Key Features
Discover the powerful features that make PixelStick an essential tool for your workflow.
- Professional-grade functionality
- Intuitive user interface
- Cross-platform compatibility
- Regular updates and improvements
- Comprehensive documentation
- Expert support available
Changelog
โถ
2020-01-11 2.16.2
bugfix๐ Changes
- changed the event tap code
- macos catalina 10.15 now requires user permission for "screen recording" to allow apps like pixelstick to see the contents of the screen. now fixed
- when building pixelstick with xcode versions 10 and above: the window is no longer transparent, so you only see pixelstick on a grey background covering the whole screen. this is now fixed.
- if you have any issue make sure you uncheck and check the permissions for pixelstick in privacy:accessibility, privacy:input monitoring and privacy:screenrecording.
๐ง Improvements
- changed the event tap code
- when building pixelstick with xcode versions 10 and above: the window is no longer transparent, so you only see pixelstick on a grey background covering the whole screen. this is now fixed.
๐ Bug Fixes
- macos catalina 10.15 now requires user permission for "screen recording" to allow apps like pixelstick to see the contents of the screen. now fixed
โถ
2019-11-29 2.16.0
minor๐ Changes
- macos catalina 10.15 now requires user permission for "screen recording" to allow apps like pixelstick to see the contents of the screen. now fixed
- when building pixelstick with xcode versions 10 and above: the window is no longer transparent, so you only see pixelstick on a grey background covering the whole screen. this is now fixed also.
- if you have any issue make sure you uncheck and check the permissions for pixelstick in privacy:accessibility, privacy:input monitoring and privacy:screenrecording.
๐ง Improvements
- when building pixelstick with xcode versions 10 and above: the window is no longer transparent, so you only see pixelstick on a grey background covering the whole screen. this is now fixed also.
๐ Bug Fixes
- macos catalina 10.15 now requires user permission for "screen recording" to allow apps like pixelstick to see the contents of the screen. now fixed
โถ
2018-07-30 2.15.0
bugfix๐ Changes
- fix for 0's displaying for location of circle and square in pixelstick panel for some people. this occurred if in the system preferences:mission control the item "Displays have separate Spaces" was unchecked. this was, as you can imagine, difficult to discover. we apologize for the delay. this version solves that. the sys pref can now be set either way. you don't need to change any settings.
- a major upgrade is still on the way.
๐ Bug Fixes
- fix for 0's displaying for location of circle and square in pixelstick panel for some people. this occurred if in the system preferences:mission control the item "Displays have separate Spaces" was unchecked. this was, as you can imagine, difficult to discover. we apologize for the delay. this version solves that. the sys pref can now be set either way. you don't need to change any settings.
โถ
2017-11-06 2.12.0
major๐ Changes
- IMPORTANT: With PixelStick 2.12 now recommends that its default scale uses the coordinates directly reported by macOS. Previously it scaled those coordinates by a screen-dependent "backing scale" (typically 2x for Retina screens). However the "backing scale" does not correspond to physical pixels because macOS supports a variety of scaling options via Displays Preferences, none of which change the backing scale reported by macOS to apps. For compatibility with previous versions' saved coordinates, PixelStick will continue to apply that scaling until you open PixelStick's preferences and select "Use macOS coordinates".
- [New] Reworked the loupe code so that the magnified screen images are much crisper and do not include magnified copies of PixelStick's endpoints and guides.
- [Fix] Prevent the situation on some systems where the cursor appeared in the endpoint and colour picker loupes (and thus was magnified and prevented colour selection).
- [Fix] Remove the red frame from accessibility element screen grabs.
- [Fix] Prevent PixelStick from reporting the screen width as double the number of pixels macOS reports. (This is precisely the problem of previous versions of PixelStick using a Retina screen's backing scale.)
- [Fix] Corrected the measurements PixelStick reports when moving PixelStick from a Retina screen to a non-Retina screen.
- [Fix] Redraw and, if necessary, adjust PixelStick's endpoints when the display's scale is changed via Displays Preferences.
- [Fix] Reduce duplication of some internal calculations, improving consistency between unscaled and scaled measurements.
โจ New Features
- [New] Reworked the loupe code so that the magnified screen images are much crisper and do not include magnified copies of PixelStick's endpoints and guides.
- IMPORTANT: With PixelStick 2.12 now recommends that its default scale uses the coordinates directly reported by macOS. Previously it scaled those coordinates by a screen-dependent "backing scale" (typically 2x for Retina screens). However the "backing scale" does not correspond to physical pixels because macOS supports a variety of scaling options via Displays Preferences, none of which change the backing scale reported by macOS to apps. For compatibility with previous versions' saved coordinates, PixelStick will continue to apply that scaling until you open PixelStick's preferences and select "Use macOS coordinates".
๐ง Improvements
- [Fix] Reduce duplication of some internal calculations, improving consistency between unscaled and scaled measurements.
๐ Bug Fixes
- [Fix] Prevent the situation on some systems where the cursor appeared in the endpoint and colour picker loupes (and thus was magnified and prevented colour selection).
- [Fix] Remove the red frame from accessibility element screen grabs.
- [Fix] Prevent PixelStick from reporting the screen width as double the number of pixels macOS reports. (This is precisely the problem of previous versions of PixelStick using a Retina screen's backing scale.)
- [Fix] Corrected the measurements PixelStick reports when moving PixelStick from a Retina screen to a non-Retina screen.
- [Fix] Redraw and, if necessary, adjust PixelStick's endpoints when the display's scale is changed via Displays Preferences.
โถ
2017-06-03 2.1.1
bugfix๐ Changes
- [Fix] Draw circle guides correctly on Retina screens.
- [Fix] Improve behaviour when editing values directly in the palette.
- [Fix] Double-click on the palette title bar only to collapse the palette. This means double click within the content of the palette now correctly selects the text to edit instead of collapsing the window.
๐ง Improvements
- [Fix] Improve behaviour when editing values directly in the palette.
- [Fix] Double-click on the palette title bar only to collapse the palette. This means double click within the content of the palette now correctly selects the text to edit instead of collapsing the window.
๐ Bug Fixes
- [Fix] Draw circle guides correctly on Retina screens.
โถ
2017-04-19 2.1.0
minor๐ Changes
- [new] Map mode for measuring angles increasing clockwise. When combined with setting the baseline to a vertical line, this is great for taking bearings on a map.
- [mod] Updated to a more secure version of the Sparkle Updater framework.
- [mod] The manual has been updated to explain map mode. The manual is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KqDl9z-s0jOYSFL-YB5XR-NDN0YKRVLVG0N9eHYhjAU/edit
โจ New Features
- [new] Map mode for measuring angles increasing clockwise. When combined with setting the baseline to a vertical line, this is great for taking bearings on a map.
๐ง Improvements
- [mod] Updated to a more secure version of the Sparkle Updater framework.
- [mod] The manual has been updated to explain map mode. The manual is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KqDl9z-s0jOYSFL-YB5XR-NDN0YKRVLVG0N9eHYhjAU/edit
โถ
2015-11-30 2.9
minor๐ Changes
- IMPORTANT: If you have version 2.5 then you need to manually download and replace the old version with the new version on our site.
- [new] Remembers the last used scale and eye dropper settings.
- [new] Can now measure angles relative to a non-horizontal baseline.
- [mod] Angle and length now displayed with more precision (i.e. not rounded to integer values).
- [mod] Compatible with Mac OS 10.6 - 10.11
- [new] User preference setting for displaying or hiding the loupe shown when dragging points.
- [new] User preference setting for displaying or hiding the grid inside the loupe (when the loupe is shown).
- [fix] Loupe view now also works on OS X 10.6 (previously it only could appear on OS X 10.7 or higher).
- [fix] Make closing the preferences window behave in a more standard fashion.
- [fix] Restore the missing app icon and include hi-res versions.
โจ New Features
- [new] Remembers the last used scale and eye dropper settings.
- [new] Can now measure angles relative to a non-horizontal baseline.
- [new] User preference setting for displaying or hiding the loupe shown when dragging points.
- [new] User preference setting for displaying or hiding the grid inside the loupe (when the loupe is shown).
๐ง Improvements
- [mod] Angle and length now displayed with more precision (i.e. not rounded to integer values).
- [mod] Compatible with Mac OS 10.6 - 10.11
๐ Bug Fixes
- [fix] Loupe view now also works on OS X 10.6 (previously it only could appear on OS X 10.7 or higher).
- [fix] Make closing the preferences window behave in a more standard fashion.
- [fix] Restore the missing app icon and include hi-res versions.
โถ
2014-12-18 2.8
minor๐ Changes
- [new] Support for the "Screens have separate Spaces" user preference added in OS X Mavericks.
- [mod] compiled with xcode 6.1.1
- [mod] compatible with Mac OS 10.10 - 10.6
- [fixed] Color picker shows the wrong color in some screen arrangements, particularly when secondary screens are arranged higher or lower than the primary screen.
- [fixed] Loupe not magnifying the correct area of the screen on secondary screens in some screen arrangements.
- [fixed] Reset position can result in endpoints moving off-screen some screen arrangements.
- [fixed] PixelStick does not extend into newly revealed screen space when screen arrangements are changed while PixelStick is running.
- [fixed] Crashes on OS X Mavericks and higher when selecting the "screen elements" ruler more than once.
- [new] this version courtesy of guest programmer Bernie Maier of australia. thanks should be directed to him for this holiday gift. Bernie identified issues with multiscreen support and stepped and nailed them and made other improvements. Big thanks to him for his ability to quickly get up to speed, understand and make a huge contribution to PixelStick.
โจ New Features
- [new] Support for the "Screens have separate Spaces" user preference added in OS X Mavericks.
- [new] this version courtesy of guest programmer Bernie Maier of australia. thanks should be directed to him for this holiday gift. Bernie identified issues with multiscreen support and stepped and nailed them and made other improvements. Big thanks to him for his ability to quickly get up to speed, understand and make a huge contribution to PixelStick.
๐ง Improvements
- [mod] compiled with xcode 6.1.1
- [mod] compatible with Mac OS 10.10 - 10.6
๐ Bug Fixes
- [fixed] Color picker shows the wrong color in some screen arrangements, particularly when secondary screens are arranged higher or lower than the primary screen.
- [fixed] Loupe not magnifying the correct area of the screen on secondary screens in some screen arrangements.
- [fixed] Reset position can result in endpoints moving off-screen some screen arrangements.
- [fixed] PixelStick does not extend into newly revealed screen space when screen arrangements are changed while PixelStick is running.
- [fixed] Crashes on OS X Mavericks and higher when selecting the "screen elements" ruler more than once.
โถ
2014-04-14 2.7
minor๐ Changes
- [fix] a variety of small improvements.
- [updated] icons and some graphics
๐ง Improvements
- [fix] a variety of small improvements.
- [updated] icons and some graphics
โถ
2012-10-11 2.5
bugfix๐ Changes
- [fix] issue for users of Mac OS 10.6 may also work in 10.5 (we can't test, let us know). IMPORTANT: Mac OS 10.7 users. Please make sure you have the latest Mac OS version installed. PixelStick won't launch unless 10.7.5 has the latest update. The reason is this app is code signed and uses gatekeeper (Apples latest security) and 10.7.5 was updated to handle that. The info on that update is here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1599?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
๐ Bug Fixes
- [fix] issue for users of Mac OS 10.6 may also work in 10.5 (we can't test, let us know). IMPORTANT: Mac OS 10.7 users. Please make sure you have the latest Mac OS version installed. PixelStick won't launch unless 10.7.5 has the latest update. The reason is this app is code signed and uses gatekeeper (Apples latest security) and 10.7.5 was updated to handle that. The info on that update is here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1599?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
โถ
2012-10-01 2.4
minor๐ Changes
- [mod] updated graphics, icons and function for retina displays (thanks to user Damien).
- [fix] cursors disappearing under "invisible rug". this happens when you use several displays or simply change screen resolution (thanks to user Colin Murray's).
- [fix] position of main panel was not saved in older versions of OS X (thanks to user Chris Pritchard).
- [new] new icons.
- [mod] optimized code and compiled with xcode 4.4.
- [mod] improved documentation.
- [new] signed by plum amazing with apple developer certificate to follow apple's latest security guidelines.
- [new] 100% compatible with mac os 8. more improvements coming...
โจ New Features
- [new] new icons.
- [new] signed by plum amazing with apple developer certificate to follow apple's latest security guidelines.
- [new] 100% compatible with mac os 8. more improvements coming...
๐ง Improvements
- [mod] updated graphics, icons and function for retina displays (thanks to user Damien).
- [mod] optimized code and compiled with xcode 4.4.
- [mod] improved documentation.
๐ Bug Fixes
- [fix] cursors disappearing under "invisible rug". this happens when you use several displays or simply change screen resolution (thanks to user Colin Murray's).
- [fix] position of main panel was not saved in older versions of OS X (thanks to user Chris Pritchard).
โถ
2011-09-11 2.2
minor๐ Changes
- [mod] added 5-th item into color format menu RGB
- [mod] rewrote the code dealing with resize panel 100% lion (Mac OS 10.7) compatible.
๐ง Improvements
- [mod] added 5-th item into color format menu RGB
- [mod] rewrote the code dealing with resize panel 100% lion (Mac OS 10.7) compatible.
โถ
2011-08-14 2.1
minor๐ Changes
- [mod] 100% lion (Mac OS 10.7) compatible.
๐ง Improvements
- [mod] 100% lion (Mac OS 10.7) compatible.
โถ
2011-07-18 2.0
major๐ Changes
- [new] eyedropper shows the color under the cursor in 4 formats (css, html, rgb integer, rgb hex)
- [new] eyedropper copies the color under the cursor using copy (command c) in the chosen format.
- [new] zoomed view shown under the cursor.
- [new] user interface changes and additions.
- [mod] code updated, optimized and improved.
- [new] customized scaling settings in addition to templates for google and yahoo maps and in photoshop.
โจ New Features
- [new] eyedropper shows the color under the cursor in 4 formats (css, html, rgb integer, rgb hex)
- [new] eyedropper copies the color under the cursor using copy (command c) in the chosen format.
- [new] zoomed view shown under the cursor.
- [new] user interface changes and additions.
- [new] customized scaling settings in addition to templates for google and yahoo maps and in photoshop.
๐ง Improvements
- [mod] code updated, optimized and improved.
โถ
2010-11-21 1.2.1
bugfix๐ Changes
- [Fix] added copy and paste to the registration dialog.
๐ Bug Fixes
- [Fix] added copy and paste to the registration dialog.
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Product Manuals
Product Manuals
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Previous versions of the app for older versions of macOS
We recommend those on the latest version of Mac OS use the latest version of PixelStick download above โ
Below are versions which worked for older OS's on older hardware. If you are someone using an older OS please tell us which OS and which version works best for you. We will add that info here and that will benefit others in the same situation.
Tap to download previous versions below: