The modern era is ruled by technology and internet. Content too has changed form and ideas are now mostly shared through short Graphic clips and compelling logo designs. No wonder then that the graphic Designer are having a field day.

Their job has definitely become more complicated with the customer’s becoming choosier and the competition on all time high. In such a scenario coming up with unique and interesting designs and content is really no child’s play.

However, thanks to a wide range of tools and apps that have been launched, they surely have some assistance to look forward to. Every year sees a launch of new tools and apps that make the job a tad bit easier for the Graphic Designers. The year 2018 is no different.

Here Are 15 Tools And Apps Every Graphic Designer Should Have In 2018

01. Microsoft Surface Studio

For a long time now, graphic designers across the globe have been vouching for the Macbook. Truly amazing this tool was the talk of the town. However, come 2018 and the scene seems to be changing.

The new Surface Studio launched by Microsoft is an answer to all the drawbacks that came along with the old Macbook. Unlike its contemporary, it can be used in the regular PC mode or can be converted into a tablet and its touch screen used for quick and easy designing.

02. Wacom Tablet

Though touch screen and mouse pads are quintessentially the need of the hour, a lot of graphic designers still prefer to work with pen and paper. However, in order to stay in sync with the latest technology it would be a great idea to opt for a Wacom tablet.

Highly recommended by designing experts, it comprises of a stylus that works just like a pencil, thus simplifying the whole designing process, making it look more natural and convenient. What’s more, when working with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop etc. the designers tend to get more pressure sensitivity.

03. A High End Smartphone

Equipped with a smartphone, a graphic designer can work anytime, anywhere without worrying about how he could transfer his work to his computer or tablet.

These phones are indeed “smart” and can help the designer to create designs using various apps and then transfer these to their computers or laptops through the mailing option. What’s more these can even be shared with clients via emails or the chatting software that are much in vogue these days.

04. Kuler

With the logo design trends changing with every passing day, graphic designers are hard pressed to come up with unique and witty designs that are adorned with novel shades and colors.

Kuler, a tool developed by Adobe is a savior of sorts which helps the designers to select a number of complementary and analogous shades and find out their HEX codes and RGB codes that will help them to create an interesting design with new shades.

05. Behance

With competition ruling the roost in the graphic designing arena, it is not really an easy task to land lucrative assignments. However, experts believe that graphic designers who showcase their work on various platforms definitely stand a better chance.

Adobe’s Behance is one such app that allows the graphic designers to exhibit their work in a virtual art gallery of sorts. People looking for graphic designers often venture into these apps which is why it also offers a networking option to help them connect.

06. Assembly

Vector designs have become extremely popular these days and most clients pressurize designers to use these in their works. According to an expert a lot of novice designers are clueless as to how to create a logo using vector design.

He says that they really don’t need to be an Adobe Illustrator pro for the purpose. With an iPhone in tow, the Assembly app can help in creating the best vector designs. The app comprises of an impressive gallery that offers more than 180 basic shapes. The designer can choose a shape and then customize it with his or her expertise to create a unique and impeccable design.

07. Pantone Matching System

What you see is not exactly what you get when it comes to the graphic designing world. Ask any graphic designer and he will vouch by it. Most often than not, the colors appear different on screen but take a totally different tone when printed.

This is one of the main reasons why most graphic designers invest in a Pantone Matching System or Library. It is a collection of swatches that gives the designer an idea of how a color would look when it is printed on a hard copy. This surely comes in handy not only when creating the design but while presenting it to the clients or while sending it to the printer.

08. Repix

Graphic designers who work wonders with pictures and photographs can really get a lot of assistance with the Repix app. Available on Android and iOS platforms these can be downloaded onto the smartphone and worked with.

The app offers a wide range of tools like a cropping tool, 16 filters and 28 different types of brushes that makes the process of converting the image into a masterpiece, lots of fun. The app has been designed in such a way that the users can conveniently switch between the tools without facing any hassles.

9. Sketchbook Pro

Graphic designing and sketching go hand in hand. You never really know when an idea hits you. However, gone are the days when the designers carried around a rucksack with their sketching essentials.

In this tech savvy world, the app called Sketchbook Pro is all that they need to pen down their idea in a jiffy. With a wide range of pens, pencils, brushes and markers, the designers can scribble and draw their designs on a canvas of any size.

10. FontShop

When it comes to graphic designing, it is not just the design and the color that matter. The font of the design makes a huge difference too. Finding a font that is totally in sync with the design is no mean task and a time consuming one at that.

Using the FontShop tool helps the designers to choose from a wide variety of fonts and check how these would look when incorporated into their creation. This surely makes the task of imposing the best font with the design an easy one.

11. Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe has always been a blessing in disguise for all the graphic designers what with its tools like Photoshop, Indesign and Illustrator simplifying the whole designing process.

What is new is the Adobe Creative Cloud that allows the graphic designers to store all their favorite color palettes, graphics and typefaces in the cloud storage and use it for their future projects. This makes it easier for the designer to access all these tools when the new project begins, thus helping in saving a lot of time.

12. InPaint

Many a times, graphic designers download pictures from the World Wide Web and work around these to create something exemplary and unique. But sometimes these images may have a watermark which makes it difficult to alter and work on the image.

Up until now removing such a watermark was not an easy job. But with the InPaint tool, this has surely become a lot easier. The software has been specially designed for the purpose and can be easily downloaded. The designer just needs to open the photo in the software and click on the watermark to remove it. It should be noted that this software works not just on the watermark but on any object that the designer wishes to remove from the picture.

13. Adobe Edge Inspect

With smartphones and tablets having become the name of the game, most designers have got into the habit of scribbling on these. However, transferring these can sometimes be quite time consuming.

With Adobe Edge Inspect, the designer can pair his laptop or computer with the smartphone or tablet and browse these designs directly on them. What’s more this Adobe tool allows the designer to make changes to the original design through the synced in device. This is surely a dynamic tool that has made cross platform development easy and fun.

14. Grain Edit

Vintage illustrations never really go out of vogue which is why Grain Edit continues to remain on the list of “must-have” tools for graphic designers. A person who is clueless as to how to create a company logo with vintage designs can surely benefit from this.

The designs on this tool are inspired from the ’50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. The designers can choose the best designs and transform them into something unique. The tool also gives them a number of tips and ideas that can be inspiration enough for them.

15. Monitor Calibrator

It is of prime importance that the colors used by the designer look exactly the same when the design is finally printed out onto sheets of paper and other things. This is easier said than done.

Believe it or not, this is a true curse of the designing world as the colors always appear different in print thereby making matters complicated. Thanks to the monitor calibrator, this can now be easily rectified. This device can be attached to the monitor of the designer’s device. It then adjusts the brightness of the device in accordance to the brightness of the surroundings, thus giving the designer an accurate idea of the colors and saving him from “shady” blunders.

Conclusion

Graphic designing is definitely a tough job as it needs keeping the client’s specifications in mind, toning down one’s creativity to meet these needs and then coming up with a design that is unique and at the same time attractive. However, with these aforesaid tools and apps, the graphic designers are sure to get a helping hand in their day to day job.

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