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Frequently Asked Questions for Acorn

I'm not running macOS 14, can I still use Acorn?

Yes!

You can find older versions of Acorn from our legacy page: https://flyingmeat.com/legacy/.

Currently Acorn 8 is the only version for sale. However, Acorn 7 will accept Acorn 8 registration numbers. If you need a license for a previous version of Acorn, email support@flyingmeat.com and let us know your registration name and number from an Acorn 8 purchase and we will make you a license for whatever version you are running.

Why is Acorn asking for permission to record my screen?

You may see a warning pop up when using any apps that capture or record your screen. Acorn needs permission to capture your screen in order for the color picker and layered screenshots to work. Acorn does not capture or record your screen for any other purpose. You can change these settings by opening System Settings on your Mac and navigating to Security & Privacy ▸ Privacy ▸ Screen Recording.

Why does Acorn have a button labeled "Purchase" in the window?

Acorn runs in two modes: "paid", and "trial". In trial and paid modes all the functions of Acorn are operational. If you see the "Trial" button in the upper right hand corner of the canvas window, that means Acorn is in trial mode. If you like Acorn, you can click where it says 'trial' in order to make the purchase. After the 14 day trial period has ended, a watermark will appear over your images. No worries- you can purchase Acorn to make the watermark go away!

Are there differences between the Mac App Store version of Acorn and the direct version?

Yes. The direct version of Acorn (downloaded from our website) has a few more tricks up its sleeves.

  • The direct version isn't confined to a sandbox. So if you want to do hassle free scripting or write plugins which can write to anywhere on your computer, you're going to want the direct version.
  • You get faster updates with the direct version. You can also have access to beta versions when available. Since we can update the direct version whenever we'd like (the App Store version might take a week or more waiting for review), you get fixes and new features faster.
  • When you purchase the direct version you get a fancy Certificate of Registration, which you can print out and frame on your wall for everyone to see.

What's the difference between an Acorn update and an upgrade?

Updates are minor releases that usually occur fairly frequently. When you purchase Acorn 8, all updates that occur within version 8 are included with your purchase (such as 8.1, 8.2, etc). Major releases of Acorn occur less frequently (generally every 24-36 months). Major releases involve a lot of new features and enhancements, and they require purchase from both prior users of Acorn (those who are upgrading) and new users. There is no obligation to upgrade if you wish to continue using an older version of Acorn on a supported version of MacOS.

Why is Acorn the same price for upgrades and for new users?

In the past, our store would have two ways to purchase Acorn: a brand new purchase, or a discounted price which would generally be around 60% of the original purchase price. Then the App Store came along and only provided a single purchase price. To enable people to get an "upgrade" price on the App Store, we would run intro sales or other temporary sales. It became confusing and slightly discriminating, so we decided in August of 2014 to sell Acorn to everyone at the lower upgrade price.

I bought Acorn on the Mac App Store. Why am I still running the trial version?

You will need to delete the trial version of Acorn from your computer. Perform a spotlight search for "acorn kind:app" (without the quotes). Delete all copies of Acorn that are not located in your Applications folder. Install or re-install Acorn from the Mac App Store. It should be listed under your 'Purchases' tab. If you clicked the 'Install' button and Acorn isn't showing up in your applications folder once it has completed installing, try re-booting.

I bought Acorn on the Mac App Store. Where's my registration number?

The Mac App Store does not provide a registration number for Acorn, since the store manages all the applications you purchase through it for you. You will notice in Acorn Settings that there is no registration tab if you bought Acorn on the App Store.

How do I update or upgrade to the latest version of Acorn?

If you bought Acorn from the Flying Meat Store: Open Acorn. If a dialog box doesn't pop up telling you about the latest version, you can select Acorn ▸ Check for Updates. You will be guided to download the latest version of Acorn if you don't already have it. For paid upgrades, you will be placed in 'trial' mode. If you wish to upgrade, click where it says 'trial'. You will be directed to the Flying Meat Store to provide payment.

If you decide you want to stick with the previous version and do not want to upgrade, delete the latest version of Acorn from your computer. You can download the previous version via the links shown above under 'where can I find old version of Acorn'.

If you bought Acorn from the Mac App Store: Updates are managed through the store under 'Updates'. At this time the Mac App Store does not allow us to direct customers to a new major release to upgrade. The best way to stay on top of major releases is to subscribe to the Flying Meat newsletter: http://www.flyingmeat.com/newsletter/.

Can I use the same registration on multiple computers?

Yes, you may use your Acorn registration on multiple computers as long as it is only you using the license. And if you have a single Mac with multiple people using it, you do not need to purchase an additional license. However, if you have multiple computers and multiple people wanting to use Acorn, you will need to buy an additional license for each computer.

Does Acorn support Photoshop files?

Acorn does its best to open PSD images, and if possible, preserve layers. Photoshop styles, and editable text are not supported however. To save a layered PSD file, choose the File ▸ Export ▸ Export (Web & Other)… menu, and select Photoshop (layered) from the Format menu.

What types of RAW files can Acorn open?

Acorn has the ability to open RAW files that are supported by your version of MacOS.

You can check compatibility by visiting the following pages on Apple's website:

I'm a student, can I receive a discount on Acorn?

Yes, Flying Meat offers a $10 discount on Acorn for students through our store only. We require that you send the request to support@flyingmeat.com using your student email address ending with .edu. We will then send the discount code to your student email address. The student discount is not available during promotions and sales.

Do you offer bulk discounts if I want to purchase a lot of copies of Acorn?

Yes! Contact support@flyingmeat.com and let us know how many copies you are interested in purchasing and we’ll respond with the available options.

This is a complicated topic. In general a PPI (pixels per inch) of around 200 - 300 gives good printing results. Check out our tutorial: "All about DPI, PPI, and Printing".

Is there an online forum for Acorn?

Yes! Check out Acorn discussions and topics at Flying Meat's forum: https://forums.flyingmeat.com.

Is there a newsletter for Acorn?

Yes! The newsletter is the best way to stay on top of the latest Acorn news. You can subscribe here: http://www.flyingmeat.com/newsletter/.