Pixelmator Pro 2.3 Adds Smart Subject Selection and Background Removal Features, Plus New Select and Mask Tools

Pixelmator Pro 2.3 went live on the Mac App Store on Tuesday, and the latest major update to the popular image editing app brings a smart new automatic background removal feature, automatic subject selection, new Select and Mask tools, and more.

pixelmator pro 2 31
In a blog post announcing the update, Pixelmator's developers say that it's now possible for users to "magically" remove the background from any image with just a click. The new feature is based on machine learning models that can find a subject in almost any image and automatically strip out the background, and it's also available in Finder as a built-in Quick Action.

In addition to the background eraser feature, a new AI-powered Decontaminate Colors feature can remove traces of the old background from the edges of objects left behind, allowing them to blend seamlessly with any new background. Decontaminate Colors can be applied manually in any layer, even on ones that have been cut out in other apps.

pixelmator pro 2 34
Building on the same set of machine learning algorithms is Automatic Subject Selection, which allows users to make a selection of the subject of any image with just a click. Meanwhile, a new Select and Mask tool makes it easier to select difficult areas of subjects like hair, fur, and other objects with complex edges.

The Smart Refine feature has also been redesigned to enhance selection accuracy, and a new Refine Edge Brush lets users brush over particularly tricky edges to get the selection they want.

These new features are powered by ML algorithms that are integrated into Pixelmator Pro using Core ML, which makes them "absolutely fly" on the latest M1-powered devices thanks to their overall speed and the Apple Neural Engine, according to the developers. For example, background removal takes around 2-5 seconds on M1 devices and up to 30 seconds on Intel devices for an average image.

pixelmator pro 2 33
The update includes some smaller changes, like the ability to specify custom export sizes and scales in the Export dialog. More details are available in the release notes. Version 2.3 is free for existing Pixelmator Pro users, and there's currently a 50% discount off the app price (usually $39.99) in the Mac App Store.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

FSMBP Avatar
47 months ago
Pixelmator Team is killing it...Lot of good updates this year.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AFPoster Avatar
47 months ago
Love this update so far! Thanks Pixelmator for investing time and talent to creating an innovative product that destroys Photoshop.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joshwenke Avatar
47 months ago
Pixelmator is an incredible app. Not only is it powerful and can handle projects fit for Photoshop, it's intuitive and combines everything I love about Mac and UI and graphic design.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H3LL5P4WN Avatar
47 months ago
I don't know why anyone would buy into Adobe when Pixelmator exists.

(Provided you don't need the rest of Adobe's ecosystem, of course.)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
attila Avatar
47 months ago

does this 'thing" have layers?
and older 10.14 versions?

the graphic program looks very good and at a great price!
I'd recommend "Affinity Photo" instead if you need anything similar to Photoshop.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PsykX Avatar
47 months ago

I don't know why anyone would buy into Adobe when Pixelmator exists.

(Provided you don't need the rest of Adobe's ecosystem, of course.)
I'm asking myself the same thing.
It's basically the price of 1-2 months of Photoshop, except that you own it and you have it forever.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)