Powerful Image Editing App 'Pixelmator' Comes to the iPad - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Powerful Image Editing App 'Pixelmator' Comes to the iPad

by

Pixelmator, a popular Photoshop replacement on the Mac, was released for the iPad today. The image editing iOS app is similar to the Mac app, incorporating many of the same tools to allow users to retouch and enhance photos and images.

The app includes a complete set of painting tools and a painting engine that can take advantage of a range of brushes from crayon and marker to pencil and paintbrush to create works of art from scratch or improve photos.

pixelmator
It offers several photo editing tools, including advanced retouching tools that let users remove unwanted objects from images in just a few minutes. There are color adjustment tools (including levels, brightness/contrast, curves, white balance, and more) to improve the look of photos, and a selection of more than 14 pre-created effects can be applied to images.


Pixelmator for iOS supports non-destructive layer styles and it includes powerful selection tools along with image straightening and cropping tools. There are also built-in shape and text tools.

Pixelmator comes with a set of top-quality retouching tools so you can easily make every picture absolutely stunning. With the innovative repair tool, quickly and easily get rid of unwanted image elements simply by painting on them or, with just a simple tap fix red eyes, brush away blemishes, smudge to smooth out hard lines, paint to boost the colors, bring in some light and so much more. Advanced technologies used in retouching tools make them incredibly fast and accurate, so that you can seamlessly bring an image to perfection.

Loaded with dozens of breathtaking effects, Pixelmator for iPad gives even more ways to enhance pictures. Add gorgeous effects like blur, vignette, vintage, black & white, light leak, bokeh, miniaturize and many more -- in an instant. You can even combine different effects for unique, near-effortless artistic creations and see the stunning results in real time.

The app has been designed from the ground up for iOS 8 and it fully supports several different iOS 8 features. It uses iCloud Drive to store images, for example, and with Handoff, it's possible to start editing an image on the iPad and pick it up on the Mac.

There's Document Picker support to allow users to edit images in other apps, and there's a Pixelmator Photo Editing extension designed for the Photos app. It's also possible to share images with other apps with Share extensions.

When Apple unveiled the new iPad Air 2 on October 16, it invited the Pixelmator team to take the stage to demo the Pixelmator app for the iPad Air 2, as it is designed to take advantage of the tablet's powerful 64-bit processor. Though created to utilize a 64-bit processor, Pixelmator for iPad is compatible with iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini, iPad mini 2, and iPad mini 3. iPad 4 or later is recommended for the best performance, however.

Pixelmator can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

citi Avatar
157 months ago
Instant buy...especially at that price.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
157 months ago
Can someone tell me if macrumors makes money off these advertisements?

Why does that matter? You obviously visit this site, and it doesn't ask you for money.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
157 months ago
Nice. Would buy if I had an iPad.
So what are you waiting for. Go out an buy an iPad so you can enjoy Pixelmator as everyone else. :p
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
157 months ago
I'd buy it and not use it just in order to help fund an Adobe antidote.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nostaws Avatar
157 months ago
Apple had better treat developers like these well. Pixelmator adds way more value to the iPad than a lot of other apps.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
157 months ago
I've been playing with it on the iPad Air today. It runs smoothly, no problems that I've found.

In some ways it's even more user friendly than on the Mac. I like the rotary dial controls. Very cool.

The only gripe I have is fonts. It's so close to the Mac version that I want to use it for real projects, but without the ability to add fonts from my Mac, I can't do that. Even opening old projects isn't possible because the fonts aren't supported.

I'm sure this will get better in time.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products Today

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:59 am PST by
Apple is launching five new products on Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from today: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...
hero medium 2x feature1

Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera

Thursday November 5, 2026 4:22 pm PST by
Apple is sending email surveys to some iPhone Duo buyers to get feedback on display size, crease, under-display camera, and other features. The first question asks why the buyer chose the iPhone Duo now, with answers like "I wanted to try Apple's first foldable," "It was an impulse purchase," and "I expect smartphone prices to increase." Other questions ask about the size of the iPhone...
Apple Store Logo

Apple Store in UK Permanently Closing Later This Month

Tuesday November 3, 2026 7:34 am PST by
Apple today announced that its Festival Place store in Basingstoke, England will be permanently closing on Saturday, November 21. Apple Festival Place Apple had already announced that the store would be closing in November, but it had not provided the public with a specific date until now. Apple's store inside the Festival Place shopping center opened in 2011, so it had a 15-year run....
Latest Stories
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
24 minutes ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
41 minutes ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
2 hours ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
5 hours ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
5 hours ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
6 hours ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
6 hours ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
7 hours ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
7 hours ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
8 hours ago
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
8 hours ago
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
8 hours ago
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
9 hours ago
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
12 hours ago
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
22 hours ago
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
23 hours ago
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
1 day ago
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
1 day ago
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
1 day ago
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
1 day ago
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
1 day ago
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
1 day ago
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
1 day ago
Instagram's Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac
Instagram's Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac
1 day ago
Prevent Siri and Search From Accessing Specific iPhone Apps
Prevent Siri and Search From Accessing Specific iPhone Apps
1 day ago
Best Early Black Friday Deals on iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo
Best Early Black Friday Deals on iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo
1 day ago
MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Reviews Are In: Is the Touchscreen Worth It?
MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Reviews Are In: Is the Touchscreen Worth It?
1 day ago
Early Black Friday Accessory Deals at Amazon Include TVs, Headphones, and Charging Devices
Early Black Friday Accessory Deals at Amazon Include TVs, Headphones, and Charging Devices
1 day ago
Apple Creator Studio App Updates Rolling Out, Starting With Logic Pro
Apple Creator Studio App Updates Rolling Out, Starting With Logic Pro
1 day ago
Siri AI Waitlist Now Limited to Times of 'High Demand,' Says Apple
Siri AI Waitlist Now Limited to Times of 'High Demand,' Says Apple
1 day ago