Thanks to technology we now have so many new forms of entertainment – whether that be video games, TV shows we can stream on all devices, or playing the lottery with a bonus code after reading the Powerball Lotto Bonus Code Review. However, technology also gifted us with new professions such as that of a graphic designer. In order to be a successful graphic designer, you need to use proper tools. While all of us have our preferences on the matter, here are a few you have to master in order to be more adaptable in the future. Here are some of the must-have tools for graphic designers.
Hardware
In order to finish projects quickly and efficiently, you need a powerful machine. If you are not skilled at building your own computer, aim towards combinations with powerful graphics cards and lots of RAM and processing power. Any designer will tell you that they need to use a lot of resources and the proper hardware is the only way to achieve this, especially when you are tackling multiple projects at once or even multiple elements of the same project.
The hardware you need to have includes a desktop computer, a monitor (though having more than one is certainly better), a laptop for projects on the go, a tablet, a camera, a mobile phone, and a sketch pad. It is possible to be a designer without some of these, but you will be far more efficient if all are in place.
Software
Some people hear the phrase ‘graphic designer’ and think it’s a sketch artist. While being able to sketch things immediately is a great talent, a real designer needs to do much more. To properly manipulate the element and come up with good a design, you need the software that will allow you to combine and manipulate the illustrations, like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
It’s not just the photos you need to watch out for. Text, clip art, and anything else that might facilitate your work must come into play. That means that it is necessary to open accounts with some of the online services, like Canva.
Finally, to put it all where it needs to go without a hitch, you need to know a bit of programming or at least have some software that makes it easier to manipulate the elements on a web page. Some people swear by Adobe Dreamweaver, though there are plenty of options if you know where to look.
Pen and Paper
Remember when I said that a graphic designer is more than a sketch artist? Well, this is still one of your responsibilities. You need to have a pen and some paper with you at all times in order to be ready when inspiration strikes. It is also a useful tool if you need to come up with a design on the fly, especially in front of prospective clients. Sketches for logos and layout of the page or poster are the necessary first step of creation.
This also ties quite nicely with the previous entries. If you have a sketch pad and the proper pen, you can show your work with more professionalism and better relate your ideas to clients and partners, or even just to yourself, having sketching tools that create something you can immediately incorporate into your project is mandatory.