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- Laptop. Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.
- Desktop computer. Apple iMac 27-inch (2020) The gold standard desktop machine for creatives. Specifications. CPU: 8-core (configurable to 18-core) 3.2GHz Intel Xeon W.
- A Reliable hard drive. Western Digital My Passport Ultra. Offers both USB-C and USB 3.0 connectivity. Specifications. Capacity: 1-5TB. Interface: USB-C. Reasons to buy.
- Graphics tablet and stylus. iPad Pro 12.9 and Apple Pencil (2021) The go-to tools for graphic designers on the go. Specifications. CPU: M1. RAM: 8GB / 16GB. Screen: 12.9in.
People also ask
What are the best tools for graphic design?
Which software is best for graphic design?
Do you need a computer for graphic design?
What is the Best Graphic Design hardware & software?
- Hardware
- Software
- Instruction, Insight, and Inspiration
- Final Takeaways
1. Pen and paper
The fastest, cheapest, and easiest way to transfer design ideas from your head to the real world is to use a good old pen and paper. Besides giving you a chance to stay off the grid for a few moments, analog sketches also serve somewhat like the sacred link between the great graphic artists of the past and the new tech-enabled designers of today. More importantly, using pen and paper allows you to “intuitively draw” the design concepts in your mind and quickly discover problems and solutions...
2. Computer
For digital creatives, this is the ultimate tool that performs all the heavy lifting. If you can afford the best and most powerful — the iMac Pro or the Surface Studio, for example — do so by all means. The iMac commands a loyal following of hardcore designers largely by including coolness in its core features. Meanwhile, Microsoft Surface Studio is a worthy rival capable of shifting the balance by giving PC loyalists major bragging rights for (finally) owning something remarkably sleek, powe...
3. Stylus and graphics tablet
Creatives who have a dominant tech gene in their DNA will likely prefer the digital equivalent of pencil and paper for their sketching and doodling tasks. When it comes down to it, even their more traditional cousins who sleep with analog pens in hand sometimes seek the souped-up functionalities of an electronic pencil and paper. So if you find yourself craving a hybrid tool that allows you to continue making hand drawings like a classical artist but using the tools of a tech geek, don’t be e...
9. Graphic design applications
This is the largest and arguably most important part of a digital artist’s tool stack. Whether installed to run from a desktop computer or offered as a cloud-based service, these software applicationsenable graphic designers to create, edit, store, and manage their creative output: photos, images, videos, presentations, brochures, and other visual formats. The Adobe Creative Cloud sets the standard for this tool type, providing a full suite of applications for creating and manipulating raster...
10. Online graphic design services
With the advance of cloud computing technology, several companies started offering web-based graphic design services that primarily target general consumers (i.e., non-professional/occasional designers). Foremost among these providers is Canva, a simple drag-and-drop online tool that allows anyone to quickly author, edit, and share images. The website is perfect for non-designers as well as hardcore creatives occasionally looking for a quick way to create images for various purposes (e.g., bl...
11. Artificial Intelligence
Generative AI like ChatGPT and Google Gemini have already taken the world by storm. This highly disruptive technology closely replicates the human ability to reason and create, capable of quickly producing magazine articles, frame-worthy imagery, danceable music, computer code, and compelling videos. For graphic designers, this might seem threatening. AI services like DALL-E and Midjourney can generate images from natural language descriptions in mere seconds -- something nearly impossible fo...
14. Portfolio
Even a humble graphic designer needs to have some form of conceit to show off her creations. Portfolio website services such as Appy Pie's Website Builder, Wix, HubSpot, SquareSpace, and Adobe Portfolio (Behance) help designers consolidate and curate the creative efforts they are proud of, and communicate their credentials to prospective employers, clients, and peers. Heck, what better thing to do with artwork than to share it with the world?
15. Training
The field of design is in constant flux as technology, aesthetic standards, and markets shift. This means designers always need to improve their knowledge of the craft and develop new skills that will enable them to produce creative outputs that will remain relevant and meaningful to their intended audiences. Learning portals like GoSkillsare great websites for learning new trends and techniques in graphic design.
16. Resource sites
Creatives are arguably the subset of professionals most in need of inspiration. Besides getting that from their immediate environment (hopefully), these professionals can visit design-focused websites that publish advice, tips, and doses of inspirational materials that can help motivate stressed-out or low-energy designers. Behance, Abduzeedo, Uncrate, and Google Arts & Culture are some of the best places in cyberspace that can ignite that creative spark in you. If you're working on specific...
Graphic design is a competitive and challenging field. Practitioners looking to future-proof their careers need to keep their design skills sharp and their knowledge of trade tools always updated. Whether you have been a graphic designer for some time or have just found your way into this exciting field, these graphic design tools can help you achi...
- Procreate. This illustration app made solely for the iPad is a brilliant tool because it simplifies a graphic designer’s steps when illustrating anything.
- Myfonts.com. Not only is Myfonts.com a website with fonts galore, its “WhatTheFont” feature solves a crucial problem for graphic artists. So many clients come to us with logos and old marketing materials they want to mimic, but one of the big issues is discovering the name of the weird fonts they are using.
- Clip Studio Paint. Digital artists dig Clip Studio Paint’s simple collection of illustration apps because of its simplicity, mirror feature and affordability.
- Ron’s Brushes. A superb digital effects collection for digital paintings and illustrations, Ron’s Brushes continues to be a necessary part of advanced graphic design toolboxes.
May 20, 2024 · Top 20 Essential Tools for Graphic Designers in 2024. Here are the best graphic design hardware and software compiled for your convenience. Laptop: Apple Macbook. Desktop Computer: Apple iMac. High-Res Monitor: BenQ PD3200U. Monitor Calibrator: Datacolor SpyderX ELITE. Reliable Hard Drive: LaCie Porsche Design External Hard Drive (5TB)
- Adobe Illustrator. Adobe Illustrator wrote the book on vector graphics software. It sets the standard for professionally designed logos, artwork, infographics, and icons.
- Affinity Designer. Affinity Designer is an excellent choice for personal projects or novice graphic designers due to its intuitive user interface. It’s a worthy competitor to Adobe Illustrator, with a similar suite of design tools and user-friendly features like custom keyboard shortcuts that save time and effort.
- Procreate. Procreate is a graphic design software that bills itself as a complete art studio, made exclusively for iPad and Apple Pencil support. With a one-time purchase of $12.99, customers can dive into 3-D ainting, use state-of-the-art brush control, and import and export PDFs.
- Adobe Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop has long remained the industry standard for desktop publishing. It is a popular favorite with graphic designers for a reason — its array of image editing tools supports the beginner to the pro with a user-friendly interface and a plethora of well-written tutorials.
Apr 18, 2023 · Our design experts have put together a list of the 21 best graphic design tools that you need to have (or at least know how to use). Find out what they are!
What Are Tools for Graphic Design? Best Hardware for Graphic Designers. 1. Laptop – MacBook Pro. 2. External Hard Drive. 3. Mirrorless Camera. 4. Apple iPad. 5. Desktop: iMac. Best Software Tools for Graphic Designers. 6. Adobe Creative Cloud. 7. Canva. 8. Google Drive. 9. Dropbox. 10. Figma. Must-Have Equipment for Graphic Designers. 11. Notebook.
