Photomator and Pixelmator Pro have significantly improved the Auto Straighten feature, making horizon detection 5 times more accurate in both apps. This powerful enhancement allows you to straighten photos with a single click, saving you time and effort, especially when editing large batches of images. Whether you’re a professional photographer or a casual user, we believe you’ll find the improved Auto Straighten tool essential in your photo editing workflows.
5x Better Horizon Detection
Good composition is essential for creating beautiful images – even a slightly tilted horizon can make a photo look less professional. That’s why automatic photo straightening is so important. To make it even better, we developed our own AI-powered Auto Straighten algorithm from scratch. Now, Auto Straighten is 5 times more accurate in detecting the horizon and straightening photos, ensuring your images look their best with just a click. We are thrilled to celebrate this significant improvement, making it easier than ever to achieve perfect composition effortlessly.
Auto Straighten in Photomator 3.3.22
Auto Straighten powered by AI
Auto Straighten is now 5 times more precise, thanks to our completely redesigned horizon detection algorithm. Previously, we relied on the horizon detection technology provided by the Apple Vision framework, which worked well for images with a clear horizon line. However, it often struggled with more complex images, leaving them unlevel even when they were visibly off. This limitation highlighted the need for a more accurate solution, leading to the development of our custom machine learning-based horizon detection technology.
The Hough Line method is one of the most widely used techniques for straightening photos. It works by recognizing shapes in an image, such as lines, making it effective for straightening images with a clear horizon. However, this method has limitations – when the horizon is obscured by objects like mountains, hills, or trees, the algorithm often fails to straighten the photo accurately. This highlights its lack of precision in more complex scenarios.
The new machine learning approach
To develop the Auto Straighten feature, we trained a machine learning model based on the EfficientNet architecture. Instead of searching for shapes like lines, the model considers the entire image when determining the horizon. It was trained on images depicting complex scenarios where the horizon is not easily identifiable as a straight line, as well as those taken in dark settings. This approach enables the tool to straighten photos with clear horizons and those with more complex compositions, such as images featuring mountains, trees, and other elements.
To prepare Auto Straighten for even tougher scenarios, we trained the model using photos with varying noise levels and high compression. This enhances the tool’s versatility, enabling it to effectively straighten noisy and compressed images. As a result, Auto Straighten now delivers consistent results even with lower-quality photos.
You can use the improved Auto Straighten feature for individual photo editing, but it’s especially valuable for batch editing. Straightening photos, even from a small photoshoot with, for example, 50 images, can quickly become tiresome. Now, batch auto-straightening is also 5 times more accurate, delivering more consistent results. When batch editing in Photomator, make sure to include Auto Straighten in your workflows to enjoy automatic, precise results in seconds.
Batch Auto Straighten in Photomator 3.3.22
Whether you’re working on individual photos or entire photoshoots, this update ensures your images look professional with minimal effort. We are committed to continually improving your editing experience, and this is just one of many updates designed to make your workflow smoother and more enjoyable. Happy (batch) editing!
Hey everyone! We’ve got a very quick but exciting update. Photomator and Pixelmator Pro have just added support for 28 additional RAW formats from older yet beloved camera models.
This includes such iconic classics as the Canon PowerShot G2 (from 2001) and the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FX150 (from 2008). Additionally, we’ve sorted out an issue with the Panasonic LUMIX DC-GH5 II RAW decoding, so photos from this camera now open smoothly.
This is our fourth major update dedicated to expanding RAW support in Photomator and Pixelmator Pro. We’ve previously added support for compressed Fujifilm and Canon RAWs, RAWs from GoPro cameras, and some of the latest digital camera models such as the Nikon Z 6 III. See the complete list of currently supported RAW formats in Photomator and Pixelmator Pro.
And here are all the formats we added in this update:
Today, we’re excited to bring you yet another update in our series of expanding RAW support in Photomator and Pixelmator Pro. This time, we focused on adding support for compressed Nikon RAWs, now letting you work with photos shot using High Efficiency (HE) and High Efficiency Star (HE*) compression algorithms.
This update also adds support for RAWs from the newly released Nikon Z 6 III, Fujifilm X-T50 cameras, and other highly requested camera models. With a total of 20 additional RAW formats added, Photomator and Pixelmator Pro now support over 750 different RAW formats. Exciting stuff! To check RAW compatibility, see the full list of formats supported by Photomator and Pixelmator Pro.
Compressed Nikon RAW Support
From now on, Nikon users can enjoy previewing and editing photos taken using High Efficiency (HE) and High Efficiency Star (HE*) compression algorithms. These algorithms are designed to maintain high image quality while significantly reducing file sizes, making RAW photos faster to open and easier to store.
Despite their advantages, Nikon RAWs that use HE and HE* compression are not very widely supported due to certain technical and licensing limitations. However, thanks to the collaboration with our friends at Nikon, we were able to make it happen. This partnership also allowed us to add support for the newly released Nikon Z 6 III, which is only expected to receive system-level support later this year.
Extending System-Level RAW Support
While the Apple RAW engine is at the heart of RAW support in Photomator and Pixelmator Pro, extended RAW support lets us beautifully complement it by adding the necessary formats for a more well-rounded RAW experience. For instance, a recent system update added full support for Sony A6700 RAW files on macOS Sonoma and iOS 17. With extended RAW support, you can work with these files not only on the latest versions but also on all macOS and iOS versions currently supported by Photomator and Pixelmator Pro.
Another example is the support for the popular Fujifilm GFX100 II camera model. At the system level, only uncompressed Fujifilm RAWs are supported. In the meantime, Photomator and Pixelmator Pro let you work with both compressed and uncompressed Fujifilm RAWs, which helps cover all photography workflows.
Here is the list of all additional cameras and RAW formats added in this update:
Nikon
Z 6 III, Z 8, and High Efficiency/High Efficiency* RAWs from Z 9 and Z f models
Fujifilm
X-T50, X-A20
Sony
A6700, A7C II, and uncompressed, compressed, and lossless compression L size RAWs from 7CR and A9 III models
Olympus
E-M1 Mark II, E-M1 Mark III, OM-D E-M10 Mark IIIs, TG-5, TG-6
OM System
OM-1 Mark II, OM-5, TG-7
GoPro
Hero10 Black
Panasonic
DC-G100D
If there’s a RAW format you need that is not supported yet, we’d love to hear from you! Just fill out this form and let us know.
We hope this update helps even more photographers to enjoy Photomator and Pixelmator Pro and make most of their photos. The update is now live and you can grab it to try it out from the App Store. And if you know someone who might find the newly added formats useful, feel free to share the news!
Photomator introduces a powerful new Frame feature, letting you add beautiful, artistic frames to your photos and easily customize them before exporting. You can choose from a variety of frames, including 35mm and instant film frames, solid color borders, and more. Additionally, Pixelmator Pro introduces an all-new Frames collection with stunning new frames that will bring out the best in your images.
All-New Frames on Photomator for Mac
When exporting your photos on Photomator for Mac, you’ll discover an exciting new Frame feature in the export window, offering 6 stunning, customizable frames. The film frames, both 35mm and instant film, were meticulously scanned from the original film to provide your photos with an authentic film look. Other frames are fully customizable, adapting intelligently to the size of your photo and preserving its size even when you change the aspect ratio of the exported photo. You can also effortlessly adjust the look of the frame by adjusting its thickness, color, corner radius, and more.
New Frames Collection in Pixelmator Pro
Pixelmator Pro introduces an all-new Frames template collection, featuring stunning new frame templates. Like Photomator, it offers beautiful film frames, solid color borders, and more. Choosing the aspect ratio for each frame is incredibly easy, with options including square, story, and landscape formats. Choose a frame, replace the placeholder with your photo, and you’re ready to go!
Both Pixelmator Pro and Photomator offer stunning frames, and we’re especially excited about the all-new Frame feature on Photomator. Thanks to its easy-to-use interface, this feature makes adding frames to your photos incredibly smooth – you simply must try it out! If you’re new to Photomator, you’ll need to get the free trial to see the export window with frames, and if you’re already a Photomator or Pixelmator Pro user, the update is free to enjoy.
Hey everyone, we’ve got some exciting news! Less than a year after adding extended support for compressed Fujifilm RAWs to Photomator and Pixelmator Pro, we’re happy to announce that we are adding support for even more RAW file formats. Starting today, you will be able to preview, open, and edit RAW images from more than 30 new camera models in Photomator and Pixelmator Pro. This includes camera models from GoPro, Samsung, and others that aren’t natively supported by Apple apps like Preview or Photos.
Extended RAW support in Photomator 3.3.15
Adding support for these new RAW formats was quite the challenge, but it also brought some exciting new possibilities. For example, to open RAW photos from GoPro cameras, we first needed to convert them to a universal RAW image format – DNG. While there were already existing DNG converters we could use for this, we wanted to be sure we offer the best possible quality for displaying RAW images. That’s why we decided to create a custom DNG converter from scratch. Built using Swift programming language, it’s designed to work seamlessly with Apple devices and lays the groundwork for potentially adding support for DNG export in the future. If this is a feature you’d be interested in, just let us know!
And here is a full list of camera models you can now work with in Photomator and Pixelmator Pro:
If your camera model is not listed above or you don’t see it in the full list of camera models supported by Photomator or Pixelmator Pro, you can suggest new formats by uploading sample RAW files using this form. We want to give a huge shout-out to everyone who has filled out the form over the past year and helped us focus on the most needed RAW formats. We’d love to keep this going in the future!
As always, this update is free to all existing Photomator and Pixelmator Pro users and you can grab it in the App Store at the link below.
Pixelmator Pro 3.6, codenamed Archipelago, is here and brings incredible new masking capabilities, including AI-powered background masks, support for vector masks, new on-canvas mask controls, and much more. These new features are designed to make working with masks easier for beginners and faster for pros, so everyone can make the most of nondestructive editing when creating their own designs.
Masking in Pixelmator Pro 3.6 has been reengineered from the ground up to offer quicker and more convenient ways to add and refine masks. For example, you can now instantly mask a layer or create a mask from a selection by simply double-clicking it on the canvas using the Arrange tool. You can then effortlessly resize and reposition the mask, or even adjust its corners, making tasks like rounding image corners or cropping individual layers in multi-layer compositions much faster and easier.
For refining masks, you’ll now find all the necessary tools conveniently located at the bottom of your screen. The new on-canvas controls appear whenever you select or create a mask, allowing you to quickly adjust its transparency or edge softness, invert it, add new masks, and more. And, with support for multiple masks, you can work with as many masks as you need, using blend modes to combine them in different ways.
To showcase how you can use the new masking features in your own creative workflows, we’ve prepared a tutorial on creating an eye-catching design with transparent text — all while using masks. Check out the tutorial on our YouTube page.
AI Background Masks
The new AI-powered Hide Background feature now lets you nondestructively remove image backgrounds with just a single click. The intelligent subject detection algorithm automatically finds the subject in an image and adds a precise background mask to hide everything else. You can always hide or reveal any additional details of the subject or background by simply refining the mask. This means your original image always remains intact and unchanged, giving you the freedom to make adjustments and experiment with edits as much as you like.
Vector Masks
The new vector masks in Pixelmator Pro make it easy to quickly mask layers into specific shapes, opening up new editing workflows. Vector masks consist of paths and use shapes to hide or reveal parts of layers. When you add a vector mask, the areas inside the vector shape remain visible and the areas outside are hidden, creating a cookie-cutter-like effect. To mask a layer, simply select a shape from the special new Mask menu at the top of the layers sidebar, or create a mask from scratch using the Pen tools. You can also easily switch between different mask shapes by selecting them from the Shape browser conveniently located at the bottom of the screen.
Vector masks are also fully editable, allowing you to adjust each individual point just like you would when editing regular shapes, and offer resolution-independent scaling, making them perfect for designs that need to maintain high quality at any size, like graphics created for web or print.
We’re really excited to bring you these powerful new features that make working with masks faster and easier than ever. As always, the update is completely free to all existing Pixelmator Pro users. And, If you haven’t tried Pixelmator Pro yet, be sure to give it a go. It has just hit an impressive 43,000 5-star ratings on the Mac App Store!
We’re thrilled to introduce a completely redesigned export feature on Photomator for Mac. This update adds export preview, an easy-to-use watermarking tool for protecting your photos, and Quick Look integration for instant full-size previews and image sharing. With these new features, exporting your photos will be a breeze!
Export Previews
From now on, you will see an export preview in the export settings, allowing you to quickly view photos before exporting them. This eliminates the need to repeatedly export, check, and re-export photos until you achieve the desired result. Now, the actual export is the final step in your workflow. For a full-size preview, you can also use Quick Look, available via an icon in the Export view or by simply pressing the Space bar. This feature lets you view photos in full size, making it particularly useful for checking how the watermarked images look before exporting them.
Watermarks
The latest update also brings watermarks to Mac. You can easily protect your photos by applying text or image watermarks in the Photomator Export settings. This update offers advanced yet easy-to-use watermarking settings, letting you add a shadow to your text or logo, tile a watermark to create a repeating pattern throughout the photo, and much more. With a bit of creativity, this feature is also powerful enough to be used as a type tool in Photomator!
Tip
To export multiple watermarked photos at once, select the photos in the photo or file library and press the Command-E keyboard shortcut.
This is a (not so) minor update for Photomator, bringing major improvements to the exporting experience on Mac. Make sure to update to the latest version to take advantage of these amazing new features!
Starting today, you’ll notice a significant increase in speed when browsing photos in the Files browser on your Mac – photo thumbnails will now load up to 5x faster! Other great news is that we’ve optimized edit saving on all devices, with large edits now requiring half the storage space, and simple color adjustments being saved directly to the original photos in the Photos library.
Faster File Browser on Mac
Following the initial launch of the powerful Files browser at the beginning of this year, we’ve been continuously working on improving its performance to bring you an even faster photo browsing and editing experience. Today’s update brings an up to 5x faster thumbnail loading after importing new folders and even faster thumbnail loading for previously previewed folders. These improvements ensure that you can browse and edit photos faster than ever, while seamlessly transitioning between different folders.
Smaller Sidecar Files
We’re excited to bring another major improvement that will significantly free up your storage space – sidecar files are now 2x smaller when editing in both the Photos and Files browsers. You’ll notice a big difference in the file size of your edits, especially if you’re working on tasks such as upscaling, denoising, debanding, or retouching. Given that these tasks are typically very storage-demanding, we’re thrilled to share that we’ve cut the size of such sidecar files in half. Additionally, when making simple color adjustments in the Photos browser, the edits will now be saved directly to the photo. This improvement significantly reduces the storage space required for storing color edits, which is particularly beneficial when working with larger files, such as RAW or HDR images.
We hope this update will take your photo editing workflows to new levels of speed. If you’re already a user, enjoy the enhanced features, and if you haven’t tried Photomator yet, take advantage of our one-week free trial to see for yourself how editing photos with Photomator is a breeze.
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