Kid Pix facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

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Kid Pix

Kid Pix 1.0 "about" screen. Above: the Kid Pix Studio Deluxe icon.
Original author(s)	Craig Hickman
Developer(s)	Craig Hickman (1989-1995, 2011-present) Broderbund (1991-1998, 2000) Presage Software (1995-1999) ImageBuilder Software (1995-1999) Riverdeep (2000-2004) The Learning Company (1999, 2004) Software MacKiev (2000, 2004-present)
Initial release	1989; 36 years ago (1989)

Stable release	Kid Pix 5: The S.T.E.A.M. Edition (Mac OS, Windows, iOS)

Operating system	Classic Mac OS, macOS, Microsoft Windows, AmigaOS, FM Towns, iOS
Type	Bitmap graphics editor
License	Proprietary

Kid Pix is a fun computer program for drawing and painting, made especially for children. It helps you create digital art using a mouse and keyboard. Craig Hickman first created Kid Pix in 1989 for Apple Macintosh computers. Later, a company called Broderbund started publishing it in 1991.

Craig Hickman got the idea for Kid Pix when he saw his son, Ben, having trouble using another drawing program called MacPaint. He wanted to make a drawing program that was super easy for kids to use. Today, Software MacKiev owns the program. They have been developing the Kid Pix series for many years. The program hasn't been updated since 2018, so it's currently not being actively worked on.

Kid Pix History
Kid Pix Timeline
Kid Pix Drawing Tools
See also

Kid Pix History

Craig Hickman loved programming. In 1988, he owned an Apple Macintosh computer. He started sharing his computer programs for free.

One day, his three-year-old son wanted to use MacPaint, a drawing program. Craig noticed his son quickly learned how to use the mouse. But he also accidentally clicked on menus and other tricky parts of the program. This gave Craig the idea to create a simple paint program just for his son. He planned to give it away for free.

Before Craig launched his program, which he called Kid Pix, Apple released a new color Macintosh computer. A friend encouraged Craig to sell his software instead of giving it away. So, Craig started working on a better, commercial version called Kid Pix Professional. It cost about $25. He even put an advertisement for it with the free Kid Pix program when he released it in November 1989. By June 1990, Kid Pix Professional was out, and about 100 copies were sold.

In the summer of 1990, Craig sent a copy of Kid Pix to Broderbund Software. He didn't expect them to want to publish it. But within a week, Broderbund called and said they wanted to publish his program! Broderbund showed off Kid Pix at a big computer event called MacWorld in 1991. Kid Pix 1.0 came out in March 1991 and everyone loved it. Broderbund also started making a version for MS-DOS computers. Kid Pix 1.0 won many awards, like "Best Children's Program" and "Best Early Learning Program."

Software MacKiev now owns and publishes Kid Pix. They helped make Kid Pix Deluxe 3 for Mac computers. They have been the main developers of the Kid Pix series since Kid Pix Deluxe 3X came out. They bought the brand from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in October 2011. Craig Hickman didn't work on Kid Pix from 1996 until late 2011. Then, he started helping Software MacKiev with new versions.

Kid Pix Timeline

Screenshot of Kid Pix Deluxe 3X

1989 – The free Kid Pix Public Domain Version was released in November.
1990 – Kid Pix Professional came out for $25. It had sound, color, a mixer tool, more stamps, and menus in English and Spanish.
Broderbund became the publisher for Kid Pix.
March 1991 – Kid Pix 1.0 was released for $59.95. It sold very well and got great reviews.
1992 – Kid Pix Companion was released for $39.95. It added new features and QuickTime videos.
1993 – Kid Cuts came out for $59.95. This program, based on Kid Pix, let you create special projects.
1994 – Kid Pix 2 combined both Kid Pix and the Companion into one package.
1994 – Kid Pix Fun Pack added new stamps and hidden pictures.
1995 – Broderbund released Kid Pix Studio.
1998 – Broderbund released Kid Pix Studio Deluxe.
1999 – The Learning Company re-released Kid Pix Studio Deluxe after buying Broderbund.
2000 – Broderbund/Riverdeep released Kid Pix Deluxe 3.
2004 – The Learning Company/Riverdeep released Kid Pix Deluxe 4.
2004 – Software MacKiev released Kid Pix Deluxe 3X for Mac OS X.
2006 – Software MacKiev updated Kid Pix Deluxe 3X (Mac OS X Edition 1.1). It allowed exporting movies to iPod and worked better with Apple's iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand.
2008 – Software MacKiev updated Kid Pix Deluxe 3X (Mac OS X Edition 1.2.3). It fixed issues with QuickTime and worked with Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard".
2008 – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt re-released Kid Pix Deluxe 4 on DVD-ROM.
2010 – Software MacKiev released Kid Pix Deluxe 3D (Mac OS X Edition 2.0). This was a big update with path animation, 3D characters, movie backgrounds, and video narration.
2011 – Software MacKiev released Kid Pix Deluxe 3D for Windows.
2018 – Software MacKiev released Kid Pix 5: The S.T.E.A.M. Edition.

Kid Pix 2 Features

Kid Pix 2 added new features that were first available in an extra program called Kid Pix Companion.

The "SlideShow" program let you create a show of your Kid Pix pictures. You could add cool transitions and record your own sounds. If you set the time between slides very short, you could even make animations using many Kid Pix pictures like frames in a movie.

The "Wacky TV" allowed you to watch video clips. You could distort the picture using different buttons. The program came with some sample videos to watch. If a movie had sound, you could speed it up or play it backward.

Kid Pix Studio Features

Kid Pix Studio came with extra programs that worked with the original Kid Pix. It allowed kids to create not just still pictures, but also animated creations.

The SlideShow feature was improved. You could now use Kid Pix drawings, "Moopies," "Stampimator" creations, and "Digital Puppet" files in your slideshows.

"Moopies" was like the regular Kid Pix program but with a smaller drawing area. You could add animated stamps and wacky brush items. You could also choose music and sounds to play in the background of your "moopie."

"Stampimator" was also similar to Kid Pix and "Moopies." With this, you could drag animated stamps across the screen. The program would record their path, and then they would follow that path over and over.

"Digital Puppets" provided ready-made computer puppets. You could make them move like real puppets and even choose their facial expressions by pressing keys. You could add sound, music, and a background to go with your puppet's movements.

You could save your "Moopies," "Digital Puppets," "Stampimator," and "Slideshow" creations as special files. This meant others could watch them even if they didn't have Kid Pix Studio. Slideshows could also be saved as video files, but only if they contained just Kid Pix drawings.

The "Wacky TV" feature was still there. It let users watch movies and animations made in Moopies and Slideshow. You could also watch any movies you had on your computer. It had buttons to watch movies in different ways, like reversed or flipped.

Kid Pix Studio Deluxe

A later version, Kid Pix Studio Deluxe, had an updated screen for choosing tools. It also let you edit text after you placed it, which was a new feature. In this version, the computer could read text aloud. The Macintosh version also let you add music to play during a SlideShow.

Kid Pix Deluxe 3 Features

Kid Pix got a big new look with Kid Pix Deluxe 3. It had a new 3D-like design and new sound effects. It looked very different from older versions. The only new feature kept from Kid Pix Studio was the SlideShow. This was probably because other features became less needed with new clip art and animations added to the basic Kid Pix program.

New tools included:

Background: To pick a ready-made background from a big collection.
Static Clip Art: A large collection of ready-made pictures.
Animated Clip Art: Pictures that could move.
Sound Tool: To choose sounds for your picture from a library or record your own.
Play Button: When clicked, animated clip art would move, sounds would play, and typed text would be spoken.

Kid Pix Deluxe 4 Features

Kid Pix Deluxe 4 came out in 2004 with several improvements. It had an updated look that was more like the original Kid Pix, making the drawing area bigger. The Text tool showed you what fonts looked like as you chose them. The "Idea Machine" was easier to find. The "Undo Guy" could speak in both English and Spanish. There were also video tutorials to teach you how to use the program and its tools. For Mac users, this was the first version that worked with Mac OS X.

Kid Pix Deluxe 3X Features

A new version of Kid Pix Deluxe 3 was released in 2004. It worked with Mac OS X and had a larger drawing area. It also connected with Apple's iLife programs like iMovie, iTunes, iPhoto, and GarageBand. You could even export your Kid Pix projects to iPod video format, helping kids create their own podcasts. The "exploding screen" eraser from the previous Kid Pix Deluxe 3 was replaced with a fire hose, which was less noisy.

Kid Pix Deluxe 3D Features

Kid Pix Deluxe 3D was a big upgrade from Kid Pix Deluxe 3X. Software MacKiev released it for Mac in October 2010 and for Windows in October 2011. It kept the features of the "3X" version. Kid Pix Deluxe 3D focused on digital storytelling. You could add video narration and export your creations to YouTube. The "3D" in its name came from new 3D animations and backgrounds. You could also export to a 3D feature that created special images you could view with red/blue 3D glasses (which came with the program).

Kid Pix 5: The S.T.E.A.M. Edition Features

Kid Pix 5: The S.T.E.A.M. Edition is the newest version of Kid Pix by Software MacKiev. It's available for Mac, Windows, and iPad. This is the first version that works on the iPad and with newer 64-bit computers. It has a new look inspired by the Steam age. Currently, you can only get it as an upgrade or if you're an educational institution.

Kid Pix Drawing Tools

Screenshot of Kid Pix Deluxe 3D

The main drawing area, called the canvas, takes up most of the screen. You can always see the whole canvas. The drawing tools are on the left side of the screen as a column of buttons. Instead of using menus, the options for each tool appear as icons at the bottom of the screen. When you pick a new tool, you see new options, like different styles for the Wacky Brush. The color palette is below the tools, showing many colored squares to choose from.

The main drawing tools in Kid Pix are:

Pencil Tool: Draws free lines on your picture. You can choose from six different line thicknesses.
Line Tool: Used to create perfectly straight lines. Like the Pencil Tool, it has six thickness options.
Paint Bucket: Fills an area with a solid color or pattern.
Square Tool: Creates perfect square or rectangular shapes. The line thickness changes with the line tool setting.
Circle Tool: Similar to the Square Tool. It makes perfect circles, and its thickness can be changed with the line tool.

Kid Pix also has special tools beyond simple lines and shapes:

Wacky Brush: Has many options to paint cool effects onto your image. For example, you can draw a line of dripping paint, a line of shapes, or a random leafless tree.
Mixer Tool: Offers different ways to change your whole image with effects like distortion, blurring, and fading. Starting with Kid Pix Deluxe 3, you could see an example of the effect on a butterfly.
Rubber Stamps: A collection of small pictures you can add to your drawing, like clip art. The first stamps came from an Apple Computer font called Cairo. From Kid Pix Professional onwards, you could make the stamps bigger. Later, they became pixelated images that you could even edit yourself.

Tools for selecting and erasing include:

Erasing Tools: These give you different ways to erase parts, or all, of your drawing. For example, the popular stick of dynamite would make the whole image explode in black and white circles.
Moving Truck: Lets you select parts of your image and move them around the canvas. You can choose different shapes and sizes for your selections, like circles or rectangles.
Dye Tool: Used to pick out colors that are already in your drawing.

Text tools include:

Text tool: Includes "rubber stamps" of alphabet letters. When you select a letter, it says the name of the letter.
Typing tool: Lets you add text to your image using different fonts and sizes.

Other useful tools:

Sound tool: Allows you to record your own sounds to add to your pictures.
The "Undo Guy": Works like a normal undo button, taking back the last change you made. When you click him, the Undo Guy says funny phrases in different voices. In Kid Pix Deluxe 3D and later versions, the Undo Guy could undo and redo many times. But in older versions, he could only undo and redo once.
The "Pick a Draw Me" feature (found under 'Goodies'): Gives you three random phrases for drawing ideas. Each phrase is spoken by a different person to inspire you to draw something unusual. This feature was not in Kid Pix Deluxe 3 or any versions after it.