13 Reasons why I don’t use an iPad Pro & Apple Pencil for graphic design

        Butwal,I hear some graphic designers have started using an iPad for creative work. But why? I guess it might be okay for drawing since it’s thin and light and you can buy a stylus for it, but there are so many other pen-computing options available, and there are so many other aspects of graphic design that software available for the iPad seriously fails at.

1. Photoshop on iPad isn’t real Photoshop

        A few years ago, there was a lot of hype about Adobe's introduction of real Adobe Photoshop to the iPad. When it was released, all articles about it had the headline "Adobe brings real Photoshop to the iPad," and in the first paragraph it wasn't real Photoshop, but a subset of features compared to the Photoshop version. I explained that it is limited. It is usually used in macOS and Windows. There are many missing features! Not even the same menu. Forget all the advanced stuff like channel manipulation and custom plugins.

2. No InDesign or decent Typography design for that matter

        Bringing font collections to iPad is not easy. 1980s fonts still work on macOS and Windows, but getting them to the iPad is not an easy task. We switched from QuarkExpress to InDesign at the turn of the century. And InDesign was an integral part of almost every graphic design business related to printing. Create a data merge template that interacts with the database tables to always create an autoprint layout. Use the global regular expression print programming style to create typographic formatting rules for the entire document. None of the iPad graphics apps I've seen so far can be done remotely.

3. Lack of my preferred apps

        Except for big ones like Adobe CC, none of the other high-end design programs I normally use or want to use are available on the iPad. Affinity Designer may be one exception, but still ... what about 3D animation / design programs such as Maya, Lightwave, Blender and Dimensions? Can you design 3D exhibition mockups, environmental design engravings, product packaging, or billboards on your iPad? It's unlikely, and certainly not easy.

Often, in web design, electronic environmental design displays, kiosks, and social media posts, you want to create animations that help you display information. Adobe After Effects and all those 3D programs are great for this too. Again ... it's not really possible on the iPad Pro.

4. Photo editing & culling

As a graphic designer, I also take a lot of pictures. You may need to set a still image of food in your shooting tent or any kind of packaged product. Or you could shoot an event, build a mockup of a sign, build a mockup of a sign, interact with people, or take a headshot of a person. Or an emergency response setup for the American Red Cross during the 9/11 aftermath. Websites and printed matter rely on photographs. Often I'm on location and may need to do photo editing on the spot while shooting.
The client may want to post an article during a meeting immediately after the session ends, or may want to perform culling immediately. Adobe Lightroom on the iPad is actually pretty good, except that it's still limited. The most annoying thing is that you have to "import" the entire library before you can start anything. With Wacom MobileStudio Pro, which you usually shoot remotely, you can open Adobe Bridge, point to an SD card slot, and start culling and editing right away. And it has the same interface as my desktop workstation!
I've been using Bridge before Adobe announced it, which is one of the reasons I like Bridge over regular Lightroom. Another reason is that it's faster because you don't have to import the file into the database. The second most annoying thing about Lightroom on iOS is that you can only work with one photo at a time, while on macOS or Windows you can apply changes to a huge number of RAW files at the same time. On Linux, I also enjoy Darktable and RawTherapee, but there's no iPad equivalent.
When it comes to tethering for photography, iOS is also a bit weak. The Nikon Camera Control app used on iOS is a bit terrible. However, my Windows tablet has a very nice qDSLR Dashboard program that works very beautifully. qDslrDashboard is also open source and has versions for macOS, Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi and Android ... there was an iOS version, but it was removed by Apple.

5. Goofy foreign UI designs relative to what I’m used to

Illustrator Draw on the iPad is not like Illustrator on Windows or macOS, nor is it another Illustrator app called Illustrator for the iPad. Why do you need two more? I've been using Illustrator for decades and the iPad version is quite different from what I'm used to. It's completely different and most of the features I depend on are completely lacking.

Illustrator Draw also relies on undiscoverable gestures that are known to require more cognitive energy to remember, but more obvious user interface designs require less cognitive energy. That said, the interface of Illustrator on macOS and Windows has been very consistent since Illustrator 7.0 in 1997. You can switch between macOS and Windows all day long, and the Illustrator user interface has been the same for 24 years between the two platforms. However, Illustrator Draw and Illustrator on the iPad are completely different. Plus ... Illustrator on Windows has a "touch" workspace that allows for a great touch and a pen-friendly user interface. Do you think the UI is the same as the iPad Illustrator touch UI? It's not. You are welcome.

This applies not only to Photoshop for iPad, but also to Premiere Rush and all other Adobe apps on the iPad. It turns out that the Photoshop for iPad interface is badly designed in the sense that it's "easy to learn." I've been using real photography for 26 years and I can't recognize the interface of the iPad version. I didn't even know how to paste the image. What the hell is that big white round button? Why should we invest in learning these mysterious flesh user interfaces that break consistency when app features don't even approach the desktop equivalent anyway?

6. Using an iPad Pro as a companion device doesn’t make sense

I've heard that some justify using the iPad for graphic design as a companion to a full-desktop Mac or PC. It can be used as a pen display for desktop computers with some additional software, but desktops already have a much better pen display. You can also use it to do some things locally while syncing files to your desktop computer for more complex tasks. It's all working fine, but you can also do it on your Macbook or Windows tablet / laptop ... and if you use your Windows tablet as a companion device, you can install the exact same full-featured graphic design program.

This also means that you don't have to waste your cognitive energy by learning the external interface of the "light" version of the graphics program available on the iPad. My "companion" device has exactly the same functionality (perhaps a bit slower), so I don't have to waste cognitive energy to remember what's possible on the iPad and what's possible on the desktop computer. .. Personally, I think it's much better to be a little slower to do everything you need than to not do what you need faster. Of course, unless it's unbearably slow, that's the case.

7. I want to learn new programs to expand my skills

It doesn't make much sense for me to invest cognitive energy in learning iPad apps, which have only a subset of what more powerful desktop software can do, but it makes sense to invest in learning the new programs we offer. Additional features that extend my skill set. I haven't seen an iPad app that does better than I can already do. But I do often see new Windows, macOS, and Linux programs that I certainly want to learn, and perhaps add to my toolbox. Sketch, Lunacy, Affinity Publisher, Zbrush, Sculptron, Unity, Darktable, Davinci Resolve, Renderman, Foundry Katana, Houdini, etc. may come to mind today, but if you want to keep growing, many of these programs It's good to learn. None of them are available on the iPad. If you use only the iPad for graphic design, your ability to extend your skill set is probably very limited.

8. Scraping plastic across glossy glass is not my favorite drawing experience

I'm sure people can get used to it, but after decades of using the Wacom Cintiq display and tablet, the Apple Pencil and iPad glass displays don't feel like a comfortable drawing experience. I don't really like screen glare either, but it can be improved somewhat with some anti-glare screen protectors. Screen protectors can also change the feel of pencils on the glass, but I really don't like installing screen protectors either.

9. Thin bezels are bad for drawing.

I think this depends on how you hold the stylus / pencil while drawing. I like to put the sides of my hand on the drawing surface for stability and accuracy. If you use a stylus like an Asian calligraphy brush or oil painter, you may not have your hands on the surface. Anyway, the thin bezel sucks a little pen interaction. This is because the side of the hand placed on the drawing surface for stability falls off the edge. This is especially annoying when accessing user interface elements on the edge of the screen, they are all on the edge of the screen. Professional-grade drawing tablets and displays have a wide bezel that allows you to reach all parts of the active area while giving you plenty of space to stabilize your drawing fingers. This is for the same reason that school desks are wider than a piece of paper you might be writing.

10. The Apple Pencil’s double-tap gesture isn’t as good as real buttons

It's great that Apple has added a double-tap gesture that can be programmed to switch between Apple Pencil tools, but Wacom's programmable hardware buttons and eraser end tips are much better. First, Wacom's pen buttons can be programmed for modifier keys that you can hold down while using the pen. There are also more programmable buttons. In addition to the drawing chip, the Wacom Pro Pen 2 has two programmable buttons and a programmable eraser chip. Wacom Pro Pen 3D advertises a third programmable button. This is a great help for additional modifier keys that are definitely useful in many 3D programs. In addition, the buttons are easy to find and distinguish by touch and can be called up with a simple squeeze. Double-tapping the Apple Pencil will greatly increase finger movement and reduce the stability of the pencil in your finger. It requires more physical movement and is less efficient.

11. Charging the Apple Pencil

I've used a battery-powered pen many times in the past, but it's very annoying to pick up the stylus and it doesn't work because the battery is dead. Some pens have a very long battery life, lasting months to years, but the Apple Pencil lasts only 12 hours before it needs to be recharged. It recharges pretty quickly and the new ones can be charged magnetically mounted, but still ... the battery-less Wacom Pro and Intuos and ArtZ pens that have been in use for decades are much happier.

12. The Apple Pencil doesn’t have screen hover indicators

For decades, I've become accustomed to seeing tool indicators on the screen below the nib when using a pen display. This is very convenient! If you look at the content you're using, you'll quickly see which tool you're using. You don't have to look for other "selected tools" interface indicators. It's at the end of the stylus. In addition, when you select a brush, you'll see a brush shape outline that shows which brush you're using and the size of the brush. Swipe the touch ring on the bezel or press a keyboard shortcut to resize the brush by hovering over the content you are working on. In some programs like Corel Painter, the hover indicator shows an indication of the angle at which you are holding the brush. Apple pencils don't work that way.

13. Keyboard shortcuts

iPad graphics programs tend to have very weak support for keyboard shortcuts. Photoshop for iPad has only a small list of them. No iPad app has a detectable keyboard shortcut, and I've never seen an app with a customizable keyboard shortcut. On macOS and Windows, it's displayed in menus or tooltips, so you can easily see what your keyboard shortcuts are. In addition, you can program keyboard shortcuts for frequent use.

Why are keyboard shortcuts so good? Well, they speed things up a lot. The iPad Pro probably holds the iPad in one hand and uses the pen in the other. This is useless while not interacting with the software. Now, you might get a stand or something and poke the screen with one hand so you can use the Apple Pencil with the other hand ... that's good, but the eyes around the screen It's still not very efficient because you have to move. See what each hand pokes. You can use keyboard shortcuts, hardware express keys, or a non-dominant programmed remote control to build tactile motor memory for your favorite features and activate them by touching without looking. I will. Keep an eye on the contents of the pen and your dominant hand, and use your non-dominant hand and tactile controls to instantly control the movement of your pen without moving your eyes or losing where you are working with your dominant hand. It's much more efficient.

Conclusion

If you just want to sketch, draw, and paint digitally on a fairly small iPad screen, the iPad is fine. If you want to grow to perform other aspects of graphic design such as UI design, 3D design, environmental design, web design, print design, signage, animation, iPad seems to be a very limiting factor.

Anyway, is Apple really interested in creative disciplines anymore? Indeed, in the 1980s, Macintosh computers were ideal for graphic design because they had good postscript printing and font support, and had a good graphical user interface at the time, but today they are Windows and more professional. As many Linux as creative hardware options. I think Adobe, Wacom, and Autodesk need to create a creative pro operating system so that creative professionals and the software / hardware developers who support us don't have to comply with Apple's demands.