Q&A: MS Paint Alternatives for Mac OS X
Q: Hi. I am a new owner of a macbook and I love it. The only thing I really miss is Microsoft Paint. I would use to do some really basic stuff and I haven’t been able to find a comparable program on my macbook. I realize I have iPhoto, but it doesn’t do what I want. Can I download Microsoft Paint for free or is there a Mac program out there that is just like Paint? - Adina
A: Well, there are many paint/graphics program for the Mac. Let me list down several software that might fit your needs. Starting from the free ones all the way to the expensive ones.
1. Poster Paint - This software is still in early beta. It’s a simple drawing program for Mac OS X. It’s a Universal Binary so it can run on both Power PC and Intel Macs. It can save files as BMP, JPG, GIF, PNG and TIFF formats.
Cost: Free
2. ArtRage 2 - From Ambient Design, ArtRage 2 is a simple, stylish and easy to use paint program for the Mac. Several artistic materials are available. Create works in oil, pencil, airbrush, markers, etc. The tools work as how they should in the real world.
Cost: Free (limited version), $19.95 (Full Version)
3. Sketchbook Pro - For me one of the best sketch programs around. When AutoDesk bought Alias, they inherited this great program. It really mimics real world materials such as pencils, markers and pens. However the downside is that it lacks other art materials such as oil, pastel, etc. The downside is the steep price. At $179 dollars, you’d have to be a serious artist to buy this one. Unfortunately I wasn’t. So after the trial expired I stopped using it.
Cost: $179
4. Painter X - In my opinion this is still the Mac daddy of all painting programs for the Mac. The Corel Painter X is the best natural media paint/illustration program for the Mac. From the variety of art mediums to the textures all the way to the brush engine that simulates real world brushes, Painter X takes the cake. It should! At $419 it should give you all that and more. If you’re a serious artist who wants to create digital artwork that is as beautiful as their traditional counterparts, this is the software for you.
Cost: $419
So Adina, I hope that this helps. Thanks for sending in the question.
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1 opinion for Q&A: MS Paint Alternatives for Mac OS X
b5media - That Damn Plug-in, Service Packs for the wrong OS, and the Gadgenista loses her cellphone
May 28, 2007 at 11:20 am
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