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September 26, 2007

software

Finally: image editors for the graphically-impaired

Posted Sep. 26, ’07, 1:30 PM PT by Dan Pourhadi
Category | Software

imageeditors.jpgI run into too many situations where I need to mock up an image or draw a little picture — or draw a little picture in a mocked-up image — for a school project, or a website, or to help illustrate information (and thus distract from the poor writing in a post such as this). But I have a helluva time finding a good enough app for those tasks that won’t force me to sell my computer to buy it (obviously negating its benefits).

I’ve turned to simple solutions like Skitch, which is an awesome little screen shot app that lets me doodle on or annotate the images I capture (unfortunately, though, as reader nicholasser notes, it’s still an invite-only beta). I also frequently use ImageWell, which is one of the most basic crop-resize-copy-paste-draw apps I’ve found — but also one of the most efficient and easiest to use. I’ve tried ChocoFlop, which is fine but slightly convoluted, and the GIMP, which is great if you’re a pro image editor, an open-source fiend, or a masochist (or all three). Still I am unsatisfied. You either get a too expensive, too powerful, or too complicated app, or you get one that’s too simple and too basic. I’ve found no in-between.

Which is why I thank James Dempsy for penning a new series looking at “Image editors for the rest of us.” The first post examines two: Acorn, a simple one-palette program that we’ve discussed before. It’ll set you back $40 — worth it, says Dempsy, if you’re looking for a complement to iPhoto but would like to keep both kidneys.

The other app is Pixel, which isn’t as clean (“the Microsoft-Windows-like approach, with a window-inside-a-window, looks foreign on the Mac, as does the rest of Pixel’s interface”) and simple (“Pixel has obviously been developed with the advanced user in mind”) as Acorn, is apparently dog-slow, difficult to use, and will soon cost more than Dempsy thinks it’s worth.

…OK, so we’re one-for-two here, but that’s OK. Pixel is relatively powerful, and still cheaper than Photoshop, so it may be worth a look. Check out the entire post over at Macworld for more info and keep an eye on the series. There are tons of editor apps out there — one of them is bound to be right for you (and hopefully me). And yes, I will make the call: If you’ve found a cheap/free/simple image editor you’ve fell in love with, do share it in the comments. Thank you.

(Update: Dan Moren wrote earlier today about Pixelmator. I didn’t include it here because I wrote this post last night — but if Pixel isn’t your cup of tea, maybe adding “mator” will do the trick. Check out his post for more details.)


5 Comments

Steve said:

What about Pixelmator?

It's no Photoshop but has a nice interface and a lot of FX that are difficult even in Photoshop.

September 26, 2007 1:45 PM
nicholasser Author Profile Page said:

long time reader, first time commentator:
what's with mentioning Skitch...you make it sound good, and it is...but what the hey, you have to have an invitation which from all appearances looks about as easy to get as a vote to get the hell out of Iraq.

Would it kill you to mention the recommendation, good as it is, is unattainable in the short term?

September 26, 2007 2:57 PM
Dan Pourhadi said:

@nicholasser -- Sorry about that. I didn't realize Skitch was still a private beta. I updated the post to include that information.

September 26, 2007 3:32 PM
NikB said:

What do you think about LiveQuartz ? www.rhapsoft.com

September 26, 2007 6:19 PM
nicholasser Author Profile Page said:

Update! No sooner had I searched the web for the much sought after invitation from Skitch (to no avail) I received an invitation from the friendly folks at Skitch themselves. Yeah, even though a web search revealed many lost souls who had not been so blessed for weeks, even months.
Anyway I received an invitation and am happily downloaded, scratching my Skitch in complete satisfaction.
So sorry for grinching about your article...maybe it's not so private a beta anymore after all.

September 26, 2007 6:34 PM

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