10 Essential iPad Apps for Publication Designers (2nd Edition)

10 Essential iPad Apps for Publication Designers (2nd Edition) There's no time like the present for our 2nd edition of the essential apps you need for your iPad. This time out, the focus was around reference, inspiration and utility-based apps. Again, nowhere near a definitive list, but an ongoing look at what you need to download now. 


A killer sketching utility. You can now make and add your own custom paper (ie: mapsspreads, covers, etc...) or buy in-app via their Paper shop. For instance, I made my own custom paper for sketching iPhone apps. Also within the app you can keep multiple notebooks for extra organization. Money DD: Neil Jamieson, cover illustration: Fredrik Broden ($1.99) 

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Keep your digital life organized. All notes sync with the iPhone and Mac app. Also of note, Evernote just released a cute app called Evernote Peek which uses the iPad Smart Cover as a way to test your trivia knowlege. (Free)

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iFontMaker - hand draw your own font families in minutes. ($6.99) 

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First and foremost, interact with amazing interactive infographics, but also see how Push Pop Press is re-thinking publications on the iPad. ($4.99)

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Move your files to the cloud! Like Evernote, sync files easily between your Mac, iPad and iPhone. No more crarrying around (and losing) those USB drives. (Free)

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Adobe Ideas
More of a painting app than the Penultimate sketch app. Files can export as PDFs that you can import into Illustrator as vector files. ($5.99)

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On-the-go image editing with a lite version of the Mac app you're way too familiar with. (Free)

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An elegant portfolio app that syncs with Drop Box (see above) for easy wireless updates from your desktop. ($2.99)

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MoMA Books
Build up your bookshelf of The Museum of Modern Art's books--including ones that are no longer in print. The app is free, but in-app purchase run from $20 - $50. (Free)

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Last up, submitted via our Facebook poll by James Reyman, a robust PDF reader. Reyman says: "The Good Reader app is a great PDF tool for the iPad. Used in conjunction with Dropbox it's very easy to place PDFs on the iPad and make presentations. You can create interactive 
PDFs
 in Acrobat then drop the file in Dropbox and it immediately shows up on your iPad in Good Reader. This is a good way to begin formulating ideas on how to create an interactive app and presenting those first ideas to a client. It's inexpensive and easy to use." ($4.99)

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. . . . . . . . . . 

04_Main and Icon_500.jpgBONUS: SPD 45
C'mon! How could we not include our owen new app--the design annual for the iPad. Browse and search all of the work selected for Pub 45. Use it to show off your award winning work, or skim through all the work for endless inspiration. ($19.99)


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See related stories:
The Story of O, Part 4: iPad Pages

  • Nathalie Kirsheh

    Carlo, all kudos for this fantastic list goes to one of SPD's Vice Presidents, Josh Klenert. Stay tuned for more to come!

  • Alexander Flores

    Very cool post - thanks for the tips. Good to know I'm already using a few of those apps!

  • Carlo Muttoni

    Thanks Nathalie,

    your list od apps turned out very useful to me...and my colleagues.

    Carlo

  • So cool! My App Store account's gonna get a workout!

  • Nathalie Kirsheh

    Josh, THANK YOU FOR THIS!

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