Photo Editing Apps For Mac
Pixelmator is a photo enhancer beloved by many Mac users, as it offers a good combination of a modern and simple interface, the ability to work on multiple layers, and powerful features that take photo editing to a whole new level. With so many editing tools, brushes, and effects, you can enhance your photos to your liking. This Mac photo editing software has been available since 2015 for OS X Yosemite 10.10.3, and since 2016 for tvOS v.10. This app has several easy-to-use editing tools, such as filters and Smart Sliders. In addition, it has the Markup tool, which can add text, shapes, and create sketches and signatures. The mac photo editing app supports more than fifteen file types and formats, including PDF, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, RAW and some other less popular ones as well. Photoshop Elements. With complete control over Image composition (from the contrast to brightness), Photoshop Elements is one of the Best Photo Editing Software for Mac.
Editing your photos on your iPhone is one thing, but editing your photos on your Mac can take your photography skills to a whole 'nother level.
Many of us still keep our main libraries on our Macs because of its faster processors, larger storage, and all-around bigger computing power. The Mac is still the best device for serious photo editing, so you need some serious photo editing apps to make an impact.
The built-in Photos app on Mac offers several useful photo editing tools. You can crop, adjust lighting and color, set the white balance, add filters, remove unwanted blemishes, and a few more things. However, in all honesty? It's not really meant to be a robust editing app, so If you are looking for something to really finish your photos right, we've got a list of the best photo editors for Mac right here. Let's go!
Affinity Photo
If you're looking for a photo editing app that goes above and beyond for the pricetag, while still allowing you complete creative control over your images, then it might be worth it to take a peek at Affinity Photo.
Affinity Photo supports unlimited layers, groups, layer adjustments, filters, masking, and more: you also have access to tools like dodge, red-eye fix, burn, blemish, clone, and patch (so pretty much Photoshop without all the convoluted bells and whistles). Nondestructive auto-saving makes undoing everything you've done easy, so if you need to start from the beginning, the option is there.
Play, manipulate, edit, and get hella creative with Affinity Photo whether you're a serious graphic designer or someone who's just looking to do some basic editing. Your photography will seriously thank you.
- $49.99 - Download now
Fotor Photo Editor
Searching for a super simple, straight-forward photo editing app that's there to help you edit and not confuse you to the point of ripping out your hair? Then check out Fotor Photo Editor!
With this photo editor, you can easily adjust contrast and color of more washed-out photos, add borders, tilt and shift your images, add different text, slap on a few filters, and so much more, all from the easy-to-find toolbox on the right side of the app. You can even create collages of your photography masterpieces!
The BBC once called Fotor Photo Editor 'light Photoshop', and they're kind of right! You can go above and beyond editing your images with Fotor Photo Editor without getting bogged down by more complicated editing buttons and tools.
- Free - Download now
Lightroom
When you look into photo editing software, one of the first things that'll pop up is Adobe's Lightroom, and for good reason! It's essentially a staple in the photo editing community.
Lightroom is great for photographers who need to manage a large image library, and who are prepared to commit to (and pay for) Adobe's cloud storage space. But it is purely a photography tool that's a little outside the regular Adobe design ecosystem. (Creative Bloq)
Pretty much anything you want to do with your photo, you can accomplish with Lightroom. You can blend and merge shadows and highlights, sharpen dull, blurry images so they look crisp and clear, add details and tint colors to make a photo stand out, and so, so much more.
While it is a bit more on the complicated side, people who use the program and know how to navigate it are hooked. Keep in mind, there are two versions of the app — there's the Classic version, which is more preferred, and the 2018 CC version.
If you're hesitant about the program and paying for it, you can download Lightroom free for 30 days as part of a trial period. After that, you can add it to your Photoshop CC subscription for $9.99 per month.
- Free trial - Download now
Pixelmator
Amp up your photo editing skills with a little bit of help from Pixelmator!
This particular photo editing app allows you to combine two different photos into one (while still allowing you to edit over each layer), add shapes, gradients, filters, tints, and more, and completely change and edit your photography to make it fit perfectly to your aesthetic. You can even mask and cut off certain areas of the photo, giving you more creative control over your final image.
Similar to other photo editing apps, you can also adjust contrast, color, saturation level, definition, and so much more.
It's another great alternative to Photoshop, at least according to our managing editor Lory Gil.
- $29.99 - Download now
GIMP
Love Photoshop (or the idea of Photoshop..) but don't want all the complicated components and nonsense that comes along with it? Then it might be worth it to take a peek at GIMP.
Similar to Photoshop, GIMP allows you full control over editing your photos: it's an advanced image manipulation program with detailed customization for color reproduction.
You can add layers to your photos, edit and tweak colors, adjust contrast, crop, adjust saturation, and so much more. Format seagate external hard drive for mac. If you're someone who admires Photoshop but is terrified of the price (or just thinks it's not worth it) then GIMP might be the perfect pal for you.
- Free - Download now
Snapheal
Say 'bye-bye' to nasty photobombs, zits, perky distractions, and so much more in your photos thanks to Snapheal!
Snapheal is a little bit unique in the sense that it's more of a 'delete now, ask questions later' app. It's more about cleaning up a photo than it is editing it and adding a whole bunch of layers. The tools can either remove large objects or smaller imperfections depending on the mode. You can even adjust the masking tool, use a magic rope, or clone stamp your way to a new photo.
If you're someone who's a perfectionist when it comes to your photography and you just can't stand that one stupid, distracting blur in the background, then Snapheal is the guy for you.
- $7.99 - Download now
Preview
I know what you're thinking: 'Preview? Really, Cella?'
To which I respond: 'Uh, yeah. Duh, my dude. You use it every day!'
Sure, you can't do a bunch of fancy things with Preview like add filters, adjust contrast, and fix saturation, but you can quickly crop a photo, adjust the color, rotate it, add shapes, texts, and a signature, export as a different format, and more.
Yes, Preview isn't perfect, but it is easy to use and fantastic for making small, fast changes to your photography.
- It's already on your Mac.
How do you edit your photography?
What is your favorite photo editing app for the Mac? Why does it work the best for you? Let us know what your top picks are in the comments down below!
Updated August 2018: All the choices on this list are still the best of the best!
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Third-party apps and extensions expand your editing options in Photos for iOS and macOS. You can apply edits from multiple apps and extensions to one photo, or use any combination of apps and extensions plus the editing tools built into Photos.
Use third-party extensions on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Learn how to find apps with Photos extensions for your iOS device, turn on the extensions, and then use them to edit photos.
Install iOS apps that offer extensions
Use the App Store on your device to find and install apps that allow full editing from Photos or include extensions for Photos. Apps that include Photos extensions often say so in their descriptions; search for terms like 'Photos extension' to explore more apps.
You can also choose from the apps listed in Edit Images Faster With Photo Extensions on the App Store.
Turn on extensions on your iOS device
After you install apps that include Photos extensions on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, turn the extensions on:
- Open the Photos app, then tap a photo.
- Tap Edit, and then tap .
- In the menu that appears, swipe to the left until you see the More button, and then tap it.
- You see your apps that include Photos extensions. You can turn them on or off, or drag them up or down to change their order. When you’re finished, tap Done.
Edit photos with extensions on your iOS device
- Open the Photos app, then tap a photo.
- Tap Edit, then tap .
- Select an app from the menu that appears.
- Edit the photo with the extension's tools.
- When you're satisfied with your edits, click Done. You can choose another extension to apply more edits to the photo, or use any of the editing tools that are built into Photos.
- If you're finished with all edits, click Done to exit the edit mode.
Use third-party extensions on your Mac
Learn how to find apps with Photos extensions for your Mac, turn on the extensions, and then use them to edit photos.
Install Mac apps that allow editing or offer extensions
Photos for macOS makes finding third-party apps easy:
- Double-click a photo in your library to open it in single view, then click Edit.
- Click , then choose App Store.
The Mac App Store opens to a selection of third-party photo editing apps that are compatible with Photos.
You can also choose from the apps listed in Extensions for Fast Photo Edits on the App Store.
Turn on extensions on your Mac
Lumion for mac. After you install apps that include Photos extensions on your Mac, turn the extensions on:
- Choose Apple () menu > System Preferences, then click Extensions.
- Click Photos Editing in the left sidebar. Your apps that include Photos extensions appear.
- Turn on the extensions that you want to use in Photos. You can also drag them up or down to adjust the order that they appear in Photos.
Edit photos with extensions on your Mac
- Double-click a photo in your library to open it in single view, then click Edit.
- Click .
- Choose an app from the menu that appears.
- Edit the photo with the extension's tools that appear.
- When you're satisfied with your edits, click Save Changes. You can choose another extension to apply more edits to the photo, or use any of the editing tools that are built into Photos.
- If you're finished with all edits, click Done to exit the edit mode.
Edit photos within third-party apps on your Mac
Best Macbook For Photo Editing
With Photos for macOS High Sierra and later, you can send a photo to most third-party photo apps for editing, then save the changes right back into your library.
Best Photo Editing Apps For Macbook
- Control-click a photo and choose Edit With from the contextual menu. Then choose from the list of third-party editing apps on your Mac. You can also click a photo and then choose Image > Edit With in the menu bar.
- The photo opens in the third-party app that you chose. Make your edits, and then save.
If the app saves photos in a non-standard format, look for an option to save as JPEG or another format that Photos supports.
Your edited photo appears automatically in Photos.
Learn more
Photo Editing Apps For Macbook Pro
- When you edit a photo with third-party extensions or the built-in tools that Photos offers, you can always start over with the original photo. Open the photo in edit mode, then click Revert to Original on your Mac or tap Revert if you're using an iOS device.
- If you use iCloud Photos, remember that it keeps your photos organized and up to date everywhere that you use the same Apple ID. So any edits that you make on one device appear on your other devices too.