Pixelmator Pro Gains AI-Powered Background Removal Tool

Popular photo editing app Pixelmator Pro was today updated with an overhauled set of AI-powered masking tools that make it easier than ever to make selective edits. Masking was "reengineered from the ground up" in the new 3.6 version of Pixelmator Pro, so it's quicker to create and refine masks.

pixelmator pro hide background
There is a new Hide Background option that uses AI to nondestructively remove the entire background from an image with a click. The tool detects the subject of the image and adds a background mask to hide the rest of what's in the photo.

Masking a layer or creating a mask from a layer can now be done with a double click on the canvas with the Arrange tool, and then there are controls available for resizing and repositioning the mask. Pixelmator says this makes it easier to do things like round image corners or crop individual layers in multi-layer compositions.

Tools for refining masks are now located at the bottom of the screen whenever a mask is selected or created, so it's faster to adjust transparency, change edge softness, invert the mark, add a new mask, and more.

Pixelmator has also gained support for vector masks, so layers can be masked into specific shapes. Adding a vector mask causes the area inside the vector shape to remain visible, while other areas are hidden. Masking a layer can be done by selecting a shape from the Mask menu at the top of the layers sidebar or creating a mask with the Pen tool. Vector masks are editable, so each point can be adjusted just like a regular shape.

The new features are available for free to current Pixelmator Pro users. Pixelmator Pro is priced at $50 and it can be downloaded from the Mac App Store. [Direct Link]

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Top Rated Comments

kalafalas Avatar
9 months ago
Yes! This is incredible usage of machine learning technology (it’s not f*****g ai lol). I absolutely love pixelmator and love to see it grow, it is one of the best and most polished apps I’ve used in years
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bradman83 Avatar
9 months ago
Photoshop and Lightroom's subject and background selection features have been incredibly useful so hopefully these are equally robust to provide more solid alternatives for the non-subscription (or non Adobe) crowd.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
9 months ago
Apple photos must catch up
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Algr Avatar
9 months ago
That is weird. Pixelmator Pro has had background removal for years. It works very well.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DownUnderDan Avatar
9 months ago

No pro cares about that, I want clone and heal tools and remove objects like magic eraser built in
Well good thing none of us are pros.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Algr Avatar
9 months ago
Those of you talking about Apple Photos:

Pixelmator Pro is $50, and is immensely powerful. It is how third-party software should be. Apple Photos is a totally different program for doing different things. The simple editing tools in Photos aren't supposed to compete with real editing programs.

Apple DOES need to catch up... to iPhoto.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)