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Amazon Prime Day 2019 is well underway, and this means that you can pick up massive bargains thanks to the best Prime Day deals. And when it comes to big discounts on tablets, this deal on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 won't be beat. That's because Amazon has knocked down the price of the tablet to just $369.99. That's a mega saving of $180!
Don't forget, if you want to grab this amazing discount, you need to be an Amazon Prime member (sign up here).
We've been keeping our eyes peeled for the biggest discounts on certain products, and this Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 offer is the best we've seen. By trimming 33% off its regular price of$547.99, Amazon has made this device more affordable than ever.
If you've been interested in picking up this tablet before, you'll likely know that it comes with a S-pen stylus at no extra cost and that it boasts an HDR ready screen. It might not come with a keyboard, but with the amount you're saving with this Amazon deal, your extra pennies could easily go towards one.
With its elegant glass design, 32GB of internal storage (which can easily be given a boost thanks to the microSD card slot), and intuitive display, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is thought of as Android's first worthy competitor to the iPad Pro 9.7. And while it's been criticised for being as expensive as an iPad Pro, this isn't a problem for the next couple of days thanks to the massive Amazon Prime Day price-cut.
If this isn't quite the tablet deal for you, you might find what you're looking for in our guide to the best Android tablets in 2019.
Have you signed up to Amazon Prime yet? It's the only way you can claim the amazing Amazon Prime Day discounts. Luckily, signing up is really easy and it won't cost you a penny when you join for a free trial. Once you've placed your order you can leave at any time in order to avoid those subscription fees. Of course, if you decide to stay signed up, you get get to enjoy Prime service month after month.
Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India
After some more Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 deals in your region? Scroll down to the links below and check out all the current offers.
Read more: The best laptops for graphic design
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Brand new web design tools and resources can help us to work smarter and faster, so its vital that we stay on top of the hottest new releases and updates. This month, we've got a varied list that is sure to serve up something to improve your workflow or get you learning something new.
Inspect elements with a pop-up box that appears on hover, use CSS Grid features without learning how to code it, edit Sketch files in Windows, browse hundreds of webapps without signing up... the means to do all of this and more are below.
If you'd like even more options than those found here, check out our bumper piece on the best web design tools of 2019 so far.
01. Your Undivided Attention
Learn why we need to move away from manipulative design patterns
Your Undivided Attention is a fascinating podcast. This episode scrutinizes the use of design patterns that manipulate human psychological vulnerabilities to hijack your attention. The hosts consider how technology is used to manipulate our choices, and upcoming episodes will have experts on election hacking and the dynamics of cults. There’s currently an episode with a former CIA officer and White House advisor who, noticing the increasingly polarised nature of US politics, joined Facebook to see if she could help improve public discourse. “Things didn’t go as planned.”
02. Lunacy 4.0
Edit Sketch files in Windows
Lunacy 4.0 is a free, native Windows graphic design application that works offline and supports .sketch files – it’s billed by the creators as "Sketch for Windows with design assets”.
Assets include thousands of icons in 22 different styles, illustrations from top Dribbble artists and a huge library of photographs. If you need to work on Sketch files but don’t use a Mac, this could be for you.
03. SVG Colorizer
Recolour a set of icons using any palette you like
SVG Colorizer is a really useful tool that enables you to recolour icon sets with another palette so that they match your interface. You can upload your own icons and create your own palettes, or you can use icons and palettes that are already built in to the tool. If a colour within the icons needs to stay, you can lock it using the palette running along the bottom. The tool recolours your icons by matching the lightness and darkness in the original colouration so that your new colour scheme makes sense.
04. CSS Scan 2.0
Inspect elements on any site on the fly with this browser extension
Instead of opening Dev Tools to inspect an element, you can use CSS Scan to view the CSS of any element you hover over – it appears in a pop-up view and you can copy all its rules with one click. CSS Scan is a browser extension that works on any website you visit in Chrome or Firefox (Safari support coming soon) and it’s great for finding out how your favourite sites are styled. You can use it to copy particular elements from themes or templates to adapt for your own use, and it’s great for debugging your own code.
05. Sizzy
Instantly see how your design looks on multiple devices
Sizzy is a browser for web designers and developers working on responsive designs – it simulates lots of different devices so your code edits will appear instantly across lots of screens. The interface is highly customisable so you can choose which devices are displayed and rearrange them as you like. You can search for a particular selector and all the screens will immediately scroll to it, and you can make full-site screenshots from all devices, or just particular ones. Another useful feature is the sync setting which lets you scroll through all the devices at once.
06. CSS Grid Generator
Use powerful CSS Grid features without learning the code
If you’re not using CSS Grid because you think it’s complicated to learn, CSS Grid Generator is a great way to dip your toe in the water. It allows you to use Grid features without having to learn how it all works.
Set the numbers and units of your columns and rows, drag in the boxes to add your divs and this tool will generate the code for you. Your basic grid will be up and running quickly, and if you choose to explore the more advanced features of CSS Grid you can do so at your own pace. Click 'What does this project do?' on the bottom right to see some resource recommendations from the creator.
07. Webframe
Browse inside hundreds of apps and compare their design and features
For many people the first stage of building a web app is browsing around similar tools to see how things have already been done, which can be time-consuming as you often need to sign up before you can start exploring.
Webframe gives you a faster way to do this. It’s a repository of screenshots from over 800 webapps that are organised into categories such as Landing, Pricing, Onboarding, Dashboards and so on, so you can see at a glance how other apps are handling these common features. Much of the material is usually only accessible after a sign-up, so it’s a big time-saver.
08. FYI product management resources
Tune your marketing machine with these good templates
If you’re a product maker, at some point you’re going to end up doing some kind of marketing to get what you’ve made in front of an audience. The creators of FYI product management resources have explored document apps such as Trello, Coda and Miro and selected the best templates and other resources to help you tune your marketing machine to perfection. Whatever software you’re using, there will be something for you, and they’re organised into categories so you can find just the right thing for the process you need to work on.
09. A11y_styled_form_controls
Style your form controls and stay accessible
Styling form controls such as radio buttons, checkboxes, range sliders etc. can be tricky, and the task is made even trickier if you want to keep things accessible for users of assistive technologies (you do). This repository of styled form controls can be used as a base for making things more stylish without messing up how your site is announced by screen readers or creating extra problems for any of your users. Each piece of code comes with a demo page and documentation that explains its use.
10. iro.js
Slick colour picker made with SVG
Iro.js is a HSV colour picker widget for JavaScript that the creator put together after becoming frustrated with existing widgets being bloated, overly dependent on other things and generally not up to scratch. Iro.js is beautifully designed and built with SVG so it looks great on any screen size. It works on all modern browsers and devices, including touchscreens, and has a small footprint with no extra detritus attached to it. It also supports hex, hsl and rgb colour formats.
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Amazon Prime Day has launched and there are some incredible Prime Day deals to be had. If you're a creative in the market for a shiny new graphics drawing tablet, then this Huion H610 Pro graphics tablet has 30% off right now. We rated this bit of kit the best Huion drawing tablet of 2019, too. It'll usually set you back $79, but the lightning deal cuts the full price down for Amazon Prime members to an attractive $55.59.
Not an Amazon Prime member? Sign up for a free trial to claim this discount.
This graphic drawing tablet is highly regarded by professionals who praise the size and the authentic paper-like feel of the drawing surface. Compatible with Windows 7 or later, Illustrator and Photoshop (and many other programs), the tablet is easy to use and could transform your digital art. And the fact it comes equipped with a pressure-sensitive pen, carrying bag and glove means you'll be fully kitted out.
This deal is the cheapest around, especially given the accessories haul, so take advantage if you can. If you want to check out some alternatives, have a look at our roundup of the best drawing tablets of 2019.
To qualify for the Prime Day deals, you have to be an Amazon Prime member. The free 30-day trial is the perfect way to get involved without spending a penny, as long as you remember to cancel the trial (without charge) at any time.
Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India.
Outside the US? Don't worry, see below where we've found some awesome Huion Graphic Drawing tablets for you wherever you are.
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Amazon Prime is in full swing now and we've already found some of the best Prime Day deals we've ever seen. And if you're after an iPad Pro then this is your lucky day as there are some fantastic deals available, and not just at Amazon either. Walmart is offering this 10.5-inch iPad Pro model (512GB, WiFi) for just $699, and Amazon is offering the same deal, as well as a range of other models at bargain prices, including this 11-inch iPad Pro (256GB, WiFi) for $899.
For the Amazon deals, you'll need to be a prime member (sign up here) but not so for the Walmart bargains. We've listed all the best iPad Pro deals below (see our general best iPad Pro deals roundup for more deals).
And if you're in the US and don't have access to the Walmart deals, never fear as we've listed the best Prime Day bargains for you too.
11-inch iPad Pro deals on Amazon Prime Day (US)
11-inch iPad Pro deals on Amazon Prime Day (UK)
12.9-inch iPad Pro deals on Amazon Prime Day (US)
12.9-inch iPad Pro deals on Amazon Prime Day (UK)
After a slightly older model? There are discounts on the 10.5-inch 2017 model available too:
10.5-inch iPad Pro deals on Amazon Prime Day (US)
10.5-inch iPad Pro deals on Amazon Prime Day (UK)
Not signed up to Amazon Prime yet?
Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India
See more great iPad deals below:
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It's Amazon Prime Day today, but that doesn't mean that all the best Prime Day deals are to be found on Amazon. And we've unearthed an absolutely cracking deal from Walmart that can net you an iPhone for half price.
Let's get real for a bit, though. While Walmart can be the best place to go for good prices on the best smartphones, it's not about to knock 50 per cent off the price of a brand new model. Rather, this is a deal on a prepaid 32GB iPhone 6S – a bit long in the tooth, but still a decent little smartphone, especially if you're the sort of person who tends to end up dropping their phone down the toilet at some point or another.
And while the iPhone 6S is ancient in smartphone years, at this price it's hard to say no. Walmart usually sells these for $299 on its own Straight Talk network, but today you can grab one for just $149 – an especially sweet deal, we're sure you'll agree.
This 32GB iPhone 6S comes in Space Gray or Rose Gold, and features a 4.7-inch Retina display, a 12MP camera that'll do 4K video at 30fps, plus a 5MP FaceTime HD camera with Retina Flash for selfies and video chats. It uses TouchID for extra security, and it'll even work with Apple Pay – that's a lot of phone for your money, even if it's a little past its prime.
And there's no need to worry about getting set up on a network - this prepaid iPhone 6S is good to go on Walmart's Straight Talk service, which enables you to get all the talking and data you need without a contract.
Of course, if this bargain iPhone 6S simply isn't powerful enough for you, that's no problem; check out our our roundup of the best Walmart smartphones and you might find some other great savings online.
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Amazon Prime Day 2019 is here! The Creative Bloq team will be bringing you all the best Prime Day deals as soon as they go live, wherever you are in the world.
This year's event runs for 48 hours (15-16 July). In order to get all the best Prime Day deals, you need to be an Amazon Prime subscriber. If you're not a member, sign up for a 30-day free trial now, and you can always cancel if it's not for you.
There are already lots of incredible Prime Day deals for designers and artists in this year's event, with more rolling out over the next few hours. If you have been waiting for the moment to shell out for a new laptop or graphics tablet, there's likely to be an Amazon Prime deal that will make the investment a little easier on the wallet. In past years we've also seen discounts on creative software (including Adobe Creative Cloud) and nifty gadgets to make your design life easier. You'll find all the best Prime Day deals in our roundup below.
Excitingly, we're seeing other retailers getting involved with the event this year, with people like Walmart and John Lewis offering some top deals too.
Jump to the category relevant for you now using the boxout opposite, or scroll down to browse all the best deals.
Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India
Amazon Prime Day 2019: stuff for your studio
Laptops: The best Prime Day deals
Tablets: The best Prime Day deals
Amazon Prime Day 2019: software and apps
Last year we saw 20% discounts on Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions: the Creative Cloud Photography Plan, which includes Lightroom CC, Photoshop CC, Spark Premium, Adobe Portfolio and 20GB of cloud storage, was down to $95.95 / £79.99 for a year’s subscription.
This year, we're expecting more discounts. Keep your eyes peeled for more deals on our Adobe deals page. In the meantime, here's a top early deal from Walmart.
Graphics tablet deals
Amazon Prime Day 2019: cameras
Prime Day deals: Audio and headphones
Best Amazon Prime Day phone deals
Prime Day art deals
How to get the best Amazon Prime Day 2019 deals
Sticking with us is a good strategy: we’ll spend the days up to and including Prime Day scouring Amazon for the best genuine deals for creatives.
We’d also recommend doing your homework before the day itself, deciding on what you want and what you want to pay for it, and ignoring any deals that aren’t on your shopping list: a deal is hardly a bargain if it ends up gathering dust in a corner of your studio.
Beware stunt pricing, too. To see if a deal is really a good deal, we’d recommend using CamelCamelCamel.com to check its Amazon price history and PriceSpy.co.uk to see what other retailers are selling it for: while many deals are genuine, some sellers increase their prices just before big events so that the discounts appear to be much bigger than they actually are.
When is Amazon Prime Day 2019?
Prime Day 2019 is due to run for 48 hours, from Monday 15 to Tuesday 16 July. Prime Day deals started rolling in at a minute past midnight on Monday 15 and will end at 11:59pm on Tuesday 16, wherever you are in the world. In the US, deals start at midnight Pacific time, and 3am on the East coast.
Is there an Amazon Prime Day 2019 in Australia?
Yes there is. Amazon.com.au has a holding page prepped and ready to go. We'd expect Prime Day Australia to be a bigger event in 2019 than its 2018 debut. Last year Australian shoppers were only offered 340 deals, compared to 2,800 in the US, and the focus was on smart home and gaming devices. In 2019 we’re expecting a wider range of products and many more offers.
Also read:
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It's Amazon Prime Day 2019 and the best Prime Day deals are ready to be snapped up. If you're after a monitor, you've come to the right place. This Samsung LC49HG90DMUXEN 49" Curved 1ms Ultra Wide is on sale for an incredible £809, a saving of almost £200!
And if you're looking for a lower-spec model at a bargain price, there are plenty of other monitor deals around. Scroll down for our pick of the best bargains.
To qualify for the awesome deals on Prime Day, you need to be an Amazon Prime member (sign up here).
The Samsung LC49HG90DMUXEN 49" Curved 1ms Ultra Wide gaming monitor will usually set you back £999.99, but this incredible Prime Day deal slashes the price tag to just £809.19. That's a saving of 19%, or £190.80, by far the best deal around for this epic gaming monitor.
The LC49HG90DMUXEN's 3840 x 1080 resolution is designed for gamers, which means it has a lot of features that make it ideal for designers to view their creations, too. The 49-inch curved display has an innovative 32:9 aspect ratio and is equivalent to standing two 27-inch 16:9 monitors side by side, with the screen curving around your line of vision. Its 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time also mean transitions are super-smooth, ensuring you can multi-task to your heart's content.
To find out more about what ultra-wide monitors are all about, see our guide to the best ultra-wide monitors, or for more monitor options, see our best monitors post.
If you're not quite ready to go ultra-wide, there are plenty of other fantastic Prime Day monitor deals on offer:
Not a Prime member yet? You can sign up easily for a 30-day trial and can cancel at any time, so you're not tied into anything as long as you remember to cancel at the end of the 30 days.
Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India
You can also check out more monitor deals below:
Read more:
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Anyone who works in a team knows that having the right tools is essential. There’s nothing more irritating than getting lost in an email chain full of different people, or trying to juggle an enormous to-do list with no way to assign or prioritise tasks. That’s where collaboration and productivity tools come in.
But with so many different options out there, which one should you choose? monday.com is an intuitive and powerful collaboration tool for designers and creatives all over the world. Why’s it so good? It allows you to do the following:
01. Create a customised space
monday.com is completely customisable and can be adjusted to meet your team’s needs. You can decide what tasks you want to focus on, and pick the template that best suits you, whether that’s Task Management, Project Roadmap, Content Calendar or Invoice Tracker. Have lots of different tasks and need lots of different templates? No problem. Use as many as you like.
monday is also incredibly intuitive to use, so much so that once you start using it, you'll be hooked. It's easy to drag and drop elements within your template, and simple dropdown menus make selection easy.
02. See what's happening
You can customise your dashboard to show you the information you need
With so many different templates, things could get confusing, but monday has been built with the end user in mind. It offers big-picture control to allow you to see exactly what’s going on across multiple boards. Customisable dashboards can provide as much or as little info as you need, and give a quick and easy overview of projects.
You can also view each template in a number of different ways, allowing you to visualise your progress in a way that makes sense to you, for example using Timeline, Chart or Kanban view. All these tools mean that collaborating, project planning and tracking are easier than ever.
03. Streamline your workflow
monday’s integration with third party apps such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Slack and Excel allows you to manage your entire workflow in one place. File sharing is easy, and you can improve your efficiency by setting up automations and notifications – freeing you up to focus on the important stuff.
Communicating with your team or clients within monday is also a breeze, as you can simply @mention a team or individual to get their attention.
04. Share your work easily
All your project files can live in monday, ready to be shared with clients when needed
Once your work is ready to show your client, you can share your board with them, even if they don’t have monday, using shareable boards. That means you can wave goodbye to having to reformat your work before you share it.
05. Access support, fast
If you do get stuck, there’s no waiting around on the end of a phone for hours. monday’s email and phone support is available 24/7 and the response time is just 10 minutes – much faster than the industry norm. So even if you have a panicked question at 3am the night before your deadline, monday’s support team are on hand to help.
To see how monday can help you and your team, try a free trial of monday today.
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Amazon Prime Day 2019 is upon us and we have already found some incredible Prime Day deals that are not to be passed up. If the sound in your ears is in need of an upgrade, these Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphone – Satin Gold, on offer with 44% off might be just what you're looking for. They've been discounted for Amazon Prime members for today only, from £249.99 to just £139.99 and Amazon reviews have awarded them a whopping four-and-a-half stars.
Not an Amazon Prime member? Sign up for a free trial to claim this discount.
These Beats headphones provide beautifully balanced and clear audio with longevity, as the wireless battery lasts an impressive 40 hours. The on-ear controls are great for busy creatives mid-flow on a project as you can control your music, take calls and activate Siri without using your hands.
Want something slightly different? Check out our guide to the best wireless headphones in 2019.
To qualify for the Amazon Prime Day deals, you need to sign up to become an Amazon Prime member, but there is a free 30-day trial period available – perfect for you to take advantage of Prime Day with no strings attached. You can cancel the subscription at any time without charge.
Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India.
If you'd like to see some other deals on Beats Solo3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones, check out the ones listed below:
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Amazon Prime Day has begun in the UK, and there's some amazing Prime Day deals to be had for artists and designers. One of the best we've seen so far is this incredible Sony A7 III deal, which sees a whopping £360 knocked off the price, taking the camera and 28-70mm lens kit down to £1,039.
The Sony A7 II is a great all-rounder. The tech behind it includes a 24.3 megapixel, 35 mm full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor and BIONZ X image processing engine, which basically translates to super-powerful. The A7 II has been superseeded now by its younger sibling the A7 III, currently voted one of the best cameras in our round-up, however, the fact Sony is still producing this older model speaks volumes.
The A7 II represents a fantastic option for photographers wanting to step their skills up to the next level.
If the Sony A7 II doesn't quite suit, good news is there are lots more incredible Prime Day deals for photographers. Here are the best offers currently available:
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Amazon Prime Day is now in full swing and we've already seen some amazing Prime Day deals. And this cracking XP-Pen Artist 16 Pro offer is no exception. Usually priced at £369.99, for a limited time you can now get your hands on it for just £220 – that's a whopping 41% discount!
If you're not familiar with XP-Pen, the Japanese graphics tablet company has been developing pro drawing products since 2005, offering a very decent, budget alternative to high-end Wacom tablets.
The Artist 16 Pro features a beautiful 15.6-inch screen, comes with two rechargeable pens, a HDMI adapter for Mac and cleaning cloth and a 12-month warranty. It's a fantastic option if you're starting to seriously think about digital art and want a quality but affordable device.
But remember: the deal listed below is only available for Prime member and is only available for a limited time. So you might want to hurry, currently almost half the retail price, we don't expect stocks to last long.
Don't want to miss out? Sign up for a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial and get every deal as soon as it's available. (You can cancel your trial afterwards with no strings attached.)
If you're on the hunt for something slightly bigger, Amazon has also discounted the size up XP-Pen tablet too:
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Right now Prime members can get a massive £110 off a Wacom Intuos Pro pen tablet (Medium). And when we say right now, we do mean right now – this is one of Amazon's Lightning deals, so it's only going to stick around for a matter of hours (and at this price, we're not expecting stocks to last that long).
The professional graphics tablet comes with a Wacom Pro Pen 2 stylus (and replacement tips) included, and is compatible with Windows and Apple.
Not a Prime member? Sign up for a free trial now
We're calling it: this is the best Prime Day offer we're going to see this year, especially for creatives. For more great prices on creative kit (all over the world), take a look at our guide to the best Prime Day deals.
As you'll no doubt know, Wacom rules the roost when it comes to graphics tablets. This model is suitable for left- and right-handers, comes with Pro Pen 2 stylus included, and offers 8192 pen pressure levels and 60 levels of tilt recognition in every direction, to give an impressively natural drawing experience.
The tablet itself includes eight adjustable express keys, a customisable touch ring that you can personalise to streamline your workflow. The multi-touch surface is also intuitive to use.
For more on this impressive bit of kit, read our Wacom Intuos Pro review.
This Lightning deal is only around for a limited time, and only while stocks last, so if you want one, get it in your basket now. Of course, to take advantage of this deal (and all the other bargains at Amazon right now) you need to be a Prime subscriber. It's simple and free to sign up, with no strings attached, so you can grab all the Prime Day deals you want and cancel your subscription at any time without charge.
Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India
Not in the UK, or missed the deal? These are the best prices on a Wacom Intuos Pro Pen Tablet (Medium) where you are:
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We think the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 is the best 2-in-1 around, and right now Prime members can pick up a 12.3-inch Surface Pro 6 with £159 off the usual price. It's one of many awesome Prime Day deals that will be rolled out by Amazon over the next 48 hours as part of its annual bargain bonanza.
Not a Prime member? Sign up for a 30-day Amazon Prime trial here to take advantage of this deal.
This powerful 2-in-1 offers impressive versatility. You can use it as a tablet, a laptop, or, if you're at your desk, dock a keyboard and monitor and turn it into a fully-powered Windows machine. Designers will appreciate the high-resolution PixelSense Display, and while on-the-go freelancers will be pleased to find it's also super-slim and light, weighing in at just 771g. Specs-wise, this platinum machine includes Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM and 128 GB SSD, and runs Windows 10 Home.
Get a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India
You need to be a Prime member to take advantage of this deal. If you're not sure it's for you in the long term, sign up for a no-strings 30-day free trial (links above), and you can always cancel after Prime Day.
Not in the UK? Check out the best prices on the Surface Pro 6 wherever you are in the world:
Read more: The best laptops for graphic design
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Amazon Prime Day has arrived and there is a huge range of products available at knock-down prices, including some of the best Prime Day Deals there have ever been (more offers will be going live over the next 48 hours).
For creatives, its a great time to stock up on art essentials, such as this set of Derwent Inktense Permanent Watercolour Pencils, on sale for less than half price. With an RRP of £121.50, Amazon Prime members can currently pick up this set of 72 professional-grade, quality pencils for just £49.96. We rated Derwent's Inktense range amongst the best watercolour pencils on the market.
Not an Amazon Prime member? Sign up for a free trial to claim this discount.
These pencils can be used dry or with water to give a rich, vibrant, ink-effect to your artwork. They blend and shade beautifully and you can use them to paint onto fabric. Once water has been added, the ink locks down and can be layered. The pencils also work alongside watercolour paintbrushes.
The cheapest we've seen these pencils elsewhere is at Homecrafts, which has them priced at £64.99, so this Prime Day deal is a really great saving.
You do have to sign up for Amazon Prime in order to get all the best deals, but you only have to be a member when you buy the goods so the 30-day trial is a perfect no-strings attached way of tapping into all the deals available. You can cancel your subscription at any time, and if you sign up now you'll be able to take advantage of the full Prime Day event.
Get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime: US | UK | Canada | Australia | India
Not in the UK, or missed the deal? Take a look at the best prices on Derwent watercolour pencils below:
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Most respondents in a recent survey say they're losing the battle despite having up-to-date protections in place.
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Vulnerability experts Michiel Prins and Greg Ose discuss the 15 most common vulnerability types.
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If you've been patiently waiting for the best Prime Day deals, the good news is there's not long to go. With the main Amazon event kicking off in a matter of hours, we've already seen other retailers reveal some incredible offers – and this Sony TV deal from Walmart is one of the best so far. Originally $1,998, this Sony 70-inch 4K Ultra HD TV is now just $1,098 – that's a huge $900 saving!
So, if you've got a space big enough to fit in a 70-inch TV, this is one deal you'd be daft to miss. Sony is renowned for its quality products, and when it comes to TVs, it's up there with the best of them. Part of its Bravia range, this X830F model's colours are rich and vivid thanks to its Triluminos display, and the innovative technology of its HDR processor X1 results in remarkable realism.
This deal isn't available outside the US, but that doesn't mean we've forgotten about the rest of the world. Here are the best deals on a range of other giant monitors in your area – see our guide to the best ultrawide monitors for details:
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London's Southwark Park Galleries has really let its creativity off the leash for an upcoming contemporary art show all about dogs. That's because it's enlisted the help of our four-legged friends to curate the dog-related artwork, which will be on display in the Lake and Dilston galleries.
The exhibition, called Dog Show, is part of the celebrations for Southwark Park Galleries 35th birthday. A group of 15 cultured canines were used to help select the artworks, which include a print by Lucian Freud (below), paintings by Ryan Brown, and an animation by David Shrigley (above).
If you like the sound of this show and you're inspired to create your own canine-themed masterpiece, don't forget that you can find tips on our how to draw page, which is packed with plenty of illustration tutorials.
As for Dog Show, we can expect to see a variety of mediums. "With a little help from their human companions, these canine curators have selected artworks in what is believed to be the first exhibition of its kind," Southwark Park Galleries explains on its site.
'Pluto, aged 12' by Lucian Freud is one of the works on display
These aren't just any old dogs either, they belong to a variety of artists and curators. We'll just overlook the fact that their human owners had some influence over the selection process.
Sadly, the galleries don't reveal how the dogs chose their preferred artwork. Were the pieces hidden and the dogs had to sniff them out? Did the pooches show their approval for a painting by performing tricks? We'll just never know.
What we do know though is that the show will run from 18 July until 8 September.
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A lack of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) pairing mechanism leaves the smart IoT devices open to malicious manipulation.
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The best MacBook Pro alternatives have the great features of Apple's design, but at a lower cost. MacBook Pro may be most designers' laptop of choice, but it’s no longer alone in its prowess for design and performance – there are plenty of Windows machines that have superb specs and, increasingly, look great.
It’s also true that cross-platform software compatibility is now rarely an issue. With so many productivity apps being based on the web now, plus Adobe’s CC (get Adobe Creative Cloud here) having full support for the superb Windows 10, you won’t find yourself suddenly up the creek without a paddle.
Many Windows 10 PCs also have touch screens, which can be rather handy if you do wish to use a stylus – it’s certainly a better touch solution than Apple’s Touch Bar.
Of course, it remains the case that Macs are an expensive investment for a freelancer or studio and some of the Windows alternatives offer the same power for less (although check out Apple laptop deals post to see what bargains are available). Apple has recently slashed its factory-fitted SSD upgrade prices, but if you configure a MacBook Pro with all the bells and whistles things start rising steeply upwards. We must also say though, that although the MacBook Pro has risen in price in the relatively recent past, so have many PC equivalents.
So let’s explore some of the best MacBook Pro alternatives you’ll find. We’ve listed the core specs of the base model in each case, but naturally more expensive (and better performing) options are available in each case.
If you’re looking at a MacBook Pro equivalent that’s a PC you’ve just found it. Available in two sizes, the Surface Book 2 is a powerful, do-anything machine. Its party piece is a detachable touch display that pops on and off of the keyboard base and works as a separate tablet, although the Surface Pen is an optional extra. And with Windows being very touch-friendly, the tablet isn’t just for show – you can really put it to work. The display is excellent, too – pin-sharp – while there’s support for USB-C and USB-A, although you do have to put up with a proprietary power connector that we hope Microsoft will dump when it revises this machine next. While the base machine is competitively priced, things start to jump up when you talk about opting for the Nvidia dedicated graphics that reside in the base (so can’t be used with the tablet unless it’s attached to the keyboard). Another disadvantage is that it’s heavier than a MacBook Pro. But there are few other computers that have the same quality about them – it’s a robust, well-put together machine, too.
This could have gone one of two ways – should we recommend the XPS 13 or its bigger brother, the XPS 15? Well we recommend both, depending on what size you want (and what you need to do). If you’ve got an idea that Dell isn’t a good brand to buy from, it’s time you binned that notion – these are some of the best laptops available anywhere and are very well designed indeed. The XPS 13 comes in various models and could be seen as a MacBook Air equivalent in many ways, but it can be given plenty of power (though not more advanced graphics than Intel’s integrated options, unfortunately). The XPS 15, on the other hand, has Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics across the board as standard in addition to top-line, latest 9th generation Intel Core i7 processors, while several models have 4K OLED displays, too. Both the XPS 13 and 15 are also available in (more expensive) 2-in-1 versions where you can flip the screen 360-degrees.
When Surface Laptop was first announced, it seemed odd – why would Microsoft go backwards from the superb Surface Book? But it makes a lot of sense. By producing a premium device without the tablet part, Microsoft could cut down on the weight and produce a go-anywhere Surface device for those who wanted, well, a laptop rather than a tablet (you can still use the Surface Pen with this super PixelSense display should you wish to). It’s available with some high-end options including bags of storage and memory, while it’s very well designed like its more expensive brother and there’s something distinctive too; hardy Alcantara fabric surrounds the keyboard. Some won’t like it, but it’s definitely a talking point and, before you ask, it doesn’t stain. There is one moot point, however – there’s no USB-C port at all. Goodness only knows why Microsoft has been so resistant to adopt the ever-more-prevalent standard, but we reckon the company will fix that if it does a new model later in 2019.
- Read our full review of the Surface Laptop 2
HP’s ZBook Line comes in a variety of configurations and styles – you even can get a 360-degree convertible version (Studio x360), too. The HP ZBook Studio 15 is our pick of the bunch though since it has workstation-level specs. Indeed, you’d be hard pushed to find as much power for the price anywhere. Not only is there Nvidia Quadro P1000 graphics under the hood, but you also get Intel’s top-line Core i9 processor, 32GB of memory and a 512GB SSD. The DreamColor 4K display also has 100 percent Adobe RGB coverage, too. You’re able to ask HP for a custom configuration should you so wish.
Think business laptops and you’ll probably come up with the ThinkPad. However, since the ThinkPad line was taken over by Lenovo, no longer are all ThinkPads black and rather dull. Indeed, while the 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon has an understated look, it’s a genuine MacBook Pro competitor that’s lightweight – starting at around 1.1kg – but can be specified with various options up to 8th generation Intel Core i7 processors, a super-bright 4K Dolby Vision-certified display and up to 16GB of memory and 2TB of SSD storage. However, like the Surface Laptop, there aren’t any discrete graphics options which could be a deal-breaker. But there is a lot to like with the X1 Carbon – the array of ports is impressive for something 15mm thick, with HDMI, 2x USB-A and dual USB-C Thunderbolt 3, one of which is located alongside a proprietary network port – those two can be plugged directly into a desk dock. There’s even a model with integrated mobile broadband – simply slot in a SIM and you’re always on.
What better MacBook Pro alternative could there be than an alternative MacBook Pro? Let us explain. Like many other computer manufactures (Dell Outlet being another good example). Apple sells off machines that get returned to it for less than they were originally on sale for. These machines aren’t faulty – or have had a faulty part replaced. Often they’ve just been returned for refunds because the customer changed their mind. So they’re repackaged, reformatted and sold to you with savings that can run into the hundreds. Sounds good, doesn’t it? The only downside is that sometimes the machines can have odd configurations – or you have to wait around for the model you want to pop-up. Still, it’s always worth seeing what’s available. Everything comes with a one-year warranty and there are plenty of other Apple products available, too.
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When faced with a problem, limited resources can sometimes lead to the most creative and effective solutions. For advertising agency Jekyll & Hyde, the problem was that it needed to find a Russian-speaking art director to design cool packaging. And even worse, it had no budget for a talent search.
Yet despite this, the agency managed to attract thousands of CVs from relevant candidates at a cost of $0, all thanks to a clever piece of copywriting.
Given that art director positions are one of the most coveted roles in the industry, it's fascinating to see how agencies go about recruiting people for the job. If you've always wanted to be one, check out our guide to all you need to know about being an art director, and also check our design jobs board.
So how did Jekyll & Hyde filter down potential candidates? Simple, it spoke to them in their own language.
In a recently released video (below), the agency reveals that it distributed a packaging concept with labels that advertised the art director role – see our packaging design for more inspirational creations. However, given that the labels were written in Russian, only relevant (or at least, Russian-speaking) designers were able to see the vacancy and apply.
"When the packaging was published, the ad was understood only by our target audience, i.e. Russian-speaking designers," the video explains. "For everyone else, it was just ordinary packaging."
As far as filtration methods go, this one is so effective that we're surprised that it isn't more commonplace. (Or maybe it is and we just don't see them...)
And for Jekyll & Hyde, the campaign paid off. The concept designs appeared in front of thousands of designers after being shared by the likes of Packaging Of The World, and the agency was flooded with CVs and portfolios from its target audience.
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3D rigging, like other CGI techniques, can be confusing to newcomers. This guide aims to break it down so that every artist can learn how to rig a 3D model.
A lot of time creating 3D art is spent on how the shell of an object looks. This is great for stills, but when animating, it is just as important to concentrate on where the movement comes from. For most objects, creatures and characters, this is from within.
There is no getting around the fact that rigs are one of the most complex systems in CGI, and like most tools in CGI there is not, unfortunately, a unified workflow between the major applications (see our list of the best 3D software).
That being said the principles of animating a rig are reasonably similar, and processes like forward kinematics (FK), where a joint chain animation originates from the base joint (such as the shoulder of an arm), and inverse kinematics (IK), where the animation of an arm would originate from the tips of the fingers, are universal principles that can be applied across applications.
Let’s take a look at some more of the basics of 3D or animation rigging.
What is 3D rigging?
Think of a 3D rig as a basic skeleton
3D rigging is in effect the process of creating an invisible skeleton that defines how an object moves. An animation or 3D rig usually comprises a system of ‘invisible’ objects that can be seen in a 3D viewport but not in a final render.
At the most basic level, these objects are nulls/groups and joints. Joints are objects that essentially act as the bones of the skeleton, where the nulls/groups/ targets act as the cartilage to define the range of movement. Nulls can also create controllers that are tied to specific objects within a skeleton, to allow an artist to move and control elements much more easily than actually trying to select the specific points themselves.
When parented correctly, a joint and null system creates a logical way of moving elements, and when this system is bound to an organic mesh it can create a convincing range of movements. 3D rigs can work just as well with hard-bodied systems such as cars, where controllers can be an invaluable part of an animation setup.
Rigging a character
A typical animation/3D rig for a humanoid form will consist of parented joints or bones, which act as a basic skeleton.
These joints are controlled by a series of nulls that allow an artist to manipulate the model in a more logical fashion than by animating each joint. Always remember when rigging characters to have the model and rig in a neutral pose, such as a T-pose.
Creating hard-body rigs
Hard-bodied objects can be animated in particular ways
Hard-bodied objects can be animated with a rig as well, but this depends on a logical parenting of objects and control nulls. While joints can be used, they tend not to be used as much in hard-bodied rigs.
A good example of a hard-bodied rig is a car rig, such as the one shown for Cinema 4D by Ahmed El-Hofy (above) that provides a single control for steering and spins the wheels at the correct speed. These sort of rigs can be as complex or as simple as required by the need of the shot.
Binding a mesh
A rig does not simply parent an object
After creating an animation rig, it is not always obvious how to connect it to the geometry that needs to be animated.
This is not achieved by just parenting an object, the mesh needs to be attached via a binding process where the 3D applications apply the rig to various elements throughout the rig, which can be modified after the binding process through weights and constraints. These controls differ between each application, but the underlying process is the same.
Inverse and forward kinematics
Kinematics can control movement and positioning
These define the direction a rig works in when it is being animated. Forward kinematics are the most logical for newcomers, controlling the movement of the rig from the base joint in the process, such as the shoulder or hip joint.
Forward kinematics can require a lot of work if a character needs to sit, whereas with inverse kinematics creating a sitting animation is easy – the rig is controlled by the end points such as the feet or hands, and works backwards through the rig.
This article was originally published in issue 247 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 247 or subscribe to 3D World.
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Branding has always been an integral part of being a band or musician. Now, the industry is more crowded than ever before, with Spotify alone adding over 40,000 tracks a day. This means an eye-catching and captivating campaign extends far beyond album artwork.
Branding campaigns for musicians need to work across video content, merchandise, social media, band logos and more. A musician's branding needs to be synonymous with the its music and members, instantly recognisable and above all, timeless. These well-known and indie acts offer a range of examples when it comes to nailing a musician's branding campaign, and they all teach us something slightly different about the art of branding.
For more on branding in general, see our post on logo design and check out our favourite style guides.
01. Taylor Swift
As one of pop’s biggest stars, Taylor Swift is one of the most influential artists out there. She has consistently nailed her branding campaigns, from 1989’s polaroid-heavy nostalgia, to the villainous Reputation era.
Reinventing herself for each album release has become a mainstay for Swift and that Reputation branding campaign, created by boutique agency ST8MNT is a masterclass in marketing. Deleting her entire Instagram feed, Swift then teased fans with images of a snake that flipped her previous bad press as a sneaky back-stabber into someone who was unapologetic, ruthless and inspiring. It’s certainly one way to reinvent yourself.
02. The 1975
British indie band The 1975 show just what you can do with a simple shape.
Creative director, artist, graphic designer and photographer, Samuel Burgess Johnson is responsible for most of their designs, which often include a rectangle surrounding their name across a multitude of their releases – proving that keeping things clear and concise can work wonders.The shape has become synonymous with the group, with fans tattooing the shapes on their bodies and the band regularly using it for merchandise and tour imagery. Although their most recent release A Brief Enquiry Into Online Relationships seemed to stray from the rectangle, eagle-eyed fans pointed out that by connecting the squares, you could make out an array of rectangles.
03. Paramore
If you’ve been a band (or perhaps a studio or brand) for over 10 years, it’s important to keep things exciting – especially if you’ve had a reshuffle of members. Paramore’s 2017 release After Laughter completely reinvented the band’s image from pop-punk kids to a glossy, 80s-inspired group.
Created by LA based designer Scott Cleary, After Laughter used bold duotones, clashing patterns, and zine sensibilities to completely transform Paramore's image (much to some die-hard fans dismay). This new branding extended throughout their videos and merch, with the band also donning bright and bold jumpsuits in press imagery. Juxtaposing colourful imagery with an album that comments on mental health issues and isolation is a brilliant move.
04. Slowthai
Northampton’s Slowthai is a perfect example of grassroots branding done right. With an album titled Nothing Great About Britain, the grime artist had billboards placed all over the UK with facts about the country’s problems including statistics about climate change, homelessness, the gender pay gap, hate crime, mental health and more.
Encouraging fans to locate and send him pictures of the various billboards in London is a great way to engage with listeners and create a buzz around an album, weeks ahead of its release. By placing the name of the album at the bottom of each billboard, the cryptic message would intrigue just about anyone. The lesson here? Where you can, seek to engage and challenge your audience.
05. Christine and the Queens
Here's another great example of an album title doing the talking for you, French artist Christine and The Queens decided to (sort of) change her stage name. Christine and the Queens is very much a character that the pop star adapts as artistic expression but for her second album, she evolved into Chris: a fluid identity.
The album, also titled Chris, was first teased with a crossed out Christine and the Queens logo, prompting an immediate marketing buzz. The scribbled typography went on to cover the artist's merch and encouraged a message of being yourself no matter what. It just goes to show that if you're big enough and you do it right, you can survive a name change.
06. Ariana Grande
Mega-star Ariana Grande followed up her 2016 release Dangerous Woman with 2018’s No Tears Left To Cry, teasing fans with upside-down imagery across her social media accounts.
Created by SB Projects’ art director and lead designer, Jessica Severn, this upside-down branding extended throughout Grande’s video for the lead single while merch was adorned with upside-down portraits of the singer. It makes a case for literally flipping an image for a simple and strategic campaign that works – as Desigual did recently with its logo. The singer also adopted her own Instagram filter for the branding campaign, which is a sure-fire way to engage fans and intrigue others.
07. Ed Sheeran
Back in 2015, Ed Sheeran announced via his social media platforms that he was taking a break to travel the world and see everything that he’s missed. Exactly one year after that, Sheeran returned to Instagram, posting a simple plain light blue square. Of course it caused a stir and marked the beginning of the branding campaign for his album Divide.
It took the singer almost an entire month to post again, this time officially announcing the record. This use of one bold colour along with a simple divide symbol made this one of the singer’s most successful branding campaigns. The campaign was created by UK-based agency Adult Art Club, with loose watercolour illustrations from Kasiq Jung Woo and a typography collaboration with illustrator Charlotte Audrey.
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If you write regularly, you know that sometimes the process can leave you stuck in a rut. Or, the opposite can happen, and your brain is filled with so many ideas that you're in major need of organisation. Either way, Writer’s Blocks 5 is a powerful tool that can help you reach you writing goals for just $39.
With Writer’s Block 5, you’re getting visual outlining tools that will help you capture and organise large amounts of information that may be swirling around in your head.
This is done using "blocks," which is like a word processor document, but it can organise and structure vast quantities of text, notes, and information. Simply drag and drop text blocks easily to rearrange them, and use different fonts and colours to highlight and categorise the information.
Writer's Blocks 5 can change and upgrade your writing workflow for just $39.
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Rare Copic Marker deal is unmissable
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Making artwork digitally is all well and good, but sometimes you need that unmistakable feel of actually creating something physical. A fantastic way to do this is with a set of top-quality markers, and they don't come much better than Copic's.
Copic Markers are the go-to marker for top Manga artists and other pro creatives, and among today's great Prime Day deals you can save over £200 on a Copic Marker 72 piece set.
Refillable with replaceable nibs, they're high quality and reliable illustrating tools built to provide a lifetime of use. With a chisel tip at one end and a brush tip at the other – with plenty of other tip size available to purchase separately – plus the option to use them as part of an airbrushing system, they're insanely versatile.
Copic Markers are refillable and built to last a lifetime
What they're not, though, is particularly cheap, which is why this Amazon Prime Day lightning deal is one you won't want to miss. A set of 72 Copic Markers would normally set you back £439, but for the next few hours you can pick one up for just £237.88.
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If colour precision matters to you then a set of Copic markers is a must. Copic uses computerised colour matching and strict manufacturing standards to ensure colour consistency across every batch, so you can be sure that when you refill your Copic markers they'll deliver exactly the same hues as they did when you bought them.
Copic ink is quick-drying, non-toxic and permanent, and each bottle will refill your marker up to nine times, so there's little danger of running out of colour when you're halfway through your latest work. Whether you're looking to expand your marker collection or just getting started and want to hit the ground running, this set is a must-have bargain that you won't want to miss.
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