For those who are considering an Apple MacBook or Apple iPad for Graphic Design will be happy to know that they are investing in one of the best designed, user-friendly laptops on the planet as Apple takes a lot of pride in the quality of their products. Macs have been the preferred choice of graphics designers worldwide, mainly due to their high colour accuracy, image quality and ease of use. The Macs high-end Retina displays make graphic design work not only easier but much more accurate.
Here is an overview of the 3 Best Apple MacBook’s best suited for Graphic Design.
Our 3 Best Handpicked Apple MacBook’s for Graphic Designers:
MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
The Apple MacBook Pro series is hugely popular with creatives in any possible field and graphic designers are no different. This is mainly thanks to the excellent build quality, stand out design and power. The 16-inch MacBook Pro is the peak of Apple perfection.
Specifications
| CPU | 9th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9 |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon Pro 5300M – Radeon Pro 5500M |
| RAM | 16GB – 64GB |
| Screen | 16-inch Retina display with True Tone |
| Storage | 512GB – 8TB SSD |
The 16-inch MacBook Pro comes with a much larger screen than its predecessors (15-inch models) which in turn gives Graphic Designers much more space to work with. Moreover – even though the screen sized up, it stayed super slim and light! The increased resolution only adds to the perks by making any design look its absolute best.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Stunning 16-inch screen | Limited to four Thunderbolt 3 ports |
| New and improved keyboard |
Topping off all the pros is the update hardware, with a powerful Intel processors and professional graphics cards from AMD making this Laptop any designers wildest dream!
MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)
For graphic designers who want a MacBook Pro but the above mentioned 16-inch model is just too large, the MacBook Pro 13-inch is a fantastic choice. Apple launched the new MacBook Pro 13-inch model with the hardware receiving a huge overhaul.
Specifications
| CPU | Apple M1 chip with 8‑core CPU |
| Graphics | Integrated 8-core GPU |
| RAM | 8GB – 16GB unified memory |
| Screen | 13.3-inch 2560 x 1600 LED-backlit Retina display |
| Storage | 256GB – 2TB SSD |
| Dimensions | (H x W x D): 30.41 x 21.24 x 1.56 cm |
The MacBook Pro 13-inch comes with Apple’s M1 chip (rather than an Intel processor), which allows users to easily edit 4K – and even 8K – content all whilst running demanding graphical apps as well.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent Battery Life | Lacks in available ports |
| Great Overall Performance | |
| Able to run iOS apps |
Above all, the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) boasts the longest battery life of any MacBook, which makes it perfect for designers on the go.
Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
Apple really does make and offer up some of the best laptops for graphic designers and the Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) definitely deserves a place on this list. This reason being, the Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) comes with the same ARM-based Apple M1 chip as the more expensive MacBook Pro 13-inch.
Specification
| CPU | Apple M1 |
| Graphics | Integrated 7-core /8-core GPU |
| RAM | 8GB – 16GB |
| Screen | 13.3-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,600 LED-backlit display with IPS technology |
| Storage | 256GB – 2TB SSD |
| Dimensions | 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.63 inches (30.41 x 21.24 x 1.61cm; W x D x H) |
The Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) has a fan less design which means it can keep up with the MacBook Pro, being silent in use whilst doing so.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Silent to use | Old Design |
| Steller battery life |
The Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) supports the P3 colour gamut which results in accurate colour display. Furthermore, the thin, light design and amazing battery life makes it easy to use on the go.
What to look for when buying an Apple MacBook.
Performance
Every MacBook which is released by Apple comes standard with at least 8GB of RAM. Even though this is more than enough power for basic everyday tasks, it may not be suited for the purpose of Graphic Designing and aiming for 16 GB – 32 GB will be best.
Display
One of the top selling points of a MacBook is their proprietary retina displays which makes absolutely everything on screen look sharp and colour accurate. The good news for designers is that these screens are able to display almost 100 percent of the sRGB colour gamut, which in turn makes an accurate design much easier to achieve.
Ports
Most laptops released by Apple now uses one of two port options, namely USB-C or Thunderbolt 3. When it comes to the MacBook, users will want at least two ports available in order to charge their machine whilst having a peripheral plugged into the other port.
Weight and size
Portability is key in the design industry and Apple laptops are designed with this in mind. Apple laptops are thin, lightweight and easy to carry.
Battery Life
The lifespan of a laptop battery should be able to last at least 8 hours with normal use. However, this can obviously be affected depending on the type of software used.
Price
If you’re looking for a laptop which falls in a low-price bracket, Apple is not it. However, the quality of the product that is on offer does indeed justify the price.
In Conclusion
The Apple brand is well trusted with a long tradition of offering quality products which are built to last and excel. Any of the options featured above are nothing less than excellent, and fully worth any graphic designers consideration.
