This is a guide on choosing which Mac to get, depending on whether you're an artist or art student.
Pro laptops fit the power of a gaming notebook into a sleek, understated design, along with decent battery life and a large, high-quality screen great for getting work done. The Macbook Pro is one of Apple's masterpieces. It's a sophisticated piece of technology that can be great for many tasks like iOS or Mac OS X app development, photo and video editing, graphic designing, and music production.
I'm writing this from an artist's point of view. I've used both Macs and PCs for creating graphics in the newspaper industry. This guide will assume that you've already decided to go with a Mac over PC. I've previously written something on PC vs Mac so I'll not cover that here again.
I would love to hear your comments on what Mac you're have and the work you're using it for, and the performance. Especially if your findings are different from mine.
Laptop vs desktops
Mobility is the only factor to consider between choosing laptops and desktops. Note that by today's standards, Apple laptops are incredibly fast. You don't really sacrifice a lot of features choosing between the two. If you need to be working at different locations, home, office or school, it's the laptop for you.
In addition to the stock configurations, you can also choose to customize your own. If you choose customization, you need to purchase from Apple directly. If not, you can get yours at Amazon or shops. The other difference is in pricing. Depending on where you are, you might save on sales tax if you're getting from Amazon, that's if you're not going to be filing for taxes.
Macbook Air
This is the lightest laptop from Apple.
Here are the configurations:
It comes in 11-inch and 13-inch models. The 11-inch screen is too small for graphics work. 13-inch is significantly better as it shows more viewable information.
The main limitation of the Air is the dual processors which is currently 1.8GHz. It's good enough for light to general graphics creating, like digital painting, layout and graphic design. But it will won't be as fast when it comes to processor intensive stuff, like rendering 3D models and videos.
It has 4GB of memory which is sufficient, and configurable to 8GB. That means you can work on multiple files at the same time, or several Photoshop layers in a single file.
The flash storage means opening and saving files are extremely quick, and general system performance overall is quick.
There's no disc drive, but you have the option to get an external one.
If you need good colour accuracy, the Macbook Air comes up short as compared to Macbook Pro. The colour does shift depending on the tilt of your screen. However, this is more critical for artists or designers working for high end publications like magazines. I work for the newspapers and we don't require that level of accuracy. it doesn't have to be that accurate, but it must not be inaccurate. The other point to note about colour accuracy is, you also need to take into account the colour profile of your printer and audience display.
Bottomline: Extremely mobile. Good for light to general graphics work. Zippy performance overall. Get the 13-inch model.
Macbook Pro
The Macbook Pro is the higher end model of the Apple laptops, sort of. I say sort of because as mentioned earlier, the Macbook Air uses flash storage which is extremely fast. There are configurations of the Macbook Pro that do not use flash storage.
Here are the different configurations currently offered:
These guys have faster processors. The low-end ones use dual core processors while the higher end ones with 4 cores.
The 5400-rpm storage is the constraint. If you can, upgrade to at least a faster 7200-rpm drive. If you have the budget, upgrade to the flash storage.
The low-end 13-inch Macbook Pro is good for light to general graphics work. However, if you're getting the low end Macbook Pro, I would recommend getting the 13-inch Macbook Air instead. Personally, I would sacrifice processor speed for a faster storage drive which improves overall performance of the system.
The 15-inch Macbook Pro is a different story because it has twice the processing power with 4 cores, an additional graphics card, and a larger screen. It's suited for general to heavy graphics work like 3D rendering and video rendering. The constraint is again the 5400-rpm storage.
There's even the super high-end Retina display Macbook Pro. Alternative to android file transfer mac. In terms of price and value, I feel the non-Retina 15-inch is better. That's unless you need to see everything in super sharp detail, not that the non-Retina ones are not sharp. I don't have any experience with creating graphics for print with the Retina Macbook Pro so I can't really comment much on the perceived advantage of doubling the resolution.
Graphic Design On Mac
Bottomline: Get the high-end Macbook Air instead of the low-end Macbook Pro because there's not much difference, with the Air having the advantage of being lighter.
If you do 3D or video work or heavy graphics (huge dimensions and many layers), definitely get the 15-inch quad-core Macbook Pro. Spend the extra money and upgrade to at least a 7200-rpm storage.
Mac Mini
The thing you need to know about the Mac Mini is it doesn't come with a display, keyboard, mouse and disc drive which will all translate to spending extra money to get them.
Here are the configuration:
It's good enough for light to general graphics work, just like the Macbook Air. Get at least the mid-range model which offers 4GB of memory and better graphics card. Upgrade to at least a 7200-rpm storage if possible. For the price Apple is selling, I would have expected them to throw in at least 4GB memory and a 7200-rpm storage.
https://nalmagogy1988.mystrikingly.com/blog/tyme-2-1-7-3-effective-time-tracking. The quad-core model is more suited for video rendering rather than 3D because of the graphics card.
Bottomline: Good for light to general graphics work. Limited graphics card means 3D software won't run at its best performance.
iMac
If you don't need your computer to be portable, the iMac is a great choice. It's beautiful and powerful. Personally, I think it represents the best value for money.
Here are the configurations:
They are all quad-cores. Even the slowest iMac comes with a decent 7200-rpm drive and graphics card. These are high performance machines for general to heavy graphics work. They can take anything you throw at them.
With the 27-inch model, you can fit in two storage drives. If you put a flash storage inside, it's going to be incredibly fast. And the 27-inch comes with a stunning resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels.
Macbook For Graphic Design
Bottomline: They are value for money desktop workhorse computers. Either the low or high end models are great. I recommend spending a bit extra for the incredible 27-inch display.
Mac Pro
This is the most powerful computer Apple has to offer.
This is also the one that I'm personally using at home. Mine was a quad-core 3GHz bought in 2006. This year, I just upgraded to a flash storage and it's amazingly fast, not that it was that slow before. I've been using it for 6 years and probably will be using it until it physically breaks down. The Mac Pro is also very expensive but I guess if you're using it for that long, it still provides good price-performance value.
Here are the configuration:
Even the base model is immensely powerful. It's also extremely easy to upgrade on your own. You can remove and side cover and add in storage or change graphics card.
The 12-core model is for those working on huge files, heavy 3D and video work.
For art students or artists with budget, I would recommend the iMac. If you do have extra budget, you can consider the Mac Pro. It depends on how long you want to use your computer. Plus, you get to choose your own monitor.
Bottomline: Great for heavy graphics, 3D and video work. Not recommended for artists or art students on budget unless you already know you'll be using it for a long time.
Applecare
Regardless of which Mac you buy. It's good to get the Applecare warranty that gives you two additional years of coverage. It's worth it.
Apple computers are expensive to fix when they break down. Stuff like memory and storage is quite cheap to replace. But motherboard and displays are really pricey because Apple's the only one making those parts. All video player mac.
Other questions
If you have them, I would be glad to answer them if I can.
Tags:
About the author:This guest article was written by Emma Best from Laptopical - a guide to the latest laptop reviews and laptop related news. You can also follow her on Twitter.
I've been using my MacBook Pro since a while now and I must say: I really love it. The most common app(s) that designers use has to be Adobe Photoshop (Or the full suite). The app(s) are great, but there is a downside: The price tag. Photoshop CS4 costs $699, CS4 extended is $999 and the full Creative Suite starts at an stunning $1799. For many people this is just a little bit too much to 'play around with'.
Luckily, there are also many free applications out there that can do the same kind of job that Photoshop could do for you. This article rounds up the best 15 free Mac Programs for Graphic Designers. Some of these applications can even do stuff that can't be achieved using Photoshop, or are much more simple to use.
Keep your wallet in your pocket, since all these programs will cost you nothing.
Graphic Design Software For Mac
GIMP
The most popular of all free photo editing software, GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, and is highly-supported and frequently updated. Comparative to Photoshop, users can perform basic tasks such as photo retouching, color correction, and image size, or more complicated tasks like image composition and creation. GIMP has a scripting interface for advance users, as well as plugins, extensions, and filters.
Seashore
If you want GIMP, but don't have X11, then Seashore is the appropriate software for you. Based on GIMP, it has nearly all the settings and functions of the more advanced program without the higher requirements.
Inkspace
An excellent alternative to Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw, Inkscape is a free vector graphics program supporting standard SVG format, as well as XML and CSS standards. This program can do everything you'll need in a vector graphics program - tracing, path operations, direct XML editing, etc. Import and export formats include all the common image types, including JPEG, PNG, and TIFF.
Front End Digital Media Workshop
Don't waste time manually resizing individual photos for your various projects. Front End Digital Media is a batch conversion app for images (as well as video and audio), and allows you to mass resize, resample, split, join, and up/down sample JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, PSD, and PICT image files.
Adobe premiere pro v13 1 mac torrent. Image Tricks
The biggest appeal for the Image Tricks app is the ability to apply dozens of different filters to over 20 different image formats. The finished photos can then be exported as either TIFF, JPEG, or PNG.
Comipro Plus
If you create cartoons of any type, Comipro Plus is an excellent app. Designed in Japanese but usable to English speakers, this program helps create modern-looking comics, including editing and adding word bubbles.
Google SketchUp
Different from a normal vector graphics program, Google's SketchUp allows you to not only create a design, but view it in 3D. It is easier to use than more complicated 3D software, such as AutoCAD, and is free.
Coda text editor mac. Colorate
Colorate is used to change and manipulate the colors in a photo. The Library generates a color swatch based on the photo, then allow you to add a new color pallete, either blending the current one, creating a custom one, or randomizing a completely new pallete.
Goldberg
The main limitation of the Air is the dual processors which is currently 1.8GHz. It's good enough for light to general graphics creating, like digital painting, layout and graphic design. But it will won't be as fast when it comes to processor intensive stuff, like rendering 3D models and videos.
It has 4GB of memory which is sufficient, and configurable to 8GB. That means you can work on multiple files at the same time, or several Photoshop layers in a single file.
The flash storage means opening and saving files are extremely quick, and general system performance overall is quick.
There's no disc drive, but you have the option to get an external one.
If you need good colour accuracy, the Macbook Air comes up short as compared to Macbook Pro. The colour does shift depending on the tilt of your screen. However, this is more critical for artists or designers working for high end publications like magazines. I work for the newspapers and we don't require that level of accuracy. it doesn't have to be that accurate, but it must not be inaccurate. The other point to note about colour accuracy is, you also need to take into account the colour profile of your printer and audience display.
Bottomline: Extremely mobile. Good for light to general graphics work. Zippy performance overall. Get the 13-inch model.
Macbook Pro
The Macbook Pro is the higher end model of the Apple laptops, sort of. I say sort of because as mentioned earlier, the Macbook Air uses flash storage which is extremely fast. There are configurations of the Macbook Pro that do not use flash storage.
Here are the different configurations currently offered:
These guys have faster processors. The low-end ones use dual core processors while the higher end ones with 4 cores.
The 5400-rpm storage is the constraint. If you can, upgrade to at least a faster 7200-rpm drive. If you have the budget, upgrade to the flash storage.
The low-end 13-inch Macbook Pro is good for light to general graphics work. However, if you're getting the low end Macbook Pro, I would recommend getting the 13-inch Macbook Air instead. Personally, I would sacrifice processor speed for a faster storage drive which improves overall performance of the system.
The 15-inch Macbook Pro is a different story because it has twice the processing power with 4 cores, an additional graphics card, and a larger screen. It's suited for general to heavy graphics work like 3D rendering and video rendering. The constraint is again the 5400-rpm storage.
There's even the super high-end Retina display Macbook Pro. Alternative to android file transfer mac. In terms of price and value, I feel the non-Retina 15-inch is better. That's unless you need to see everything in super sharp detail, not that the non-Retina ones are not sharp. I don't have any experience with creating graphics for print with the Retina Macbook Pro so I can't really comment much on the perceived advantage of doubling the resolution.
Graphic Design On Mac
Bottomline: Get the high-end Macbook Air instead of the low-end Macbook Pro because there's not much difference, with the Air having the advantage of being lighter.
If you do 3D or video work or heavy graphics (huge dimensions and many layers), definitely get the 15-inch quad-core Macbook Pro. Spend the extra money and upgrade to at least a 7200-rpm storage.
Mac Mini
The thing you need to know about the Mac Mini is it doesn't come with a display, keyboard, mouse and disc drive which will all translate to spending extra money to get them.
Here are the configuration:
It's good enough for light to general graphics work, just like the Macbook Air. Get at least the mid-range model which offers 4GB of memory and better graphics card. Upgrade to at least a 7200-rpm storage if possible. For the price Apple is selling, I would have expected them to throw in at least 4GB memory and a 7200-rpm storage.
https://nalmagogy1988.mystrikingly.com/blog/tyme-2-1-7-3-effective-time-tracking. The quad-core model is more suited for video rendering rather than 3D because of the graphics card.
Bottomline: Good for light to general graphics work. Limited graphics card means 3D software won't run at its best performance.
iMac
If you don't need your computer to be portable, the iMac is a great choice. It's beautiful and powerful. Personally, I think it represents the best value for money.
Here are the configurations:
They are all quad-cores. Even the slowest iMac comes with a decent 7200-rpm drive and graphics card. These are high performance machines for general to heavy graphics work. They can take anything you throw at them.
With the 27-inch model, you can fit in two storage drives. If you put a flash storage inside, it's going to be incredibly fast. And the 27-inch comes with a stunning resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels.
Macbook For Graphic Design
Bottomline: They are value for money desktop workhorse computers. Either the low or high end models are great. I recommend spending a bit extra for the incredible 27-inch display.
Mac Pro
This is the most powerful computer Apple has to offer.
This is also the one that I'm personally using at home. Mine was a quad-core 3GHz bought in 2006. This year, I just upgraded to a flash storage and it's amazingly fast, not that it was that slow before. I've been using it for 6 years and probably will be using it until it physically breaks down. The Mac Pro is also very expensive but I guess if you're using it for that long, it still provides good price-performance value.
Here are the configuration:
Even the base model is immensely powerful. It's also extremely easy to upgrade on your own. You can remove and side cover and add in storage or change graphics card.
The 12-core model is for those working on huge files, heavy 3D and video work.
For art students or artists with budget, I would recommend the iMac. If you do have extra budget, you can consider the Mac Pro. It depends on how long you want to use your computer. Plus, you get to choose your own monitor.
Bottomline: Great for heavy graphics, 3D and video work. Not recommended for artists or art students on budget unless you already know you'll be using it for a long time.
Applecare
Regardless of which Mac you buy. It's good to get the Applecare warranty that gives you two additional years of coverage. It's worth it.
Apple computers are expensive to fix when they break down. Stuff like memory and storage is quite cheap to replace. But motherboard and displays are really pricey because Apple's the only one making those parts. All video player mac.
Other questions
If you have them, I would be glad to answer them if I can.
Tags:
About the author:This guest article was written by Emma Best from Laptopical - a guide to the latest laptop reviews and laptop related news. You can also follow her on Twitter.
I've been using my MacBook Pro since a while now and I must say: I really love it. The most common app(s) that designers use has to be Adobe Photoshop (Or the full suite). The app(s) are great, but there is a downside: The price tag. Photoshop CS4 costs $699, CS4 extended is $999 and the full Creative Suite starts at an stunning $1799. For many people this is just a little bit too much to 'play around with'.
Luckily, there are also many free applications out there that can do the same kind of job that Photoshop could do for you. This article rounds up the best 15 free Mac Programs for Graphic Designers. Some of these applications can even do stuff that can't be achieved using Photoshop, or are much more simple to use.
Keep your wallet in your pocket, since all these programs will cost you nothing.
Graphic Design Software For Mac
GIMP
The most popular of all free photo editing software, GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, and is highly-supported and frequently updated. Comparative to Photoshop, users can perform basic tasks such as photo retouching, color correction, and image size, or more complicated tasks like image composition and creation. GIMP has a scripting interface for advance users, as well as plugins, extensions, and filters.
Seashore
If you want GIMP, but don't have X11, then Seashore is the appropriate software for you. Based on GIMP, it has nearly all the settings and functions of the more advanced program without the higher requirements.
Inkspace
An excellent alternative to Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw, Inkscape is a free vector graphics program supporting standard SVG format, as well as XML and CSS standards. This program can do everything you'll need in a vector graphics program - tracing, path operations, direct XML editing, etc. Import and export formats include all the common image types, including JPEG, PNG, and TIFF.
Front End Digital Media Workshop
Don't waste time manually resizing individual photos for your various projects. Front End Digital Media is a batch conversion app for images (as well as video and audio), and allows you to mass resize, resample, split, join, and up/down sample JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, PSD, and PICT image files.
Adobe premiere pro v13 1 mac torrent. Image Tricks
The biggest appeal for the Image Tricks app is the ability to apply dozens of different filters to over 20 different image formats. The finished photos can then be exported as either TIFF, JPEG, or PNG.
Comipro Plus
If you create cartoons of any type, Comipro Plus is an excellent app. Designed in Japanese but usable to English speakers, this program helps create modern-looking comics, including editing and adding word bubbles.
Google SketchUp
Different from a normal vector graphics program, Google's SketchUp allows you to not only create a design, but view it in 3D. It is easier to use than more complicated 3D software, such as AutoCAD, and is free.
Coda text editor mac. Colorate
Colorate is used to change and manipulate the colors in a photo. The Library generates a color swatch based on the photo, then allow you to add a new color pallete, either blending the current one, creating a custom one, or randomizing a completely new pallete.
Goldberg
This program is best used for those times when you're viewing your photos, and notice that a color is slightly off, or a side needs cropped a bit more. Instead of firing up a full photo editing application, you can simply make minor adjustments, including color correction, blurs, noise, and embossing.
NIH Image
If you need to animate one of your photos or designs, this program is for you. It's compatible with a wide array of programs, and in addition to animating images, it can also perform minor tweaks to contrast, sharpening, smoothing, filters, and more. It also analyzes particles, angles, and paths.
Scratch
This program is so simple, it can be used also immediately with no prior instruction. It is used for creating small games, interactive art, and animated stories, and is primarily marketed to children. Despite it's juvenile market, it is an excellent tool for putting together quick interactive banners and images without the learning curve.
DAZ Studio
If you're in need of realistic 3D models, DAZ Studio is an easy-to-learn 3D program for creating 3D objects, including people, animals, and objects (buildings, cars, etc). DAZ Studio is easier to use than other 3D animation tools, and is perfect for creating surrealistic and 3D art.
Bryce
Built to run with the aforementioned DAZ Studio software, Bryce is used to create real-looking landscapes using photos of real landscapes. Take a picture of your yard, a forest, some mountains, or other landscapes, import it into Bryce, and then add all the elements needed to turn it into a new world.
ArchiCAD
If you need a 3D design tool with more power and features than Google SketchUp, ArchiCAD is the right program to you. Similar to AutoCAD in both function and name, this program allows users to design their sketches and ideas into a realistic 3D render. How to make flashcards.
JAlbum
Every graphic designer requires an efficient way to keep all their photos and images organized. JAlbum is the ultimate photo organizer, as it not only allows you to organize your photos and folders using simple drag-and-drop functionality, but it also creates thumbnails and HTML pages of your photos for easy online publishing. The HTML pages to publish can be made to either export a gallery or a slide show. In addition, there's support for IPTC and EXIF data, lossless editing, image filters, style sheets, and an integrated FTP client.
Bonus: Pixelmator
I've added Pixelmator myself to this list, as Emma didn't include this app to her top 15 list. I really love to use Pixelmator myself and I don't think it should be missing from this amazing list. https://bioconcussran1970.mystrikingly.com/blog/delphi-ds150e-software-2013.
Pixelmator, the beautifully designed, easy-to-use, fast and powerful image editor for Mac OS X has everything you need to create, edit and enhance your images.
Bonus: Blender
Just like Pixelmator, I've added Blender myself to this list, as Emma didn't include this app to her top 15 list. Blender is a great open source app for 3d content.
Blender is the free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License.
Are there more Mac Apps that you, as a graphic designer, love to use that is missing from the list above? Please share!
This guest article was provided to you by Emma Best from Laptopical.
Tags: guest articlemacappsgraphic designtoolsfree
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