Having the best gadgets for a graphic designer enables professionals to produce quality work. Many gadgets can help in unleashing your full potential. Unfortunately, a lot of graphic designers are not aware of these gadgets.
That is especially the case with beginners in the profession. The following considerations must be kept in mind while purchasing tools for graphic design:
Quality: You can’t compromise on quality when creating graphic designs. A good gadget’s features are very important when thinking of quality.
Comfort: Ensure the gadget comes with the comfort you need. You can do some research to find out whether the gadget you plan to purchase compliments your work.
Reviews: The reputation of the product in the market must be considered. The product’s reviews from other users will help you know if the gadget is worth your money.
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Costs: This is an important factor when selecting a gadget for graphic design. If you are a beginner in the graphic design profession, try and get good gadgets that are within your budget.
As a graphic designer, you can get hired by an organization that needs a logo for their business. You must ensure your laptop or computer has the resources for a professional logo design.
BrandCrowd’s logo maker for instance, is a top logo maker tool online that I’d strongly recommend. It helps to instantly create amazing logo designs. The logo can also get customized according to the client’s preference, from text to colors and the font size.
Graphic Design Gadgets in 2022
Graphic design is about creativity and the ability to implement great ideas. Having the best gadgets doesn’t define your creative skills. But, you may have wanted to check some must-have gadgets out of curiosity. You are at the right place, so let’s check out some of the graphic designers’ must-have gadgets in 2022.
01. Computer or Laptop
As a graphic designer, you must have a laptop or a computer to get your work done. So this is the first gadget you must add to your list in 2022.
If you already have a computer, you should consider having a laptop as well. That’s because laptops are more portable. And, the nature of graphic design is that you can’t stick to one place. As such, it’s good to play safe and purchase a laptop.
The following are some of the best laptops for graphic design:
- Acer predator
- Dell Inspiron
- Lenovo Yoga
- Apple MacBook pro
- HP Zbookstudio G5
02. Drawing Tablet
Many graphic designers have turned to using a design tablet to complete projects. As a designer, you’ll spend a lot of time drawing. Thus, you must invest in a drawing tablet if you’re a beginner in the profession. Either a wacom tablet or some of the best wacom alternatives will do a pretty good job.
Remember that when making a sketch, a mouse will not give you the same results a pencil in hand would. Some of the best drawing tablets include:
- Apple iPad Pro
- Wacom Cintiq 22
- Wacom Cintiq 16
- GAOMON PD1560
- XP – Pen Deco 03
- Samsung galaxy tab s4
03. Bamboo Stylus Duo
Graphic designers are not expected to sit in front of their laptops or computers the whole day. There are times when you have to get up and do some thought-gathering with a pen and notepad.
The bamboo stylus Duo is a combination of a stylus and an enterprise-class pen. A graphic designer can use the former on any touch-enabled device. The latter enables graphic designers to jot down notes without an electronic display.
04. Reliable Hard Drive
A reliable hard drive is a very essential gadget for graphic designers. This is considering that you’ll have a lot of data to save. Every file is quite heavy and so you can’t store all the data on your laptop.
It’s also good to have a backup just in case your laptop’s battery dies and you’re not able to access your work. Thus, you must buy a hard drive with enough capacity to store your data.
Some of the best external hard drives for graphic designers are:
- Seagate STGX2000400
- Adata SD700 External SSD
- Buffalo MiniStation External NFC
05. Camera
Having a camera is important because graphic designers use images for their projects. You can select from the different collections of DSLR options. You can also choose to use the camera on your smartphone. It all depends on you because people have different tastes when it comes to the type of camera they can work with.
Some images can indeed be found on the internet. But, at times you have an idea in mind whose exact image is not online. In such a situation, you’ll need a good camera.
There are two iconic camera brands that are recommended for graphic designers. They are:
- Canon EOS
- Nikon D-series
06. Loupedeck Photo and Video Editing Console
The Loupedeck photo and video editing console is a good consideration for any graphic designer. It enables these professionals to save time while editing on software such as:
- Lightroom
- Premiere
- Photoshop
Some of its features include:
- The ergonomic design
- Its beginner-friendly
- It’s compatible with both photo and video editing software
07. Palette
Working in software like Illustrator or InDesign can be cumbersome. That’s why as a graphic designer, you need a palette.
The use of a palette emanates from the idea that using a mouse to move back and forth isn’t an ideal way to design. You can prevent cursor cramps and eye strain by allocating various buttons and dials to your design software functions.
08. Monitor Calibrator
A monitor calibrator will enable you to adjust the brightness and color of the monitor. Remember that in terms of color and brightness, every monitor has specific settings. While viewing an image on two separate monitors, it may be different. This is in terms of saturation and brightness.
In such a situation, a graphic designer needs to have a monitor calibrator. It helps to avoid having mismatching colors when printing a design.
09. FLI Charge
Charging several devices at the same time can get difficult. This is especially if you’re short of sockets. The FLI wireless charging pad for smartphones that use a USB cable comes in handy. It can also be used on other devices.
It helps to keep a graphic designer’s workspace clutter-free. It also ensures that your devices are always powered up.
10. Smartphone
Nowadays, a lot of professionals expect their team members to have a smartphone. Whereas you may use the phone to view emails, others use it to click on pictures.
Just like other professionals, graphic designers must also have a good smartphone. The smartphone can be used for editing purposes. You can also use the creative tool that comes with some smartphones.
The Android 12 for instance, comes with new and improved features like the new Material You design. This feature enables users to customize the look of their home screen to their liking. It also has tools that allow users to coordinate colors that extend across app icons and widgets.
Some of the best smartphones to invest in as a graphic designer are:
- The Huawei P20 pro
- Google Pixel 3 XL
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Final Take Away
The graphic design gadgets in this article were our best picks for the profession come 2022. Every graphic design professional should try out these gadgets to unlock their full potential. In any case, it’s always a good idea to keep up with the times.
