What are the best graphic design apps for ipad pro? The iPad Pro is a powerful machine and can be converted into an excellent graphics tablet. I love using my iPad Pro as a digital sketch pad and to make quick work of interfaces and user flows in my product design work, especially when on the go.
You’re running a graphic design company and you really want to do your best work using an iPad Pro. But, the reality is a good number of the top graphic design apps are only available on Apple products. That means that if you want to try the best creative apps in the industry — you’re going to need to buy an iPad.
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Photoshop Express Photo Editor
Adobe has an impressive suite of photo editing and graphic design tools. This Express Photo Editor is primarily a collage maker. You can collect all your sweet memories and create beautiful picture collages.
Trusted by millions, this editor offers a range of free photo effects and editing features. You can personalize your experiences by using borders and text. Play with myriad colors and imagery to create share-worthy moments. Premium version opens a gamut of tools to master the art of graphic design.
Price: Free (Photoshop Express Monthly – $4.99)
Canva
If you are an amateur designer, who fancies creative arts, Canva graphic design iPhone app is here for you. A simple and fun interface, you can use this app from ground zero. Alternatively, you can also take the help of ready-to-use design.
Canva is popular among Instagrammers, who want to share amazing stories. For professionals, the app helps them design logos.
Putting a text on photo is super easy. And probably for this reason, users like to create invitations and quotes using Canva. Once done, you can share your creations directly to Instagram, WhatsApp, or email.
Price: Free (In-app Purchases start from $0.99)
Desktop-Grade: Affinity Designer
Serif
Affinity Designer is already one of the most powerful desktop vector editors around, so the fact that they managed to squeeze it onto an iPad with so few sacrifices is extremely impressive.
You can edit using unlimited layers, use the expansive text and shape creation tools, design using a wide range of color models (which includes CYMK), use multiple artboards for multitasking, and even edit vector and raster images at the same time. This level of power means you can create designs and artwork on your iPad that are just as complex and amazing as anything you’d make using desktop tools.
If you’re coming from the desktop version of Designer, the biggest difference you’ll notice is the new touch-friendly design. But even with those changes, the iPad version still shares that same smooth and modern feel that makes the desktop version such a pleasure to use.
For professional designers who want to move their work over to an iPad, or new designers that want to dive in deep right away, Affinity Designer is an obvious choice. There is an upfront payment of $19.99 to use the app, but if you’re serious about graphic design it will definitely be worth it.
A Free Powerhouse: Vectornator X
Linearity GmbH
If you’re on a tight budget but still want to use a professional-grade tool, then Vectornator X is the app for you, as it’s completely free. Its toolset isn’t as deep as something like Affinity Designer, but it’s still a capable vector editor.
The main feature Vectornator X boasts is its unique card-based design. This makes it so you can solely focus on the tools you’re using at the moment, with the various sliders and buttons making it easy to precisely adjust your designs. The app also has advanced object creation tools, deep text options, and even a CYMK color preview. Vectornator X has enough features to produce great work, but you might run into the occasional missing tool (especially if you’re used to the power of desktop programs).
Of course, Vectornator X being completely free balances that out and makes this a fantastic option (especially for new designers).
Another Robust Option: Graphic
Picta Inc,
Graphic may not be free like Vectornator X, but it still boasts a powerful feature set that makes it worth looking at. Graphic, like Affinity Designer, was brought over to the iPad from desktop, and still keeps a very “desktop” feel for its UI. So, if you use your iPad with a keyboard and mouse, you’ll feel right at home in Graphic. That doesn’t mean it’s poorly optimized for touch input though, as the app is still great to use with your finger or Apple Pencil.
It allows for the same complex text and shape creation as the other two apps previously mentioned. You can also use unlimited layers, design using the CYMK color model, and utilize multiple windows and artboards for multitasking.
With this impressive feature set, Graphic is still a great option for professional designers looking to transition to the iPad. It only costs a one-time payment of $8.99, so it doesn’t break the bank either.
Obscura 2
The go-to camera app for mobile devices (Image credit: Ben McCarthy)
Requirements: iOS 11.0 or later
iOS 11.0 or later Price: $4.99/£4.99 and IAPs.
Want to take decent photos with your iPad? Obscura 2 should be your go-to app. It’s intuitively designed to make it easy to shoot photos in a hurry, and the haptic feedback means it feels quite natural given you’re only pressing on a screen. With multi-format capture and all the features of a ‘real’ camera, you can also add a wide range of filters to add pzazz to your images. You can also edit and share within the app.
Requirements: iOS 8.0 or later
iOS 8.0 or later Price: From free
Photoshop for iPad
Photoshop for iPad keeps getting better and better (Image credit: Adobe)
Photoshop for iPad is included with all Creative Cloud subscriptions and can be downloaded from the app store. And while it had a bit of of a shaky start thanks to absent features, constant updates mean it’s fast becoming a match for the desktop version. You can create full PSDs, work with layers and, of course, retouch your images with tools like spot healing and clone stamp.
Requirements: iOS 13.4 or later
iOS 13.4 or later Price: From free
Pixelmator
Create, edit and enhance images on the go with Pixelmator (Image credit: Pixelmator)
Requirements: iOS 11.0 or later
iOS 11.0 or later Price: $4.99/£4.99
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Packed with image editing and enhancement tools, Pixelmator contains everything you need for adjusting assets on the go. Thanks to Drag and Drop support, users can move images and graphics between iPad and other apps easily. Alternatively you can store images in the iCloud Drive and access them anywhere. By taking advantage of the iOS 14 technologies, Pixelmator offers best-in-class Photoshop file support, precision drawing and painting with the Apple Pencil, plus much more.
Autodesk Sketchbook
Autodesk Sketchbook is everybody’s app. A human brain generates countless ideas. You can draw or sketch that idea on your iPad using Autodesk.
If you are a newbie in the creative realm, you can hone your skills with sketches. Packed with powerful sketching tools, this app is an inevitable part of any creative process.
The app supports your second-generation Apple Pencil. Make the most of this feature, which also enables you to double-tap on stylus.
Price: Free
Conclusion:
Ipad is one of the most popular tablets available in the market today; it has a large display, an even better resolution and can perform like a pro when used for graphic design. But, accessing these features as well as others can be somewhat of a challenge for those who are not well versed in Graphic Design or who did not get formal education on how to use graphic software and other tools involved in Graphic Design such as adobe photoshop, corel draw, etc.
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