If Apple computers are not known for anything, it is undoubtedly for being the most suitable, enhanced or optimized for editing and creating content. One of the best aspects of a Mac is its power as photo editor, although video and audio editing are not far behind.
In today’s article we will learn how to get the most out of our Mac’s native utilities to edit images. We will also know an application for this purpose, one of greater power, although paid, with powers far superior to any other.
Formerly on Macs we had to forcefully go through a third-party photo editor, Because unlike the iPhone and iPad, where it was possible to edit images from the Photos application itself, on the bitten apple computers we lacked this possibility.
Native Mac Photo Editor
Currently, at least on models with the most current operating system updates, We have the possibility of editing images just as we do from an iPhone.
Edit photos from the photo library
The easiest way to do this will be to go to directly to the Photos appplace ourselves on the image that we want to edit and as its name indicates, we will have At the top right of the application an edit button.
Once inside, some basic editing functions will be displayed, among them, we have color filters, image cropping, if we want to remove your Live Photo, etc… We can even find a quite interesting option due to its fast performance. This is “Red Eye” function which will eliminate by putting a layer of copper white the red reflections that the flash can create when taking a photo.
In addition to these more basic options we will have access to some tools, which although they are also color correction, they can help you give a considerable improvement to your images. With these tools we can change the brightness of the photo, its contrast, its liveliness, and a dozen extra options. Also We will have an intelligent enhancement button, which will apply an automatic enhancement to the photograph. This default feature will give us an extra touch of brightness, contrast and intensity.
The features, although useful, They are quite limited to a simple edition of an image, reducing its possibilities to crop it and adjust colors.
Edit photos from file explorer
It is also possible to edit images from the file explorer thanks to the Mac preview function. This feature is especially intended for typographic editing rather than adjustment of a photographic image. With her too We can crop an image or correct its colors, for example.
It is not at all a professional photography editing tool, but if we want to crop an image that we have it saved as a file, it will be the most useful and fastest, more than going through the Photos application to end up making a simple crop.
Professional photo editor on Mac
If we want to go one step further in editing photos on our Mac, we will still have to go through third-party applications. However, this is not a disadvantage, since the possibilities they give us are enormous. In addition, the application that we will see below has shortcuts for the context menu of the Mac. This means that if we right click on an image file, We will have a direct button to edit said document in the third-party application directly.
From my experience It is the best alternative for Mac. The negative point is that it is paid, although I can say that the payment of its price, apart from only having to do it once and keep it forever, It is more than justified for the possibilities it offers you.
Pixelmator Pro
From my experience This is the photo editor par excellence for Mac. Better than the legendary Photoshop, this application will not only give you all the options that the Adobe application can offer you, but it is also possible to purchase it without a subscription, that is, Buy it once and it will be yours forever.
Some of its most interesting functions
Although the Pixelmator app includes a wide variety of guide screens as you start using it for the first time, We leave you some of its most interesting functions.
- Deleting items intelligently: Surely you have wanted to remove some element, background, or anything that affects the final aesthetics of your image, but you have not known how to do it or the tools of other applications leave marks or signs that something was there before. The artificial intelligence of the Pixelmator Pro application makes reconstructing the background after removing an element from the image with its Repair tool, practically magical.
- Touch Bar Compatibility: One of the best ways to use the Touch Bar on Mac models that include it is to use it for photo editing with this application. The arrangement of brushes, sizes and colors always at hand and available to select with your finger will give you extra productivity that other applications or products cannot match.
- Synchronization with the Apple ecosystem: Imagine taking a photo with your iPhone, starting to edit it, leaving your iPhone on the table or when you get home, turning on your Mac and continuing right from where you were. Well, you can stop imagining it, Pixelmator thanks to synchronization with iCloud is capable of doing it with truly surprising speed.
Price and availability
Its price may sound somewhat excessive compared to other applications, but considering that once purchased it is yours forever and you can share with Apple’s Family Sharing function With your home devices, it can even be cheap. In addition, the application will provide support and constant updates.
Related article:
Set up Family Sharing on your Mac to share your purchases on iOS
The Pro version is only available on Mac. However, despite this, It synchronizes with the conventional application that we can find on iOS. This Pro version is currently the only one available for Mac, leaving the conventional version exclusively for iOS. Previously, both were available for the Apple computer, but it has become so professional that they have ended up leaving the professional version exclusively. In any case, We can use the iOS version from our iPhone or iPad, which is more than enough and you will surely also be impressed by its possibilities.
Pixelmator Pro on the Mac App Store – (Exclusive version for Mac)
Price: €39.99
Pixelmator on the App Store – (Exclusive version for iPhone and iPad)
Price: €9.99
