Following the corresponding update to Pixelmator for iOS 9, the company has released the latest version of Pixelmator for the Mac ($29.99) with full support for El Capitan. This includes compatibility with changes to the OS as well as an overhaul in the Pixelmator user interface to feature San Fransisco, Apple’s new system font. The update, version 3.4, also includes official full-screen Split View support on El Capitan, so users can dock Pixelmator next to any other app on the system filling the display.
Perhaps most interestingly, the app now includes a Photos.app editing extension …
The extension does not add all of the Pixelmator feature set inside the Photos app, instead focusing on the Distort tools. Backed by a Metal rendering engine, users can swirl, twist, pinch and warp their images without leaving the Photos editing UI. After installing the update, the extension just appears alongside the other edit panels in Photos for quick access. There’s even a Reduce tool to selectively undo any warping edits.
Unfortunately, there’s still no easy way to open an image from within Photos into a fully-fledged Pixelmator edit window but the onus to implement this is heavily on the side of Apple, not third-party developers.
To top it off, the update also includes enhanced integration with the pressure-sensitive Force Touch APIs on OS X to make painting even smoother on supported Macs, including desktop Macs using the new Magic Trackpad 2. The update should also address many of the crashes users experienced with the app when updating to OS X El Capitan.
As always, the update is free for existing users. New Mac users interested in advanced photo-editing can buy Pixelmator from the Mac App Store for $29.99. You can also buy Pixelmator for iPhone and iPad ($4.99) and have all your projects sync through iCloud across all your devices.
