Picturesque, the Definitive Review (and Giveaway!)
So you’ve set up a nice blog, have some nice content, ‘cool’ widgets and flashy tag clouds. But great content needs to be backed up by good imagery, without which those words will just get lost in the cloud.
However, not everyone has $600 to spend on Photoshop and learn about layer masks, transparencies, and the added trouble of doing all that every time you want to create something awesome. Of course, you could go for the $60 Pixelmator, but it still doesn’t eliminate the need for the steps needed to polish your images.
Acqualia Software’s Picturesque is an image editor that encompasses a set of effects so easy and quick to apply that anyone can produce great results within seconds. You can fine tune those effects, turn them on and off, and batch export dozens of images at once, ready for publishing on the web. All this is done in a slick UI that even grandpa would be able to operate (for some reason, we just can’t resist bringing good ol’ grandpa into the equation).
The User Interface
On launch, Picturesque loads up a light grey window, ready to accept any images. You can drag images into the window, use the menubar options to load images, access your iPhoto library from the integrated iLife media browser and, of course, you can also drag images to the dock icon and it will load them up.
I had used Picturesque back when it was still a 1.0 app. The functionality was present but the UI wasn’t very fascinating (even though it did win an Apple Design Award in the Best Student app category). With version 2, the Picturesque team has completely overhauled the user interface and seem to have fine tuned all of those effects, making each of them indispensable to the package. Following a one-window interface model, all of the options, controls, and thumbnails are contained within the main window of the application. The only possible floating palette is the iLife media browser.
The Effects
Perspective: Remember those tutorials you tried for getting your image into a 3D perspective? And if this involved adding a reflection, it meant at least a good 15 minutes to get it just right, and after that you have to figure out how to get rid of the jagged edges. Newly added in Picturesque 2, the perspective adjustment allows you to effortlessly switch from one side to another, adjust the depth, the tilt and, more importantly, do all of this on hundreds of images at one go.
Reflection: Granted, reflections aren’t the most difficult things to achieve in most image editors. However, getting that layer mask right involves multiple drags of the gradient tool. If all that sounds greek to you, then you will be happy to know that adding a perfect reflection involves the click of a button in Picturesque. And while there are free widgets that can add reflections, none of them give you the level of control over the output that is possible with Picturesque. Very often I’ve used Picturesque to create a reflection which I’ve imported into Photoshop, just because it is so much easier.
Curve: This is one of the neatest features that really makes images stand out from the crowd. With just a few clicks, you can cut out curves on any or all of the four sides of the image. The output is stunning and, coupled with a reflection, is definitely going to get noticed.
Shadow: The shadow tool lets you add a drop shadow to an image. Not something groundbreaking, but it gets the job done. It does have a “glow” setting though, which puts a light halo behind the image instead of a tradition drop shadow. I’ve yet to figure out a situation where one would use such an effect but it’s there.
Stroke: Adds a line around the image. Compared to the rounded edges of a stroke applied in Photoshop, Picturesque’s stroke edges are sharp. Coupled with a drop shadow, this can add a photo-frame effect.
Crop: Performs a basic crop function. I did find that the thick bounding box of the crop tool made it difficult to judge how much of an image you are going to crop. Thankfully, all the changes are non-destructive and you can crop out more or even uncrop parts that were cropped in excess.
Features
Presets: This feature lets you save your adjustments (except for the crop function) in a preset so you can quickly apply it to another image in the future. This not only saves time but keeps your images consistent across your blog or website.
The iLife Media browser: You all know this little palette. In the case of Picturesque, it shows you only the photos. However, the palette is not the new one we see with Pages and other applications. It has no support for Events so you might have a tough time finding your images.
The Preferences: There are none. Except for the “show current image in dock icon”, they could have easily done away with the preferences! This is what good UI design is all about.
Saving: You can then save the image as a PNG, including all the transparency, or as a Jpeg using the background colour you have set. The Save All dialog brings up some options, including an option to resize all the images to a particular size. You can thus use Picturesque as a plain batch image resizer without adding any effects.
The bad stuff
The same adjustments are applied to all the loaded images. So changing a little bit for any image will result in changes to all the loaded images. Very often each image needs slightly different adjustments and this is not possible if you want to export them all at once.
One thing that is missing is the straightening tool. Very often we come across crooked images, and the only way to straighten them would be in iPhoto or Photoshop. This could very well be implemented in the crop tool.
The thumbnail bar at the top is not resizeable. This makes it difficult to choose between images, especially if you have a bunch of similar shots you want to compare.
To sum up
Picturesque can turn into an indispensable tool for web publishers (even those who already own Photoshop or Pixelmator) who want quick and easy high production value imagery. The ease of use, an excellent UI (sprinkled with just the right amount of core animation effects), and the batch processing options just blow the competition out of the water. In fact, there is no such tool on the Windows end, and there probably never will be. At $39, it is not something you would buy on an impulse, but if these are the kinds of functions you need, it is well worth it.
There is, of course, a trial version, which I urge you to try out.
The Smoking Apples Picturesque giveaway!
So you love the functioning of the application, but don’t make enough to budget spending 40 bucks on it? Thanks to Acqualia Software, the guys behind Picturesque, we get to offer a full license to one lucky winner. The rules of the contest are simple.
- One entry per person.
- Valid email ID required (Never ever spammed. Only required for contacting the winner)
- Download the trial and tell us what you think of it.
- Write a short comment explaining why you are the most deserving winner of the license. Buttering up is fair game.
The winner will be chosen by a totally random judge.
Contest is over. Winner of the giveaway is “John”.
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Small footprint, no learning curve, compared to others a reasonable price point. I like single-purpose applications which try and do one thing and do it well.
Although $39 for Picturesque vs $59 for Pixelmator is a less flattering comparison…
Anyway, I have always thought using Photoshop to put a curve and a drop shadow on a web graphic is like using a sledgehammer on a thumbtack. It’ll do the job but there must be an easier way…?
I’m clearly the most deserving winner. I own a license to Soulver already. You should review that by the way, it’s awesome. And if I don’t win I might just never get round to comparing time taken to do a Super Duper! vs Time Machine backup for the other post…
John October 30th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Of course being the only poster will probably help too.
John October 30th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Completely agree with John that lightweight apps performing single-purposes can sometimes be the best. I tried out the app at 1.0 and can definitely notice improvement! Good work to the devs on that!
This app makes consistent corners/shadows/reflections so much simpler and I would probably use it as a Photoshop ‘plugin-of-sorts,’ running it in conjunction with PS.
I had wondered if, when moving from 1.0 to 2.0, the devs would have included some color-correction tools similar to the ones found in Preview. Personally, I wouldn’t use them based on the workflow I have in mind for the app, but I could see where some people might. Then again, with built in Media browser, people would have the same functionality in iPhoto - so that suggestion is a bit superfluous, I guess.
A couple of other suggestions that would make this brilliant in my mind:
(1) Sometimes the adjustment sliders are a bit cumbersome to work with - I love the current look of the pop-up adjustment menus, but would really appreciate being able to manually enter -43% perspective instead of trying to mouse the slider to that.
(2) Support for multiple stroke styles might be neat (similar to CSS outline options is what I had in mind).
(3) Depending on the image, more than 3px offset on a reflection would be handy.
(4) An icon for Media Browser somewhere would be great; personally, I don’t mind the key command, but if it hadn’t been mentioned in this review, I wouldn’t have known it was there.
That said, I do think the app is a bit overpriced. I was glad to see 2.0 improved some, but it’s still not quite worth that to me. Now, if I were to be the lucky recipient of a free copy - I’d sing praises and tell people it was worth every penny.
Also, major kudos to the Smoking Apples site redesign - it looks absolutely fabulous! and the rotating banner is excellent - one request, though, please make the logo link to the homepage, I’m always trying to click that!
Cheers,
Andrew
Andrew October 31st, 2008 at 8:09 am
Interesting thoughts, Andrew. We’ll make sure the devs take a look.
Preshit October 31st, 2008 at 10:10 am
I have used the trial, but didn’t go through with the purchase because I don’t have 40 bucks (college student living on a budget. thank you mom for my macbook!). That said I think Picturesque is simply stunning and a benchmark of what mac apps should be made like. If I had the cash, I’d gladly pay for it.
Marlene October 31st, 2008 at 10:17 am
Oh wow! A giveaway for Picturesque! This is one app I’ve been contemplating on buying. I’ve used the trial, and boy is it nice. I can never get reflections like those in Photoshop no matter how hard I try. Right now I’m using a widget for adding reflections, but they are not so good. I’m definitely deserve the license because Smoking Apples is so awesome!
Martin October 31st, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Picturesque gives alot of extra customisation. Right now I’m using Photo Drop (http://www.dropping.at/). It’s a widget that does some basic things like curves and shadows. Maybe Picturesque could come up with a widget too.
I deserve to win because I visit Smoking Apples every day.
Louis October 31st, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I don’t think I applied enough butter.
John October 31st, 2008 at 3:19 pm
@John: John…
@Andrew: Thanks for that comment. We’ll definitely try and get that logo clickable (there was an issue with it so we removed that functionality).
Milind Alvares October 31st, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Wow! Another giveaway. Looks like I’m the only one who has no idea about this software. I’m still downloading it, but even before that, going by the review I can tell I’m really going to like this software. Even if I don’t get the winning entry, I will buy this software. But because of that I am the most deserving person to win this licence.
Smoking Apples is the best! Not buttering up, just honestly speaking. I visit your website every day.
Vids October 31st, 2008 at 3:50 pm
What! When did Picturesque go 2.0? I’ve only used 1.0, and I didn’t see much utility in it. The reflections option was the only one that was really required. I never manage to use the curves option because the images kind of stand out a little too much. But 2.0 certainly looks good. Pespective view is something I’ve always had trouble getting in PS. Downloading the trial to check it out. Here’s hoping that I get lucky enough to win the lottery!
I deserve to win because I’ve never won worthy in my entire life. Please give it to me! Also I’m a big Smoking Apples fan. In my screenshot you will see Smoking is third in my wake up sites list. http://img515.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture3sj0.jpg
liam.
Liam October 31st, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Given that this is a fairly simple app, and that Smoking Apples has admirably done a great job looking at its features and deficiencies, I’ll just some hopefully useful feedback.
One feature I would like to see added would be the ability to split an image into three- one jpg containing the bulk of the image, and two PNGs containing the top and bottom edges with the curves applied. This would get around the trade-off that one currently has to make, between having a JPG with no transparency at the rounded corners, or having a too-large PNG that does preserve transparency in the rounded corners.
Two additional features would enable this app to completely replace the need for another graphics editor in many scenarios. One is an ‘auto levels’ toggle, which seems to fix many less-than-perfect photos instantly. Also, it would be nice if the app has a way of choosing or at least toggling the colour profiles that are often in images destined for the web. Sometimes these need to be eliminated, and sometimes they have to be made consistent with each other. Adding a simple toggle to this wouldn’t detract from the program’s essential simplicity, but it would take it a step closer to being both a quick and full replacement for most web-graphic editing workflows.
Why am I the most deserving of this? To be honest, I don’t know if I am, simply because I do not know the circumstances of the other people applying. However, I can say that I would use this tool almost-daily in the work for non-profits that I do, one of which is dedicated to abolishing nuclear weapons, and another that builds bridges of peace and understanding between major faith groups. (You are welcome to enquire further about these efforts if you wish!) I have had my eye on Picturesque since version 1.0 but couldn’t even justify the lower price that it carried since it is not *absolutely* necessary. But as I said, I am certain this something I would this tool on an almost-daily basis. (I have been constantly hoping it would show up as a macupdate promo special; I would snap it up if it were $5-$6. Heck, if I’m awarded a license, I will donate $6 to a mutually agreeable charity of Smoking Apple’s choice.
Thanks for your review, and for your exciting offer!
Khalid November 1st, 2008 at 5:41 am
So this is where my friend gets all his graphics done. Always tells me he does them in Photoshop, but this is just too similar. Great app, downloading the trial now. This might just come in handy. Why I deserve the license? I don’t know. I’m not that important I guess, but I would still like to use Picturesque. Maybe cause I’m a girl? I hope I can use that card…
manny November 1st, 2008 at 11:13 am
Can’t type a long story like others because I’m on my iPhone but picturesque is definitely sweet! I’d definitely want in on the giveaway. I don’t have a fancy cause like our friend on top but pictu will be of great help for my little graphics here and there.
bukano November 1st, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Well, I think Picturesque is a good substitute for Photoshop as I only use PS for some very simple tasks (relative, that is). I deserve to win because I need to use it! =P
Shawn November 2nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
So who won? I want to put drop shadows on everything!
John November 4th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
The contest ends a week after it started, that is, 6th November or Thursday. Be patient will you!
Milind Alvares November 4th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
So we took a printed sheet of all the comments to our mystery random judge (he wasn’t so random I guess). “Give it to John. He looks to be the most desperate of the lot.” I would have personally given it to someone more deserving, but apparently the judge’s decision is final.
So congrats John, you are the lucky winner!
Milind Alvares November 6th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
That’s hilarious!
I’m not that desperate but I am a self-confessed software junkie…you are feeding my addiction!
Thank you guys. It will be put to excellent use.
John November 6th, 2008 at 1:41 pm