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And in terms of space, you want at least 256GB, but your requirements will largely depend on how much designing you do and the size of the files you work with. You can’t upgrade storage in newer Macs, but you can use external drives if you run out of space. If you’re in the market for a computer for graphic design, there’s a good chance you have a Mac on your wishlist. Its expansive, vibrant display, with minimized bezels, provides an immersive experience for detailed design work without sacrificing the laptop's compactness. Performance-wise, the MacBook Air excels with fast boot times and smooth application handling, crucial for managing complex design projects. Port selection is excellent - we like to see so many connectivity options especially in a laptop of this size.
Why Adobe Creative Cloud is the Best Graphic Design Software
It is also ideal if you want to have a computer that is easy to transport, but you don’t really need a laptop, because when you travel to studios or agencies, they provide you with the peripherals you need. The incorporation of the M2 Pro chip turns this small computer into a beast for using photo editing, video and graphic design programs at full speed. In fact, in programs like Photoshop it is 30% faster rendering filters than the Mac Mini with M2 and almost double the speed of the Mac Mini M1. In addition, the M1 and M2 chips include Apple's Metal API, which provides significant enhancements for graphics and compute applications. When it comes to raw processing power, the M1 and M2 chips are significantly faster than previous Intel Macs with Intel processors.
Mac Studio with M1 Ultra
If you move your mouse, the cursor moves behind the notch, and menu entries are rejigged to sit either side of the notch. Apple has packed the MacBook Pro 14-inch with some very welcome features. The FaceTime webcam has been boosted from 720p to 1080p, and combined with the larger sensor leads to a greatly improved image, even in low light conditions. What makes this so exciting is the freedom it allows you to work and create wherever you are.
How to choose a laptop for graphic design?

To help make that decision easier, I’ve created a list of Apple’s best laptops and computers for graphic designers. The Apple MacBook Air (M1) started a seismic shift for Apple being the first of its Airs to have an Apple-based processor. We took a look at the differences between the M2 and M1 and the M1 is still looking pretty great. Fast yet fanless so it's silent to use, you gain an 18-hour battery life, a gorgeous looking 13.3-inch Retina display along with all the effortless style you'd expect from an Apple device.
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So if you have to move between offices or locations for work then you may want to consider a Mac laptop instead. However this may be different for you, you may enjoy working from a home office, or prefer a larger display size. Whichever it may be, this is something I like to also consider when purchasing a new Mac laptop or computer. In addition, Apple's True Tone technology automatically adjusts the white balance of the display based on the ambient lighting conditions.
Are MacBooks really that much better than Windows laptops when in comes to graphic design?
However, you should consider that buying an outdated MacBook is not exactly a future-proof decision. On the other hand, people who were in the design space in the early 2010s will find it familiar and comfortable, like an old pair of boots. In lieu of a Touch Bar, the Air has a Force Touch trackpad that reacts differently to varying degrees of pressure applied to it. It’s 20% larger than that of previous Air models and can be used to interact with the computer in a variety of ways.
How to optimize your Mac ready for design projects
The retina display is gorgeous to use and has a great range of brightness. This allows you to work in bright sunny conditions as well as in low light. It is important to note that if you are considering purchasing a desktop Mac, some do not come with displays. The Mac Mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro are all Mac desktop computers that require you to purchase the display separately. Whereas the Apple iMac comes with the internals built right into the display.
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For $2,399 you get a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU with 6GB of VRAM, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. If you’re looking for a graphic design laptop with a solid battery life that’ll last you while you’re on campus or just out and about during the work day, any of the MacBooks mentioned above are solid choices. For a long-lasting Windows laptop that’s great for graphic design, you’ll want to check out Lenovo’s Yoga Book 9i or Samsung’s Galaxy Book 3 Ultra. The M2 Mac Studio is squarely aimed at creative professionals in the graphic design, video editing, music production, Virtual Reality and game development fields. Below, you'll find our recommendations for the best laptops for graphic design you can buy.
Even if you only rarely visit clients or work away from an office, you can take a portable Mac with you. But they’re generally more expensive than broadly equivalent desktops. If you want more storage you can at least use external drives for housing weighty folders and archives. The RAM in the Mac Pro and the Intel-powered version of the Mac mini can be updated though.

Quite tempted to salvage my perfectly good 5k iMac monitor with a converter board rather than splurge another £1500+ on a studio display. I'm really interested in purchasing an IPad Pro 2021 for Graphic design and have been saving up for one. Although I've been looking at online forums about it, many people tend to prefer a Macbook for Graphic design. But those forums are posted years ago and not referring to the latest IPad Pro. I'll be needing to use programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign for my University Course.
The best MacBook for students - Creative Bloq
The best MacBook for students.
Posted: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The battery life enables designers to be mobile without carrying chargers and cables everywhere. Graphics design software like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign tend to be very resource intensive. The MacBook Pro has no issues handling these applications and complex workflows thanks to the combination of processor and abundant RAM. This beast has an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory — a substantial amount for gaming, let alone creative work. You definitely want an SSD rather than a traditional hard drive, simply because it’s much, much faster.
These are leaps and bounds better than integrated graphics and provide a real boost for GPU-accelerated activities. Graphics card muscle makes tasks like 3D modeling, rendering, and certain effects much faster. If you don’t need the biggest MacBook screen, then you can get one of Apple’s newer MacBooks with their fast M1 processors.
As I told you at the beginning of the article, spending more on a Mac is not always going to give you a higher return on your investment. Apple has made a lot of changes to its product line lately and, as a result, some products, like the Mac Mini, have become very attractive for their price-performance ratio. The Mac Mini with M2 Pro chip is right now one of the most attractive computers you can buy for Graphic Design, due to its excellent price-performance ratio. It has five ports, including two USB-C ports, two Thunderbolt ports, and a headphone jack. It also comes with a newly designed power connector that connects easily via magnets. Unlike the Air, The M2 Macbook Pro 13" has an active cooling system which allows it to sustain pro level performance for extended periods of time.
We gave the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i an Editor's Choice award and for good reason – it's one of the best 2-in-1 laptops out there and a great choice for graphic design in particular. The price is a bit high for a 2-in-1 at $1,999, but you get a stunning design featuring dual 13.3-inch 2800 x 1800 OLED touch displays. The Yoga Book 9i also includes a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse as well as a folio case and the Lenovo Digital Pen. If you want a great laptop for graphic design that's not a Mac, check out the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra. It's incredibly light at just under 4 pounds, but it packs a lot of power into that small body.
In our colorimeter test, the top display covered 136.5% of the DCI-P3 color gamut test with the bottom display scoring similarly at 136.7%. As with all of the M chip models, the M2 Macbook Pro 13" supports up to 20 hours of battery life which is great for professional graphic designers. The best laptops for graphic design strike a balance between powerful performance and a beautifully vivid display. A great graphic design laptop will be equipped with a modern processor, at least 16GB of RAM, plenty of storage, a brilliant display, and in some cases, a discrete GPU. These hefty specs can often come at a steep price, but you'll be investing in a laptop that’ll see you through many, many graphic design projects over the next few years.
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