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Pixelmator Pro User Guide
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  • Welcome
  • Pixelmator Pro basics
    • Interface overview
    • Pixelmator Pro tools
    • Zoom in and out of an image
    • Scroll, pan, or rotate an image
    • Undo or redo changes
    • Choose and manage colors in Pixelmator Pro
    • Use the Pixelmator Pro Photos extension
    • Print a Pixelmator Pro document
    • Use text field math
    • Pixelmator Pro settings
      • General settings
      • Editing settings
      • Ruler, grid, and guide settings
      • Workspace settings
      • Apple Pencil settings
    • Customize the Tools sidebar
    • Customize the Pixelmator Pro toolbar
    • Use the Touch Bar with Pixelmator Pro
    • Automate tasks in Pixelmator Pro
  • Create, open, and save images
    • Open an image
    • Create a new image
    • Working with templates
    • Working with mockups
    • Edit from Photos
    • Import an image
    • Save and name an image
    • Close an image
    • About the Pixelmator Pro file format
    • About Pixelmator Pro sidecar files
  • Automatically edit images
    • Automatically enhance colors
    • Automatically increase image resolution
    • Remove color banding
    • Automatically reduce noise
    • Remove image background
    • Hide image background
    • Automatically crop and straighten images
    • Automatically match image colors
    • Decontaminate colors
  • Work with layers
    • Create layers
    • Color adjustments and effects layers
    • Use the Arrange tool
    • Select layers
    • Move and align layers
    • Resize, rotate, and flip layers
    • Transform layers
    • Convert layers into pixels
    • Use rulers
    • Use alignment guides
    • Organize and manage layers
    • Replace image
    • Video layers
  • Add masks
    • Working with bitmap masks
    • Working with vector masks
    • Open and edit images with Portrait Masks
    • Use clipping masks
  • Customize layers using styles
    • Adjust the opacity of a layer
    • Change the blend mode of a layer
    • Add an outline around a layer
    • Fill a layer with a color or gradient
    • Add an inner shadow to a layer
    • Add a drop shadow to a layer
    • Layer style presets
  • Adjust colors
    • White balance an image
    • Adjust hue, saturation, and vibrance
    • Adjust lightness, clarity, and texture
    • Selectively adjust clarity and texture of an image
    • Selectively balance the colors in an image
    • Adjust individual colors in an image
    • Adjust the levels of an image
    • Adjust the tonal curve of an image
    • Replace one color in an image with another
    • Remove color from an image or video
    • Manually convert a color image to black and white
    • Convert an image to black and white with a color tint
    • Apply a sepia tint
    • Fade the shadows or highlights of an image
    • Mix the color channels of an image
    • Invert the colors of an image
    • Apply a vignette
    • Sharpen an image
    • Add film grain to an image
    • Apply LUTs
    • Color adjustment presets
    • Working with RAW images
    • Reading histograms
    • About color management
    • Change the color profile of an image
    • Change the color depth of an image
    • See what an image looks like on another device
  • Retouch and reshape layers
    • Remove an object from an image
    • Copy part of an image from one area to another
    • Lighten a specific area of an image
    • Darken a specific area of an image
    • Make a specific area of an image more vibrant
    • Desaturate a specific area of an image
    • Sharpen a specific area of an image
    • Soften a specific area of an image
    • Smudge a specific area of an image
    • Warp a specific area of an image
    • Bump a specific area of an image
    • Pinch a specific area of an image
    • Twirl a specific area of an image
  • Add effects
    • Apply blur effects
    • Apply distortion effects
    • Apply sharpen effects
    • Apply color adjustment effects
    • Apply tile effects
    • Apply stylize effects
    • Apply halftone effects
    • Apply generator effects
    • Apply fill effects
    • Apply other effects
    • Effect presets
  • Paint and erase
    • Use the brushes browser
    • Stroke with a brush
    • Quickly fill an image with color
    • Fill specific areas of an image with color
    • Fill with the Gradient Fill tool
    • Paint with the Pixel Paint tool
    • Erase using the Smart Erase tool
    • Edit brush settings
    • Create a brush
    • Share and import brushes
  • Make selections
    • Select areas by shape or color
    • Select areas by drawing
    • Make rectangular, elliptical, or row selections
    • Select all opaque areas of a layer
    • Select the entire image
    • Automatically select a subject in an image
    • Adjust selections
    • Refine selections
    • Move, copy, and delete selected areas
    • Convert selections into shapes
  • Draw shapes and vector graphics
    • Arrange and combine shapes
    • Draw shapes with the Pen tool
    • Draw shapes with the Freeform Pen tool
    • Edit vector paths
    • Save and share custom shapes
  • Use the Type tool
    • Add text on a path
    • Copy and paste text
    • Use dictation to enter text
    • Change the font or font size
    • Add bold, italic, underline, or strikethrough to text
    • Convert text into an outline
    • Change the color of text
    • Change text capitalization
    • Align and space text
    • Format characters
    • Convert text into a shape or pixel layer
    • Text style presets
  • Resize, crop and straighten images
    • Rotate and flip an image
    • Trim away colored or transparent borders around an image
    • Reveal parts of an image beyond the canvas
    • Crop presets
    • Change the image size
    • Change the canvas size
  • Export and share images
    • Export an image or video for the web
    • Slice designs into individual images
    • Quickly export or share an optimized image
    • Export presets
  • Pixelmator Pro keyboard shortcuts
    • Customize keyboard shortcuts
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  • Change the ruler measurement unit
  • Customize the color, spacing, and subdivisions of the grid
  • Change the Guides' settings
  • Change the Smart Guides settings

Ruler, grid, and guide settings

PreviousEditing settingsNextWorkspace settings

Last updated 22 days ago

The Rulers' settings let you change the rulers' measurement units, the colors of the guides or grid, the spacing between gridlines and grid subdivisions. You can also turn on or off the alignment and object spacing guides.

To open ruler, grid, and guide settings:

  • Choose Pixelmator Pro > Settings from the menu bar and choose Rulers.

Change the ruler measurement unit

You can change the ruler units from pixels to percent or physical units such as centimeters, millimeters, or inches.

In the Rulers tab, click the Ruler Units pop-up menu and choose Percent, Pixels, Centimeters, Millimeters, or Inches.

Customize the color, spacing, and subdivisions of the grid

A grid is a set of nonprinting lines that help accurately position objects on the canvas. You can change the grid's color or spacing to suit a specific document.

  • Change the spacing of the grid: Click the number next to Gridline Every and type in a new value. This value determines the spacing between the gridlines. You can also click the pop-up menu to choose the grid spacing unit.

  • Change the subdivisions of the grid: Click the number next to Subdivisions and type in a new value. This value determines how many sub-sections there will be within the gridlines.

Change the Guides' settings

Guides are nonprinting lines that help you arrange objects on the canvas and are not part of the image themselves. You can change the color of the persistent alignment guides that you add from the View menu or using Rulers.

Change the Smart Guides settings

Smart Guides are nonprinting lines that temporarily appear to help you space and arrange objects and are not part of the image themselves. Customize the Smart Guides to change color or turn specific Smart Guides on or off.

  • Turn Smart Guides on or off:

    • "Show guides at object center" shows smart guides when the center of an object aligns with the center of another object or the center of the image.

    • "Show guides at object edges" shows smart guides when the edges of an object align with the edge of another object or an edge of the image.

    • "Show guides for relative sizing" shows smart guides when an object matches the size of another object.

    • "Show guides for relative spacing" shows smart guides when three or more objects are placed equally apart in a line.

Change the color of the grid: Click the Grid color well to pick a color or click to open the Colors window. You can also change the brightness and opacity of the grid by dragging the Brightness and Opacity sliders.

In the Rulers tab, click the Guides color well to pick a color or click to open the Colors window. You can also change the brightness and opacity of the alignment guides by dragging the Brightness and Opacity sliders.

Change the color of smart guides: Click the Smart Guides color well to pick a color or click to open the Colors window. You can also change the brightness and opacity of the smart guides by dragging the Brightness and Opacity sliders.