Based on your comment I don't know how much you will split between design and dev, but if you will be doing any dev at all (and I suspect you will) I suggest you install Homebrew as it will greatly simplify the process of installing a great many useful tools. It also allows you to install native Mac apps. Jun 23, 2020 Preview is a useful app if you don’t want to create full-fledged, complex images. If you are a professional with a few years of experience, you should select more powerful third-party drawing apps for Mac. That’s all, designers! Final Stroke Every art form demands precision. In your efforts to achieve excellence, use the apps every day.
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Mac OS X is a popular platform for developers and designers of all stripes. Apple has always had strength in the graphic design market, but even before Apple's shift to Intel processors in 2006, developers started migrating to Mac OS X.
Mac OS X is a popular choice because it combines the power of BSD and other UNIX and UNIX-like systems with an elegant user interface. Mac OS X comes with Apache, PHP, Python, Ruby, and Subversion already installed, which makes it easy to turn a factory-fresh Mac into a local test server.
There is also a really robust and talented community of developers for Mac OS X, making some of the best apps around for designers and developers alike. Apps like Coda, CSSEdit, TextMate, Acorn, Pixelmator and LittleSnapper are just some of the many apps we love to use when designing or developing projects for the web.
As the end of summer approaches, we wanted to highlight six more Mac apps that have been released in the last few month for developers and designers.
1. Flux 3 - ₤69.99 for new users, ₤34.99 for upgrades
Indie shop The Escapers just released version 3.0 of its fantastic website design program, Flux. I like to think of Flux 3 as Dreamweaver reimagined.
It offers a visual and code-based approach to page design, along with support for plugins and code snippets, support for HTML5 and HTML5 video, ePub, WebKit transforms and other effects, and the Google Font API.
All of this power comes in an app that is easy to visually navigate or to edit as raw code. There is a learning curve, but once you've spent some time with the app, it's easy to use to create and manage projects.
2. Gitbox - Free
One of the great things about the version control system Git is that it is super simple and super lightweight. Git was designed for the terminal, and oftentimes, the terminal is the fastest way to commit or merge changes.
Sometimes, however, it can be faster or more comfortable to add a visual element to the process. This can be especially useful if you are changing folder or file names or frequently switching between different places on your desktop.
Gitbox is a lightweight, single-window client for Git that makes it easy to see branches, commit, pull, merge and push all with a single click. It also supports diff viewing in either FileMerge.app or Kaleidoscope.
3. Kaleidoscope - €29
Kaleidoscope is from Made By Sofa and it's a file comparison application that goes above and beyond a simple diff viewer.
Not only can you compare text files or code blocks, you can also compare images. If you're working on a web coding or design project and you need to quickly view the changes between two versions of the same file, Kaleidoscope might just be your go-to tool.
It supports multiple layouts, syntax highlighting and searching, and multiple image formats. It can integrate with version control systems like Subversion, Git, Mercurial and others via the command-line or drag-and-drop, and the app is super fast.
4. Xmplify - Free while in beta
Digital signage app for mac. If you work with a lot of XML, you might want to give Xmplify a closer look. It's a new app that is still in beta that makes editing XML and XSLT (XSL transformations) files really easy.
On the XSLT side, the program includes a Web Preview feature that shows a live look at the XHTML document created by the XSLTs.
You can also search using both XPath and by using regular expressions.
5. Loremify - Free
Loremify is a Dashboard Widget that can quickly and painlessly generate Lorem Impsum style text in the length and style that you specify.
This can be really useful when needing text blocks for filler content while creating a design. You can specify how many words and how many characters for a paragraph, header or list. You can also choose to automatically insert HTML tags into the generator, which makes the tool that much easier for using when designing in a browser or in a text editor.
6. Slammer - $20
More and more web designers are using grids, either of their own creation or something like the 960 Grid System, to create really flexible and great-looking layouts.
Slammer is a tool for applying and modifying grids to your designs or to existing content anywhere on your Mac. The app is an overlay that you can use on documents, web pages, images, previews, and the list goes on.
Useful Mac Apps For Designers Free
You can then customize the grid, get a feel for dimensions and pixel placements, and alter the layout of the grid to see how your content aligns.
Best video editing software for apple mac. You can then export your own templates as a JSON file that you can integrate with your designs or use pre-made templates for certain grid systems to use with future projects.
Eyetv 3 software für mac. Basically Slammer is an interactive virtual blueprint maker that you can use for your web designs. You can try the app for 30 hours with no restrictions.
Bonus: Courier
Courier from Realmac Software won't be available for another week or so, but as you can see from the awesome teaser video (above), it's a utility that will likely appeal to many developers and designers.
Realmac is the same team behind RapidWeaver, LittleSnapper and Socialite, and they know how to deliver a Mac app that's feature-packed and easy on the eyes.
I've been beta-testing Courier and really love the app. Keep your eyes peeled for this one!
Your Thoughts?
What are some of your favorite Mac apps for design and development? Let us know!
Top free photo editing software mac. Series supported by Rackspace
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More Dev & Design Resources from Mashable:
- HOW TO: Implement Google Font API on Your Website - Top 10 Accessories for Typography Nuts [PICS] - 40+ Web Design and Development Resources for Beginners - 10 Tools for Getting Web Design Feedback - 10 Free Wireframing Tools for Designers
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, David Benkovic
BestiPad for Graphic DesignersiMore2020
Graphic designers have a few choices when it comes to purchasing an Apple iPad. Our No. 1 choice is the fourth-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which offers the largest display you can buy with the best internals. We've gathered other noteworthy models to help you choose the one that fits your needs best.
Best Overall: 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2020)
Now in its fourth-generation, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2020) is Apple's largest and most feature-packed tablet to date. Featuring an all-screen design that's also shared with the 11-inch iPad Pro, this model supports the second-generation Apple Pencil and comes with an A12Z Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture and embedded M12 coprocessor.
The Liquid Retina display features industry-leading color accuracy that generates smooth, distortion-free edges. Throw in True Tone, which automatically adjusts the white balance to make the screen look more natural, and it's clear this is the best choice for creatives.
The 2020 iPad Pro models are the first to include a LiDAR Scanner. Though not necessarily for graphic designers, the feature works with the device's pro cameras, motion sensors, and frameworks to measure depth. This combination makes iPad Pro great for augmented reality.
Do you need more reasons to select this tablet? The latest iPad Pro includes ProMotion technology that adjusts the display's refresh rate based on what you're doing. In doing so, it offers the most responsive performance possible, which is easy to recognize when illustrating or playing a game.
Two reasons not to consider this tablet: The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the most expensive Apple tablet to date, with prices ranging from $999 to $1,899, depending on your configuration. Also: A third-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro is nearly the same and now at a discounted price (see below).
Pros:
Cons:
Best Overall12.9-inch iPad Pro (2020)
The largest and best you can buy
Mac logitech webcam software quit unexpectedly. When you want a lot of space and the best internals, this is the tablet to buy.
Source: Rene Ritchie / iMore
If you love everything about the 12.9-inch iPad Pro but its large size, there's the second-generation 11-inch iPad Pro. This tablet has the same internals as our top pick but within a smaller footprint. Inside, you'll find a blazing-fast A12Z Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture and Neural Engine.
Like the larger iPad, the 11-inch iPad Pro is expensive, ranging in price from $799 to $1,699. And like the larger model, the 11-inch iPad Pro (2020) isn't that much different than the previous model, which is now being offered at a discount (see below)
Useful Mac Apps For Designers 2017Pros:
Cons:
Runner Up11-inch iPad Pro (2020)
More portable choice
If you feel overwhelmed by the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but want the same specs, this is the iPad you should consider.
Source: iMore
Offering an A12 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture and Neural Engine, and embedded M12 coprocessor, the third-generation iPad Air packs a punch for much less than the iPad Pro lineup. Featuring a 10.5-inch display, the tablet is a terrific choice for creatives looking for a new tablet on a budget. The iPad Air supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, which makes it possible to sketch, draw, and design with ease.
On the downsize, the iPad Air maxes out at 256GB versus 1TB for the iPad Pro models. If you plan on saving lots of design work on your tablet. Plus, a 2020 model could arrive soon. These are crucial points to keep in mind.
Pros:
Cons:
Best ValueiPad Air (2019)
Do you feel the Air?
Apple's newest iPad Air is packed full of features and enhancements and comes highly recommended.
Source: iMore
On the day Apple revealed the third-generation iPad Air, it also introduced the first new iPad mini since 2015. Weighing just 0.68 pounds, the iPad mini, includes nearly everything you can find on the latest iPad Air, but in a smaller body.
The 7.9-inch tablet has the same A12 chip for better performance, a True Tone display, first-generation Apple Pencil support, and also comes in 64GB and 256GB storage capacities.
Pros:
Useful Mac Apps For Designers Windows 10Cons:
Best for PortabilityiPad mini (2019)
The small one
When convenience and portability matter, consider the 7.9-inch iPad mini. Download free iphone 4 ringtones for your mobile phone.
Best Alternatives: 11-inch iPad Pro (2018) and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2018)
The third-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro and first-generation 11-inch iPad are very similar to the newer models. Both, however, ship without a LiDAR Scanner and come with an A12X Bionic chip. Watch for discounts for this 2-year-old models.
Pros:
Best Alternatives11-inch iPad Pro (2018) and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2018)
Nearly the best you can buy
Look for an impressive deal on either of these 2018 iPad Pro models. You'll save a lot of money and still get a terrific high-end tablet
Bottom line
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2020) is Apple's largest and most feature-rich tablet to date. Because of this, it's our choice for best iPad for graphic designers. The all-display tablet includes an A12Z Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture and Neural Engine and embedded M12 coprocessor. It supports the second-generation Apple Pencil and includes a USB-C port.
Keep in mind, however, this tablet is going to cost you. However, because it's a 2020 model, it's going to stick around for a while. Regardless, happy drawing!
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Bryan M. Wolfe is a dad who loves technology, especially anything new from Apple. Penn State (go Nittany Lions) graduate here, also a huge fan of the New England Patriots. Thanks for reading. @bryanmwolfe
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USB-C headphones you can trust with your trusted iPad Pro
The iPad Pro has ditched the headphone jack! Want to use headphones with your iPad Pro? Here are the best USB-C headphones options out there.
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