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What Equipment Do You Need To Be A Graphic Designer?
If you’re trying to broaden your graphic design toolkit, you’ve come to the right spot. We’ve compiled a list of the best graphic design hardware, applications, and other resources to help creatives of all levels function more efficiently. If you’re beginning from scratch or trying to update a single piece of equipment, our tips will assist you in making the right choice.
We’ve divided the goods into four categories: hardware (which includes anything from workstations to extra storage); creative software; creative instruments (such as sketchpads and Pantone books); and home office pieces. Our list of important graphic design books can be found elsewhere on the web. If you’re searching for some workplace motivation, check out our office management concepts and office storage solutions.
Main HARDWARE
Laptop
The 16-inch MacBook Pro is Apple’s most powerful laptop to date, and it’s great for graphic designers who work on the go or at home.
Apple’s stated goal when designing the latest MacBook Pro was to offer customers “more of what they want,” and it succeeded. The most noticeable difference is the modern, wider screen, which is suitable for design work. It’s also upgraded the keyboard; the annoying Butterfly switches that afflicted previous versions have been replaced with more sensitive scissor switches similar to those used on the Magic Keyboard.
The battery life is indeed excellent, which is particularly remarkable given the strong components of this laptop. It supports up to 64GB of RAM (a first for a MacBook) and up to 8TB of capacity, removing the need for an external hard drive.
Of course, none of this is inexpensive, and the highest requirements warrant especially high costs, but if you want a laptop that will run flawlessly for years and never let you down, this is an outstanding investment.
Computer desktop
The all-new 2020 iMac Pro is a desktop powerhouse built with practitioners in mind, and it remains the gold standard for graphic designers. It has a true 5K monitor with 1 billion colours and can be equipped with an incredible 256GB RAM, an 18-core Intel Xeon W cpu, and Radeon Pro Vega 64X graphics with 16GB of HBM2 memory.
This kind of strength, like the MacBook Pro above, comes at a cost, but for resource-intensive tasks like rendering 3D models, video editing, and animation, the cost would be well worth the time saved.
Despite several significant improvements under the hood, Apple has kept the iMac Pro’s trademark style, with a chassis that’s just 5mm thick and weights a mere 700G, keeping the desk clean and clutter-free.
We have yet to get our hands on the latest (and much more powerful) Mac Pro, but this is the best desktop computer a graphic designer can purchase before then.
Monitor calibrator
A correctly designed monitor is important for ensuring the colours are shown as accurately as possible on your computer. Both Windows and macOS have tuning software, however for the better performance, a hardware calibrator like the excellent Datacolour Spyder5ELITE is unbeatable.
This calibrator is an excellent option if you need to calibrate several screens to a single target setting, whether they be notebooks, screen monitors, or a combination of the two. It has wizard and expert settings with varying levels of expertise.
You will get a free 90-day preview with the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan to bring your freshly calibrated displays to use.
Dependable hard drive
The Western Digital My Passport Ultra is a useful hard drive that offers up to 5TB of storage space for your most significant data. You can conveniently configure automated backups with the included WD SmartWare Pro package (available for Windows and macOS), meaning you never have to think about missing a client’s job.
The My Passport Ultra is also easy, with fast read and write speeds for quick transfers (essential for large image and video files). This is allowed by its USB-C connectivity, but it also includes a USB 3.1 adaptor for older users (albeit at slower rates).
It’s suitable for taking on the go, weighing just 231g and fitting comfortably into a backpack, satchel, or pocket with its own fabric carry case.
A graphics tablet with a stylus
Just a few years ago, the term Wacom was associated with technical graphics tablets, but the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil have now taken the throne – especially for artists who struggle to explain a product that’s bound to their desk. The iPad Pro is a fantastic device for visual painting, but it also does a lot more.
If you want the 11-inch or 12.9-inch edition, the 2020 iPad Pro borrows the almost bezel-free look of recent iPhones, providing you with a large expanse of smooth glass to operate on. Apple’s Smart Keyboard turns it into a solid notebook, and the latest Apple Pencil expands its capabilities much more.
Apple has abandoned the Lightning connector in favour of a magnetic function, so the Pencil now cleverly clips onto the top of a new iPad Pro for linking, charging, and storage. Furthermore, touch support has been introduced, enabling you to move between app tools, for example, with a simple double tap.
Of course, certain programmers and artists would enjoy the specific pressure sensitivity and power that a dedicated graphics tablet will provide. If you’re one of them, the Wacom Cintiq 22 is our recommended tablet, with a fantastic combination of screen, scale, ergonomics, and performance. If your budget requires it, the Wacom Intuos Pro is a much more versatile choice that comes in a range of sizes (with prices to match).
Top-of-the-line mobile
The iPhone 12 might be the most awaited phone of 2020, but the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is our option. The Exynos 9825 processor makes it one of the best Android phones on the market, but there’s a tonne more for designers to consider.
The Note 10 Plus is somewhat bigger than the standard S10, with a complete 6.3-inch Super AMOLED panel to play with. The colour quality is outstanding, and the dynamic range is remarkable.
The three rear-facing cameras (normal, telephoto, and wide-angle) are all excellent. The dual-aperture lens on the main camera takes sharp photographs even in low light, and the wide-angle lens captures a 123-degree field of view. And Google can’t compete like that. Camera stabilisation helps videos, and this is the first Samsung phone that can capture HDR footage.
In normal circumstances, the battery can last an entire day, and you can also use the Note 10 Plus to charge other gadgets wirelessly. Learn graphic design at Blue Sky Graphics online graphic design course.
