Best Mac Photo Editing Software
As photo editing software has gotten more sophisticated and less expensive, simplicity has become the name of the game as software makers aim to cater to a new generation of non-professional users eager to do their own photo editing.
A newly released review of Mac-based photo editing software from TopTenREVIEWS finds that the best Mac-based photo editing software offers an array of easy-to-use features at very affordable prices.
Photo editing software allows users to import their photos and then edit, change, combine and manipulate them to create new images. The possibilities for its uses are endless, and consumers continue to demand that these applications contain more complex functionality, while remaining easy to use.
According to TopTenREVIEWS, the best in the category is Adobe's Photoshop Elements, which combines a variety of automated features and offers lots of help for those just getting started.
"The thing to look for is stability and features that are flexible and allow for lots of creative play," said Douglas Mitchell, owner of a Florida-based photo editing software training company called Training Brain. Mitchell agrees that Photoshop Elements is the best of the group, adding that good help services are extremely important when it comes to this kind of software. There is an abundance of free help available for Photoshop users through Adobe's website, he added. Photoshop Elements is priced at $99.99.
Taking the second spot on the list is Pixelmator 1.5.1, which gets great reviews for being easy to use and costing just $29.99. It also offers Snow Leopard support, which means the software will run nicely on Apple's latest operating system (Mac OS X 10.6), according to TopTenREVIEWS, a sister site to TechNewsDaily.
Rounding out the top three is Flying Meat Inc.'s Acorn photo imaging software, which is very easy to use while maintaining professional-level tools. With a list price of $49.99, it's still pretty inexpensive and can also be used online for free, minus a few of its features.
A continued trend toward increased simplicity is the key to making photo editing software more functional, added Nelson Wei Tan, associate professor of Art and Design at the University of Indianapolis. "I believe photo editing software will be more intuitive in the future," he said. "Multi-touch devices will allow users to pinch, twist and manipulate photos with their fingers. I believe in the near future, it will be a lot easier for people to learn to use."
