No more black interface in Pixelmator

What features would you like to see in Pixelmator?
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2013-10-30 17:48:52

Indeed, Pixelmator 3 is still a true challenge for me to use. Same for the website.

http://contrastrebellion.com may help Pixelmator's developers understand our concern better.

To the developers : is it possible to get my hands on the latest version of Pixelmator 1, the only useable version ? Any word on changing the interface ?
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2013-10-30 19:58:44

Dark, but not black. I suggest taking a look a the iDraw for Mac interface.
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2013-11-03 19:13:18

Too many black backgrounds. Not enough differentiation between different Tool panels. Feels like you are working in a dark room....(excuse the pun).
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2013-11-05 07:59:29

I agree. Unless I have the brightness setting on my Mac set to maximum I find the pallets very hard to read and even then on my Macbook I still have problems with the small white on black text. Using my Mac at full brightness is not always possible as if there's low ambient lighting having a high brightness setting gives me headaches.

Even if we must keep the black interface I feel it could be made much more readable by removing the gradients and transparency in pallets.
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2013-11-10 05:00:32

I hate the black interface. I'm giving up using Pixelmator because I can't see what I'm trying to do. It's crazy having to squint close-up at the screen to figure out what option I'm choosing. This is a great image editor with, to me, an unusable interface.
Why not offer a choice of backgrounds -- the black or a light grey.
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2013-11-11 16:58:39

As one who is older the black makes it difficult to see and work. Also the tool icons are to small for older eyes so if there was an option to enlarge them, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for a great App.
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2013-11-13 06:52:52

The one thing, for me, that spoils this app is the black theme. I find it tiring on thee eyes. Are their any plans to allow users to change the theme?
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2014-01-25 12:07:05

Same requests everyone heir....

Interface some gray and icons bigger if we wont

Pease cmd++ to bigger and cmd +- to small sizes

Yves
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2014-02-06 03:20:55

I don't have the best eyesight, and I am light sensitive and I find the black perfect for me. Perhaps, as already stated you can have a choice of black, white or grey etc.
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2014-02-06 07:00:35

I really don't understand the Pixelmator team's thinking on this subject. Regardless of how cool you think the colour on black is, if allowing the users to change the colour scheme to suit their eyes and their work environment would make more users happy with your product and make them use it more, why not implement it! It's a work tool, and tools should be ergonomic and not cause undue discomfort. It's clear that the colour scheme you use does just that. So why this stubborn refusal to listen to these voices?

I own both Pixelmator and Acorn licenses, and I'm definitely using Acorn more, and the reason is only one: the user interface doesn't give me headaches (I'm beginning to get a headache just typing this in white on black on your site support page!).

Please, oh please give us the option of other colour schemes in the interface! Also please consider the choice of colours and the sizing of your tools! I promise you that you will sell even more copies with these few changes.
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2014-02-07 18:36:09

can we get an option for a light interface...very hard to see with the current interface
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2014-02-12 10:12:23

+1 for light interface! Thanks!
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2014-02-12 10:15:21

+1 for a choice of black, white or grey etc.
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2014-02-16 01:48:57

The 3 UI color choices in Photoshop CS6 are very good. I'd love to see them in Pixelmator. Pitch black is a no-go for me.
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2014-02-16 15:24:41

I actually disagree. I prefer the dark interface, especially since I do a lot of my artwork at night. I like making Pixelmator full screen so I can drown out all the bright parts of the Mac UI.

I can see the point though of others. Maybe adding a UI Color option in the preferences would be a good idea, to cater to both sides of the issue.
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2014-02-26 22:40:27

Dear Pixelmator, Please please please give us the ability to change the interface color!

I agree with most of you here. A half hour into working with Pixelmator I realized I was squinting and moving closer to the screen. I'm sure that Adobe, Google, and Apple tried a black interface at some point and decided a white or grey background is much more accessible. Anybody with eyesight challenges will have a very difficult time with this black background.
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2014-03-02 18:39:39

Completely agree with Benjamieson’s post:
"It is these elements in PXM that I think are causing the jarring sensation to the interface for so many users - indistinguishable palettes, and gaudy cartoon tool icons that distract from the image within the canvas for no reason - the tool icons, shapes and layer/brush highlights should be there to use when needed, not to compete for attention with the image you're working on."

Also the fact that the selected tool breaks the window frame borders outside and inside the frame in 4 different spots.
Please figure out some other way of showing that the tool is selected. Also hotkeys for all the tools?

Image
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2014-03-25 17:34:38

-1
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2014-04-09 16:00:11

I have delayed my purchase of pixelmator because the UI is just too dark for me. Some of the UI elements are annoyingly small on a retina display. Example being, there are (what seem to be) three dots next to the "Shadow" checkbox at the top of the window. I had no clue if that is something clickable, like opening a file requestor box to select something.

I am torn between Acorn and Pixelmator. I LOVE the UI on Acorn. It's really pleasant for the eye. Feature-wise Pixelmator have a few extras that I prefer, but the dark UI is just hurting my eyes in the long run.

Please offer an alternative, lighter UI. I get that the icons in the toolbar are little cutesies, but a well designed, "plain" icon set (such as Acorn's) makes it much easier to recognize what I am looking at.
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2014-04-11 08:32:34

Please, improved the interface. So it is unusable.
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2014-04-19 19:03:53

Dear Developers,
Please, stop pulling our balls.
Many of your existing customers waiting for a proper UI FOR YEARS!
We don't need all those new super-puper features.
But give us UI customisation options, so that it could be at least usable.
Pixelmator at it's current state is a crapware, packed with a bunch of beautiful features.
Please, understand, that it's just UNUSABLE!
We bought it and we want to use it on a daily basis, but we can't.
Cause or eyes are bleeding while we try to do something.
Please DO something about it.
User avatar

2014-04-22 02:56:57

It would be great to have the choice of the intensity of the interface color dark versus light . Black is difficult especial if you select black as a color , you don't even see the color in the top left corner. +1 for me on this
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2014-04-22 15:23:18

Please keep the black interface and colorful tool icons! I have weak vision and the darker interface works great, I love it.
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2014-04-22 20:48:26

I'll add my voice and vote for user selectable interface color/shade.

It's been a century since Henry Ford claimed ... "you can have you Model A in any color you want ... as long as it is black." Limiting such options is sooooo 20th century.

For myself, when working in full screen mode, the palettes blend in so much, it is difficult to distinguish them from the background ...

You have done such a good job on most everything else ... it seems this could be and should be a priority because offering a choice in UI color scheme would please EVERYONE. All your users would get what they want.

Businesses who can offer individual options that really shouldn't impose too much hardship on the provider have always been successful.
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2014-04-23 08:52:38

Just bought Pixelmator and find it hard to use! as much as i like the power of the program th buttons are far too small to guess please give as themes to adjust it to personal preferences!!!!!

Thank you!
bthw. why doesn't anybody from the developer team join the discussion and tell us the reason of their design decisions or at least give some feedback?!