Still to do: paint clipped to the canvas, more adjustable brushes, a second performance round. Windows only for now
Why I built them
By Kristoffer Illum-Iden · Norway
I have used Lightroom and Photoshop for many, many years, for photography and some graphic design. They were home. But for a long time now I've been frustrated. The subscription. Updates full of functions I never asked for. And apps that got a little slower with every release.
All I wanted was to edit, add the effects I wanted, and be done. I tried the alternatives with one-time payments, but none of them ever felt like home. And to get all the tools I needed in one place, the total added up to something pretty expensive anyway.
Trying something new
I built websites in the early 2000s, so I know a bit of HTML, PHP and JavaScript. Then the AI models got good enough to actually write code, and I had to see for myself. Skipping the coding and focusing on what the app should do and how it should look was very appealing.
I learned quickly that AI coding is nowhere near "one prompt and done". The agents make a lot of mistakes, and you spend a lot of time cleaning up after them. But I had a new toy, and I wanted to build something. After a few smaller projects I got the idea: a photography app that does what I want, works offline, has no subscription and no bloat. Just a tool.
I started with a single prompt, which gave me a baseline, a sketch. From there it was building, testing, fixing, and a few rabbit holes. Along the way I found a workflow, and found my role and the agent's role. That made it easier to take problem after problem. Several times I had to redo things because the agent broke the code or the result simply wasn't what I wanted.
What mattered to me
Photos that look less digital
No monthly costs, no account, nothing leaves your machine
Apps that feel snappy on a mediocre laptop like mine
Something I can actually use professionally, standing somewhere in the middle of the apps I already use
I have shot film on and off since the 90s. These days even developing and scanning at home is more than I can afford, so I put a lot of time into a Negative Development tool that turns scans into positives. The RAW pipeline took the most time by far: I tested every brand I could get my hands on, and rebuilt editing over and over until it was fast.
Then came SilverNib
I started with SilverLayer, the app I would use most, so I could work out the workflow on one app first. SilverNib is the same idea pointed at drawing: vector strokes that stay editable, 133 brushes, exact CAD-style geometry and raster painting, built around a pen. Same desk, same look, different engine.
Where it is
SilverLayer is fully functional and has been through a long beta. SilverNib is newer and still in beta. The price will be under $100 USD, one payment, yours forever. Updates will focus on bug fixes and improvements, not features you didn't need.
I hope this is something you'd consider, and that it closes a gap for you too. A tool to use, not a money pit.
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