SuperPaint (Macintosh)

History

• Version 1.0, released in 1986, has a fixed-position user interface with palettes arranged on the left and bottom edges of the screen. Includes LaserBits 300dpi editing mode and the ability to print in color despite only being able to display in black & white.
• 1.1, released in 1988, included the SuperConvert app to convert to/from LaserBits; was bundled with Microsoft Word 4.0 for Macintosh in 1990.
• 2.0, released in 1989, introduced many new features including: AutoTrace, SuperBits (formerly LaserBits), freehand Bézier tool, multi-page documents, rich text in text blocks, rotation and transformations, plug-ins, a multi-palette user interface, custom tools in the paint palette.{{cite magazine
• 3.0, released in 1991, was a major revision that added many extra features, most notably color support, but also image enhancement functions and texture fills; hotkeys were revamped to simplify the interface; tear-off palettes.
• 3.5, released in 1993, brought support for System 7, copy brush tool, several other new drawing tools including some that are pressure sensitive, expanded importing capability including still frames from QuickTime. This was the final version of the app.

Later versions were published by Aldus after their 1990 acquisition of Silicon Beach Software. The application continued to be sold by Adobe after their 1994 takeover of Aldus.

Plug-ins

In 1988, alongside version 1.1, an SDK (software development kit) was released that allowed the creation of software plug-ins to add features and capabilities to SuperPaint.

Many plugins were created and shared, including some that added support for pressure-sensitive pens such as those made by Wacom.

Later use

Artist Richard Bolam used images drawn using Aldus SuperPaint in the 1990s as part of his "Bolam at 50" exhibition in 2014. Naoki Yamamoto is seen using SuperPaint in the Documentary Urasawa Naoki no Manben in season 4, episode 3 (broadcast in 2017).

References

References

1. Neuburg, Matt. (March 23, 1992). "SuperPaint 3.0 Review".
2. Mejia, Manuel. (2016-05-01). "Children of MacPaint: SuperPaint and Canvas".
3. Moss, Richard. (2018-03-22). "The making of Dark Castle : An excerpt from The Secret History of Mac Gaming".
4. (February 1988). "Interview with Charlie Jackson, president of Silicon Beach Software".
5. Vintage Mac Museum, The. "Aldus SuperPaint".
6. Silicon Beach Software. (1986). "SuperPaint Apple Macintosh".
7. (16 February 1987). "Drawing and Painting on the Macintosh". UM Libraries.
8. Silicon Beach Software. (1986). "SuperPaint Manual".
9. Thompson, Keith. (1988-06-13). "Picture This". InfoWorld Media Group, Inc..
10. (June 1988). "Lots More in Word 4.0".
11. (1990). "siliconBeachSoftware :: Silicon Beach Catalog 1990".
12. (Jan 1990). "The Tools of SuperPaint 2.0".
13. (September 1991). "Aldus SuperPaint 3.0".
14. (1992-12-28). "Venerable SuperPaint gets a complete overhaul". InfoWorld Media Group, Inc..
15. (November 1991). "Aldus Ships Superpaint 3.0".
16. (September 1993). "MacWarehouse advertisement".
17. Baggott, Rick. (February 1994). "SuperPaint 3.5".
18. Pfiffner, Pamela. (2002). "Inside the Publishing Revolution: The Adobe Story". Adobe Press.
19. "SuperPaint Plug-in Developer's Toolkit - Macintosh Repository".
20. McLennan, Linda. "SuperPaint Plug-in Tools in Think C {{!}} MacTech {{!}} The journal of Apple technology.".
21. "Plug-ins for SuperPaint - My programs - Matteo Varisco".
22. (6 May 2014). "SuperPaint {{!}} Retrospective: Richard Bolam at 50".
23. "Naoki Yamamoto – NaokiUrasawa.com".
24. (17 August 2023). "Urasawa Naoki no Manben (S4) [ENGSUB] timeskip".