iPad Pro Graphic Designer decision help - 12.9” iPP

[candyman]

Hey all,

Long time member, browse a lot, post on rare occasions... hoping for some info/feedback.

I own pretty much everything Apple and am fully entangled in the ecosystem, with the exception of an iPad. The last time I owned one was the original Mini.

I am a Professional Graphic Designer of 22 years and have used everything from the PowerMac 8600 and G3, Titanium PowerBook G4, the (OG cheese grater) PowerMac G5, to finally settling into the iMac family (currently using the 27" 5K from 2019).

I have always been attracted to the iPad, but always just found it to be a large screen iPhone. With iPad OS11 and the push to be more of a productivity device, I've really had my eyes on an iPad Pro. Then, when design software like Affinity Designer, Adobe, Pixelmator finally began providing native iPad OS apps for the device, I could sense it might be time to try and make it a mobile working device that would allow me to untether from my iMac and work away from my desk.

I am really interested in the current 12.9" iPad Pro right now with the Apple Pencil 2, and a basic keyboard folio case.

My question would be for those of you who are Graphic Designers (or maybe just design on the side for fun), what are your takes using the iPad to accomplish such tasks? I don't paint, and don't do illustrations. Mostly, my work consists of logo designs, print ads, business cards, vehicle wrap designs, etc. where there are plenty of layers and text involved.

I have used Adobe products since day one (primarily Photoshop, Illustrator, and inDesign), and am so engrained with keyboard shortcuts as well as a Wacom Intuos Pro tablet, that I wonder how difficult it would be to pick up using a slab of glass?

I appreciate your insights!

 

[macdogpro]

Quick answer is, no. Don’t rely solely on an iPad for heavy graphic design works.
Unless you do the usual stuffs on your desktop / laptop and would like to have the iPad as a fun light graphic design device, presentation tools, or on the go supervising device.

Too many limiting factor from file system management, professional apps limitation and availability that will stress you out.

I work on the creative industry, but I don‘t do design anymore. I use the iPad Pro as my main computer, but I only supervise graphic design output. Hence checking AI and PSD files is still manageable. But not creating and editing from scratch.

In my experience, the only proper Adobe products on the iPad is the newly released Illustrator and Acrobat Reader.
The others you have mentioned are either half baked like Photoshop, Lightroom, etc. or simply doesn’t exist like the Indesign.

On the brighter side, I use my iPad for fun - semi professional illustration / drawing tablet with Procreate app and Apple Pencil 2. And it’s a wonderful experience.

But 70% I do on the iPad are MS Office related task and YouTube content video editing.

 

[AutomaticApple]

I wonder how difficult it would be to pick up using a slab of glass?

I still wouldn't recommend an iPad for graphic design at the moment. Wait until the market matures.

 

[candyman]

Do you both see it as more of a limitation with the software right now and not the hardware? Isn’t the iPP kind of inline with the MBPros in performance, especially with the A12Z chip?

I foresee having this tablet for at least 3-4 years, so if iPad OS advances the way it has over the past couple of years, might is possibly reach that level to support and run full fledge applications?

 

[macdogpro]

Do you both see it as more of a limitation with the software right now and not the hardware? Isn’t the iPP kind of inline with the MBPros in performance, especially with the A12Z chip?

I foresee having this tablet for at least 3-4 years, so if iPad OS advances the way it has over the past couple of years, might is possibly reach that level to support and run full fledge applications?

Yes the hardware is above MBP with Intel chip and slightly under M1 chip.
But the limiting factors are not just about software. The way Apple intending iOS as a mobile platform really chokes the iPad’s potentials of becoming desktop / laptop replacement. RAM usage is not like on those platforms. Even 6gb is under used by the OS. Multitasking is no where near what it should be.
File management needs many work around to properly function.

I doubt it will mature in that rate, nor Apple foresee the iPad becoming that device. Even Apple’s own full fledge pro app like Final Cut and Logic are still nowhere to be found on iPadOS. I won’t let my hopes up 😐