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alpha for Mac

Non-destructive image keying.

$229.99
In English
Version 2.0.8.1
3.9
Based on 18 user rates

alpha overview

cf/x alpha is a dream come true for anyone who needs to blend pictures, or add transparency to an image. Whenever you need image transparency or image blends, cf/x alpha delivers. Professionals and prosumers around the world rely on alpha to quickly and intuitively add resolution-independent, complex transparency to individual images, or to quickly assemble multiple images into original art - be it for your Web site, illustration, magazine or TV production.

cf/x alpha's powerful objects and template capabilities make short work of otherwise tedious or repetitive tasks, and it's resolution-independent documents allows you to generate multiple versions of the same art - a low-resolution image for your Web page, a line-printer ready one for your brochure, and a hi-res poster. All at the touch of a button.

What’s new in version 2.0.8.1

Version 2.0.8.1:
  • Fixes two minor issues with OS X 10.10 Yosemite

alpha for Mac

$229.99
In English
Version 2.0.8.1
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3.9

(3 Reviews of alpha)

  • Comments

  • User Ratings

aglessi
aglessi
Oct 20 2016
2.0.8.1
3.5
Oct 20 2016
3.5
Version: 2.0.8.1
Applestore version (2.0.8) does works on El Capitan? The demo downloaded from their site (2.0.8.1) does. Not a good sign that in about 10 months they haven't fixed it on Applestore yet. Support page doesn't exist anymore. Is the company dying?
CFrag
CFrag
Jun 1 2013
2.0.5
4.5
Jun 1 2013
4.5
Version: 2.0.5
OK, I have to admit, I at first didn't 'get' alpha. As a PS user, I was unimpressed by its anemic functionality and simply didn't understand why my friend raved about it. Turns out, the way I used it was like using scalpel for welding. The results were accordingly. Alpha is nothing like PS, and I found out the hard way. Alpha's value comes from two unique features: it's use of real-time transparency (*blush* for not making the connection with the name for over a year), and resolution independence (this was the first thing I got wrong as a PS user): alpha can generate multiple resolutions of the same artwork in seconds - really useful for designers who need to create web, brochure, and poster art at the same time. This is where I save a lot of time. Once I understood the basic premise, alpha became an entirely different beast. It's *not* a pixel editor and I don't know why I thought it is. It's a layout tool the likes of which I haven't seen before. Everything in Alfa is geared towards this: you round up pictures, drop them on the canvas, and then start arranging them. The built-in functionality to crop, zoom, pan and distort images seem lifted straight from QuarkXPress, and work really nice. The real fun comes when you switch to the blend manager - there are built-in generators for almost any regular blends that work in real-time. No longer do I need to create a layer with a gradient and apply as mask - alpha does in real-time what I need minutes to do in PS. THAT is alpha's strength. Plus, you can - also in real-time - change the way it combines images with whatever is beneath: multiply, subtract, dodge. Something I didn't realize at first, but which I now wish PS could emulate is due to the way alpha works with images: it works completely non-destructive, a neat trick that looks like it was lifted from FinalCut. Anything you do you you can undo. The images you import into alpha remain untouched, and all effects you add are added to local copies. Plus, changes you make to source images automatically flow into the alpha document. Then there are the other objects that work *exactly* like images. I was thunderstruck the first time I applied a '3D curl' effect to text and the app automatically generated the transparency mask for the *curled* letters. Now, *that* would have taken a lot longer in PS. Plus, text remains editable. OK, curled text is ugly, but as a tech demo it is excellent :) Alpha comes with many image effects, and perhaps that is why I initially thought that it was a pixel editor. Effects are always applied to the entire image, and effect control is rather limited. Many effects are 'meh', most are OK, and two or three are outstanding. But effects-wise the app is nothing special. Having raved about Alpha, there are a couple of issues, though: -first and foremost according to cf/x it's a 32 bit application, limiting the canvas to somewhere around 12'000 pixels (40 inch @ 300dpi). Anything larger, and it takes a dive off the deep end. Related to this is that excessive grouping (the way I like to work) can also quickly lead to memory exhaustion. This can become very annoying with complex scenes. - Then there are no layers. You can lock individual objects against changes, but they can be selected and e.g. accidentally be included in groups. Adding layers would be my strongest request. - No multiple undo - not a biggie, since it is non-destructive, but still - it's 2013 and a single undo is a blast from 1995. - No built-in color separation. I have to use Apple's Color Sync or PS on the result. - Alpha has a steep learning curve and since it works almost exactly opposite to what I am used to, this was very frustrating. I recommend a 'PS transition mode' for designers who come from that direction. All in all Alpha is a tremendously powerful tool - once you learn to use it right. I've seen people lamenting about the price. Now, admittedly, I got it during a MU promo, but as a professional tool the price is great for what it does, and once it saves you three or four hours of work, it's paid for. Non-professionals will have greater difficulties justifying the purchase. Oh - and if you are a photographer: download the demo, load the SED template and drop a few images. Now isn't that *way* cooler than using QX? [my reviews seem to get longer and longer...]
wlhaulage
wlhaulage
Mar 4 2013
2.0.5
4.0
Mar 4 2013
4.0
Version: 2.0.5
The software seems to be stable, even on my 2 year old MBP and offers some good easy to use features. My main problem is the price, it's just way too expensive.
aglessi
aglessi
Oct 20 2016
3.5
Oct 20 2016
3.5
Version: null
Stargaze
Stargaze
Dec 7 2015
2.0
Dec 7 2015
2.0
Version: null
Omphalos
Omphalos
Jan 6 2015
4.0
Jan 6 2015
4.0
Version: null
Jimjames
Jimjames
Jan 4 2015
2.5
Jan 4 2015
2.5
Version: null
matthewD2114
matthewD2114
Feb 14 2014
4.5
Feb 14 2014
4.5
Version: null
Charliea
Charliea
Feb 13 2014
3.0
Feb 13 2014
3.0
Version: null
CFrag
CFrag
Jun 1 2013
4.5
Jun 1 2013
4.5
Version: null
Ollibaer
Ollibaer
Mar 10 2013
5.0
Mar 10 2013
5.0
Version: null
wlhaulage
wlhaulage
Mar 4 2013
4.0
Mar 4 2013
4.0
Version: null
ohyesiknow
ohyesiknow
Mar 4 2013
3.5
Mar 4 2013
3.5
Version: null
jackwalker
jackwalker
Mar 4 2013
2.5
Mar 4 2013
2.5
Version: null
Gmad61
Gmad61
Mar 3 2013
3.5
Mar 3 2013
3.5
Version: null
trance4all
trance4all
Mar 3 2013
5.0
Mar 3 2013
5.0
Version: null
supppi
supppi
Mar 2 2013
5.0
Mar 2 2013
5.0
Version: null
Robix5
Robix5
Mar 2 2013
4.0
Mar 2 2013
4.0
Version: null
Swiss1
Swiss1
Mar 2 2013
4.5
Mar 2 2013
4.5
Version: null
Yubben
Yubben
Jul 30 2012
5.0
Jul 30 2012
5.0
Version: null
Schimo
Schimo
Jul 5 2012
5.0
Jul 5 2012
5.0
Version: null