Photoshop is the reference for pixel work: retouching, compositing, masking and painting at any level of detail, with the PSD file as a shared language across studios. cinemaOS approaches images from the other side. Its Atelier workspace takes frames and stills from your film, develops them, lays out the poster and exports every size from the same project as the edit. If you design for a living, Photoshop stays central. If you are the filmmaker who also has to make the poster, cinemaOS may save you the trip.
Who each one is best for
Photoshop suits designers, retouchers, compositors and illustrators: complex selections and masks, frequency separation, matte painting, detailed compositing and print production, with a huge brush, action and plug-in ecosystem.
cinemaOS suits filmmakers, small studios and creators who need release artwork that matches the film: a key art frame, a title treatment, a festival poster, social covers in several aspect ratios and a press kit. Atelier keeps that work editable next to the cut. cinemaOS is version 0.2, build 9, for Apple silicon Macs.
Side by side
Editing
- cinemaOS
- A full film editor in the Sequencer. Frames you pick for key art come from the same project.
- Photoshop
- Not a video editor. Basic video layers exist, but films are cut elsewhere.
Color
- cinemaOS
- Finisher's Color Engine and Shot Match for footage; in Atelier Photo, Levels, looks with grain and diffusion, and sync across stills.
- Photoshop
- Adjustment layers, Camera Raw, curves, selective color and precise masking for any color job on a single image.
Sound
- cinemaOS
- The SOUND console and Spatial Theatrics for the film's mix.
- Photoshop
- None.
Design and photo
- cinemaOS
- Atelier paints light on separate layers, builds editable covers with text and image layers, lays out posters on a grid, masks images with vector shapes and adapts one design to every size with a brand kit.
- Photoshop
- Unmatched depth in retouching, compositing, painting and selections, with layer styles, smart objects and a wide plug-in market. Layout for multi-size campaigns often moves to Illustrator or InDesign.
AI
- cinemaOS
- J.A.R.E.D. runs on your Mac, with no generative credits.
- Photoshop
- Selection tools and generative features such as Generative Fill, which can draw on Adobe generative credits. Check Adobe's current plan details.
Price model
- cinemaOS
- $9.99 USD a month excluding VAT, after 60 days free with no card and no automatic charge. Teams: $8.99 per seat a month for 2 to 50 seats.
- Photoshop
- A subscription, alone or in a Creative Cloud or photography plan. Check Adobe's current pricing.
Platform
- cinemaOS
- Mac-native on Apple silicon; Windows is planned for November 2027.
- Photoshop
- Mac, Windows, iPad and web.
Interchange
- cinemaOS
- Imports XML and EDL cuts for the film; exports stills and layouts as image files and PDF snapshots.
- Photoshop
- PSD is the industry file format for layered images, readable by many other apps.
Where Photoshop is the better choice
- You retouch faces, products or composites at a detailed, pixel level.
- You need generative fill or advanced selections as part of your process.
- A studio, printer or agency asks for layered PSD files.
- You paint or illustrate, or rely on specific brushes and actions.
- You work on Windows or iPad.
cinemaOS does not try to match Photoshop on retouching or compositing depth. For those jobs, use Photoshop.
Where cinemaOS fits
Release artwork is a different job from retouching. You need a strong frame from the film, a clear title, the right typeface and the same design in 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 and 4:5. In Atelier you can paint soft light on a separate layer without touching the source still, build an editable photo cover with text and image layers, and send a brand kit to every poster size. When the title changes, you change it once.
Our article on making a film poster and key art from your own frames walks through the approach step by step.
Moving work across
There is no PSD import. Export a flattened image or the separate elements from Photoshop and place them in an Atelier layout or photo. In the other direction, export stills or layouts from cinemaOS and continue in Photoshop if a retoucher needs to take over.
FAQ
Can cinemaOS open PSD files?
Not as layered documents. Export the image or its elements from Photoshop and place them in cinemaOS.
Can I make a film poster in cinemaOS?
Yes. Atelier lays out the poster from your own frames and stills, keeps the title editable, applies your brand kit and exports every aspect ratio.
Does cinemaOS have generative fill?
We do not list it. J.A.R.E.D. is an on-device assistant without generative credits. If generative fill is central to your work, Photoshop is the better choice.