Features • Advanced editing and filters • 200 supported formats • Plug-in and update pricing available
Learn more… lemkesoft.de/en
Available from… lemkesoft.de/en/download
Price: £27.99/$39.99
Editing images isn’t always easy. Sure, apps like iPhoto and Pixelmator streamline things with their interfaces designed specifically for Mac, but not every app works with every file format, and converting them can be a real pain. GraphicConverter, though, is one app that has a long history of taking on the more awkward files and beating them into something more widely useable. With version 9, the app has grown up a little, and now offers non-destructive editing, as well as slideshow and batch conversion options.
The big new feature is Cocooner mode, which gives you a more up-to-date interface that will feel very familiar to those used to apps like Aperture. Here you can quickly jump between shots and edit them instantly using the controls on the left. It works really nicely, giving you instant access to the most-used image-editing controls. That said, this mode does limit your options in terms of effects and more complex edits, which are only available when you edit a shot in a standalone window.
This window also offers some more Photoshop-like editing tools, like Stamp, Lasso, Blur and Text options, which can be added to shots via a toolbar. For the most part they’re very good, although we would’ve liked the options for each tool, which can be accessed by double-clicking the icon in the Toolbox, to remain on-screen while we worked. We also found the Pen tool wasn’t great for curved lines.
The most impressive thing is how the app handles everything at once. The Cocooner, the main editing window and the organisational section all feel like different apps, but they work together nicely. If you want a lot of functionality in a single package, GraphicConverter 9 is a strong choice at an affordable price.