Photoshop Alternatives on the Mac




Breaking news: another contender: Pixel. Adjustment Layers! Looks like a more polished version of Gimp but UI is still not mac native - but close. I could buy all of these and save hundreds over photoshop
OK - I'm too cheap to buy Photoshop CS3 and unwilling to install a cracked copy.

My needs are straightforward - usually image exposure with levels, curves, resizing, sharpening, sometimes image compositing - I really like adjustment layers

What are my choices:

  1. Photoshop Elements: no intel compatible version yet - no curves no dice
  2. Pixelmator: great-looking UI - many of Photoshop 's features but no curves and the other day I used it to make a gradient or tried and I couldn't make it work the way I wanted to
  3. Seahore - nice start but not enough features
  4. ChocoFlop - ditto
  5. Acorn: ditto


Best alternative: Gimpshop: the Gimp with photoshop keyboard shortcuts. The UI is goofy but it has almost everything I use in Photoshop except adjustment layers. Yet even though its my winner I find the UI really unsatisfactory. Pixelmator is tempting

Still looking ...

what do you think:

ghankstef __@__ gmail.com