Every now and again, I wonder if my iPhone could be more to me than just the second-favorite member of my family. To that end, I regularly search the Internet for new apps that I might add. Invariably, I come across articles with titles like “10 Apps Every Redhead Must Have” or “The Best Apps in the History of the World for Baseball Fans” or “Download These Apps Now or You Will Die.” That all seems a little stark for us, but there are some good smart phone apps for graphic designers that I kind of like, so I thought I’d share.
Note that I am a cheapskate, so the apps listed here are free, with one notable exception at the end. Also note that I use an iPhone, so I ran these apps past my Android-using co-worker Jamie King, who confirmed their existence on that platform or suggested similar alternatives.
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Palettes
You may have guessed already that this app generates color palettes. You can create color palettes one color at a time using standard color sliders, or you can generate palettes from photographs.
When you have a palette that you’re happy with, you can export it in any number of ways. The app provides detailed information (hex codes, CMYK and RGB breakdowns, etc.) for each color. (Available for the iPhone. Jamie reports that this does not exist yet for Android users, but suggests one called My Color Guide.)
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Adobe Photoshop Express
Friend of IBD Amy Ford told me about this app, which allows you to make some of the basic adjustments you would make in the full Photoshop, like cropping, brightness, contrast, etc., right on your phone, as seen with this photo of my daughter below.
With the availability of this app, it is now officially possible to install Adobe Photoshop on any electrical device, including your toaster, your rechargeable toothbrush, and yes, your Android phone. (Available for the iPhone and on the Android market.)
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SimpleDraw
This app allows you to draw on your screen in several basic colors and different stroke weights. It is great for quick sketches, playful doodling, and entertaining your children in airports. You can save images that you like to your phone or email them to Grandma and Papa right out of the app. Note that if your children have been eating yogurt with their fingers, your screen will get sticky. Also note that if you only have one mobile device, your children will fight over it until one of them drops it in their yogurt. (Available for the iPhone. For Android users, Jamie suggests a similar app called Kids Doodle.)
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SignGuru
Friend of IBD Joan Lawrence recommended this app to us. And when she did, she said, “I haven’t had time to check it out yet, but it sounded good.” Well, if she had checked it out, Joan would have found a terrific app loaded with information. A section called “Specs and Guidelines” contains information on everything from color combinations to engineering basics, as well as guidelines on the Americans with Disibilities Act (ADA) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), among much else.
Not only that, a section called “A Good Sign?” shows you images of signs, which you evaluate with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, and the app tells you whether your opinion is “Correct!” or “Incorrect.”
As a person who frequently tells other people that their opinions are incorrect, this appeals to my sensibilities. (Available for the iPhone and on the Android market.)
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WhatTheFont
This app identifies typefaces for you. Yes, it should be called WhatTheTypeface, but WTT is not as funny as WTF, and it’s free, so what are you going to do? Using the camera on your device, you photograph type that you find in the environment around you and upload the image. WhatTheFont uses recognition software to put a name to the typeface. I struggled with this app until I realized that your photos have to be oriented vertically rather than horizontally, but since then, I’ve been enjoying it. It doesn’t get it right every time, but even when it can’t find an exact match, the app suggests similar typefaces. (Available for the iPhone.)
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Dexigner
I almost didn’t download this one because the icon violates my first rule of logo design: No eyeballs. (Rule #2: No globes.) (Rule #3: Cleverly put a globe in an eyeball and you are banned from logo design forever.) Anyway, I did download the app and found that it contains a lot of useful design-related information, including a calendar of upcoming conferences and competitions, a list of recommended books, directories of designers, studios, and museums, and a lot more. (Available for the iPhone. Jamie did not find this on the Android market, but said that one called Dsgn: Design & Typography News might work.)
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MLB.com At Bat
Okay, so this is in no way a graphic design app, but I put it here because it’s just so great. Seriously. In my tenure as an iPhone owner, I have purchased only one app, and it’s this one. Best $14.99 I’ve ever spent. I like to stream the local Phillies radio broadcast and pretend that I’m eating a cheesesteak on the New Jersey boardwalk. (Available for the iPhone and on the Android market.)
Well, there you have it, our Top 7 Apps that Redheaded Baseball Fan Graphic Designers Must Have or They Will Die. Go get ‘em!
Paul, the bakery that delivers the rolls for Philly cheesesteaks is on strike. I suggest that in this time of trouble, you turn to saltwater taffy instead.
I think we need to have a contest for who can take the photo of Paul’s daughter and do the best iPhone Photoshop app alteration of it. A Yankees cap and pinstripes would look good, no?
And I know it’s unrelated to this, but Comcast’s Xfinity app, which lets me change channels on my TV while in the shower, totally rules. (It’s important. I have speakers in my shower. If I want to switch from CNN to ESPN while shampooing, I used to have to drip my way across the house and find the remote control.)
Paul, Paul, Paul. If the iPhone is the second-favorite member of the family whom have you placed above or below? Your wife, the two kids, the chickens, rabbit or cat. Wow, what a dilemma you face.
I do not have an iPhone, but a few months ago bought my iPad2. I asked all my facebook peeps to give me advice on what free apps I should scout out and add to my iPad. I was able to put together quite an interesting and diverse collection of apps. However, none of the ones you listed in your free app list made me collection. I did purchase the MLB.com at Bat, along with MLB.tv for the MacBook Pro. Now I am able to watch my two favorite teams all season long. I have been watching the Padres slowly sink in to the West, much to the joy of my friend Kevin. I have also been able to watch the Phillies rise above all the other teams in baseball, even the No-Good Stinkin’ Second Place Yankees.
Your choices for free apps had me looking at some of them. Palettes … I am not a designer. The only palette I care about is my taste palette, and that too can be satisfied from a good Philly steak sandwich. My choice for the best is Campo’s Deli on Market St.
Adobe Photoshop Express … I did download this one, but have no idea how to use it yet. Guess I am not a true geek after all.
SimpleDraw … could not find it. Guess maybe I am a geek after all.
SignGuru … I did download and look at a little bit. I got about 80% correct if picking thumbs up or thumbs down.
WhatTheFont … again, I am not a design person so why would I care. WTF is all I have to say. I have learned over the years though, to never use Comic Sans on anything. That should keep you and Shea happy.
The one you forgot to list was Words With Friends. All my facebook peeps said I had to download that one, and I did. I have been enjoying many games, both winning and losing.
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