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M3 MacBook Air for Graphic Designer

FrankySavvy

FrankySavvy

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Mar 4, 2010
1,622
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Long Island, NY
So as a freelance Graphic Designer who mostly does branding, logo design, vector illustration, package design, page layout, digital banners and web design.

Do you think the 16gb M3 MacBook Air is more than powerful enough?

I just think the MacBook Pro is overkill and the Air has the more portable design.

Thanks!
 
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I'm working off a 2016 2Ghz Dual-Core Intel i5 and I'm looking to upgrade too. My mac is slowing down, but it still can handle most tasks. Yes the fan spins up and yes, it gets hot. I run Illustrator, Indesign and Photoshop at once. But the machine struggles when working with larger illustrator (3d) and photoshop files.

I'm also wondering about the power of the M3 Macbook Air. Most reviews lean towards video editing and I just want a Graphic Design review.

Interested to see what people say on this thread.
 
FrankySavvy said:
I just think the MacBook Pro is overkill and the Air has the more portable design.
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As a freelance graphic designer, max out the machine, and make a business tax deduction.

The Air would be fine but I would think the Pro would be better. At least 16 Gig, but go for more. Max out the Air at 24 Gig. The air is lighter for traveling, but dealing with graphics I would opt for the Pro to get the better display. If you decide on the Pro, get 32 Gig of memory and at least a 1TB SSD.

Just my opinion, others may think differently. Ultimately, it is your decision, not mine.
 
I'm connected to a monitor 80% of the time, so the screen isn't a big deal, nor is ports and definitely not speakers.

Travelling, coffee shops and office shares are important.
 
mrlangley said:
I'm working off a 2016 2Ghz Dual-Core Intel i5 and I'm looking to upgrade too. My mac is slowing down, but it still can handle most tasks. Yes the fan spins up and yes, it gets hot. I run Illustrator, Indesign and Photoshop at once. But the machine struggles when working with larger illustrator (3d) and photoshop files.

I'm also wondering about the power of the M3 Macbook Air. Most reviews lean towards video editing and I just want a Graphic Design review.

Interested to see what people say on this thread.
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I understand that alot of reviewers are YouTubers, but if I have to listen to another review of the computer mainly talking about video editing, I am going to jump into a lake HAHA.

I am deciding on keeping my 14" Pro or going 13.6" MacBook Air. I just love the form factor of the Air, it looks and feels like the future.

I understand the pro has a better display, speakers etc. Its really about the form factor and if the performance can keep up with the typical Graphic Designer needs of InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator or in my case the Affinity suite of products Photo, Designer and Publisher.
 
I've watched this guy on YouTube and thats the only Graphic Design review I can find. It's certainly a tough decision. Apple does have a great return policy so it could be worth testing for 2 weeks.
 
I worked in desktop publishing and graphics for few years, Illustrator and Photoshop, technical illustrations, graphic art, logos, fonts, layout and design.
Yes, MBA m3 even in base configuration will be enough for your job.
For information, I am using now 14 inch M3 Macbook Pro, but that's because I now mostly work in video and audio. Graphics are way less demanding even if your open huge Photoshop files, it aint 5 layers of 4k video with effect.
I'd say go for 15 inch MBA if you are in design, you will appreciate large display yet light weight.
 
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Yeah, I'm working mostly in Illustrator, Indesign and Photoshop. Lately when exporting large Indesign files as High REs PDFs, the CPU and fans on my 2017 Macbook Pro are on fire!

Most of my photoshop files are multi artboard with a bunch of layer. Biggest I would say would be a 2GB max.

I work mostly attached to a USBC monitor but want to start working remotely more. So a smaller, lighter Macbook would be nice. But I don't want to screw myself over by getting the wrong model.

If I got the MBA would you recommend 16gb or 24gb?
 
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mrlangley said:
Yeah, I'm working mostly in Illustrator, Indesign and Photoshop. Lately when exporting large Indesign files as High REs PDFs, the CPU and fans on my 2017 Macbook Pro are on fire!

Most of my photoshop files are multi artboard with a bunch of layer. Biggest I would say would be a 2GB max.

I work mostly attached to a USBC monitor but want to start working remotely more. So a smaller, lighter Macbook would be nice. But I don't want to screw myself over by getting the wrong model.

If I got the MBA would you recommend 16gb or 24gb?
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16GB would be enough, even 8GB would be doable but a bit slower. If you don't open 30 chrome tabs, and prefer to work in single window, 8GB would be fine as well. For multitasking and export of say 30 photoshop files at once, 16GB
 
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FrankySavvy said:
@mrlangley It has been amazing so far. I went with the 15". Battery life and speakers are amazing. I really don't see a huge difference in the display in basic computing tasks between my work M1 Max MBP and the MacBook Air. The form factor is ridiculous, this is how every computer should feel like.
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Despite how expensive they are, I really do think the Airs are underrated. Super powerful and super slim.
 
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Hey, @FrankySavvy I'm in a similar boat to you - I'm a Freelance Designer with all the same types of project work you listed. I agree, for me on the surface the Pro seems a bit overkill also. I need something for (the rare occasion) when I am away from my desk - How are you finding the MacBook Air, how are the Adobe programs running? (I'm looking at the MacBook Air 13-In (M3))
 
I actually found a good price on the refurbished store and went for a Macbook Pro M3 Pro with 36GB of RAM. I've been running Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign without any issues. I don't find the size and weight anything crazy either. Strange how you adapt. Oh, battery life is incredible. I don't think I've taken a charger with me once when I've worked away from the office for the day.
 
@FrankySavvy
It sounds like the 16GB M3 MacBook Air is more than enough for your graphic design needs, especially with the added portability for your freelance work. The MacBook Pro might be overkill for your tasks, and the Air should handle InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator smoothly. Plus, the lightweight design is a definite bonus for working on the go!
 
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