Filter Forge has released a public beta of the Mac OS X version of Filter Forge, a high-end plug-in for Photoshop allowing computer artists to build their own filters -- seamless textures, visual effects, distortions, patterns, backgrounds, frames and more.

The beta version of Filter Forge for Mac OS X is available here. The beta is open for anyone with a Mac -- no registration required. The minimum system requirement is Mac OS X 10.4, on both Intel and PowerPC processors. Users who find and report bugs will be rewarded with free copies of Filter Forge, which will be granted after the Mac version becomes commercially available. For more information about the beta test, visit the beta version Web page.

The final commercial version is planned for release in the first quarter of 2009. Meanwhile, all editions of Filter Forge for Mac OS X are available for preorder at a special 45 per cent discount -- preorder customers can save up to $135 (£93).

The key features of Filter Forge include a visual filter editor and a free online library of user-created filters which contains over 5600 textures and effects currently.

For more information see the Filter Forge Web site.