26 MACWORLD AUGUST 2019
MAC USER REVIEW: PICKTORIAL 4.0mmmh
Picktorial 4.0
PROS- Assistant Viewer is helpful,
particularly when
retouching images. - Browse Aperture libraries
natively.
CONS - Search system feels too
reliant on the underlying
text commands. - Lag when opening raw
files.
PRICE
$69.99
COMPANY
Picktorial Innovations
when you’re on the local network. If you’re
working remotely, you need to mount the
volume manually in the Finder; once you
do, Picktorial sees it, but keep in mind
you’ll be at the mercy of your current
internet connection in terms of
performance working with those images.
And if you’re one of the folks who’ve
been hanging onto Aperture since Apple
discontinued it—and now face the reality that
it will stop working altogether starting with
the next major macOS release—Picktorial
can browse Aperture libraries natively, no
conversion needed. However, there are
caveats. When All Photos is selected,
Picktorial doesn’t keep that parsed structure
in mind, so you see not only the library
images, but also the low-resolution
thumbnails that Aperture created for its
internal use. Also, Picktorial
doesn’t recognize edits that
were made in Aperture, only the
original images.
PRICING
Adobe has shown that a
subscription model works, and
as a result, Picktorial includes it
as one of three pricing options.
Picktorial 4.0 can be down-
loaded and used for free, which
includes the photo organization
features, support for applying
up to two local adjustments per
JPEG, the ability to view raw files, and
unlimited undo.
A one-time purchase of $69.99 unlocks
raw editing, unlimited local adjustments,
batch editing, TIFF and batch export, the
ability to run the software on up to five
Macs, and priority support. This option
includes maintenance updates to that
version only.
The subscription option is priced at
$9.99 a month, or $4.99 a month when
bought as a yearly purchase, and includes
the features mentioned above plus
ongoing future updates.BOTTOM LINE
It’s good that Picktorial 4.0 has enhanced its
photo organizing features, but several
aspects introduce hiccups in the
photography workflow. The
search features feel like they’re
ambitious but not quite baked,
and I wonder how many
photographers will want to dig
into the technicals of which text
strings to use for the best search
results. The Assistant Viewer is a
good idea that needs more
follow-through to be truly useful.
At the same time, features such
as batch processing and solid
NAS support show that the
devel opers are listening to the
needs of its customers. ■