Pixelmator Pro Gains AI-Powered Background Removal Tool

[MacRumors]

Popular photo editing app Pixelmator Pro was today updated with an overhauled set of AI-powered masking tools that make it easier than ever to make selective edits. Masking was "reengineered from the ground up" in the new 3.6 version of Pixelmator Pro, so it's quicker to create and refine masks.

There is a new Hide Background option that uses AI to nondestructively remove the entire background from an image with a click. The tool detects the subject of the image and adds a background mask to hide the rest of what's in the photo.

Masking a layer or creating a mask from a layer can now be done with a double click on the canvas with the Arrange tool, and then there are controls available for resizing and repositioning the mask. Pixelmator says this makes it easier to do things like round image corners or crop individual layers in multi-layer compositions.

Tools for refining masks are now located at the bottom of the screen whenever a mask is selected or created, so it's faster to adjust transparency, change edge softness, invert the mark, add a new mask, and more.

Pixelmator has also gained support for vector masks, so layers can be masked into specific shapes. Adding a vector mask causes the area inside the vector shape to remain visible, while other areas are hidden. Masking a layer can be done by selecting a shape from the Mask menu at the top of the layers sidebar or creating a mask with the Pen tool. Vector masks are editable, so each point can be adjusted just like a regular shape.

The new features are available for free to current Pixelmator Pro users. Pixelmator Pro is priced at $50 and it can be downloaded from the Mac App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Pixelmator Pro Gains AI-Powered Background Removal Tool

 

[Algr]

That is weird. Pixelmator Pro has had background removal for years. It works very well.

 

[kalafalas]

Yes! This is incredible usage of machine learning technology (it’s not f*****g ai lol). I absolutely love pixelmator and love to see it grow, it is one of the best and most polished apps I’ve used in years

 

[bradman83]

Photoshop and Lightroom's subject and background selection features have been incredibly useful so hopefully these are equally robust to provide more solid alternatives for the non-subscription (or non Adobe) crowd.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

I'd be wanting a "hide foreground" for that pic

 

[Kylo83]

Apple photos must catch up

 

[mansplains]

Apple photos must catch up

Subject lift works pretty well for removing from a background, but I'm curious to see what improvements Apple adds to native photo editing.

 

[jb310]

I've wanted this feature for a while... looks like it's time to update when I get home. 👀

 

[Kylo83]

Subject lift works pretty well for removing from a background, but I'm curious to see what improvements Apple adds to native photo editing.

No pro cares about that, I want clone and heal tools and remove objects like magic eraser built in

 

[DownUnderDan]

No pro cares about that, I want clone and heal tools and remove objects like magic eraser built in

Well good thing none of us are pros.

 

[kaycrystal626]

Put AI on your product make it sound more smart and advance!

 

[Algr]

I want clone and heal tools and remove objects like magic eraser built in

Again, Pixelmator has had these for a long time.

 

[mansplains]

No pro cares about that, I want clone and heal tools and remove objects like magic eraser built in

Apple and antitrust would rather you buy/sub to a third party than add every photo editing function natively

 

[Algr]

Those of you talking about Apple Photos:

Pixelmator Pro is $50, and is immensely powerful. It is how third-party software should be. Apple Photos is a totally different program for doing different things. The simple editing tools in Photos aren't supposed to compete with real editing programs.

Apple DOES need to catch up... to iPhoto.

 

[CPx]

Does Pixelmator have the ability to extend backgrounds of photos?

 

[SoldOnApple]

I'm glad Adobe has so much competition.

 

[nfl46]

Apple photos must catch up

Can we even do something as basic as make a collage in Apple Photos app yet?

 

[Algr]

Does Pixelmator have the ability to extend backgrounds of photos?

Not automatically, but I can do it pretty easily with the tools it does have. Smudge, clone, and the paintbrush can be a powerful combo.

 

[CalMin]

That is weird. Pixelmator Pro has had background removal for years. It works very well.

Well now it has "AI" in the name so it must be better...

 

[dumastudetto]

Just imagine how much more powerful these features will be when Apple bakes new advanced AI technologies into the heart of its operating systems. Just think all these AI experiences become unbeatable when paired with the power and performance of the Apple NPU. So relatively rapidly, there will be no way for anyone else to compete because Apple controls every aspect of this integrated humanistic intelligence experience.

 

[LavaLevel]

I was JUST looking at that in the App Store as an Adobe alternative for my M2 Mac Mini!!!! I guess it's going on my purchase list!

 

[Algr]

Does AI benifit from being in the OS, rather than operating in the application layer? Apple used to integrate all sorts of powerful tools into the OS, only to have third party developers ignore or actively sabotage them. The third party developers did not want to allow their Mac programs to be able to do anything that the Windows version could not. That is why we lost Quicktime, among other things.

 

[Algr]

Well now it has "AI" in the name so it must be better...

I would love it if Pixelmator pro got real AI tools like DrawThings integrated into it.

Imagine a superpowered heal brush that could actually in-paint and out-paint. The current tool is like an automated clone tool. Useful, but runs into serious limits.

Imagine if the background replacement actually broke the scene into multiple layers, with the area behind the subjects painted in.

 

[JippaLippa]

Photoshop and Lightroom's subject and background selection features have been incredibly useful so hopefully these are equally robust to provide more solid alternatives for the non-subscription (or non Adobe) crowd.

I think photoshop's recent development have been especially useful for people who didn't really know how to use the software (such as yours truly, being mostly an Illustrator kid).
I literally hit every design with the "generative fill".

 

[AFPoster]

Now if they can update the iPad app for pro usage.