Project Softwares: CutOut is a great alternative photo editor with a wealth of features for everyone.
CutOut offers straightforward tools and is relatively easy to learn. It doesn’t really resemble other photo editors, because CutOut’s main function is making precise cutouts. Portraits are especially in focus here. We previously reviewed Project Softwares alternative imaging app HDR Projects 3. HDR Projects 3 clearly focuses on landscape photos, city scenes, or any images where atmosphere is key, sharpening them so they look razor-sharp. CutOut, on the other hand, is built for cutouts and works smoothly alongside other photo editors. So if you download CutOut and, for example, cut out a person from a photo, you can easily open HDR Projects 3 and continue working on the image/cutout. CutOut is also developed for both Mac and Windows systems, and that’s the version you can download here on the site. There’s no word yet on future Linux versions. This is the full version of the software available here, which we consider a fantastic opportunity to try the program. Below we take a closer look at CutOut—but we can already reveal that the program is excellent!
Image cutouts
You can quickly tailor a photo using cutouts, and creating cutouts has never been easier than with CutOut. For example, you can open a profile picture, select the areas you want, and remove the rest. If you choose to cut out a person and remove the background, the simple chroma feature lets you add any background—whether it’s a mountain peak or a neutral backdrop. Your photo will look highly professional in no time. You can also sharpen images so your edits retain the best possible clarity.
Interface, design, and ease of use
The interface, design, and usability are clearly built with simplicity in mind. The layout is easy to navigate, and we found most features exactly where we expected them. The design is fairly minimalistic, which means the program will continue to look modern and appealing in the future. Usability should always be top-notch, and CutOut is no exception. CutOut proudly delivers a focused feature set in a clear and accessible way. Even if you don’t have much experience with photo editing, you can create cutouts that look just as professional as in more complex programs.
Alternative photo editors
As with any software category, there are always alternatives to choose from. If you’re not looking for a tool with as direct a purpose as CutOut, here are some options. Adobe Photoshop is the obvious one; however, we wouldn’t call Adobe Photoshop a competitor to CutOut, since CutOut is a bit more limited. We’ve made cutouts in Adobe Photoshop before, and it’s far more tedious and labor-intensive than it is in CutOut. There are fortunately free alternatives as well, such as Paint.NET. Paint.NET is a fairly simple program and lacks some features. The target audience for Paint.NET isn’t professionals, but if you just want quick photo edits, Paint.NET is worth having.
Future updates
There’s almost nothing more frustrating than getting used to software that eventually stops being updated. You end up with skills in a program that’s no longer relevant. Fortunately, CutOut is updated frequently. The updates are also well documented. Improvements range from performance boosts to design refinements. So you can confidently get comfortable using CutOut.
Excellent community
When you adopt new software, you’ll naturally have questions—and some features may be confusing until you’ve tried them. Project Software has created various tutorial videos that guide you step by step through whatever you want to accomplish. There’s also a large user community that’s always ready to help. Some users have even taken the time to create their own videos, which Project Software also warmly recommends to newcomers.
Conclusion
At its core, CutOut is a solid tool with a simple purpose. And even though CutOut is limited in scope, its features are spot-on. Creating cutouts has never been easier, whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced photo enthusiast. You can download and try CutOut right here, and if it wins you over, it does come at a cost—about $80. After careful consideration, we think the price is fair, given how advanced and professional the program is. Compared to other photo editors, CutOut is on the affordable side. We had high expectations before testing CutOut, and the program fully lived up to them. A warm recommendation from us!
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