Dual Monitor no more with Pixelmator Pro

[Jhill28590]

With Pixelmator using two monitors was easy. I put the controls on the right LG 5K monitor and used the center LG 5K monitor for the working area. But with Pixelmator Pro all I can get is one monitor to work. How do I disconnect the various control menus from the working area?

[Andrius]

Well, with Pixelmator Pro, we went the single window route — I'm not sure if we'll be adding an option to detach the various elements of the interface, but I'll add this to our feature request list.

[Jhill28590]

Okay, I'll use my copy of Pixelmator Pro when you include a way to detach the menus from the workspace.

Joanna

[Jo Rice]

I personally much much much prefer the new way with the single window!

Why not give us the option to set it up how we want it? That way those that like the old broken up way can do that while those of us that prefer it all in one place and love the new setup with the buttons on the side to easily access everything can do that.

[Matthew Souden]

JHill - While I understand your desire, I've got a little UX experience/opinion on this. The single-window is just a better, more standardized way to operate. Floating panels make users have to locate things, which takes time and brain cycles. Iterating fewer variables (within a single window) as MacOS changes over time makes progress smoother. Obviously, you're free to stick with Pixelmator, but if it's at all possible to bite the bullet and get comfy with the Pro UX, I think you're better situated to play with future new toys. (edited to get JHill's name right)

[Tau Myx]

Suggestion: Another way you could use two monitors is by allowing two views of the same Image. Or one Image per monitor.

[Greg McMahan]

Please please please allow the tools and layers to detach and be placed on the second monitor. I don't care if it's "just a better, more standardized way to operate", it's the way I prefer. I bought a second monitor for the sole purpose of having tool boxes and other items out of the way so I could focus on the image in the main monitor.

[Andrius]

As I mentioned above, this isn't something we've got planned for the future, but I feel like it might be worth a rethink. We'll consider it!

[R C-R]

I don't care if it's "just a better, more standardized way to operate", it's the way I prefer.

It is neither better, nor is it more standardized, particularly among apps for which "Pro" is more than a marketing gimmick, whether it appears in the name of the app or not.

If nothing else, even on single monitor setups not being able to detach panels from the workspace windows & place them wherever on the screen a user wants wastes lots of screen space with multiple copies of the same UI elements in each window. Likewise, since some tools have lots of settings while others do not, with all of them sharing the same screen space on the right, there often is a lot of useless empty space on the right that better could be devoted to the document window.

Besides, it really isn't a "single window" UI anyway: Shapes, Colors, Gradients, & Document Info all appear in their own windows.

[Greg McMahan]

I'm finding myself using the previous version of Pixelmator more & more just because the panels are where I want them. And because the scroll wheel on my mouse works correctly also. I'm right handed, so I prefer my tools on my 2nd monitor to my right. It just seems natural.

[Greg McMahan]

Are the tool palettes detachable yet?

Imagine you have desk set up just the way you like it. Everything you use is easily accessible, you can see what you need right away. Then you come into work one morning and somebody has placed all your tools into little boxes that are glued to your desktop and the lids open inward obstructing the view of your project. Also, you have to open and close the box each time you want to use a tool.

PLEASE ADD DETACHABLE PALETTES!!

The older version of Pixelmator has it, there was no reason to take that away. I've stopped using Pixelmator Pro because it's such a hassle dealing with the single screen.

[JP001]

All my other pro apps (Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro X, Cubase, Xcode, etc.) allow me to position a single, full-screen 'content' pane on one monitor with palettes and tools on another. I understand single-window is optimal for laptop computers, but for desktop/workstation duty, it is indeed a hinderance. This is why I stick with the original Pixelmator for graphic duties.

Consider this another vote for detachable/floating palettes in Pixelmator Pro!

[harvurd]

Besides, it really isn't a "single window" UI anyway: Shapes, Colors, Gradients, & Document Info all appear in their own windows.

Exactly.

+1 for detachable palettes.

[Remi]

Ok, I'm very very pissed at the fact that I just spent 40$ to realize that on my MacBook Pro 13 I cannot do what I used to do : have all my tools on my second monitor while having space on the main monitor to edit content.

I am super jammed on my tiny screen now.

[Andrius]

We'll do our best to keep this in mind for future updates — we'll be adding some interface customization options so this is something we could look into doing after that (or together with it).

[Fred McCann]

Another +1 for detachable palettes.

Just bought Pixelmator Pro today and it's astounding how much screen real estate is wasted by the single window design irrespective of dual displays. I work with a 13 laptop on the go and the new UI either puts what I'm working on in a porthole or I have to constantly show and hide sidebars.

Enormous UX regression. Please reconsider.

[st3f]

I guess we all use apps differently. Working on a 12" MacBook for years, I was glad get rid of as many palettes as I possible could and have tools and settings in sidebars that I could easily show and hide.

I've also worked on a dual monitor set-up (PC-based, not Pixelmator) and tried putting pallettes on the second screen. I found it too long a mouse-journey and ended up putting my main app and all pallettes (if it had any) on the primary screen and *everything* else onto the second. This gave me a one screen with emails, notes, phone messages and a web browser and the other screen with a single focus on what I was actualy working on.

I guess the message here is that we all work differently. While I found it impractical to put pallettes on a second monitor I understand that someone else might find that a good way of working. While I found floating palettes always got in the way on a small screen I understand that others might prefer them to sidebars.

As it's people who want to change things that are usually the most vocal on a subject and many of those are saying "this is wrong, please fix it," rather than, "I'd like it to work differently, for me," I'd like to add my voice to the conversation. That voice says, "I like tools in sidebars. I always know where they are. I like the ability to show and hide them with a keystroke if I am short on screen space. And I would love it if the remaining palettes could make it into sidebars too."

[Andrius]

Yeah, I think for most people who use Pixelmator Pro, they use it on a single screen and prefer the more organized layout of Pixelmator Pro. I don't disagree with the porthole comment, especially on a 13" MacBook with, for example, the Type tool selected. But this is an issue with the design of the Presets bar, which we've been addressing over the last few updates by removing it and moving presets to the Tool Options pane. Of course, not every tool has had its presets fixed, but we're working on it.

In addition, we would like to make Pixelmator Pro more dual display-friendly. That's not to say we want to completely change the existing UI design but there are certain features we could add that would make it possible to use two displays more efficiently.

[Mark Conradt]

A one window interface seems to me to be an amateur interface since most amateurs don’t have more than one monitor. Professional graphics users on the other hand often have more than one monitor. The reason Pros have more than one monitor is so that they can maximize the amount of screen real estate on one monitor for the graphics they are working on by putting tool pallets on another monitor.

You have done just the opposite. Your Free version works better for professionals and your Pro version is best for amateurs. I don’t understand it.

[Andrius]

A one window interface seems to me to be an amateur interface since most amateurs don’t have more than one monitor. Professional graphics users on the other hand often have more than one monitor. The reason Pros have more than one monitor is so that they can maximize the amount of screen real estate on one monitor for the graphics they are working on by putting tool pallets on another monitor.

You have done just the opposite. Your Free version works better for professionals and your Pro version is best for amateurs. I don’t understand it.

Despite the name, Pixelmator Pro isn't a more 'pro-oriented' version of Pixelmator, it's an improved and more powerful version but the goal is still for it to be as accessible and user-friendly possible. Also, Pixelmator isn't a free app — it's always been a paid one.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we know that we could make the app more dual display-friendly and this is in our plans. Right now, we're working on a few other interface improvements that need to be completed before we can address the dual display issues, but once that's done, we can consider making these changes.

[ResLes]

I agree with Stef, I love the one window user interface. The floating panels on the other screen are far away from my mouse, I rather open the tool panel. That said, I can see that the tool panel itself could be detachable and open in a big window on a other screen, also it could have function like crop, image resizing as well in there (or a separate panel). It could be categorised. I think that would make sense. Even the layers panel could be detachable and side by side to the "extend" tool panel on a second screen. That would be cool.

It could also upgrade the photo extensions, because some tools are just reachable via shortcuts (not everybody's cup of tea).

I think there is no issue with how Pix Pro is at the moment - I think its unique, beautiful and clean but that said I think they could extend the app in a very cool way and make the photo extension even much more useful with a detachable panel (things which are in the menu bar).

Thank you Pixelmator for creating such an unique app experience

[Jhill28590]

I'm still using Pixelmator Classic and waiting for dual monitors support.

[pritcee]

Dual monitor user here. Heres a quick way of making pixelmator (and a boatload of other single window apps) work across multiple monitors – turn off "Displays have separate Spaces" in System Preferences > Mission Control

[CaptPostMod]

I unfortunately paid for Pixelmator Pro a while back. Used it for half a second. Said "Nope!" And went back to using regular Pixelmator. Now it's been a while and I couldn't remember why I hated Pro so much. Opened it and was immediately greeted with a ton of little toolboxes that I couldn't break off and spread out over my two monitors worth of space. I regret buying this product.

[JP001]

Given the amount of time that has passed, I'd say it's pretty clear dual monitor support / floating palettes is not coming to Pixelmator Pro. And as much of a fan of Pixelmator as I am (and I REALLY am!), I am saddened I will be looking towards other software to move to this year in order to begin a transition of my workflow to M1-optimized software. Pixelmator is no longer the only Mac-friendly editing software around, and Apple mentioning a key competitor (Affinity Photo) in the WWDC 21' keynote should be a shot across the bow for the Pixelmator team to bring Pixelmator Pro up to parity with, well... an actual professional workflow standard that includes dual-monitor support.