Images are getting more and more important online. It’s a point I’ve been making for a while, but this continues to become more true. Just like the first cars focused on functionality with a focus on looks and design later, so it is true of the Internet. First we cared about getting the data up and making it easy for people to find it. Now the way things looks matter and this is only going to get more true.
As such, you need some good tools to help you design great images for both the online world and for your sermon presentations.
Recently two popular tools released their apps onto the iPad to provide a wider selection of tools to use whenever and wherever to great stunning graphics.
Canva for iPad
In case you haven’t heard about it, Canva is a new web based app which is here to help you design great graphics. These could be for a social media cover page, an ebook cover, a pin able graphic for a website or even for your sermon slides (though it doesn’t say that on the site).
It has a basic editing interface with different layers for images, text, graphics etc and you can even apply some basic filters to photos (but don’t expect full Photoshop editing functions).
Canva on the iPad is no exception and it contains the same selection of fonts and images as the full web app (some of which are free, while others cost you 1$ per item). However, you can also use your own images or those from other sources if you have some good image providers.
Being a web app, Canva will sync to your desktop whenever it saves, there can sometimes be some issues of duplication of projects when the sync system gets confused, but this is rare. The bigger issue is you always need an Internet connection to use this service. I don’t know about you, but my iPad doesn’t have a data plan and I don’t always have Internet access so this can be an issue for me.
Pixelmator for iPad
Pixelmator is a highly popular image editing app for the Mac which has just joined the iPad. Unlike Canva, Pixelmator is much more Photoshop Touch (Android link), with a simpler, but still powerful set of features. Unlike Canva, you can use Pixelmator offline and you have a great deal of control over your images. You can lighten, darken, change colours and really refine your images how you want. You can also add text with a selection of fonts to choose from.
Pixelmator also makes use of the new handoff features from iOS 8 and Yosemite making it possible to start a design on the Mac and then switch to the iPad, leave with the document on your iPad and finish it off. Or start on your iPad and then open up your Mac to do the final finishing touches. This with the ability to use it offline makes it a tool you really can use wherever and whenever.
Personally, I have found that Pixelmator on the iPad is more powerful than Photoshop Touch and is certainly more user friendly.
However, Pixelmator does not include an image library like Canva, it’s templates are much more limited (though you can create your own) and you don’t get the badges or other graphical items that come with canva.
Summing Up
Overall, both of these tools can be used to help you create stunning visuals from your iPad and will sync with your Mac (or Windows with Canvas) to let you finish off your work. Neither is as powerful as Photoshop, but Pixelmator is a great tool for editing images. Although the costs for Canvas images may cause you to not consider it, the cost of both the Mac and iPad app for Pixelmator is much higher.
Really, there are a lot of difference between the two apps. Pixelmator lets you really adjust an image, running specific points and adding certain elements. Whereas Canva lets you drag and drop core elements to make simple visual content. Depending on your needs and skills will help you to decide which, if any, are right for you.
Personally, they are both sticking on my iPad, but I’ll probably use Pixelmator more as I like to refine my own images rather than use a stock library,
Eric Dye says
Considering my adoration for Pixelmator, it’s a slam-dunk decision for me. 🙂