Graphic Design Tablets.

[Ozwin]

Very much so. I'm thinking about getting a tablet and some other G.D. equipment for Christmas considering I don't really have anything else lined up. What are some other pieces of equipment that I could do with?

[ianm]

a new digital camera is always nice :)

[Ozwin]

*Already has a decent one*

:) Got myself a £100 one a few months ago and it's done me the job fine. I just wish there were more pretty things to take photos of around sunny Leicester.

[ianm]

oooo ~ racks brain hard (but not TOO hard)

dunno then, what sort of things did you have in mind?

[Ozwin]

I'm not sure, you tell me Mr Graphic Design man.

[ianm]

the linotype, fontshop, fontfont, monotype and adobe font libraries, a vector art collection cd, some stock photography disks and...

i could go on, btw i'm not a graphic designer, i was a mac artworker but now i'm hopefully going into IT

[LaurenMarie]

I have a Wacom Graphire3 4x5 tablet. It would be in your price range ($99 USD). It's on the low end, but it's better than a mouse for masking and painting in Photoshop. I really like it. Amazon has them if you don't find what you're looking for in the store, though I think you'll have to get the Graphire4 (the 3 is an old version). Amazon also has the added bonus of used and refurbished stock that is less expensive.

As to other graphic design equipment, what about a subscription or some credits on a stock photography site? And you'd better have Creative Suite! A good photo printer for portfolio pieces would be nice to have, too. I would collect a few books, like Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton, Real World Photoshop (whatever version of PS you have) by Blatner and Fraser and if you're new to any programs, get a Quick Start Guide or Quick Pro Guide for that program, as well as some inspiration type books like the Big Book of... (logos, business cards, design, etc) ones by David E. Carter.

[Ozwin]

I really like the look of that Thinking With Type book, I have to say. :) Really looks like a good tutorial-esk read and isn't that much to buy either.

However I have Photoshop 7.0, which is a bit low down on the scale of great photoshopping showcasing but yeah, the book (Real World Photoshop 7) isn't for sale on Amazon, well it is but it's from a seller so it costs a lot more than it would normally.

As for begginner guides, I really do think I should check some out. People often talk about things such as vectors and masking and I'm ashamed to say I don't always know what they mean. Would a Quick start Guide help me out in that way or is that more advanced?

[LaurenMarie]

The Quick Start Guides are great for troubleshooting or step by step tutorials on the basics. The Quick Pro Guides are the more advanced books. You can come check out my blog, too :grin: Books and graphic design oriented blogs and forums such as this one are a great place to start learning graphic design.

[ianm]

three good books here (from my own bookshelf), useful reference

Amazon.com: Color Index: Over 1100 Color Combinations, CMYK and RGB Formulas, for Print and Web Media: Books: Jim Krause

Amazon.co.uk: The Digital Designer's Bible: The Ultimate Route Map to Stress-Free Best Working Practice for Print and Web Designers: Books: Alastair Campbell,Alistair Dabbs

Amazon.co.uk: A Practical Guide to Digital Design: Designing with Your Computer Made Easy! (Advanced Level): Books: Pina Lewandowsky,Francis Zeischegg