Pixlr for Windows and Mac by Autodesk Review – Best Freeware Photo Editor for desktop

If you have ever sought recommendations for an effective photo editing solution, you need no sort of introduction to Pixlr — one of the most popular photo editing solution for Smartphones and other devices. Pixlr has brought dedicated apps for both Windows and Mac. In this post, to understand this desktop tool and understand how easier it is to edit photographs using Pixlr. We’ll be doing in-detail Autodesk Pixlr Review for Windows and Mac. First, we shall have an introduction to the tool as well as one glance on minimum system requirements of Pixlr for Desktop.

Autodesk Pixlr Review for Windows and Mac

As you might know, Pixlr is a solution that lets users edit images from a variety of devices, including Android, Windows, and Mac. Currently, Pixlr is owned by Autodesk, one of the most popular software corporations in the world.

Using this tool, you can edit images and apply certain effects to them, regardless your technical knowledge about editing photos. Talking about Pixlr for Desktops, both Windows and Mac versions have decent minimum requirements that almost everyone will be able to use the tool. And, despite having paid membership plans [we’ll talk about them later in the review], Pixlr for Desktop is free to use.

Minimum System Requirements for Autodesk Pixlr

  • For Windows devices: Windows 7, 1.0 GHz Intel/AMD Processor, 1 GB RAM, 1024-by-768 pixels display & 450MB storage space. It also requires OpenGL 2.0 compatible Video card with 128 MB of VRAM.
  • For Macintosh devices: Mac OS X v10.9 or higher, 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM and free space of 400MB. It also requires the same OpenGL 2.0 compatible Video card with 128 MB of VRAM for Mac also.

Now, we will move on to our experience with Pixlr for Desktop, exploring various aspects of this tool. First, we’ll have a glance at the installation of Pixlr for Windows.

Downloading & Installing Pixlr for Desktop

Pixlr for Desktop is a free photo editing solution and can be downloaded from the official site of Pixlr. Installation setup of Pixlr for Desktop weighs 34 MB and the installation process will not take more than a few minutes. During the process of installation, you will have to accept its License agreement and confirm the location of installation. In any case, you can complete Pixlr installation in no time.

Autodesk Pixlr Review for Windows and Mac

Getting Started with Autodesk Pixlr

As soon as you finish the installation, you can see the shortcut icon of Pixlr on your desktop and click it will launch dashboard of Pixlr for Desktop. And the best part is Pixlr takes only a few seconds to load, unlike Photoshop and a lot of other ‘lightweight’ editors. Now, to open an image in Autodesk Pixlr, you can go to File à Open à select image. It is possible to adjust the zooming level using a mouse, by the way.

Autodesk Pixlr Review for Windows and Mac

It has to be noted that Pixlr can also show details such as metadata of images along with integrated options to share a photo online.

Now, you can start editing the photograph — add effects, adjust levels, insert stickers and text, set up borders and a lot more. Doesn’t the process sound simple? Well, we will now move on to effects section of Pixlr for Desktop. It has to be noted that Pixlr can also show details such as metadata of images along with integrated options to share a photo online.

Talking of toolbars, the team behind Pixlr has set up that section very well. Along with traditional toolbar in the top section, you have access to a graphic-based toolbox in the left side of the window. Each box denotes a particular category of effects & tools and you can choose according to your convenience.

Autodesk Pixlr Review for Windows and Mac

For instance, when you click on ‘Stylize’, it will open another section that features a thumbnail-based view of effects. In this way, the user interface of Pixlr desktop is something great.

Effects to Suite your Convenience

We have already mentioned that effects and tools have been categorized in the most convenient way through the use of an intuitive toolbox. We can say nothing but ‘awesome’ while commenting on a collection of effects from Pixlr library.

Note, except the case of a few effects, you have to download effects from Pixlr servers in order to apply them on an image. To do that, you just have to click on the cloud button. Depending upon the effect, Pixlr may take a few minutes or seconds to complete the download process. As soon as it has been completed, you can click to apply that particular effect — simple as that!

Autodesk Pixlr Effects

Take a look at this video where guys at Autodesk has shared an instant tutorial on how to create awesome Holiday Cards using Pixlr.

http://vimeo.com/110220812

Membership & Features

On the other hand, if you have purchased Pro version of Pixlr by paying $14.99 per year, you will be having access to a number of features such as Masking tools, Blend Modes, Enhanced color controls and lots more.

The capability of Pixlr for Desktop depends upon whether you have connected your Pixlr account with the app. If you’ve not connected your account, you can have essential features such as refine tools, cropping tools and stylize tools etc.

However, if you connect your free Pixlr account with the app, you can have access to more effects, enhanced control in double exposure tools, etc. On the other hand, if you have purchased Pro version of Pixlr by paying $14.99 per year, you will be having access to a number of features such as Masking tools, Blend Modes, Enhanced color controls and lots more.

Pixlr for Mac – Installation and App screenshots

What We Loved Most about Autodesk Pixlr

Despite the fact that almost every aspect of Pixlr as a photo editor is impressive, we like a few of its features very much. Some of them are:

  • Popular among photographers, Double Exposure effect is available in an effective way here. It requires no sorts of previous experience.
  • Pixlr has brought a huge number of photo effects and those effects in Overlay section of Pixlr grabbed our attention quite quickly.
  • In addition, Pixlr lets you turn off EXIF information of output image while saving image along with an option to adjust image quality. By turning of EXIF information, you will be able to reduce file size!

Autodesk Pixlr Image Quality

Our Verdict

Recalling what we have mentioned above, Pixlr for Desktop is indeed a great choice as far as you’re concerned about images that are visually beautiful. Despite having an easy-to-understand user interface, we cannot degrade editing features of Pixlr because some features such as Masking and double exposure tools etc. are in the advanced category.

The only thing that was not impressive is that the effects, border, and other filters are compulsory to download.

What do you think of our Autodesk Pixlr Review for Windows and Mac? Do you think any of the features are missing? Let us know in the comments.

About the author

Abhijith N Arjunan

I'm an avid reader, of both books and web and that is what forces me to write, write and speak my mind! Have a special affection towards technology, grammar and English, and a Functional English student by choice, from Kerala.

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