The renowned Pixelmator and Pixelmator Pro have existed since 2017 from the Lithuanian developer called Pixelmator Team. Apple recently bought the company. Most of the plentiful Pixelmator Pro reviews that exist online are about its use as a Photoshop substitute for die-hard Photoshop users. My perspective is different, since even in the past when I owned Photoshop, I was never a Photoshop power-user. I am instead going to explain why I recently purchased Pixelmator Pro (≈US$50 one-time payment) as a virtual Pro version of Apple Keynote, Apple Photos and Apple Preview (called Vista Previa if you have your macOS in Castilian). For many years, I had been using Apple Keynote for an unusual use case: to create photomontages as the main image for articles and podcast episodes. Ahead, I’ll give you a few examples of those photomontages. Although for several years, I had used the non-Pro version of Pixelmator (no longer available) to create lower thirds as PNG images with a transparent or translucent background, the main reason I purchased Pixelmator Pro about a month ago was for its direct export to AVIF, something which is still missing from Apple Keynote, Apple Photos and Apple Preview.

Examples of photomontages I have created for articles and podcast episodes

Above, a photomontage I created with Pixelmator Pro for a recent CapicúaFM episode. Three smaller images are place over a larger satellite image of the Gulf of the Americas, aka Gulf of America or Gulf of México. Each of the smaller image has a translucent drop shadow created by Pixelmator Pro.

Above, a screenshot where I had created a lower third in Pixelmator Pro for my recent article Shure A81WS supercharges MoveMic 88+ for close speaking, making it impoppable!

Above, a photomontage I created for the main image of the Review: Canopus/Grass Valley ADVC110 analog to digital converter with micro-TBC to capture VHS and other analog videotapes. This one I had made with Apple Keynote, before owning Pixelmator Pro.

Importance of having AVIF export

See my related article: AVIF to replace JPEG, PNG & more for websites & email marketing

Other uses of Pixelmator Pro

In addition to handling multilayer photos and lower thirds with alpha channel, Pixelmator Pro also handles video, and vector editing, but so far, I have not used the video or vector features.

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FTC disclosure

Neither Apple nor the Pixelmator Team has paid for this article. Allan Tépper paid full retail price for his Pixelmator Pro license. Some of the manufacturers listed above have contracted Tépper and/or TecnoTur.LLC to carry out consulting and/or translations/localizations/transcreations. So far, none of the manufacturers listed above is/are sponsors of the TecnoTur, BeyondPodcasting, CapicúaFM or TuSaludSecreta programs, although they are welcome to do so, and some are, may be (or may have been) sponsors of ProVideo Coalition magazine. Some links to third parties listed in this article and/or on this web page may indirectly benefit TecnoTur.LLC via affiliate programs. Allan Tépper’s opinions are his own. Allan Tépper is not liable for misuse or misunderstanding of information he shares.