Photoshop used to be synonymous with photo editing, but Pixelmator is also making a name for itself and without the Adobe price tag. And the mobile version isn’t lagging too far behind its Mac counterpart, either.
On Tuesday, Pixelmator for iOS released its latest 2.3 version, which incorporates improved selection tools for editing just specific parts of your photos. The app update adds a Quick Selection Tool, a Magnetic Selection Tool, as well as new Color Selection and Invert Selection options. Pixelmator is $4.99 in the App Store, and version 2.3 is available as a free update to existing app users.
These advanced selection tools had already been available in the Pixelmator for Mac app. Macworld contributor Jeff Carlson reviewed Pixelmator 3.5 for Mac and found it to be an “excellent, affordable alternative to Photoshop.”
Quick Selection Tool in Pixelmator 2.3
“With the Quick Selection and Magnetic Selection tools, Pixelmator for iOS becomes smarter and more powerful than ever, making it much easier to edit images with incredible precision on iPad and iPhone,” Pixelmator cofounder Saulius Dailide said in a statement. “Pixelmator for Mac users have already been using these two tools and their response has been fantastic, so we’re really excited to be bringing them both to the most advanced image editor on a mobile device.”
On iOS, Pixelmator has improved its selection algorithm to match the Mac version. Using the Quick Selection Tool, you can select an object by swiping over the general area, and the tool will analyze both texture and color to determine the outlines.
For more precise object selection, Pixelmator for iOS also has a Magnetic Selection Tool that automatically snaps around the edges using specific anchor points. This tool seems designed to help you trace objects using the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro.
Magnetic Selection Tool in Pixelmator 2.3.
In fact, Pixelmator 2.3 also has made a few improvements to the Apple Pencil experience overall. The Quick Selection Tool is now pressure-sensitive, so the harder you press down the larger the selection brush will become.
Other new features include a Color Selection Tool and Invert Selection Tool that rely on “content-aware smoothing algorithm” that can tell the difference between a hard edge and a soft edge in an object.
Below are two video tutorial of Pixelmator’s new iOS selection tools.
Author: Oscar Raymundo, Staff Writer
Oscar writes about iOS, mobile culture and digital music. He also hosts 'The iPhone Show' from Macworld's San Francisco HQ.