Pixelmator Pro 2.0 adds speed and UI enhancements

Pixelmator Team released Pixelmator Pro 2.0, the company’s largest upgrade to the Mac image editor. The update brings 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.

“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 Simonas Bastys, lead developer. “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 macOS Big Sur. Almost every part of the interface has been refreshed and refined, the company said.

“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 special effects to images. The new Workspaces feature lets users choose from app layout presets specially optimized for photo editing, design, illustration, and painting. The interface is also fully customizable.

The update also brings more than 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.

Pixelmator Pro 2.0 Junipero is free for existing users and $39.99 for new customers. Pixelmator Pro requires macOS Mojave or later.