Pixelmator is also a cracking bit of software. Very close to being a professional PS replacement, IIRC.

Agreed. I use it for preference. Virtually since I moved to InDesign for layout work (still rocking CS3 here, too), I adopted an RGB and calibrated workflow, and final output is always to PDF these days, so I don't miss the ability to convert to CMYK.

I have to say Pages is a very potent little app, too.

The only problem is that those of us in the design world are kind of latched to Adobe in some fashion, simply through the need to be able to communicate with others in a format that they understand.

Right now, CS3 works in Mountain Lion, and, I expect, it will stagger into the next OS unscathed too. I expect I’ll be renting apps as/when I need them rather than subscribe completely. I’ll have to see how Pixelmator handles my existing Photoshop files.

It probably won't handle layer styles and text layers at all well. It can sometimes be a bit fussy in general about layered documents, too.

Ah - and then won’t handle the smart objects either. I’ve come accustomed to using those a lot when I want non-destructive editing. Looks like it’s going to be potentially two apps sharing the load.

Does Freeway work with native Pixelmator files? I’ve forgotten.

I'm still not completely convinced by an RGB workflow. It's fine for a lot print jobs, but there are times when you want to accurately control what is happening in CMYK, particularly when working with overprinting colours or almost anything that is going to be printed in CMYK plus spot colours.

I can't see myself ever not needing to be able to work in CMYK in a pixel-based app at some point.

Not yet, as far as I can recall. Pixelmator does support layered TIFF, so that might save a lot of round-tripping.

Apparently, since November last year it'll do CMYK - http://www.pixelmator.com/blog/2012/11/08/color-perfect-pixelmator-2-1-3/

I understand your point, but a lot of my work was pure CMYK with no spots or specials. In that case, provided I was happy with my device profiles, the end results were always pretty close to the mark.

Do you work entirely in RGB in all your "for print" apps, or just Photoshop?

It's a mixture. For the layout in, for example, InDesign I have a set of "standard" CMYK swatches I call on. I don't bother to convert images from RGB to CMYK, as that's handled at PDF stage. Illustrator would be generally in CMYK.

The thing is, I haven't done any "proper" print design for a couple of years now. My freelance work is all but dead.

So you don't have to match colours in the RGB and CMYK sections of your designs? Admittedly it's something I've need to be able to do less as InDesign has taken on a lot of the functions that were once solely the preserve of Photoshop, but it's still something I need to be able to do on occasion. Also as I do a lot of jobs that have items that will be output by a variety of print methods and need to maintain the maximum colour consistency between all of them, having a wide colour gamut to play with isn't always an advantage.

Sorry to hear about your freelance work, although from what I've read here you have a fall-back option. I'm hoping mine turns out as well...

I keep photos in rgb and my swatches are cmyk. If I have to match a colour in an image, I'll eye dropper it and the cmyk conversion when it happens matches the cmyk conversion of the image. At least that's the theory. The amount of print I do these days and the lack of care by my clients means that it works okay for me. It's all about price rather than quality these days.

No, but it does call home every few weeks, to ensure that the licence is still valid. That is the only time you need an internet connection.


Which is okay, until they start providing you with files that use features which can't be back saved...


Yep. I think the rental model has some distinct advantages for large companies who run projects of fluctuating size and for professionals that need to always have the latest version - they are laughing, because it works out much cheaper.

For the professional that upgrades every 2 or 3 versions or for the semi-pro, it is an expensive proposition.

Already, people are discussing alternatives to the CS Suite on Twitter. There appears to be some worthy alternatives for Photoshop, and indeed Illustrator. However, for me, the third - InDesign (which gets used occasionally) is harder to replace - and that is mostly because I have been known to send InDesign files off to other people, or they get sent to me. At some point, we have to use the “standard” software.