Pixelmator Pro is being enhanced with an iPad version, Apple has confirmed, with a tablet version of the app coming as part of the Apple Creator Studio.
Apple acquired the team behind Pixelmator Pro in late 2024, but aside from some feature updates in June, it seemed like Apple hadn't done much to the art app. On Tuesday, Apple confirmed that big changes are on the way.
Forming part of the new Apple Creator Studio, Pixelmator Pro is promoted as a key image-editing tool in the app collection. While already fully-featured on the Mac, the main thrust of the announcement for the app is its traversal over to iPad.
This is not the first time an iPad version of Pixelmator Pro was rumored to be on the way. In October, App Store IDs were found for a selection of Apple's Pro creative apps, including Pixelmator Pro.
An iPad imaging tool
The iPadOS version of Pixelmator Pro is billed by Apple as a touch-optimized workspace that has full Apple Pencil support. This includes "intuitive touch controls" with smart selection tools, and support for functions like hover, squeeze, and double-tap.
For existing Mac users, Apple is also making the iPad and Mac versions of the app interoperable, so work can be carried out on an iPad and continued on a Mac.
The built-in tools range from a fully-featured Layers sidebar, advanced bitmap and vector masks, debanding to remove compression artifacts and also Apple Silicon-powered Super Resolution. A new warp tool is also on the way, while Auto Crop will provide automatic composition suggestions.
Pixelmator Pro will continue to be a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store at $49.99, but it is also part of the Apple Creator Studio subscription. It will be available from January 28 for $12.99 per month or $129 per year, or $2.99 per month and $29.99 per year for Education customers.
