Pixen 6.1.2

Pixen is an innovative graphics editor for the Mac. It's designed from top to bottom for pixel artists - people who make low-resolution raster art like the sprites you see in old video games.

But it's great for artists of all arenas: the tool is like a very powerful MSPaint or a simpler, more agile Photoshop.

With innovative features like a color palette system, patterns, and high-zoom support, Pixen packs all the tools pixel artists need in an intuitive, Mac-native interface.

Pixen for macOS also makes creating frame-by-frame animations fun and easy.

Features and Highlights

Animations
Create and arrange image frames in the filmstrip view to piece together animations; export animations as animated GIFs, QuickTime movies, or even spritesheets!

Tools
Leverage the app's wide array of tools when composing pixel art: Pencil, Eraser, Eyedropper, Zoom, Rectangular Selection, Magic Wand, Lasso, Move, Fill, Line, Rectangle, and Ellipse.

Layers
Take advantage of the flexibility layers provide when working with complex pixel art.

Color Palettes
Add and organize commonly-used colors into palettes.

Patterns
Define custom patterns to use while drawing with the pencil, line, or eraser tool (instead of a single pixel).

Backgrounds
Pick a flat, striped or checkered background (or even a custom image) to be drawn beneath the canvas.

Tablet Support
Pixen supports pressure-sensitive drawing tablets and maps pressure to color opacity.

Full Screen
Work with all your favorite tools in full screen mode on OS X Lion.

How to Use

Launch Pixen from the Applications folder

Create a new canvas or open an existing file

Use the palette to choose colors and tools

Draw using layers, onion skinning, and grid tools

Export to PNG, GIF, or sprite sheet formats

Save and organize assets using the Pixen file format

System Requirements

• macOS 10.15 Catalina or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon (M1/M2) Mac
• Minimum 4 GB RAM
• 200 MB available disk space
• Retina display recommended for best experience

PROS

• Optimized for pixel art creation
• Supports animation with onion skinning
• Customizable palettes and grid snapping
• Retina-ready interface for precision
• Exports to multiple formats including sprite sheets

CONS

• Lacks advanced image editing tools
• Interface can feel minimal for some users
• No real-time collaboration features
• Limited file format import options
• Animation tools not as deep as some rivals

Note: Pixen is now a paid app in the Mac App Store. Requires 64-bit processor.

Download Pixen for Mac Latest Version Why is this app published on FileHorse? (More info)