The team behind Pixelmator Pro today released a major update for the photo editing app, introducing useful new capabilities that make it easier than ever to edit your photos.

There's now a Pixelmator Pro editing extension for the built-in Photos app on the Mac, which includes all of the tools and features from the full Pixelmator Pro app.

pixelmatorproeditingextension
With the extension, you can make edits to your photos using the tools from Pixelmator Pro without having to leave the ‌Photos‌ app. This makes for a more streamlined editing workflow when you're working with images stored within the ‌Photos‌ app.

Pixelmator Pro documents are also now able to be saved to the ‌Photos‌ app, and iCloud sync is supported for Pixelmator Pro documents saved to ‌Photos‌.

Along with an editing extension for ‌Photos‌, today's Pixelmator Pro update adds a new Zoom Tool for zooming into and panning around images more easily. The Crop tool also now features a Delete mode, the ability to crop to custom pixel sizes, and redesigned crop presets.

There are a whole range of other smaller updates and tweaks in Pixelmator Pro, listed on the Pixelmator Pro website.

Pixelmator Pro can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $39.99. The update is free for existing customers. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

macintoshmac Avatar
84 months ago
Pixelmator is a gift that keeps on giving.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
84 months ago
This was the outcome I anticipated ('https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/os-x-photos-app-not-just-an-app-its-a-platform.1840884/')when Aperture was dropped by Apple and they started from scratch with Photos.

The Photos app was a part of an all new platform, not just an app. The Photos app itself was for general users with more advanced editing within the app itself. For professional photo editing, Apple introduced an editing extension API, which Pixelmator is taking advantage of.

This comes close to replacing Aperture for most consumers and prosumers. With the Pixelmator extension you have something approximating Photoshop’s most used editing capabilities and virtually all of Lightroom’s. Well ahead of where Aperture left off.

What’s still missing is a way to manage very large events which can often go beyond 3000 photos for a wedding. An update to Photos to manage separate work and personal libraries would solve this.

What I said in 2015:



The Photos.app isn't just an app, it's a platform at the operating system level. With extensions featuring large in iOS and with devs already taking advantage, it's clear what this will mean for Photos on OSX.

Apple will build a very capable photos organizing and editing tool whose library any external app can access. If you're a semi pro, the native organizing and editing tools might be enough. If you need more, you can get an app or an extension that satisfies your additional needs.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/os-x-photos-app-not-just-an-app-its-a-platform.1840884/
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheWatchfulOne Avatar
84 months ago
Pixelmator vs Affinity Photo?

Discuss! :)
Neither are made by Adobe. That makes both of them winners.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
84 months ago
Great update to an already outstanding app.

Screw Abode and their thirsty subscriptions and bundling.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Wednesday December 24, 2025 8:40 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
maxresdefault

10 Mac Apps Worth Trying in 2026

Wednesday December 24, 2025 9:27 am PST by
2026 is almost upon us, and a new year is a good time to try out some new apps. We've rounded up 10 excellent Mac apps that are worth checking out. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Alt-Tab (Free) - Alt-Tab brings a Windows-style alt + tab thumbnail preview option to the Mac. You can see a full window preview of open apps and app windows. One Thing (Free) -...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Why Apple's Foldable iPhone May Be Smaller Than Expected

Tuesday December 23, 2025 5:21 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone, rumored for release next year, may turn out to be smaller than most people imagine, if a recent report is anything to go by. According to The Information, the outer display on the book-style device will measure just 5.3 inches – that's smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the ‌iPhone‌ mini, a line Apple discontinued in 2022 due to poor sales. The report has led ...
airpods color prototypes

Apple Tested AirPods in Bright Colors

Saturday December 27, 2025 6:06 am PST by
Apple reportedly tested a version of the first-generation AirPods with bright, iPhone 5c-like colored charging cases. The images, shared by the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami," claim to show first-generation AirPods prototypes with pink and yellow exterior casings. The interior of the charging case and the earbuds themselves remain white. They seem close to some...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Samsung Developing 'Wide Fold' With iPhone Fold-Like Design Ahead of Apple's 2026 Launch

Tuesday December 23, 2025 11:55 am PST by
Samsung is working on a new foldable smartphone that's wider and shorter than the models that it's released before, according to Korean news site ETNews. The "Wide Fold" will compete with Apple's iPhone Fold that's set to launch in September 2026. Samsung's existing Galaxy Z Fold7 display is 6.5 inches when closed, and 8 inches when open, with a 21:9 aspect ratio when folded and a 20:18...
iPhone SE Cosmopolitan Clean

Apple Discontinued These 25 Products This Year

Wednesday December 24, 2025 7:24 am PST by
With the end of 2025 near, the time has come to look back at the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Most of the products that were discontinued this year were simply replaced by a new model with an updated chip. However, the iPhone SE line was entirely discontinued when the iPhone 16e launched, and the iPhone Plus line is being phased out. Below, we have...