imageediting
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Using iWork as an image editor
I recently noted the image-editing functionality of Preview.app, which can act as a "good enough" image editor for many that don't have access to Photoshop. While it's difficult to argue with the free price tag, Preview is not without its limitations. Fortunately, many of these limitations are unlocked if you happen to own Apple's iWork suite, which in its own right can serve as an image editor for the budget-minded.Read on to see how to use iWork in this unconventional way.
Making the most of Preview.app for image editing
Inspired by Bear Grylls's (of Discovery's Man vs. Wild) "make the most out of your situation" scenarios, I present you with a tutorial for making the most out of Preview.app. While not as powerful as graphics editing powerhouse Adobe Photoshop, Preview can oftentimes get you from Point A to Point B -- and sometimes quicker too. Like Bear Grylls, you'll need to parachute out of a plane and into the house of a friend who doesn't have Photoshop -- just kidding. First, a little bit of background. Preview comes pre-installed on Mac OS X, and it's the default image viewer on the system. For PC-to-Mac converts, you could think of it as the Microsoft Paint of OS X; except that it can do a whole lot more. Besides the ability to open a host of image file formats (JPG, BMP, GIF, among them, and even PSD and AI files), Preview can also open PDF files natively. I actually prefer it over Adobe Acrobat for opening PDFs, as I find that they open much quicker using Preview. And like Adobe Reader, Preview contains advanced features, such as annotating.
Pixelmator hits 1.0
Long-fabled image editor Pixelmator (arguably one of the hottest, and most discussed Mac applications of the year) has finally left beta testing, and version 1 is available to download and buy. Compatibility with layered Photoshop PSD files (and over 100 other file formats too), Core Image-driven editing, Automator actions, iSight and iLife integration and a heck of a lot more await, and it's certainly a compelling option given that a licence costs just $59.If you're wanting to get a quick look at the features in Pixelmator (and our very own screencast didn't whet your appetite enough), then in conjunction with the launch of the app, well-known screencast producer Don McAllister of ScreenCasts Online has produced a brief screencast that takes a look at the basics of the application.Pixelmator requires OS X 10.4 Tiger, with a Core Image-compatible graphics card recommended.
Quickly edit photos with Picturesque
Acqualia has released a new utility for quick-and-dirty image editing called Picturesque. It allows you to add those snazzy reflections that are all the rage these days, as well as crop, curve, glow effects and borders. It could be quite handy for when you want to quickly edit an image for the web, and feel like launching Photoshop would be overkill. Picturesque is universal, requires Mac OS 10.4 or later and costs $19.50 US. Alternatively, check out the free ImageWell for a similar type of no-fuss image editing.Thanks, Zac!
Resize photos within Mail
Here's a nifty tip from Apple that I was completely unaware of. Whenever I email a photo, I do so via iPhoto, which takes care of resizing for me. Apparently you can resize photos that you drop into Mail messages from the Finder just as easily. Once you've got the photo into the body of your message, a drop down menu will appear in the window's lower right hand corner. Click it to reveal several options: Small, Medium, Large and Full Size. Make your selection and your image is resized for you.Perhaps you've been doing this for ages now, but as someone who uses iPhoto for this procedure, it was news to me.
Beta Beat: ImageWell 3 updated to Version 3.0b5 - brings back old skool cropping
There's nothing more satisfying than knowing that someone is listening to you - and hearing you - when you're unhappy about something. Well, you spoke and the folks at XtraLean listened. When the ImageWell 3 beta was released in the wild a few days ago, the most common complaint was that image cropping was no longer as easy or intuitive as it had been in version 2.1. It even had me stumped initially, although I, admittedly, didn't mind it all that much once I figured out where the crop tool was hiding. Instead of ignoring their user base, as many freeware, shareware and even major commercial software developers do (I'm talking to you, Adobe), XtraLean quickly went to work to bring cropping, as we previously knew and loved it, back from the dead.A note from the developer says: "We've had some great feedback so far - bug reports, suggestions and complaints. The number one complaint was the cropping feature was too complicated in ImageWell 3. We are happy to announce that we reworked the UI to make image cropping more like it was in ImageWell 2.1. A new build with this better (at least we hope it's better) cropping can be downloaded here. During this beta/release candidate cycle we'll be putting out a new build every two days. Be sure to submit your feedback, bug reports and complaints - so we can try to make ImageWell the best we can. Again, thanks for your support."Thanks you, XtraLean, for caring enough to listen to your users instead of ignoring them. You are a shining example of what the Mac community is all about.
Preview for all your RAW needs
Preview.app is one of the most overlooked aspects of OS X (Keychain ranks up there too) but now the Digital Story is singing the praises of the RAW editing abilities of Preview. It turns out that not only can you open RAW files with Preview but you can do several color adjustments, convert it to other file formats, and a few other things to boot. All of this baked into the OS? Thanks, Apple!I wouldn't toss aside your copy of Aperture or Photoshop just yet, but when you're in a pinch Preview is right there for you.[via Infinite Loop]
ImageWell goes universal
xtralean's ImageWell has gone universal. I can't say enough good things about this simple little application. In fact, every image I post to TUAW has been edited with ImageWell. If you need to do some quick-and-dirty image editing, like a resize, reshape, crop, stroke or watermark (basically any task for which Photoshop would be overkill), look no further than ImageWell. You can even FTP your image to .Mac or the FTP or WebDAV server of your choice, directly from ImageWell. Plus, it's free.Other changes in version 2.1 include: Dutch localization "Send to folder" option Command-S keyboard shortcut for "Save" (YES! This has been Command-Shift-S for too long!) ImageWell requires Mac OS 10.3.9 or later. I love it. Check it out.
