studiosuz

Q: Best Photoshop alternative for iPad Pro?

I'm a print and web designer and I just bought an iPad Pro. Im determined to try and work solely on my projects using  my new iPad Pro for the next couple of days. Granted, it shouldn't be a replacement for my iMac, but I want to give it a try.

 

I notice that Adobe has lots of products for illustration but I don't see a Photoshop alternative. Pixelmator is cool but it's meh. Adobe comp is also cool but missing a lot of features.

 

Has anyone found a good photoshop alternative that would allow me to create and edit PSD files when I'm on the go?

Any other digital designers out there that mind sharing their favorite apps?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Suz

iPad Pro, iOS 10

Posted on Sep 21, 2016 6:33 PM

Close

Q: Best Photoshop alternative for iPad Pro?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by MichelPM,Helpful

    MichelPM MichelPM Sep 21, 2016 8:02 PM in response to studiosuz
    Level 6 (13,972 points)
    iPad
    Sep 21, 2016 8:02 PM in response to studiosuz

    Adobe has a lot of Photoshop apps.

    Search the IOS App Store for just Adobe.

    If you want to maintain an all Adobe workflow, for Photoshop, in order to get most of Photoshop's functionality on a computer, you will need to use all of the various Adobe Photoshop apps to work with.

    If you use an older version of Photoshop and not the current Adobe creative cloud suite with subscription, most of Adobe's apps, in order to better integrate will need to pay for a CreativeCloud monthly subscription or login to your Creative Cloud account if you already pay for a subscription.

    If using an older version of Photoshop, you will need to use a Cloud service like DropBox or Box or some other Cloud Service, like Apple's iCloud Drive, Amazon Cloud Drive or GoogleDrive to be able to bandy your work back and forth between your iPad and computer.

    Adobe, I guess, won't or doesn't know how to create one version of Photoshop on iOS that is a close approximation to Photoshop on a full blown computer.

    Adobe has broken up full Photoshop into a variety of apps to cover different Photoshop areas.

    You'll end up using multiple Photoshop apps to cover everything you do with full Photoshop.

     

    You'll end up using multiple apps for doing a great many things, that maybe easier on a computer, no matter what, anyhow.

    This is how iOS works.

    There is no one app that will cover everything you may need.

    Working in iOS is mostly working with multiple apps.

    For image editing work and digital painting and illustration work, you will find you will have to constantly import/export files from one app to another.

     

    If you do not like this multiple iOS Photoshop app approach, then your only alternatives are Pixelmator for iPad and maybe, in addition, Procreate.

     

     

    I use quite a few image editing apps and painting apps, but both Pixelmator and Procreate are the apps that are at the top apps on my large iPad Pro.

    There are other image editors and painting apps that you can use

    I have quite a few.

    Here's my own incomplete list of creative image and drawing apps that I have installed and use.

    In no particular order.

     

    Pixelmator

    Procreate

    SketchBook/ SketchBook Pro

    Sketches Pro

    Concepts

    Forge

    Inspire Pro

    ibis paint

    Art Studio

    Memopad

    Graphic

    Touch Draw

    Over

    Transfer

    HD Photo Sort (an image/document folder based organisation app)

    Photogene

    Photo Toaster

    TItleFX

    Retype

    Union

    Filterstorm

    Photomotion

     

    If you want to add more fonts to your iPad that apps can have access to, search for the app

    AnyFont.

     

    Good Luck!

  • by MichelPM,Helpful

    MichelPM MichelPM Sep 21, 2016 8:02 PM in response to studiosuz
    Level 6 (13,972 points)
    iPad
    Sep 21, 2016 8:02 PM in response to studiosuz

    You may, also, want to look into external, portable wireless data storage devices like mobile hard drives and special mobile USB flash style stick drives from Seagate, Western Digital and SanDisk (also now owned by Western Digital) for extra storage and for additional backup storage.

     

    Good Luck!

  • by studiosuz,

    studiosuz studiosuz Sep 21, 2016 8:06 PM in response to MichelPM
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iPad
    Sep 21, 2016 8:06 PM in response to MichelPM

    Thank you so much, Michael! I appreciate the time you spent going into detail here. Now I understand the reasoning for so many Adobe apps. I do have a subscription to Creative Cloud and have downloaded all the Adobe apps I thought would help me get the work done.

     

    I'll be sure to check out the apps you've suggested and give them a try tomorrow.

     

    Again, thanks for your time.

     

    S

  • by MichelPM,

    MichelPM MichelPM Sep 21, 2016 9:19 PM in response to studiosuz
    Level 6 (13,972 points)
    iPad
    Sep 21, 2016 9:19 PM in response to studiosuz

    I decided to leave some of my opinions on what you are trying to accomplish because this is important for you to know and really understand if you want to minimise your frustrations with iOS and your iPad Pro.

    I laud your courage and effort in this matter, but I think your approach is not going to be an ideal one.

    iPads are really companion devices, currently, and still lack in the overall ease of use and ease of productivity department.

    Even with an iPad Pro ( I own the large 128 GBs storage version) iOS is iOS.

    It's a stripped down mobile operating system that will be not anywhere close to being a full fledged MacBook/laptop replacement, much less a replacement for a desktop iMac or Mac Pro...yet!

    I have never had a laptop or MacBook computer.

    I consider myself, primarily,  an Apple desktop computer guy and iPad user.

    I have been using an iPad since the original iPad (I still use and have to this day) that came out in 2010.

    Updated to a 2009, 27 inch screen iMac in 2011.

    I have been a Mac user for 20 years and using iPads for six years, now.

    I have spent quite a bit of time and years using both iPad/iOS and Mac/OS X in tandem.

    They work great when you can bandy projects back and forth between Mac and iPad.

    The iPad is great as a idea pad, notepad, sketchpad, painting, drawing, illustration pad, but is it hard when you have to take a single project file and bandy it about in and out of different apps within the iPad, itself.

    Some apps are better at the whole import/export of files and maintaining the integrity of the project file/s than others.

    That is why I recommend saving work at times to cloud services in case a file gets corrupted or "hosed" during a project. You'll always have, at least, one copy of a project file still intact to try a process, again.

     

    Just some sage advice from one creative to another to help you try avoid the pitfalls of working on important projects within a stripped down, mobile OS.

     

    Good Luck to you!

     

  • by MichelPM,

    MichelPM MichelPM Sep 21, 2016 9:23 PM in response to studiosuz
    Level 6 (13,972 points)
    iPad
    Sep 21, 2016 9:23 PM in response to studiosuz

    Read the descriptions of the apps, first, and even go to the developers' websites to check out any additional info before buying any apps.

    Just because I use these apps doesn't, necessarily, mean that these will be a good fit for you and your work habits amd workflows.

    Everyone has there own preferences for apps and tools they use on their devices.

    I don't do any web work, so most of my own apps I listed may not be important or relevant to your work.

    I look at iPads as mostly as a creative artist tool.

    Every artist has different tools in their toolbox they like and prefer to work with.

     

    Good Luck!