capabilities | 7 | 9 | 10 |
| Styling & Effects Capabilities | 3 | 10 | 5 |
| Ease & Speed of Use | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Total | 16 | 27 | 25 |
Winner:
Photoshop, with Pixelmator close behind.
In this test, I removed blemishes from and corrected the picture of an old photo. This was meant to evaluate the apps' localized editing features, including healing and cloning tools, as well as global picture corrections to a faded image.
GIMP: GIMP's Healing tool is easier to use than the Clone Stamp tool, but still requires that you select a source for each correction. Overall exposure, contrast, and color changes were easy and effective. GIMP does not boast any nondestructive editing features, which are important to me when working with valuable photos.
Photoshop: Photoshop has a one-click Spot Healing Brush which uses Content Aware Fill. Its performance was good, and I could make most corrections in one click. Picture corrections were easy and powerful. Photoshop has excellent support for nondestructive editing: all adjustments and blemish corrections can be kept separate from the original image and changed at any point.
Pixelmator: Pixelmator also has a smart one-click healing tool. Its performance was similar to Photoshop's, but it did slightly better around edges; there were fewer times when I had to resort to the Clone Stamp tool than in Photoshop and GIMP. For healing and local corrections, Pixelmator has nondestructive editing capabilities equal to Photoshop's. Image correction introduced a bluish tint to the photo.
Results:
Scores:
| Metric | GIMP | Photoshop | Pixelmator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healing Capabilities | 7 | 9 | 10 |
| Image Correction Capabilities | 10 | 10 | 7 |
| Ease & Speed of Use | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| Total | 20 | 26 | 27 |
Winner:
Pixelmator, with Photoshop close behind.
In this test, I edited a RAW image taken with my Canon DSLR. This test was designed to evaluate the apps' RAW processing capabilities, global picture adjustments, local picture adjustments, and nondestructive editing capabilities.
GIMP: GIMP has a RAW processor, which allows picture correction to be made with the extra image data present in a RAW file. Unfortunately, the interface was confusing and the corrections didn't look great: they introduced noise and tint. Localized corrections weren't very convenient, but the results were acceptable. GIMP has some level of nondestructive editing capabilities, but not enough for me to be comfortable using it on my original copy of a file.
Photoshop: Photoshop has the most advanced RAW processor I've seen, and the results of both its global and localized corrections are superb. RAW files are automatically processed nondestructively, and it's also easy to make further edits to the processed image without harming the original. Global adjustments were easier here than in any of the other apps, and local adjustments were equally easy.
Pixelmator: Pixelmator does not process RAW files, making it impossible to fully take advantage of the format. That said, Pixelmator's global corrections are powerful and easy to use, so I was able to achieve a nice result on this basic editing job without a dedicated processor. Local corrections were quick, easy, and effective. Pixelmator does not have nondestructive editing features for global adjustments, but it does for local adjustments.
Results:
Scores:
| Metric | GIMP | Photoshop | Pixelmator |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAW Processing | 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Global Adjustment Capabilities | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| Local Adjustment Capabilities | 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Ease & Speed of Use | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| Total | 18 | 34 | 30 |
Winner:
Photoshop, with Pixelmator fairing considerably better than GIMP.
In this test, I stuck Jon Stewart's head on Stephen Colbert's body. This was designed to test the selection capabilities of each app, as well as how efficiently they allow a user to perform complex cloning and filling tasks. These features are important to both photographers and designers.
GIMP: GIMP's ‘smart' selection tools aren't smart enough for use in complex photos, so I had to use the Lasso tool and draw around the image. This is usually less precise than automated tools, especially when dealing with hair. As usual, GIMP was the slowest and clunkiest app; it took me the longest to complete the swap using GIMP.
Photoshop: Download photoshop cc free no trial. Photoshop's smart selection tools really are the best I've used. Selecting the head was easy and fast, and refining the selection to handle hair well was also easy. Photoshop wasn't slow, but it was less fluid to use than Pixelmator.
Pixelmator: Pixelmator's smart selection tools are somewhat hit-and-miss, but they didn't work well in this image. Like in GIMP, I ended up using mostly the Lasso tool to make my selection. Pixelmator was very fast and I got the job done more quickly than in the other apps (Lion's Autosave and Versions were helpful here).
Results:
Scores:
| Metric | GIMP | Photoshop | Pixelmator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selection Capabilities | 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Ease & Speed of Use | 4 | 8 | 10 |
| Total | 9 | 17 | 17 |
Winner:
A tie between Photoshop and Pixelmator, with GIMP far behind.
| Metric | GIMP | Photoshop | Pixelmator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Feature Set | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Pro Feature Set | 5 | 10 | 6 |
| Quality of Results | 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Price | 10 | 2 | 8 |
| Total | 29 | 31 | 32 |
| Test | GIMP | Photoshop | Pixelmator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ask Different Logo | 16 | 27 | 25 |
| Photo Restoration | 20 | 26 | 27 |
| Editing RAW | 18 | 34 | 30 |
| Head Swap | 9 | 17 | 16 |
| General | 29 | 31 | 32 |
| Total | 92 | 135 | 130 |
Photoshop is the overall winner, but Pixelmator is very close behind. GIMP didn't put on a great show.
General users, amateur designers, and amateur photographers should get Pixelmator. It has lots of great standard-level features; a decent selection of pro-level features; and is a beautiful, fast app.
Professional designers and photographers should get Photoshop. It has all the professional features that Pixelmator lacks, and the user experience is entirely acceptable.
Really, GIMP isn't the best choice for anyone. Its feature set is acceptable, but its interface and sometimes-lackluster results mean that it's slow and frequently painful to use. Even if you're on a tight budget, Pixelmator is well worth the money.
Filed under App ReviewsGraphicsOS X
Tagged: apps, design, graphics, photos, reviews
In 'Adobe Flies from Creative Suite into the Creative Cloud,' 8 May 2013, Josh Centers described the stunning announcement made at the Adobe MAX conference that future versions of the sun-dried brick company's Creative Suite products, including Photoshop, would be available only on a subscription basis. Many Photoshop users — particularly hobbyists and those who don't live and die by the program — were outraged at the announcement and its implications (see 'Creative Cloud Complaints Darken Adobe's View of the Future,' 17 May 2013). In particular, many worried about the prospect of being locked out of all of their accumulatedPhotoshop documents if their previously purchased version of Photoshop should stop working (because, say, of an update to the operating system) unless they gave in and subscribed.
As someone whose own purchased copy of Photoshop, an ancient CS1 release, had already met such a fate at the hands of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, I understand their fear. In my own case, though, Photoshop CS1's inability to run on my current Mac did not mean that I had to abandon my old Photoshop files. Thanks to Pixelmator, from the Pixelmator Team, I can open and edit all of my old Photoshop files just fine (or, at least, those that I've tried — some old sins are not worth remembering).
I'm not the only one who has turned away from Photoshop to embrace Pixelmator. It seems that the most recent update, version 2.2, achieved 500,000 downloads in its first week of availability in the Mac App Store (see 'Adding Context to Big Number News,' 17 May 2013).
Which raises the question posed by this article's title: Can you replace Photoshop with Pixelmator? Or, to give it the correct emphasis, can you replace Photoshop with Pixelmator?
The answer to that, I'm afraid, may disappoint those who want cut-and-dried answers to complex questions: it depends on how you use Photoshop, and what you use it for. In my case, and in the cases of other members of the TidBITS staff whom I asked, the answer seems to be 'Yes.'
As writers, of course, we scribblers at TidBITS tend not to have intense or complicated image editing needs: the most common needs recounted to me by my colleagues were for cropping and sizing images, composing screenshots, putting borders and text on images, and making minor adjustments to the colors and levels of images. Add to that my own peculiar need to manipulate the truly terrible cartoons I occasionally draw (see 'iPad Tools for Bad Cartoonists (and Good Ones, Too),' 29 November 2012), and you end up with a list of use cases that make the feature set of Pixelmator, let alone Photoshop, seem like overkill on the level of a thermonuclear fly-swatter.
Pixelmator has a set of image editing and manipulation tools far in excess of our needs, with some of them similar in both operation and presentation to their Photoshop counterparts. For example, it has a Tools palette similar in many ways to the Tools panel found in Photoshop, with tools arranged in a similar order and sporting icons that won't look unfamiliar to a Photoshop user.
Pixelmator Vs Photoshop Cs6 Presets
Pixelmator also has a rich array of vector shapes you can use and stylize for those times when bitmap graphics don't fill the bill. It has a bunch of gradient fills and controls to customize and adjust them. It provides all sorts of effects — color adjustments, blurs, distortion, sharpening, tiling, styling, and more — presented in a browser that enables you to preview them. It has lots of brushes, from simple to complex, and offers the capability to modify and add to them. It has layers, of course, andcommands to link them, group them, merge them, adjust their blending with other layers, hide them, and use them as masks. It offers a Photo Browser so you can quickly peruse and choose from images in iPhoto, Aperture, Photo Booth (yes, Photo Booth!), plus any other images in your Pictures folder hierarchy. Put all of Pixelmator's various palettes onscreen and you'd be hard-pressed to find the image you're working on amid their vast richness of offerings.
Even Pixelmator's menus bear a passing resemblance to Photoshop's, with commands like Transform, Stroke, and Fill on the Edit menu, and a Layers menu with some familiar layer manipulation commands. You'll also find an Image menu with the basic image and canvas size commands and color adjustment commands. These are not one-to-one copies of Photoshop's offerings, of course — that application has many more commands and options — but if you have come to Pixelmator from Photoshop you will, at least, have areasonable chance of finding the command you want if Pixelmator offers it.
Pixelmator Vs Gimp
But among some of the things that Photoshop offers that you won't find in Pixelmator are the following: layer styles, adjustment layers, saved masks, editing in the CMYK color space, non-destructive editing, and channel chops. There are many other lacunae in Pixelmator's capabilities as compared to Photoshop's, as well, and if you regularly need any of those capabilities, Pixelmator is obviously not the right Photoshop replacement for you.
Here's the possibly inconvenient truth: if you are a graphics or pre-press professional, Photoshop remains the best tool for your job, and whether you like the new Creative Cloud subscription-only model or not, you will eventually need to subscribe.
But if you're not sure, investigating Pixelmator is hardly a wallet-buster. As I write, Pixelmator is available in the Mac App Store at a special half-price 'introductory' cost of $14.99. Putting it in perspective, that's half the $29.99 cost of a single month's subscription to just Photoshop in Creative Cloud.
Pixelmator Vs Photoshop Cs6 Cs2
When you compare the two programs, it's clear that Pixelmator is not the best choice for fully employed illustrators and graphic designers who must interact with others in the Photoshop-driven community of creative professionals. Instead, it is well positioned to meet the needs of users who Adobe's new strategy has largely abandoned: hobbyists, people doing occasional photo touch-ups, and students and starving artists who can't afford the overall cost of the Creative Cloud and who don't need all of Photoshop's professional (and sometimes arcane) features. If you're trying to get your head out of the cloud, the combination of Pixelmator's low cost and rich feature set may be just what you need to brighten your day.
