Yes. This is my exact setup. 16” M1 Pro MacBook Pro connected to a used 4k 27” BenQ external display. It’s amazing!
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A Mac for graphic design
- Thread starter zoran
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The short answer is; 'it depends'. No seriously, it really does. 'Graphic Design' is a loose term that encompasses all sorts of aspects of work, from fine illustration to corporate branding. No graphic designer does everything; most specialise in fairly small niches, and get good at that. There are people who specialise in typography, and those who create complex cutaway illustrations of industrial machinery, for example. So each designer will have their own unique set of requirements as to what equipment they need, including computers. Things like screen size may be more important to some than others; those working with large complex pieces of work might like a large screen, whilst those working on smaller or simpler elements might be fine with a laptop. I produced logos and corporate branding for small businesses, some years ago, and did quite a lot of work on an iMac G3 with a 15" CRT display. It was a little cramped, I have to admit, and I was pleased to move to a MacPro with a 19" display. As screens got larger and tech improved, I ended up being happy with a 24" screen, so I'm very happy with my 24" M1 iMac. I did try a 28", but that felt just a little too large. Everyone has their own preferences. I know people who work with others in teams, and who often use large displays (like massive tellies, 85"+, and projection screens) for discussing projects. Many like to have a large 27"+ screen at their workstation, so that others can see what they're doing more easily, or they like to have multiple palettes and things on screen. Some like multiple screens. I personally don't like too much distraction, so a relatively 'small' screen is just right. I've just done a quick bit of video editing, and felt no need for anything larger. I do know a video editor who uses a ultra wide screen just for his timeline window. So; horses for courses.
If portability is important, then of course a laptop is the best choice. For many fields of design, even a basic MacBook Air will have more than adequate 'power' to produce all kinds of wonderful creative things. Obviously you can plug into a larger display if so needed. I run Illustrator, Photoshop etc with no issues at all on my iMac. Perhaps get the max RAM so you can work with multiple apps at once. But tbh, even an iPad will often do the job in terms of computing power. If you get into complex multi-layered Photoshop and that, or 3D stuff, then perhaps something like the Studio will be a better bet. But the TL;DR: version is to choose something that suits the work you will be doing. Vector graphics work using Illustrator or similar, won't be as demanding as other tasks.
So in conclusion, the answer is 'how long is a piece of string'.
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I work with Adobe all day long. Main app is Indesign and use Illustrator and Photoshop as supporting apps for what I do in Indesign. For specs any new computer is going to do well. I still work mainly on my 2014 5K iMac. Now this was a maxed out machine in it's day but it is getting close to 10 years old now and still running strong. My secondary computer is a 14" M1 Max. Amazing machine in every way. I would say specs are not super important this day as I don't notice massive differences between my M1 Max with 32 gigs of ram and my 5K iMac from 2014. Yes the M1 Max kills it on anything CPU intensive and is much much faster exporting, especially doing variable data. Working in Indesign itself I don't notice massive speed differences between the two computers, both run amazingly well and boot up incredibly quick thanks to the SSD's.
A 27" screen is a great size. I would not spend a fortune on an Apple display or anything in that range unless you are doing serious colour critical work that involves calibrating your monitor. Most print shops are not even calibrated and go for the "pleasing" colour look. A 27" screen allows you to also work on 8.5 x 11 (standard N. American paper size) at 100% size which is great.
A 27" screen is a great size. I would not spend a fortune on an Apple display or anything in that range unless you are doing serious colour critical work that involves calibrating your monitor. Most print shops are not even calibrated and go for the "pleasing" colour look. A 27" screen allows you to also work on 8.5 x 11 (standard N. American paper size) at 100% size which is great.
Graphic Designer here and I'm using the latest versions of Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. My previous setup was a 27" 4K (Philips 276e8vjsb) and a 2016 15" MacBook Pro and both served my design needs well for the most part. Whether it was creating large PSD files for billboard creative or multi-page brochures, my old setup handled it well. Heck, I was even creating magazine spreads on just a 2011 15" MBP screen in InDesign when I was younger and while it wasn't the best experience, it still got the job done for me.
I've since upgraded to a M1 Max Mac Studio and Studio Display and both are overkill for Graphic Design. I bought them for other reasons besides Graphic Design but it just further reinforced my belief that you don't need a crazy expensive machine or monitor for Graphic Design.
These would be my recommendations if you were looking to buy a new computer and monitor. These are a bit general though as I would need to know more about your needs in order to give you a better option.
I've since upgraded to a M1 Max Mac Studio and Studio Display and both are overkill for Graphic Design. I bought them for other reasons besides Graphic Design but it just further reinforced my belief that you don't need a crazy expensive machine or monitor for Graphic Design.
These would be my recommendations if you were looking to buy a new computer and monitor. These are a bit general though as I would need to know more about your needs in order to give you a better option.
- If you want the best value in terms of sharpness, color, performance and pricing, the M1 iMac is hands down the best option.
- The main downsides is that 24" might be a bit small so it depends on your personal preference
- You're also stuck with the screen and computer if you wanted to upgrade in the future.
- Next best option is a M1 or M2 Mac Mini with a color accurate monitor
- Would recommend at least 16 GB of RAM.
- Monitor size is up to you. Some prefer a 27" size while others prefer working on a larger 32" display. Heck, some even prefer working on an Ultrawide.
- If you need portability, then I would opt for the M1 or M2 MacBook Air with a color accurate monitor.
- If you want your machine to last a bit longer and don't mind spending extra, the M2 Pro Mac Mini is looking like a great value purchase. It also already comes with 16 GB of RAM as well. I would opt for that and any color accurate monitor.
All I could say, whatever you get for processing M1/M2, mini/MBP/Studio, you should consider to invest a proper screen. 27 or 32 inch screens are ok. I believe what you need is correct color represent, as possible as wide color coverage, multi on screen color represent selection options like sRGB/RGB/Gama selections extc. and addition to screen, you can consider to add an ipad pro or a wacom/wacom cintiq ( or close to wacom as possible as you can afford ) which you prefer. It looks pricey but you could save a lot by choosing a mac mini, you can change it in the future. If it is not enough for your computing demands. I believe your main gear will be your screen and additions.
I'd say that MacBook Pros are excellent desktop replacements. An M2 Pro 14" would probably be my choice if my use case scenario was going to be home office based with a modicum of outside commute. Where I'd have an issue with that, though, is if I was hawking around my main business machine with me all the time, thus increasing the wear-and-tear and the other grief that goes with having an expensive non-working Mac at any stage, especially as it's my only one. Having a home desktop (M2 Pro mini) and a laptop (M1 MBP) for when portability is handy has always been my way. If all I needed was the convenience of being able to work at my desk upstairs, on the couch downstairs or in bed, I'd main it on a laptop with an external display on my desk.
I recently purchased a Benq 2k monitor that adjusts to both my mac mini and macbook air.
for retouching graphic design files, im now using affinity design to retouch older psd files with a xpen pad and stylus
which is fast, accurate and can zoom into crips detail.
the price was great and they shipped that out within a week.
i hoped this helped!