9 Essentials for Every Graphic Designer in 2024

Graphic designers have natural talent and great creativity, that are the most important skill for them to upgrade their knowledge in the future. Many graphic designers start their careers as self-taught workers, but they can also take some courses and get a college degree in design too.

If they have all the essential tools and apps, they can become great professionals in their job. Like many popular professions, graphic design is also an upgradable work and the designers need to learn and follow the new trends, but also, to keep to the strong base they have. Developers are developing software that designers can use during their work, but they also need hardware tools, so they can accomplish the tasks.

Here are a few essential tools and skills that every graphic designer needs:

1. Great talent and knowledge

It’s natural for the people who are into some type of art to have talents and great knowledge, even if they have no formal education about their field. It’s the same as for music. If you don’t have a singing talent, you can’t be a singer. But, having them, will allow the potential graphic designers to embrace the education bravely and to keep learning new things, so they can be even better in their job.

2. An eye for colors, details, and composition

They use simple forms, shapes, and colors to create great designs. You can’t just throw some vectors and letters and wait for a miracle to happen, so they can start looking good. These skills can also be upgraded with specialized courses or college studies in graphic design. They may seem very basic, but we can say that “the eye” for details is the most important skill every designer should have.

3. Good computer

When you buy a computer for a graphic design job, you should check carefully all the settings and features you need. For example, the RAM’s speed should be at least 1600 MHz, because the speed is important. DDR3 with 6 GB or 8 GB will be enough for the beginning. The good processor will also ease your works, and you should look for a high-end motherboard. Don’t try to save money on graphic cards, because a good one will increase PC performance.

Also, you will need a bigger screen, or maybe two of them, so you can clearly see what you do. The storage is also important and you can look for a computer with more memory, but also, you will need a cloud drive and hard disc drive so you can save more copies and versions of your work, so you won’t risk losing it. If you are not sure, you can always consult reviewing websites like topreviewpro, so you can check your list and choose the best tools you need.

4. Suitable software

You can find free software on the Internet, but they don’t offer you a full pack of tools and features you need to complete your work. The most popular and commercial graphic design software are Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXPress, Adobe Illustrator, the old but still good CorelDRAW, Sketch and so on. There are a lot, and we recommend you to save money and buy a licensed version, so you won’t have any problems during work.

5. UPS (Uninterruptible power supply/source)

The UPS battery may not be essential, but it’s always good to have it, in a case of power disruption that may cause damage to your expensive computer, but also a data loss and losing the unsaved job you spend hours to complete. Consider buying a one, just in case. There are different capacities, and you need one that will let you save the works and to turn off the machine manually.

6. Good Internet

Very often you will need to send the finished work to your clients via email or to upload it to some cloud drive or WeTransfer. Graphic design files can “weight” a lot of megabytes, so you need a good Internet connection to deliver the work on time.

7. Sketchbook and tablet

Many designers make sketches of their ideas before they turn them into a design. When you are at a meeting with the client, you may need to write or draw down the ideas and instructions and you can’t bring your computer with you. That is why you should have a sketchbook and pencil, or a graphic design tablet, so you can show them the initial sketch and save all the instructions they give to you. After that, it will be easier for you to complete the job and deliver it on time.

8. Ergonomic chair and high-quality desk

Many of us can complete their tasks using our laptops while lying on the couch. But that is not a case with graphic designers. Sometimes, you will need to spend hours and hours in front of the computer, so a good ergonomic chair and a high-quality desk are a must. Every day’s dining chairs can work for you, but in the long term, they may cause spine injuries and backaches. So, you need to avoid using the kitchen table as a desk and invest in a good chair and desk for work.

9. Books and magazines

As a graphic designer, you must follow what is new almost every day. Buy some good books for your home library and subscribe to a few magazines. Every day brings a new approach to this type of work and you don’t want to miss anything. You can be the best in your job, but if you don’t learn new things, you can easily be replaced. Also, you can follow the competition’s work. You don’t need to copy them, but it’s normal to use them as an inspiration to get better in your job.

Remember, there will always be a job for a good graphic designer. Almost every company needs them and we can’t imagine today’s marketing without great graphic designs. You should just be confident and good at your job, following the essentials we mentioned in this article.