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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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  • Zoom an image to fit the application window
  • View an image at its actual size
  • Use the Zool tool
  • Zoom using the scrubby zoom

Zoom in and out of an image

PreviousPixelmator Pro toolsNextScroll, pan, or rotate an image

Last updated 21 days ago

You can zoom in and out of an image to make it easier to work on large images or work on smaller details.

Do any of the following:

  • Drag the Zoom slider in the toolbar.

  • If you’re using a MacBook with a Multi-Touch trackpad or the Magic Trackpad, move the mouse pointer over your image, then pinch using two fingers to zoom in or out.

  • Choose View > Zoom In or View > Zoom Out from the View menu at the top of the screen.

  • Press Command ⌘ and Plus + on your keyboard to zoom in, or Command ⌘ and Minus - to zoom out.

  • Option ⌥ – scroll an image.

  • Click "100%" in the toolbar, then select an option (if the zoom button is not visible, you can choose Window > Customize Toolbar to add it):

    • A percentage: The image zooms in or out accordingly.

    • Zoom to fit: The image adjusts to fill the application window. If you enlarge or reduce the size of the Pixelmator Pro application window, the zoom level changes so that the image always fills the window.

    • Enter a value: You can also zoom in on an image by entering a specific zoom percentage. Double-click the number field to enter the desired value.

  • Use the Zoom tool.

Zoom an image to fit the application window

Do one of the following:

  • Double-click the Zoom slider.

  • Press Command ⌘ + 0 on your keyboard.

  • Choose Tools > Zoom from the Tools menu at the top of your screen and click Zoom to Fit in the Tool Options pane.

  • Choose View > Zoom to Fit from the View menu at the top of your screen.

View an image at its actual size

Do one of the following:

  • Choose View > Actual Size from the View menu at the top of your screen.

  • Press Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + 0 or Command ⌘ + 1 on your keyboard.

  • Choose Tools > Zoom from the Tools menu at the top of your screen and click Actual Size in the Tool Options pane. This displays the image as it would appear in a web browser.

❗Important: Pixelmator Pro is optimized for the Retina display, so if you have a Mac computer with a Retina display, keep in mind that the image will appear twice as small as on other displays or in apps like Preview. To view the image as it would appear on those displays or on a website not optimized for Retina, set the zoom percentage to 200%.

Use the Zool tool

The Pixelmator Pro Zoom tool lets you zoom in and out of the image using the zoom slider, zoom modes, and more.

  1. Choose the Zoom tool by doing one of the following:

    • Choose Tools > Zoom from the Tools menu at the top of your screen.

    • Press Z on your keyboard.

  2. Do any of the following:

    • In the Tool Options pane, drag the Zoom slider to zoom in or out of the image. You can also use the Navigator box to change the area of an image on which you’re zoomed in.

    • Click the disclosure triangle next to the current zoom to choose a default zoom percentage, or type in a custom zoom percentage into the percentage field.

    • Under Mode, select Zoom In or Zoom Out and click the area of an image that you’d like to zoom in or zoom out.

Zoom using the scrubby zoom

In the Zoom tool options, you can use scrubby zoom to zoom an image by clicking and dragging over it.

  1. To turn on scrubby zoom do one of the following:

    • In the Zoom tool options select Scrubby Zoom.

    • When a different tool is selected, press and hold Space + Option ⌥ on your keyboard.

  2. Drag left or right on the canvas to zoom in and out of an image.

💡 Tip: If you'd like to zoom by dragging your pointer on a vertical axis instead, you can use the Terminal app on your Mac to change the default behavior. You can enter the following Terminal flag or learn more about using Terminal on a Mac:

defaults write com.pixelmatorteam.pixelmator.x enableVerticalScrubbyZoom -bool true

Click the Zoom tool in the Tools sidebar and click Actual Size in the Tool Options pane.

Click the Zoom tool in the Tools sidebar and click Actual Size in the Tool Options pane.

Click the Zoom tool in the Tools sidebar.