One of the downsides of having such a capable and easy-to-use photo manager like Apple Photos included on Mac computers is that not a lot of third-party imaging software developers are motivated to make their products available for MacOS. There’s Adobe’s Lightroom, of course, but other less expensive options are limited. One company that has (somewhat) quietly been making an excellent and affordable digital asset manager (DAM) for Macs is Canada-based ACD Systems, which recently launched ACDSee Photo Studio Mac 7. Available now for just $64 until January 20, 2021 as part of a special offer (normal price is $99), ACDSee Photo Studio Mac 7 is a robust digital organizer and editor that will help you efficiently corral and tweak your images. For those photographers wanting something more powerful than Apple Photos but who are reluctant to pay a subscription fee for Adobe’s photography software, ACDSee Photo Studio Mac 7 is worth considering.
ACDSee software has actually been around since the mid-1990s but mostly has just been compatible with Windows computers. This latest iteration of Photo Studio Mac takes a lot of what has made the Windows version so popular with photographers over the years and brings it to an Apple audience. Here’s a look at what’s new in ACDSee Photo Studio Mac 7, which is one of the faster Raw image processors and organizers we’ve tried.
- Brush & Gradient Tools: Lets you brush on adjustments in part of a photo without affecting other areas. You can also apply edits in gradual progressions with either a linear or radial gradient.
- Heal & Clone Repair Tools: Lets you non-destructively fix blemishes and flaws in portraits without having to do targeted corrections.
- Presets for Selective Adjustments: Allows you to save precise adjustments made with the brush and gradient tools as a preset to use later.
- Easier Undo and Redo Functions: These buttons are now placed at the top of the pane to speed up the editing process.
- Add Ratings and Labels with One Click: This was a long-requested feature of users. In addition to a drag and drop option, you can now give your images ratings and labels by just clicking a checkbox.
- Improved Special Items Folder: Makes it easier to find videos, untagged files or uncategorized files.
If you’re still on the fence, ACD Systems offers a free trial version of the software here, so you can test it out. More information is also available at the ACDSee website. Watch the video below to see a demonstration of what’s new in ACDSee Photo Studio Mac 7.
