Pixelmator iPad apps updated with Apple Pencil hover, more iPadOS 16 features

Both Pixelmator for iPad and Pixelmator Photo for iPad have been updated to support the new iPadOS 16, bringing new features including Apple Pencil hover.

Pixelmator's two iPad apps have been updated with the Apple Pencil feature common to both, but then a range of different features for each.

Pixelmator Photo 2.1

The new Pixelmator Photo 2.1 also adds:

• EDR mode
• LUT support

The makers say that the new EDR mode means users can "preview extended dynamic ranges in RAW images on newer iPad models with XDR displays."

"EDR Mode utilizes the higher peak brightness of XDR displays to bring out details in highlights that would otherwise be invisible," the company told AppleInsider.

"Thanks to support for LUTs [Lookup Tables], you can now instantly change the colors of photos with universal color presets used in many creative image and video editing apps," the firm says in a blog post.

"You can import and apply LUTs in Pixelmator Photo, or export color adjustments as LUTs to use in other apps," it continues. "And, using machine learning, LUTs can also be converted into individual color adjustments."

Pixelmator 2.8

The new Pixelmator 2.8 adds:

• Select Subect
• Improved performance

With Select Subject, Pixelmator says that it is "bringing machine learning-powered automatic subject selection to iPhone and iPad." It means "you can select any subject in an image with just a tap."

Alongside the new update, Pixelmator 2.8 is also increased in price for new users from $4.99 to $9.99. Existing users continue to get the updates for free.

Pixelmator Photo for iPad has recently switched to a subscription model where it costs $4.99 per month on the App Store.