Smith Micro Software’s Productivity and Graphics group has announced the general availability of Manga Studio 5, a solution for drawing, laying out, illustrating and publishing manga comics.

Manga Studio 5 allows artists to create professional comic and manga-style art. The new version boasts a new user interface and a new graphic engine. Manga Studio 5 also adds 64-bit architecture and multi-core CPU support to handle high definition and multi-layer artwork.

You can scan in existing artwork or draw from scratch within the application using a mouse or the natural feel of drawing on a tablet. You can add styles and effects to any project with Manga Studio 5’s screen tones or create a unique background with the pattern brush. Artists can customize projects and save hours of work using the large collection of special effects and features.

Manga Studio 5 costs US$79.99. Upgrades from previous versions are $49.99. Manga Studio 5 requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher.