IMAC + Graphic Design

Are any professional graphic designers using the new Imacs. I graduated earlier this year and have been thinking about getting a mac for a while now. My PC just crapped out about a week ago, so it is definitely time to buy a new comp. I know that getting a Mac Pro would be the best choice, but I can't really afford that option right now. I will be running Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign mostly.

I agree with some of the comments below regarding the graphic design apps. I actually have the CS3 Master collection on my iMac and it runs all of them fine although the video editing is a bit slow. For static 2d design Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash and Dreamweaver all run pretty smooth. I also have Vista installed via Bootcamp with CS3 Design suite and again they all run pretty smooth although a bit faster running on the Mac end. I Also use Spyder2 to calibrate the display and have a second 20" display as well. the 24" iMac will suit your needs just fine, and don't bother with the 2.8 GHZ you won't notice any increase in speed with any of these apps unless you do video editing, you'll just pay more. One thing I do recommend you do is buy more RAM, not through Apple because they charge to much, I have 4 gigs of Mushkin RAM installed on mine for about $200. It's very easy to install on your own. Buy your iMac with 1 gig and upgrade on your own.
--Brian

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24" iMac for Graphic Design studio workstation?

Hi there, I've been using macs since the early 90s for graphic design and have always bought their "professional" models, ie towers. These days it seems the line between iMacs and towers is getting a bit blurred... iMacs are pretty darn powerful. So I need to add a workstation to the design studio and am considering just getting a 24" iMac instead of a tower + apple display. I use Adobe CS2 apps (photoshop, indesign, illustrator, etc.) Rarely, I deal with 500meg layered photoshop images, but I don't do any sound/video stuff.
So my big question... is the iMac good enough for a full time graphic designer's workstation or should I stick with a tower? The difference is over a $grand.
G5 tower Mac OS X (10.4.8)

The 24" iMac is a perfect match for a graphic designer.
On the plus side, the large screen is actually 4 inches larger than the smallest Cinema Display (20"), meaning great value. Secondly, you have the small form factor and the conveinience of an all-in-one unit, and the RAM is extremely easy to upgrade, with a ceiling of 3GB; plenty to run Photoshop or Aperture. The Nvidia graphics card is very potent as well; a must for people working with high-res images.
On the downside, you still won't get the sheer performance that a tower such as the Mac Pro will offer. You also won't get the expandability. You can't upgrade the graphics card in the iMac. You also can't upgrade the hard drive easily, and USB and firewire card upgrades (necessary to keep up with todays latest connection methods for digital cameras) are out of the question.
The 24" iMac is superb. It will give you the horsepower to run even a small graphics design business. But if you are serious about graphic design as a career, still go for a tower. You will be glad you did. I wouldn't be surprised if you found yourself selling the iMac and upgrading your system 3 or 4 years from now. However, if you expect to upgrade in that time anyway, the iMac is a better value.
Good Luck with your decision. I know you will be happy no matter which machine you choose!

Hi! I'm a Windows XP convert... switched to an imac about 4 months ago and am LOVIN' it As a graphics designer I did use a feature on my Windows machine which I really miss on my mac... beaing able to see a preview of one of the images in a folder on top

Hi! I'm a Windows XP convert... switched to an imac about 4 months ago and am LOVIN' it As a graphics designer I did use a feature on my Windows machine which I really miss on my mac... beaing able to see a preview of one of the images in a folder on top of the folder icon. In other words, in Windows, you can see the first image that is inside the folder as an icon on the folder itself. Is there a way to do this on the mac? Maybe some software program that will do it? Thanks for you help!

It would be brilliant if Apple could make picture folders behave like events in iPhoto. You could see a photo on the folder, and also mouse over it to change pictures.
But no, there's not an application I'm aware of that does this. You can manually make a picture the folder icon, but it's a tedious process.
Unfortunately this is another example of how dated and worn out the Mac's interface is. The concept of using a file folder as the icon for a directory of images is so 80's. You could use coverflow, but that only helps once you're in the directory itself. Or use iPhoto or Aperture, although they just do photos. Or try Lyn as an alternative: it has a sort of iTunes-like interface, and makes it easy to organize photos without having to put them in iPhoto. And it can display photos that are already in Libraries.
But you'd probably need a Finder alternative. I use Leap, which displays any type of document. It also does tagging, which is another huge omission in the Finder. More like Windows Explorer (although still no photo on folder icons).
Another very stylish Finder alternative, especially useful for pictures, is FileBrowse. I don't know why it hasn't gotten more attention. It DOES put photo previews on the folders it shows. And allows one-click expansion to show the photo enlarged. It's super fast, and even allow you to group/sort by camera or flash! It really has to be seen to be appreciated. It works in Lion, although it doesn't seem to be have been updated lately. http://www.filebrowse.com/index.html
Rob

Graphic Design? Would imac 24" be good choice?

I am a Graphic Designer, currently using Creative Suite 2 (soon to be upgraded to CS3) and I need a new Mac for home. A Powermac takes up too much space, so I'm thinking about an imac with a 24" monitor and I have a few questions for the experts:)
Which imac would work best for graphics?
Is the monitor acurate for Pantone color matching?
Is the 24"monitor on the imac clear and bright?
Is Leopard a stable OS?
I also need an (inexpensive) color laser printer. Any suggestions?
Thanks a bunch!
Suzi (Machead since the beginning of Mac history)

Suzi,
1. All of howwow's points were spot on.
2. I have the 24-inch iMac and the screen is brilliant. Bright and sharp. I personally bought a BTO machine with just the CPU upgrade to 2.8GHz. I use Illustrator and Photoshop everyday in building websites, but I am not a color freak like some people (http://www.kokias.com) I know.
3. For serious color calibration look at:
a. http://www.colorvision.com - Spyder
b. http://pantone.com/pages/products/product.aspx?pid=79&ca=2&s=0 - Huey and its upgrades
4. Backup software. SuperDuper! is great and is expected to be Leopard-compatible within a few weeks.
5. External hard drive. Buy the largest you can afford. Get one with a quad (USB, FW400, FW800, eSATA) interface. You need one large enough to backup your internal drive and then even more capacity for Time Machine. Take a look at drives from OWC at http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/400+USB2/
6. Memory. The iMac now supports up to 4GB of RAM. Buy the minimum configuration from Apple and then buy a 4GB kit from a 3rd party. It costs only $96 USD for 4GB from (for example) http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/53IM2DDR4GBK/
7. Printer. I really like our new Brother HL-4070CDW. Color, laser, duplex, wireless. More at http://www.brother-usa.com/printer/ModelDetail.aspx?ProductID=HL4070CDW and only $473 from Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/2nd5wz
8. Adobe and Leopard. More at http://www.adobe.com/support/products/pdfs/leopardsupport.pdf

Which imac would work best for Graphic Design?

I am a Graphic Designer, currently using Creative Suite 2 (soon to be upgraded to CS3) and I need a new Mac for home. A Powermac takes up too much space, so I'm thinking about an imac with a 24" monitor and I have a few questions for the experts:)
Which imac would work best for graphics?
Is the monitor acurate for Pantone color matching?
Is the 24"monitor on the imac clear and bright?
Is Leopard a stable OS?
I also need an (inexpensive) color laser printer. Any suggestions?
Thanks a bunch!
Suzi (Machead since the beginning of Mac history)

Hello and Welcome to Apple Discussions.
The 24" iMac uses a superior LCD panel to the 20" model and so is certainly better suited to your purposes. I don't know how badly having a piece of glass in front of the display would affect you as a designer though.
The display certainly is clear and bright. I use it on it's lowest brightness setting.
Leopard is stable but it's worth checking that drivers for any devices that you currently rely on are available. For example I have to go back to my 10.4.11 iMac G4 to use my scanner. Personally I can't get iCal to alarm in Leopard but that's a fairly minor gripe.
As this is the forum for much older iMacs I'd suggest re-posting in the Intel iMac forum and even Mac OS 10.5 Printing forums for better informed opinion:
<hr width="200">
G4 (aka Flat Panel): Intel:
Click image to go to correct forum.
cheers
mrtotes

How much ram and processing power in my imac will meet my graphic design needs?

Hi,
I'm in the market for a new imac. I'm trying to figure out how much ram I'll need and which processor will be sufficient for my graphic design needs.
I'm gonna need it to be robust enough to have InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator open at once along with spotify, safari with many tabs open, and a couple other apps including evernote and game from time to time. Also, I'm gonna be managing a good deal of fonts in font explorer. How much ram and processing power will I need in my imac to keep everything snappy with all these apps going at the same time?
Any advice on this would be much appreciated. Feel free to include any other relevant information you think I should know.
Thanks, Nick

Computers are out of date when you open the box
Ok, getting serious, that iMac should be a viable workhorse for what you want for a good five years, and taht depends on how much ram you put in it, add really fast external storage, and so on.
Didn't throw this in earlier so as to not influence the discussion: my daughter is the senior art director, VP, at a graphics design firm in NYC. Has been in the business for a number of years. When she changed out her Mac at work, bought, or company bought, the 27" iMac model just before the latest, with maxed out CPU/GPU, and storage. They maxed the memory to 32 GB for her, then added a 30" Apple cinema display so she has almost 5' of display in front of her. There is nothing she cannot have open all spread across that display area. She works almost exclusively in print media, occassionally condescends to do web stuff. And has a massive array of RAID drives hanging on it. But that is a setup an individual would be hard pressed to go with.
At home she uses a MacBook Pro with top cpu and display but that is all.
The point, just how massive do you want to go depends on how fast you have to work; in the office where time is money you need tons of horsepower. At home, you scale it to your abilitty to juggle other tasks at the same time.
I think your choices have been great, the discussion has focused on what is important and especially what can and cannot be changed in the future.
Best of luck setting this up.

24" iMac good enough for graphic design?

I'm looking into getting a Mac so I can work from home for the next few months (back surgery). I use the Adobe CS as well as other graphic related applications. While I know getting a Mac Pro would be the best option it's also a very expensive option (I need the 23" monitor as well). Would the top config. of the iMac be suitable for moderate graphic design use? Currently at the office I am using a Dual 2.5 G5 so I'm not expecting top of the line performance. Just something that would work as well as my work computer. I do realize it is not expandable however after a few months it will just become a computer I use for typical home use. Thank you in advance.

Hi Barry, I did as you said and searched on the forum. What I found was this entry that pretty much sums it up. It's pretty much identical to my situation. Turns out CS2 runs at about half speed under Rosetta. Even the oldest G5s seem to out perform it. I guess that's it, I start looking for an old G5. Thanks for all your help and suggestions. Below is the entry I found that says it all.
Re: Intel iMac and Adobe CS2
Posted: Mar 24, 2006 3:30 AM in response to: Sam Anderson
I've been using a 20" Intel 2 GHz iMac with 1 GB RAM now for just over a month and use Adobe CS2 on it and I'm incredibly disappointed with the performance of the software under Rosetta. So much so that I regret buying the Intel version and wish I'd bought a good old G5 processor model.
The main issue is speed. I upgraded from a Dual 866 mHz G4 and am encountering slower performance with CS2 on my new iMac than I did on that. Illustrator is especially excruciating to use. Another issue is that I can only run two CS2 apps at the same time never three. If I try, one of them randomly crashes. Reinstalls haven't cured it either.
I've called both Adobe and Apple in order to resolve the problem and neither have a solution. Adobe's view on it is that CS2 and earlier were not written to work on the Intel machine and so they cannot address any support problems with patches or updates. Their only solution is waiting until CS3 is released in Autumn which will be Intel compatible.
Based on this experience my advice would be to wait until CS3 is released before you buy one. Otherwise just grin and bear it if you have to have one now!

2007 iMac vs New MBP for Web/Graphic Design?

Hey everyone,
I'm a web/graphic designer currently using a Mid-2007 iMac and looking to upgrade to the top level MBP for better performance and mobility. I'm usually running a few programs at a time (photoshop, indesign, illustrator, safari, spotify, etc) and my current setup seems to be bogging down lately. Given the specs below, will I see a big boost in performance by upgrading to the MBP? On paper 2.4ghz vs 2.8ghz doesn't seem like a lot, but I know the RAM, graphics card and whatever "turbo boost" is all play a big role as well. Any advice?
Current iMac:
-Mid-2007 iMac - 24"
-2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
-4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
-ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256 MB
-500 GB SATA Disk
Potential MBP:
-2.8GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.0GHz
-16GB 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM
-512GB PCIe-based Flash Storage
-Intel Iris Pro Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 2GB of GDDR5 memory

Hi Bee!
Thanks very much for your advice!
However, why do you suggest the 21.5" over the 27"? Do you think it is worth the extra screen size, because I can afford either?
It seemed to me that the iMac was the best option also - I'm in need of the power, but I'm still deliberating over size.
Also, on a side note, do you know of any iPhone apps that can help me with transferring files from home to college I'm getting an iPod Touch as part of the new deal Apple are running and I just wondered if there were any apps that I would find handy for transporting files etc.?
Thanks again!

IMac for a Graphic Designer?

I am currently shopping for a new iMac system for my Graphic Design needs and would like to get feed back form the community on a few topics. I am thinking about getting the 21.5 iMac with 8GB's of ram.
Would this be enough to handle Photoshop, Illustrator, and Cinema 4D softwares? I am going to get a external hard drive to store my files on to save hard drive space, any recommendations for that?
Is there an option to upgrade the ram in the 21.5 iMac to say 32 GB's (as I heard you could)? I am currently using a mid-2010 MacBook Pro with 4GB of ram and it's beginning to lag a bit. The screen size isn't really that great either being it's only 15 inches.
So any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
- KidHTML

As you have a specific and well-defined need I would work backwards:
Determine what software applications you will need, then figure out which model and configuration of iMac can handle them in the best possible/fastest way, particularly if you have them all open at once.
Also, depending on what kind of graphics you deal with, decide what screen size you really need.
Then talk to your bank!

Are the Imacs good for Graphic Design/Illustration work?

I work as a digital illustrator so I spend all day at a monitor. I'm thinking of replacing my powerbook and am leaning towards a 20" Imac.
Does anyone else here use their Imac for professional graphic design or illustration work? How does it measure up?
I've seen many posts about poor screen quality. Should I steer clear of the Imac, or are the screens adequate for design work? At the moment I use a 17" Apple studio display (the old stripey framed kind) which is fine for my needs. How does the Imac screen compare to this?
Is it easy to connect an external monitor (I'd use my Apple Studio Display as a 2nd screen) and can you set them up so they create a giant screen area - i.e. not just 'mirrored'? I already have a VGA to DVI adaptor so presumably this is all I'd need to hook up my 2nd screen?
Is the 24" Imac screen quality much better than the 20"?
Sorry, so many questions! Any advice or opinions much appreciated - Many thanks.

To answer your first question yes they are great for digital illustration. However this will depend on how color accurate your work requires. The only downside I have found with the 20" iMacs is narrow viewing angles. This will be nothing new to you since you have the older 17" studio display. The 24" iMacs are all around absolutely stunning and have much better viewing angles however I have seen a lot of them(including mine) that have some degree of uneven back lighting. If you live anywhere near an Apple store or reseller I would recommend that you go into the store and actually use both of the machines for some period of time and see for yourself how you like it. Bring some of your illustrations from home on a flash drive to see how they look. Otherwise IMO these machines are superb. I love my 24" and it runs CS3 Apps amazingly fast.
If your 17" studio display has the ADC(Apple Digital Connector) then you will have to purchase the power supply adapter to make it work. If you are unsure if it qualifies or not just look and see if your display has it's own power plug. If not then you will need this adapter for $99. IMO it's not worth it as you could put the $100 bucks toward a new display.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=7E4 EB91E&nplm=M8661LL/B
George

Powermac or iMac G5 for Graphic Design industry?

I was wondering what kind of computer does the Graphic Design industry uses? iMac G5 or the Powermac? What do you recommend?
I heard that the Powermac is usually used by professionals. Is this true? How does the iMac G5 compare to it?

Hi Angela...
As a design professional I can definitively say if you're working in the design industry with profesional applications such as Quark, Photoshop, etc., your only choice is a PowerMac. iMac's are consumer grade computers, and while quite elegant, and powerful, they are not up to the rigors needed in a professional work situation. Any of the newer PowerMacs will work, but IMO it's always best to buy the best you can afford. If you're working for a company, they should be able to buy top end for you, as it's a depreciable item that can be written-off as a company expense. Anything less and you're literally wasting your time, and the companies time, waiting for the computer to re-draw your screen or finish the task.
good luck...
ken

IMac G5 or Powermac for Graphic Design Industry?

I was wondering what kind of computer does the Graphic Design industry uses? iMac G5 or the Powermac? What do you recommend?
I heard that the Powermac is usually used by professionals. Is this true? How does the iMac G5 compare to it?
imac G5 Mac OS X (10.4)

Hi Angela...
As a design professional I can definitively say if you're working in the design industry with profesional applications such as Quark, Photoshop, etc., your only choice is a PowerMac. iMac's are consumer grade computers, and while quite elegant, and powerful, they are not up to the rigors needed in a professional work situation. Any of the newer PowerMacs will work, but IMO it's always best to buy the best you can afford. If you're working for a company, they should be able to buy top end for you, as it's a depreciable item that can be written-off as a company expense. Anything less and you're literally wasting your time, and the companies time, waiting for the computer to re-draw your screen or finish the task.
good luck...
ken

IMac G5 suitable for graphic design?

OK, here is my situation. I am graphic design student in the UK about to start my third and final year. I use photoshop and indesign A LOT, and can have big image files, biggest I have go to is 300MB though this is very rare, and is normally 150 - 200MB maximum. I am considering getting either a Power Book with 2GB RAM as I am student so chances are I will be moving sometime within the next year, though I would not carry it around with me after when at college though chances are I would have to sometimes, or I am considering getting a iMac G5, with 2GB RAM, which would stay here in my flat, and also get a small cheaper iBook, load that up with 1GB RAM and a 100GB hard drive, and use that for any work on the go, as chances are these will be much smaller files or will require little editing. I also like the fact that the iBook is much sturdier and will last longer, something which I need from all machines as chances are I wont be able to afford to buy a new one in a year or two's time. So I am looking for either a Power Book maxed out, or an iMac and an iBook. I have considered a Power Mac but they are too large and probably too powerful for what I will be doing on it, and I would like at least an option of taking worth with me. What would you recommend for a Graphics Student?

I have an 20inch imac g5 with 1gb of ram and it is really fast for adobe CS2 and quark 6.5. I have no problems with big files or having several applications / files open at once.
I also have a G4 ibook with 756mb ram - its a bit slow for graphics and the screen is a bit small for graphics work Its great for surfing the web or short term graphics work away from my desk.
If portability isnt a requirement then i would suggest you get a 20inch imac!
Dont forget to visit the apple education store (on your uni network) and i'll get really good discount! Also if you need software adobe cs2 is £200 for students, and quark is £150 (office is £100 which is always handy to have to get those windoze uses compatible.).
As far as bumping up the ram...its always cheaper to add ram from places like cruical. I got a single dimm of 1gb when i ordered the imac, but in a year or so i will add another 1gb.
If you live in halls or a 'not so secure' student house then dont forgot to get insurance! all apples have security slots for around the house - i just have the imac chained to a desk (cant see it as its behind so not spoiling the aesthetics!). Portables aren't always covered when away from home.
You might want to look at portable hard drives rather than bumping up the internal hard drive - this will offer you some portability to take work (big files) to uni from home etc... i think students can get a ipod cheaper so that would be one option (if the student loan stretches that far!)
Good luck with your final year... i am sure whatever you invest in will serve you well in the big wide world of graphics! enjoy!

I think to bye imac for graphic design use purpose. kindly guide me. Is iMac best for me ?

i think to bye imac for graphic design use purpose. kindly guide me. Is iMac best for me ?

Hello artistsagar,
The word best is always subjective. It is all a question of your needs, your working practice, your available space; I could go on.
A Mac (probably a 27"one) may well be perfect. Good size screen, easily understood basic functions and a huge number of recommended programs. Just Google Mac graphic design to see what is available.

Which 27" iMac for graphic design?

Hi, I'm making the switch from pc to Mac. Firstly, I hope I'm asking this in the correct section of the forum, if not could you please suggest the best category for me.
I'm a long time PC user. I am also a graphic design student (and I do a fair amount of work as well). I work all day and often nights on the computer. I mainly use Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. I'll be learning, or at least dabbling, in most of the Adobe creative suite over the next couple of years, however those 3 are the main programs I use.
I often run at least 2 programs at the same time (ie illustrator and indesign).
I was going to get a MacBook pro, but as I never travel for work (at this stage) and I'd need to buy a larger screen anyway, I decided to go with the iMac. (Mac pro is too expensive for me at this stage)
I'm hoping to get suggestions on which iMac to go with. I'm definitely getting the 27", but I don't know which model to get, or what upgrades if any, I would need.
Keeping in mind that I'm a student, and part time worker. I can afford the i7 model (at a stretch) but would I still need to upgrade anything on top of that?
I appreciate any advice.

I'm running CS5 on both a Mac (quad core duo2, 4GB RAM) and a PC core duo2 with 6GB of RAM.
I hate to say it but PS runs much smother on my PC. So if anything can be learned from that: RAM is much more important than the processor.

IMAC + Graphic Design

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