Apple acquired Pixelmator's app development team in late 2024, with the acquisition closing almost a year ago. Now, in the first major change since the acquisition, Pixelmator Pro is coming to iPad with the release of Apple Creator Studio.
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For the first time, Pixelmator Pro comes to iPad, offering an all-new touch-optimized workspace, full support for Apple Pencil, the ability to work between iPad and Mac, and all the powerful editing tools that users have come to love on Mac. Pixelmator Pro for iPad delivers fast and efficient image editing, leveraging the performance of Apple silicon and built from the ground up for the latest iPadOS.
Intuitive touch controls make it easier to create desktop-level designs wherever users are with their iPad. The fully functional Layers sidebar allows creators to build designs using a range of unique elements such as images, shapes, text and even video. Smart selection tools help users isolate and edit specific parts of images with ease, and with advanced bitmap and vector masks, users can hide or reveal distinct parts of their designs.
Deep integration of hardware, software and Apple silicon unlocks features like Super Resolution for intelligent photo upscaling, Deband to remove compression artifacts, and automatic composition suggestions with Auto Crop.
With full support for Apple Pencil, digital artists can enjoy painting naturally with a collection of pressure-sensitive brushes. The unparalleled precision of Apple Pencil — combined with features like hover, squeeze, and double-tap — gives creators the ability to create pixel-precise designs.
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In other words, the full power of the Pixelmator Pro app for Mac appears to be built into the new iPad app.
The new version of Pixelmator Pro for iPad will be available on Wednesday, January 28th.
According to the press release, iPad users can access the app in two ways: the iPad app is available to “Apple Creator Studio subscribers and users who have made a one-time purchase on Mac.”
Pixelmator Pro has always been Mac-exclusive, despite the fact that the original Pixelmator app was available for both iPhone and iPad. However, this app has received minimal updates in recent years. Even before the acquisition by Apple, the team behind Pixelmator was primarily focused on Pixelmator Pro for Mac.
Interestingly, while the vast majority of features will be available to users who have made a one-time purchase, Apple is locking at least one feature behind the new Apple Creator Studio subscription.
Additionally, for Apple Creator Studio subscribers, both Pixelmator Pro for Mac and iPad offer a powerful new Warp tool for warping and layer shaping, along with a collection of Warp-powered product mockups.
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Some exclusive features are also offered with the Apple Creator Studio subscription for other apps, such as Pages, Keynote, and Numbers.
