How Quantel's Paintbox Changed Our World
Adrian Wilson and Kim Mannes-Abbott
Summary
Adrian Wilson and Kim Mannes-Abbott present a talk arguing that Quantel’s Paintbox, rather than Photoshop, pioneers electronic image manipulation. Wilson, a photographer and curator, explains that the Paintbox—launched in 1981 as a video tool and refined into a photo-quality system by 1985—predates Adobe and establishes many techniques now associated with Photoshop. He describes a Computer Arts Society exhibition he curates, first at Phoenix and later at the BCS in London, which showcases around twenty works demonstrating the device’s capabilities. Mannes-Abbott, an original Paintbox employee and artist, joins to offer first-hand insight. Wilson recounts how early Paintbox output, recently rediscovered in attics and archives, reveals forgotten contributions by major artists and designers, including work for advertisements, film posters, and album covers. He also traces Quantel’s origins in broadcast video synchronisation and notes that Paul Keller’s technical breakthrough solves the problem of jagged lines, making real-time digital painting possible. Together, they make the case that the Paintbox deserves far greater recognition as a foundational technology in computer art and design.
This AI summary was generated by kimi-k2.7-code (13th August 2026).