ACD Systems' first professional Mac application enters beta testing and offers photographers fast workflow tools with an emphasis on viewing, browsing and organizing images

VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - May 20, 2009) - The wait is over for professional photographers who want a faster, affordable, all-in-one photography workflow system to use on their Macs. ACD Systems International Inc. today opened beta testing for its new ACDSeeTM Pro Photo Manager for Mac, the first version of the company's acclaimed Pro Photo Manager software for Mac applications.

Beta downloads of ACDSee Pro for Mac are available at www.acdsee.com/proformac. Already, more than 2,800 devoted Mac users have signed on to participate in the beta period and provide feedback to ACD Systems developers for use in formulating the final version, which is set for release in 2010. To further bring Mac enthusiasts into the development process, ACD Systems compiled an advisory panel of 50 users to solicit insights on key workflow features that professional and advanced amateur photographers want and need.

"The number of photographers utilizing Macs is growing, and now these dedicated Mac followers can take advantage of photo management software features that have, up until now, been limited to PC systems," said Tarjin Rahman, product manager for ACD Systems. "ACDSee Pro for Mac is the integrated image viewing, managing and editing solution that helps photographers take control of their workflow."

Built from the ground up, ACDSee Pro for Mac will include the full set of fast workflow features that photographers have come to expect in ACDSee products. The initial beta release of ACDSee Pro for Mac will focus on the fundamentals of browsing, viewing, organizing and printing images.

Live Browsing
Unlike catalog-based photo applications, ACDSee Pro for Mac skips the cumbersome step of importing files that are already on a hard drive or connected device. ACDSee Pro automatically detects external devices, including cameras, photo frames and memory cards, and allows users to simply drag and drop images onto a hard drive.

Professional photographers will also save time when it comes to accessing folders, which can be done live, in real time. ACDSee Pro instantly populates the file list with photo thumbnails.

"Navigating and viewing images without having to go through the import phase saves time and gives professional photographers the control they need in the creative process," said Rahman.

Quick Viewing
With ACDSee's proprietary viewing technology, ACDSee Pro for Mac allows image viewing at unparalleled speeds - even large, high-resolution photos. More than 40 file types can be viewed, including common RAW formats, and photos can be displayed in full-screen presentation mode for maximum impact.

ACDSee Pro provides flexibility to quickly review just one photo or a series of photos. Users can scan through selected images at the click of an arrow key and use the filmstrip window to remain oriented within a large group of files. To add speed to the workflow process, photos can easily be rated and tagged in View mode.

Robust File Format Support
Unlike most photo applications, ACDSee Pro for Mac supports browsing and organizing of additional file formats, including videos and documents. Users can also view file formats which are not decodable by ACDSee Pro, if the files' native applications are installed on their systems.

Organizing Flexibility
Beta testers will find that ACDSee Pro for Mac offers complete control over image storage on the computer. Quick and simple file organization stays true to the Mac philosophy with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Folder item counts help users see how many files and folders are stored in each location. Images can be organized into hierarchical custom categories that are virtual, meaning there's no need to duplicate images.

With ACDSee Pro, users have live access to manage files on a hard drive and applicable connected devices, and can move, add, delete and rename folders and images within folders. ACDSee database information like categories and ratings, file properties like size and resolution, and EXIF data like ISO speed and focal length is available in the Properties pane. Finding images is fast and easy with complex browsing capabilities and instant thumbnail retrieval. Users can also complete common workflow steps like converting file formats and resizing and renaming files much more quickly using batch tools, which enables these functions to be performed on many files at once.

Printing Control
Like other ACDSee Pro for Mac features that save time, printing images is fast and efficient. Beta testers can print single images, multi-image pages and contact sheets, and can select output size and orientation. Preferred options can be saved as presets to streamline the workflow process.

Future Features
Additional features planned for subsequent beta releases of ACDSee Pro for Mac include professional non-destructive image processing; digital asset management leveraging IPTC, XMP, and EXIF metadata standards; browsing of unconnected devices; and integration with Mac OS X technologies including Quick Look, Cover Flow and Spotlight.

Pricing and Availability
ACDSee Pro for Mac is in beta testing at www.acdsee.com/proformac. The full release of the product is anticipated for release in 2010. At that time, ACDSee Pro for Mac will be available for a free 30-day trial and for purchase at $169.99 (USD) by visiting www.acdsee.com.

About ACD Systems
Headquartered in British Columbia since 1993, ACD Systems International Inc. is one of the world's leading developers and marketers of digital imaging software, including the renowned ACDSee image management tool and Canvas, an advanced technical illustration and graphics program. ACD Systems has millions of consumer and business users and more than 33,000 corporate customers including many Fortune 500 companies. For further details, please visit www.acdsee.com.

ACD and ACDSee are trademarks of ACD Systems International Inc. and may be registered in Canada, the United States, the European Union, Japan or certain other jurisdictions. Canvas is a trademark of ACD Systems of America, Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Trademarks of ACD Systems of America, Inc. are used under license by ACD Systems International Inc. or its subsidiaries.

All other marks, products and company names are the property of their respective owners.