Best Apple Product For Graphic Design

broken image


  1. Best Apple Product For Graphic Design Software
  2. Best Apple Product For Graphic Designing
(Last Updated On: December 10, 2020)

Are you looking for Best Free Graphic Design Software? You have landed at the right place! Here you will get to explore some of the top free graphic design software for beginners as well as experienced persons.

In this artistic design sphere, millions of graphics are created every day. So, you surely want to stand out and outshine from the rest of the crowd.

No doubt, the premium graphic design softwarecome packed with interesting and eye catching features that you won't get in a free version. But, paid packagesdon't fit in everyone's budget especially when you are running a startup or building a new career in designing graphics. This is when these free graphic design software come to our rescue without putting burden on our pockets.

Graphic design on a Mac. Most graphic designers automatically veer towards the Mac OS X platform as a matter of course. Partly this is a result of Apple's graphic design heritage (Apple pretty much created the Desktop Publishing Market back in the 1985 with the original Apple Macintosh computer, combined with PageMaker and the first. The best Mac for web design is the 13in M1 MacBook Pro. Web design canvases now vary wildly (in the sense responsive sites must support anything from a watch face up to a massive telly), but so to. There are some advantages to using a Mac, however. One major advantage is the ecosystem Apple products create. If you already have an iPhone ©, iPad ©, MacBook ©, or other Apple products you use for work, buying an Apple desktop or laptop to fit in with your existing products can be the best option. Adobe Photoshop is synonymous with photo editing for graphic designers. It is one of the most popular photo editing software tools in the market in a robust package that offers excellent graphic design capabilities.

When your team grows and you can well manage its cost, then you must anyways think to move on. You can switch towards the premium or paid apps that can offer wonderful and enhanced designing benefits.

These free graphic tools will make you present your artistic self in a unique and an innovative way. You will love to use these best free graphic design software and end up creating some really fascinating graphic designs.

These graphic design tools are not listed in any particular order. Each one is unique in its own particular way to help you develop stunning visuals.

So, here we present to you an exclusive list of10 Best Free Graphic Design Software for you to go through. Select the one that suits your requirements.

10 Best Free Graphic Design Software:

1. Canva:

Canva is an amazing free web based app. In fact, one of the best free graphic design software for beginners as well as professionals. It is really easy and simple to use. A perfect graphic design tool that brings some really sophisticated designing abilities for its users.

Key Features of Canva:

  • Easy to use drag and drop features.
  • Thousands of beautiful and professional layouts to choose from.
  • A great selection of fonts to make your graphic look amazing.
  • Plenty of free icons,shapes and elements to design your graphics.
  • Free photos to add to your graphics. There are some paid photos and icons to use, but that too quite reasonable at 1 USD only.
  • It helps you create stunning images, infographics, presentations and social media graphics in an elegant style.

Canva is a common choice, when it comes to selecting the Best free graphic design software. The simplicity of its tools and the growing number of features are attracting a whole lot of users towards it.

For further details, don't miss to checkout our exclusive post: Canva Review: Best Free Graphic Design Software

2. Vectr:

Vectr is another best free graphic design software available in web app as well as desktop app. So, you can use it online or download it for free. You can freely and easily make good presentations, logos, cards, mockups and 2D graphics etc. with this free and easy to use graphic editor.

Key Features of Vectr:

  • Helps you create simple and clean vector graphics.
  • It is easily understandable graphic design tool.
  • Plenty of options like fonts, shadows, filters etc.
  • A handy graphic tool for the ones getting started with vector graphics.
  • Great live collaboration and synchronisation features i.e. you can share your work with anyone and anywhere.

3. SVG-Edit:

Scalable Vector Graphics commonly known as SVG-Edit is a online open source graphic software. There is no need to install any additional software for it. You can easily design or edit the SVG elements. SVG-Edit is a powerful graphic tool built on CSS3, Javascript and HTML 5.

In case you are thinking to reproduce your vector drawings programmatically, SVG-Edit is the perfect way to do it. You can freely edit and create documents. You can also download the code and make it work as per your requirements.

Key Features of SVG-Edit:

  • Fee hand drawings, lines, shapes like lines, circles, squares, ellipses etc.to create great vector designs.
  • Resizeable canvas to put your imagination into beautiful designs.
  • Background settings, draggable dialogs, resizeable SVG icons and so on.
  • Stylish text, images and color gradient picker.
  • Different configurable options and numerous other features to create some great designs as per your needs.

This helps you create two dimensional vector graphics in a simplified manner. Moreover, these days web browsers are quite capable of displaying SVG just like GIF,PNG or JPEG files.

4. Inkscape:

Inkscape is yet another powerful free graphic design tool .A great alternative to Adobe Illustrator, Freehand or Corel Draw. This open source graphic tool is available for Windows, Mac OS X or Linux.

You can use this tool for creation of logos, illustrations and graphics that require high scalability. It is widely used tool and that too totally free of cost. This is a preferred choice amongst different marketing, branding, graphics industries.

Key Features of Inkscape:

  • It has a good Scalable Vector Graphics or SVG integration and it supports SVG as its primary file format.
  • It comes with advanced features like alpha transparency support, markers, clones, embedded bitmaps etc.
  • Flexible drawing and text tools to create impressive vector imagery.
  • User friendly and a clear interface make this graphic tool a good choice.
  • It suits designers of all kinds for establishing professional grade designs as needed.

You may also like to checkout our popular blog post: Best Free Software for PC: Top List

5. Paint.net:

Paint.net is a simple yet powerful free image and photo editing software for your computer that runs on Windows. An easy to use tool that offers basic as well as some advanced features to create impressive designs of your choice.

Key Features of Paint.net:

  • A windows based tool helpful in photo editing with powerful editing options.
  • A wide range of special effects to give a beautiful look to your designs.
  • A whole range of selection tools, support for layers and adjustments.
  • A good alternative to Photoshop, Microsoft Photo editor and GIMP etc.

Paint.net is a basic graphic design software but is widely used due to its user friendly and simplistic features.

6. Easel.ly:

Easel.ly is another powerful web based tool especially for designing infographics. Recording music on a macbook pro. Even if you are a newbie, it shall be quite easy for you to use it. A number of free infographic templates plus shapes and objects shall help you create some good and visually appealing infographics in a short span of time.

Key Features of Easel.ly:

  • A great user friendly tool for beginners at no cost.
  • You can create and share visuals online in an easy manner.
  • Customizable fonts, colors, text styles and sizes etc.
  • A wide variety of editing options to customize your design in your own unique way.

7. Google Chart:

Google chart is a free tool offered by Google developers that allows you to create graphs and charts from various data. These graphs/charts can be easily inserted into a webpage or spreadsheets.

Key Features of Google chart:

  • A user friendly graphic design software to create and customize your graphs and charts.
  • You can easily create your data representation visuals like interactive pie charts, area charts, hierarchical tree maps etc.
  • Easy to embed these charts/graphs into your webpage.
  • A great tool for web developers to visualise data on their website free of cost.

8. Infogr.am:

Infogr.am is another free graphic online tool to create visuals and infographics as desired. You also get access to a whole range of charts,graphs and maps etc.

Key Features of Infogr.am:

  • You can create cool infographics for free.
  • You can upload pictures and videos also.
  • Customization takes place in excel style spreadsheet giving a perfect look to the infographic created.
  • You can publish your design at the Infogram website or embed it on your own website.

A great way to create stunning charts and infographics to impress your audience. Moreover, it's all possible without spending any money.

You may also like: Canva Alternatives: 5 Best Similar Graphic Design Software!

9. Blender:

Blender is a free,open source and probably one of the best 3D Graphic software. It is freely available on different platforms like Windows, Linux and Mac. It has been specially designed to create interactive 3D applications, animated films, video games, 3D art and anything related to 3D content creation.

Key Features of Blender:

  • A free 3D graphics program to create 3D visual effects.
  • Photo realistic rendering that offers real time viewport preview.
  • Easy customization and flexible interface add to its advantages.
  • Its fast UV unwrapping, 3D modelling, fast rigging, texturing, impressive animations and amazing simulations are the major highlights.
  • It comes loaded with a number of extensions and editing features to develop mesmerizing 3D graphics to appeal your viewers.

You may also like: Best Free 2D Animation Software for Beginners!

10. Daz Studio:

No matter what are your skill levels, if you are fond of learning 3D animation designing, you must visit Daz studio. This 3D animation tool helps you build your own virtual world using virtual props, accessories, places, animals, environment etc. Just go ahead and enhance your 3D skills by creating digital animations and illustrations.

Key Features of Daz Studio:

  • It suits artists of all levels and even beginners interested in 3D models and 3D animations.
  • A top graphic design tool that is easy to use and loaded with a variety of customization features.
  • Real time rendering and photo realistic results are the main highlights for users of Daz studio.
  • You can create custom 3D animations, 3D avatars and graphic designs, short films, illustrations for books. A lot more to do here.

11. GetStencil App:

We came to know of Stencil App from our friends and family. At the first look, it seems like a great tool. Photo to watercolor painting software. We will keep updating about it as we try and explore it further. In the meantime, Stencil has got a free account as well, do give it a try !!

If you like it, you can checkout the premium version of GetStencil App that has some really interesting features to help you create stunning visuals.

This was our list of Best free graphic design software for you to checkout this season. Don't wait! Come up with some stunning visuals.

If you are a graphic designer, a web developer or even an amateur who wants to learn and enter the graphic world, this might solve your purpose. And all the bloggers out there looking for exclusive blogging tips, placing some cool infographics on your blog is a great way to please your visitors. These graphic design applications shall be quite useful in creating some great images and infographics.

So, here we have shortlisted only some of the Best free graphic design software. The list is a bit longer. There are various other free graphic design software that can be added to it like:

  • Pixlr
  • GIMP
  • Drawplus starter edition
  • Sumo Paint
  • Vizualize
  • Sculptris

Are you also preparing for a designer interview? If yes, you may also be interested in Best Graphic Design Interview Questions.

Have you used any of the tools from our list of Best free graphic design software? Are you planning to try any of these free graphic design software?Do share your views and experiences on the same in the comment section.

Students preparing to head back to school for the spring semester or even embark on a new college journey can benefit from having the right technology at their fingertips. Between desktop Macs, MacBook Pro laptops, and even iPads, choosing the perfect device for school can mean sorting through hundreds of different configurations.

AppleInsider is breaking down your list of options to find the best MacBook for students, whether you're a college student heading off to campus this fall or the parent of a child in elementary school needing a budget-friendly Apple computer for remote learning. From the longest battery life to the lowest Apple prices on machines that offer best-in-class performance, we've got you covered.

Best Performance Laptop: 16-inch MacBook Pro

The 16-inch MacBook Pro still has Intel processors, and when configured with higher-end processors and graphics, it remains the fastest Mac laptop in most cases. Users who want an M-series processor in the big-screen MacBook Pro will have to wait a little longer.

Students who need a bit more power, such as artists and designers, can easily find it here. The large, 16-inch screen provides ample working space at a 3072-by-1920 native resolution, perfect for working in programs like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. The option to upgrade to a Core i9 processor means you'll always have power to spare, regardless of the project.

Depending on what programs students will be running, they have several memory and graphics options available to them. For general use, the base 16 gigabytes of memory will be more than enough for most students and has the added benefit of saving them money. If a student plans on doing extensive video editing or 3D modeling, they can upgrade to either 32 or 64 gigabytes of RAM at an additional cost.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro has a variety of options when it comes to graphics, as well. The base model features an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M card with 4GB of GDDR6 memory, which is sufficient for most users. However, power users may find that upgrading to the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M option gives them better results when working in programs like Maya or AutoCad.

For students in creative majors, such as digital arts and design, we suggest upgrading storage to at least 1TB, if not more. That assures that you won't be butting up against storage caps during finals week. For multi-device users, an iCloud account is recommended, especially for students who like to split between working on a MacBook Pro and an iPad.

Users who need Windows via Bootcamp or prefer multiple monitors will need an Intel-based MacBook Pro. This is still the best overall choice for users who need the biggest portable display, most versatility, and more external monitor support.

As always, it's suggested that prospective students speak to their academic advisors about what sort of computer may best suit their needs.

  • High performance
  • Long battery life
  • Big screen

Best Apple Product For Graphic Design Software

  • Expensive
  • Heavy
  • Huge footprint
The M1-based MacBook Air is budget friendly while remaining powerful for students

Best Apple Product For Graphic Designing

The MacBook Air with an M1 processor packs a serious punch and even competes with Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro for single-core performance. You can get a new baseline MacBook Air for $899 with a student discount. The 13.3-inch retina display will display your notes and video in brilliant colors at a high 2560-by-1600 resolution.

There are two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the side, which means you can charge your device and connect an external drive or peripheral at the same time. The M1 processor limits this laptop to connecting to a single external display up to 6K.

Because it weighs in at only 2.8 pounds, your back will thank you as you move about the campus during the day. Customers can configure the Apple Silicon based MacBook Air with 8GB or 16GB of RAM and between 256GB and 2TB of internal storage.

The MacBook Air has no fan, has a slim and light chassis, and remains one of the best MacBooks for the money. The M1 also gives users an extended battery life of up to 20 hours on a single charge, so no matter how long the school day you'll have plenty of battery left.

  • Low price
  • Lightweight
  • Small form factor
  • Only two ports
  • Fanless design limits peak processing

Whether you're a commuter, living in a dorm, or simply want the option to take your MacBook Pro to class, the best all-around choice is the new 13-inch MacBook Pro. It combines portability with enough power for nearly any project most students will encounter.

The small size means it fits easily into most backpacks and laptop bags, but the 2560-by-1600 native resolution allows for ample working space. This makes it ideal for writing papers or working in your college's course management system, and the gorgeous retina display is ideal for streaming your favorite Apple TV+ shows.

This MacBook has several different storage options to choose from. We suggest that students upgrade to the one terabyte storage option, which allows them to store papers, projects, and pictures without fear of butting up against the storage capacity. For users who save a lot of music or video files, we suggest at least two terabytes to be safe.

The introduction of the M1 processor changes how students should choose their MacBooks. The 13-inch MacBook Pro has a fan, which means the M1 can run longer at higher loads without throttling, and has 8-cores instead of 7 for better multi-core performance. What this means is that students designing games or editing film will be able to process larger projects faster over time than what the fanless MacBook Air can handle.

You can configure the 13-inch MacBook Pro with 8GB or 16GB of RAM and between 256GB and 2TB of internal storage. There are only two Thunderbolt 3 ports and you can only connect a single external monitor up to 6K.

Users who need more monitors, external GPUs, or Windows emulation should look to the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

If you're not sure what upgrades you should pick, your academic advisor or a professor in your major should be able to help point you in the right direction.

  • Smaller size
  • M1 runs without limits with a fan
  • Best combination of size vs performance
  • High starting price when compared to similar MacBook Air
  • Only one external monitor

We might all want a MacBook Pro, but if you can live without the portability, then invariably –– invariably –– a desktop computer will give you more performance, more power, and more storage than a laptop for the same price. Plus, no MacBook Pro can match the screen of a 27-inch iMac.

That clearly makes this machine a perfect buy for arts, graphics, or media students. However, you don't need to be running Photoshop or Final Cut Pro X to appreciate the benefits of an exceptional screen.

Plus, the way the 27-inch iMac 5K is effectively a slim screen with a computer hidden inside it, means that it's a great buy for a small dorm. You could do with a good lock on that dorm, but you couldn't do better than this iMac.

The same iMac range does include a 21-inch model, with a screen that is optionally 4K, but it isn't recommended. The 27-inch version doesn't just come with six more inches of screen diagonally, it comes with higher resolution, and processors up to 8-core Intel Core i9.

The 21.5-inch iMac can have up to six cores and Intel Core i7. The non-Retina edition has only two cores and an Intel Core i5 processor. The 27-inch model easily beats both of these with its graphics processor options, too.

  • Large high-resolution displays
  • Highly configurable and upgradable
  • Choose your own mouse and keyboard
  • Not portable
  • Still ships with slow HDD or Fusion Drives in lower-tier models
  • Old design that might be changed in next update
The budget-friendly Mac mini is a great option for college students

The Mac mini is officially a desktop, but it's small enough that you could move it around easily. You wouldn't take it to class, and you couldn't do much with it once you got there, but when you need to move where you set up your work, its small size is convenient. And it belies just how powerful the tiny Mac for students can be.

You do have to buy a separate screen, keyboard, and mouse or trackpad, however. And while the entry-level version now comes with 256GB of SSD storage, that's still not excessive.

This may be the cheapest Mac on the market, but because it has an M1 processor, it rivals even the high-end 16-inch MacBook Pro. Due to having an additional HDMI port, you can connect two monitors to this Apple Silicon based Mac.

  • Semi-portable in small casing
  • Choose your own monitor, keyboard, and mouse
  • Many ports
  • 256GB at entry model is untenable
  • Less ports than Intel variant

If your coursework can be accomplished via a web app or you do not need any specific desktop-based applications, you may want to try an iPad for school. If you're using an iPad for schoolwork, you'll likely want a keyboard and trackpad as well, which does add to the overall cost.

Of course, there is also the option of buying the iPad as an add-on device and use it as a small note-taking tablet with Apple Pencil or as an extended display for your Mac with SideCar. However, should you decide to take advantage of the iPad, the device can significantly enhance any workflow.

As a reminder, the iPad can only run apps from the App Store, so you'll need to ensure you can perform your classwork from the iPad before purchasing the device.

The 10.2-inch iPad has a retina display and lacks some of the more pro-level features to drive the price down. It supports the first-generation Apple Pencil and Apple's Smart Keyboard. The current iPad has an A10 Fusion chip that is still supported by iPadOS and can easily run modern applications.

This is the perfect device for a young student just starting out, and Apple pushes this device for education markets. The base model has 32GB of storage for $329, but it is recommended you upgrade to the 128GB option for $100 more.

The iPad Air is Apple's best iPad that still has Touch ID. It has a laminated 10.9-inch display and supports the second-generation Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. Its A14 Bionic chip delivers a similar experience to what is found on the pro models with the new flat-sided design.

Best Apple Product For Graphic Design

You'll likely want the iPad Air if you don't want to spend more on the pro models or just want to use it as a secondary computer. The iPad Air starts at $599 with 64GB of storage, but as with the base iPad, it might be wise to upgrade the memory to the next tier. The 256GB model is $749.

The iPad mini is essentially the iPad Air crammed into a 7.9-inch display. There is no Smart Keyboard, but the first-generation Apple Pencil is compatible. The $399 price gets you 64GB, and upgrade to 256GB for $549. The A12 Bionic is used in this model and excels in the smaller display.

The iPad mini is a versatile device. You can attach a keyboard and use it as a miniature computer, or carry it in your pocket with the Pencil and have a portable-digital notepad.

The iPad Pro is Apple's flagship tablet, and the company promotes it as a fully capable Mac alternative. You could use it as a second display or notepad like with the other models, but as these devices cost as much as a MacBook Air or Mac mini, you'll likely want it for more.

The A12Z Bionic, LiDAR camera and full-screen 120Hz display set the iPad Pro apart. Apple also offers a unique keyboard called the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, and it features scissor-switch keys and a trackpad on a thin-designed case. Combine this with the second-generation Apple Pencil, and you'll have a laptop/tablet combo that takes whatever shape you need on the fly.

The 11-inch iPad Pro is $799, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is $999 for 128GB of storage. This can be increased up to 1TB of storage in either for a $500 increase.

All iPad models can be configured with cellular for a $150 price increase at purchase.

Ultimately, the best MacBook for students — or even iMac or iPad Pro — is dependent on each person's particular needs, including grade level, college major, learning environment (remote vs in-person) and budget. To all the students out there, we wish you the best of luck as you hit the books for the spring semester.





broken image