Best affordable equipment for graphic designers

Written By kwaku Amprako

When designing, it’s necessary that you have the right equipment to carry out work effectively and have an efficient workflow. It’s more than understandable to have a low budget when starting out. There are certainly a list of particular hardware devices such as keyboards, mice and monitors that may give you advantage as a designer. Here is the recommended affordable equipment you need as a graphic designer.

Computer/ Specs

Whatever creative field you are in, the recommended software to use is Adobe Creative Suite. With a large range of programs such as photoshop, illustrator, dimensions, Xd, InDesign and more, these programmes are considered to be industry standard. The programs also require a fair amount of power to run so it’s important you are aware of what the specs a computer holds before purchasing. Below you will find a list recommended specifications of your system depending on the use:

Photography: Photoshop (retouching)

  • 16 GB or more of RAM

  • CPU: Intel or AMD processor (64-bit Support)

  • 2.7 GHz or more processor

Design: Illustrator (logos/illustrations)

  • CPU: Multicore Intel Processor (32/64-Bit Support)

  • 4 GB RAM for 32 bit

  • 16 GB RAM for 64 bit

Animation: After Effects (motion/ animation)

  • CPU: Multicore Intel Processor (64-bit support)

  • CPU: 64-bit eight core

  • 16 GB memory (at least)

  • 4 GB GPU VRAM

Mouse

Now, assuming you are looking to purchase a laptop, the next thing to consider is a mouse. Of course a laptop has an inbuilt track-pad, however, this isn’t the best for efficiency compared to using an actual mouse. The best mouse on the market for designers provide you with extra features such as back and forth buttons, horizontal scrolling and gestures. The Logitech mouse are definitely the best for creatives as it offers many features especially the horizontal scroll. Below you can find a list in order of the best mouse for a designer:

  • Logitech Mx Master 3

  • Logitech Mx Master 2

  • Apple magic mouse 2

  • Microsoft Surface Mouse

  • Logitech Mx Vertical

Monitor

Now you have your computer and keyboard, you may decide to go bigger and improve your workflow further. Monitors allow you to multitask as the screen as larger which enables you to use programs side by side. Also, the best affordable monitors enable you to see colours correctly, which are likely to be IPS monitors. Side note, if you are also into gaming, you may have to sacrifice MS response time and go with colour quality, due to having the combined to leads to a dramatic increase in price. Here are the recommended affordable monitors:

  • Dell 2719H

  • Dell UT417H

  • Acer R240HY

  • Asus PA248QV

  • ViewSonic VP2468

Keyboard

A keyboard will certainly be needed after purchasing a monitor. If you have a laptop, It is recommended that you go with the same brand keyboard as your computer. This is because by now, you are probably use to the size and layout of your laptops built in keyboard. There maybe times where you will travel or work away from home so its best to stick with a similar keyboard. Depending on which computer you have, here is a list of the recommended keyboards:

  • HP K1500 Keyboard

  • Dell Premier Keyboard & mouse KM717

  • Anker Universal Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard

  • Logitech Craft

Tablet

Lastly, to spice up your work flow further, a tablet can really bridge the creative gap between you and your computer system. If your are someone that uses paper than maybe you want to stick with that, but if you are someone who prefers being paperless, then a tablet such as an iPad pro maybe the best option. An iPad pro is almost like a note pad and laptop all in one. The mobility is great, and also has very useful applications such as procreate which allows you to paint and sketch. This is highly recommended as it can honestly take your design process to another level. Here is a list of recommended tablets:

  • iPad Pro 32GB 1st Gen

  • Huion H610 Pro

  • Wacom Intuos CTL4100

  • Huion H950P

What should I purchase first?

Assuming you are around 0-4 years in as a designer, and want to completely create a whole new work setup, it maybe best to purchase everything in the order above. At each item listed is at an affordable price but still industry standard, it will certainly ensure your progression as a designer as well as carrying out effective client work. If you are not looking to purchase everything just yet, then a computer with the minimum specs required will do just about enough.

kwaku Amprako
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