Some things are so not intuitive still

Talk about Pixelmator Pro, share tips & tricks, tutorials, and other resources.
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2021-11-12 20:44:23

I'm still finding some things in the PRO version of Pixelmator a bit unintuitive. I'm sure there's some reason for this...but why not just let me put a gradient (or fill) on an empty layer this way (using style)? I've tried with and without the selection...just does not work. I figured out that I have to use gradient fill or color fill under TOOLS & I can go under FORMAT->Effects->Fill and choose color or gradient. This is just wonky and was not an issue in Classic. AT LEAST a message could pop up saying "Hey Jerky - you're supposed to do this in TOOLS or FORMAT" OR you could just switch me into one of the other options.

If Pixelmator Pro was my ONLY tool, I'd probably keep clear on why there are fills in 3 places (tools, format AND style), but for the rest of us...it's a bit of overload and confusion.

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2021-11-12 20:57:51

So, immediately after posting the above, I ran into this bizarreness. WHY is the gradient (using the TOOL, not the EFFECT) change to just BLUE when I let go of the button!?!? I've been a fan and have recommended Pixelmator and Pixelmator Pro since at least 2016...but some things...just not getting.🤔
NOTE -> The proper gradient is while still holding the button down with the tool (just doesn't show in the screenshot). As soon as I let go...boom...BLUE!
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2021-11-15 13:29:36

Hey adamjd. Sorry to hear you're having trouble with Pixelmator Pro! I can see how this may look a little confusing at first but let me explain how the styles and fills work in Pixelmator Pro and I hope it'll all make a bit more sense in the end. :)

The first thing that's probably worth pointing out is that the Style tool in Pixelmator Pro works identically to Pixelmator Classic and many other apps — it changes the style of existing layer contents. The Style tool won't normally affect empty layers or selections since there are no actual pixels the style can be applied to. Essentially, you'd only want to use styles for changing the look of layers that already have some content in them. These could be image, text, or shape layers. Pixelmator Pro allows changing layer styles nondestructively, so they can be adjusted or removed at any point.

Gradient Fill effect is another, primarily nondestructive (with the exception of selections), fill method. Unlike the Fill style, it doesn't require actual pixels to be present in a layer it works with empty layers, selections, shapes, and images alike. Once you have a layer with a gradient effect applied, you can change its colors or their distribution at any point during editing. The effect can also be combined with other effects, saved as presets, used for various automation workflows.

The Gradient Fill tool falls into the category of regular fill tools together with Color Fill (N), Quick Fill (drag and drop from any color well), and image fill (Format > Image > Fill with Color). You can use Gradient Fill to fill empty layers, layers with existing content, and selections. It's a destructive fill method, so you can erase, paint on, or use other brush-based tools on such gradient layers. You'd typically find the Gradient Fill tool in painting and illustration work.

As you can see, all these three methods offer slightly different functionalities so you can choose which one fits your workflow or a particular situation the most.

As per your fill issue — it looks like you used two types of gradient fill on a single layer. First, you've applied the gradient fill style to an empty layer and it wasn't visible because there were no pixels in it to fill. Then, you used the Gradient Fill tool on the same layer which filled it with pixels, revealing the gradient fill style that was previously applied.

We know improvements could be made here, for the sake of usability, but I hope the above helps shed a bit more light on the current behavior. And if you have any further questions, feel free to let me know!