Why Graphic Designers Should Own an iPad
Apple’s iPad came out with a lot of hype surrounding it. The device is very similar to the iPhone or iPod Touch, but 10 times bigger. Long-time computer users wondered what the difference between the device and a tablet PC was. While people still wonder who the device is most useful for, there is one segment of the population that tablet PCs have always been useful to.
Artists and graphic designers can highly benefit from the tablet format of a computer. The stylus gives an artist the most control over the content of the screen and allows for more precision drawing and sketching. While the idea has not caught on with writers the way the netbook miniature computers or the Macbook Air have, the device is still relatively new, but the number of iPad owners grows consistently.
The average person may not distinguish between a graphic designer and an artist. A graphic designer may not do the actual artwork for many services, but he does make sure the end product looks pleasing to the eye.
Apple Computers have always been known for their graphics capabilities and the iPad is no exception. The graphics software for the tablet hit the market as soon as the product hit the shelves, for example Adobe Photoshop Express. It’s not as fully featured as the Creative Suite version, but you can still crop, flip and enhance photos. One of the most popular sketching apps is Sketchbook Pro, which is considered to be a professional-grade paint and drawing software. A graphic designer can take his work on the road. Unlike a netbook, a person can use the screen and the stylus to more easily manipulate the images on screen.
Perhaps the most important reason for a graphic designer to own an Apple iPad is the ability to take his work with him. Laptops are convenient but can sometimes be bulkier than you’d like. Saving the file on the iPad and letting a client see the finished product in his own office can put a graphic designer ahead of the game with his clients.
Of course, the iPad does have competitors, many of which are actually more expensive. Apple software releases have always catered more to graphical uses than business users. However, the name is established well enough that a person can easily use the product to write a document or edit a spreadsheet. He can also surf the web on it if a user chooses to do so. The biggest downfall to the iPad is currently the prices but it will come down eventually.