Working with HDR content in Pixelmator Pro
Photomator and Pixelmator Pro both support opening and exporting HDR images in multiple different formats, including photos taken using an iPhone. This applies to all iPhone photos taken in 2020 and later (after the release of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14). Here’s a full list of supported HDR image formats for import and export in Pixelmator Pro:
| Import (Image Formats) | Export (Image Formats) |
|---|---|
HDR photos captured with iPhone | HDR HEIC (for sharing HDR photos in Apple apps, such as Motion and Final Cut Pro) |
RAW and ProRAW | HDR JPEG (for photos viewed in both SDR and HDR) |
HEIC (10-bit) | HDR PNG (for archiving HDR photos) |
AVIF (10-bit) | OpenEXR (for exporting HDR photos to other video and image editing apps) |
JPEG XL (10-bit) | HDR AVIF |
PNG (16-bit) | |
TIFF (32-bit from Photoshop) | |
OpenEXR | |
Radiance HDR | |
Photomator | |
Pixelmator Pro | |
HDR HEIC (for sharing HDR photos in Apple apps, such as Motion and Final Cut Pro) | |
HDR JPEG (for photos viewed in both SDR and HDR) | |
HDR PNG (for archiving HDR photos) | |
OpenEXR (for exporting HDR photos to other video and image editing apps) | |
HDR AVIF | |
What other Mac apps are compatible with HDR?
While HDR videos are often used on many different apps and platforms, HDR image previews and editing are still relatively new. Currently, Apple apps don't fully support HDR images. Below is a table of the common HDR image formats and their compatibility with Apple apps.
Text | HEIC | AVIF | RAW | Apple ProRAW | JPEG XL | OpenEXR |
Pixelmator Pro & Photomator | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Photos | ✅ (only XDR displays) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Preview | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Quick Look | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Finder | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Safari | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
iWork Apps | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Motion & Final Cut Pro | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
How can I turn HDR on and off in Pixelmator Pro?
You can easily switch between HDR and SDR editing at any point by clicking the HDR button in the toolbar, but you can also choose how Photomator or Pixelmator Pro load image content by default — as HDR or SDR — in the app settings.
Choose Pixelmator Pro > Settings in the menu bar at the top of your screen.
Then, in the General tab, select or deselect “Load HDR content”.
If your display has limited HDR support, you will see a note indicating this below the "Load HDR content" setting, or a notification will show up if your display is not supported.Some third-party displays may have a separate setting for turning the HDR mode on and off. If HDR mode is turned off, Photomator may not recognize your display as compatible with HDR content. To turn on HDR mode, go to System Settings > Displays, and select your display there.
Troubleshooting: If HDR content is not displaying or displaying incorrectly
If you're experiencing issues with HDR content not displaying or displaying incorrectly, find some common reasons and solutions below:
HDR Setting is Turned Off. Make sure the "Load HDR content" option is turned on in the app settings. If the display has limited HDR support or is not manufactured by Apple, the "Load HDR content" option is turned off by default. This also hides the HDR button in the toolbar.
Incompatible Display. Make sure your display supports HDR content. See the list of supported displays.
Third-Party Display Issues. If you’re using a display from a third-party manufacturer, you may need to activate the HDR mode for it manually. You’ll usually find this setting in the System Preferences on your Mac.
Non-HDR Photo or Video. Check to see the file format of your photo or double-check your camera settings to make sure you’re shooting in HDR. For videos, check if a supported compression type is used for displaying HDR.
If you cannot retake a photo in HDR, Photomator offers a Smart HDR feature that you can use to convert the photo from SDR to HDR.
Unsupported File Format. Check if your HDR photo is in a format supported by Photomator or Pixelmator Pro.
Older macOS or iOS Version. HDR editing in Photomator requires iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 on iPhone and iPad. And on Mac, both Photomator and Pixelmator Pro require macOS 14 Sonoma. If you’re running an older version, you will need to update to start editing in HDR.
Older Photomator Version. Update to Photomator 3.2, Pixelmator Pro 3.5 or later for full HDR editing capabilities.
Incorrect Mac Settings or Setup. If HDR is not displayed in high dynamic range or with the quality you expect, try the solutions in this Apple Support article.
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