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The Lego Cyber Monday deals are in full swing, so if you're on the hunt for a new set, there's never been a better time to buy. Lego is arguably the world's most creative tool, whether you use it for prototyping or simply as a way to switch off, the humble little brick's possibilities are endless. The tactile nature of Lego combined with intricately detailed sets has made Lego hugely popular among adults and children alike in recent years. One of the most popular set themes is Lego Star Wars, with many fans placing the epic Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon set at the top of their wishlists. However the 7,000+ piece set is far from cheap, which is why we were super-excited to see it as part of a Lego Black Friday deal at John Lewis. The retailer has reduced the mega set by 15%, dropping it down to £548.67 – the lowest price we've ever seen! If Star Wars isn't your thing, never fear, there are plenty more amazing Lego Black Friday deals just waiting to be snapped up. Another hugely popular set is the incredible Lego Technic Bugatti Cheron, which is currently reduced by 35% over on Amazon. Good news is not all Lego sets are quiet so expensive, here's a selection of great deals for all budgets (we're just off to nab a Mr & Mrs Claus ourselves)... There are plenty more amazing Lego Black Friday deals around if neither of the above take your fancy. Walmart has Lego Black Friday discounts of 20% or more on right now so you're sure to find a set to suit. Read more: Introducing Lego, as you've never seen it before The Knight Bus Lego review Stranger Things Lego set available now – and it's EPIC! View the full article

The Black Friday 2019 weekend is here, and one of our favourite ever art supplies has had a whopping reduction courtesy of Amazon. Various sets have been on sale over the past few days, and at the moment, it's the turn of Set A of 72 Copic markers – which are down from £434 to £314 at Amazon. But you'll need to hurry if you want this deal, as it's only around for the next few hours. Copic markers are stationery like you've never seen it before. They give you complete control to help you create your next stunning illustration. They're refillable, and have replaceable nibs, meaning that you never need to buy a Copic marker more than once. This set of 72 has dual nibs – one medium broad and one super brush – and will last a lifetime. We don't expect this incredible deal to hang around for long, so snap it up while you can. For more fantastic deals, see our dedicated Black Friday deals hub, our hot iPad offers in our iPad Cyber Monday deals post or our Adobe Cyber Monday deals. Not quite what you're looking for? See more deals on Copic markers below. View the full article

There are hundreds of stunning deals to be had this Black Friday, and only a few of them will have as big a markdown as this Acer Chromebook 14 on sale at Amazon, which is a great lightning deal. With its usual priced slashed from $246, it's got a 48% discount to only $149.99. The Acer Chromebook is ideal as a second laptop – a light and super-portable option for when on the move. Checking emails, watching Netflix (other streaming providers are available) and viewing documents is a pleasure on its 14-inch HD screen. And the gold colour is pretty fly too. With 14 hours battery life, you could journey across the country and still have juice left. Remember: Amazon lightning deals sell out fast so if you want this model, it's worth putting your skates on. This weekend will see deals flying off the shelves. Check out our Black Friday deals hubs to keep up-to-date with what's going on. We'll be updating the best Apple deals, Wacom deals and Microsoft deals regularly. If you're looking for a laptop but would like some more options, check out our MacBook deals and Microsoft deals hubs. Or here are some more deals from around the web: View the full article

All day we've seen some incredible Black Friday deals land, and right now they show no sign of slowing down. Luckily for artists and designers, a lot of offers have come up on sought-after hardware and software suited specifically to the creative industries. And this amazing iPad Pro deal at Best Buy, which shaves $150 off the latest 11-inch model, is no exception. The iPad Pro has become a popular tool among creative professionals in recent years. Boasting power similar to that of a laptop, a design that easily slots, almost barely noticeable, into most bags and support for both generations of Apple Pencil, it's really not hard to see why. But like a lot of Apple products, the iPad Pro doesn't come cheap, which is why discounts like this one are snapped up in no time. If you're looking for different Apple hardware, be sure to check out our best Apple Black Friday deals round-up. Or if it's a version of Apple's tablet specifically that you're after, head over to our best iPad Black Friday deals post, where you'll find great savings on all manner of iPads. Oh, and don't forget an Apple Pencil too! Not in the US? Here are the best same spec iPad Pro prices in your area: View the full article

Black Friday's the ideal opportunity to get some incredible savings on some new audio gear, and if you value sound quality over rock bottom prices then you'd be wise to check out the current Bose Black Friday deals. Bose gear's going to cost you more than other audio brands, but you get what you pay for in terms of top-notch audio. Bose has long had a reputation for squeezing a lot of lovely sound into tiny packages, but if you've been put off by its price tags in the past then you're going to love what's on offer right now. At the bottom of the price range you can currently get yourself a pair of Bose SoundSport in-ear headphones for Apple devices at half-price. These sporty in-ears would normally cost you £89.95, but they're available until midnight tonight for just £44.95. Sweat and weather resistant, they're perfect for listening to tunes on the move, and their StayHear tips will adapt to the shape of your ear so you can be sure they'll stay in place, whatever you're doing. If you want something a bit heftier, there are also some great deals on full-size Bose headphones. Bose's on-ear wireless headphones use its TriPort technology to deliver deep bass and crystal-clear treble, feature cushioned ear cups that rest softly on your ears, and with is noise-rejecting dual-microphone you can make clear phone calls even in windy or noisy environments. Usually £169.95, you can get them now for just £109. For the ultimate sound quality wherever you are, though, you'll want these Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) wireless headphones. They feature three levels of world-class noise cancellation, built-in support for digital assistants such as Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant, a volume-optimised EQ and up to 20 hours of battery life in wireless mode. These high-end wireless cans would normally set you back £329.95, but you can currently bag yourself a pair for just £229. And that's not all from Bose. If you want more than headphones, there's a great deal on Bose's punchy little SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker. Measuring just 3.6 x 9.9 x 9.9cm and weighing 290g, it pumps out super-crisp sound and meaty bass, and usually you'd have to pay £99.95 for it. Order now, though, and you can get one for £59. And even if none of these tickle your fancy, there are yet more hot Black Friday deals available directly from Bose. Hit up its Black Friday deals page and you'll find plenty more savings, including deals on soundbars, speaker systems and more that you won't find elsewhere. View the full article

The Lego Black Friday deals are in full swing, so if you're on the hunt for a new set, there's never been a better time to buy. Lego is arguably the world's most creative tool, whether you use it for prototyping or simply as a way to switch off, the humble little brick's possibilities are endless. The tactile nature of Lego combined with intricately detailed sets has made Lego hugely popular among adults and children alike in recent years. One of the most popular set themes is Lego Star Wars, with many fans placing the epic Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon set at the top of their wishlists. However the 7,000+ piece set is far from cheap, which is why we were super-excited to see it as part of a Lego Black Friday deal at John Lewis. The retailer has reduced the mega set by 15%, dropping it down to £548.67 – the lowest price we've ever seen! If Star Wars isn't your thing, never fear, there are plenty more amazing Lego Black Friday deals just waiting to be snapped up... There are plenty more amazing Lego Black Friday deals around if neither of the above take your fancy. Walmart has Lego Black Friday discounts of 20% or more on right now so you're sure to find a set to suit. Read more: Introducing Lego, as you've never seen it before The Knight Bus Lego review Stranger Things Lego set available now – and it's EPIC! View the full article

We know that you almost certainly have a phone in your pocket that takes amazing pictures, but sometimes you want the feel – not to mention the quality – of a proper camera. No matter how good the best camera phones are, the sort of photos you'll get out of dedicated camera with a full-sized lens are always going to be streets ahead. And if you want that irresistible combo of retro stylings and an absolute bargain, get a load of this deal on the Fujifilm X-T100. It's a mirrorless digital camera, making it less bulky than a DSLR, and it comes in a fantastically retro body that'll give you instant street cred. Black Friday deals: see all the best offers right now! The retro look is about the only old-fashioned thing about the X-T100, though. This punchy little snapper packs a 24-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor that's 14 times bigger than the average smartphone sensor, and is packed with high-end features such as a 6fps continuous shooting mode, an advanced hybrid autofocus system, high resolution electronic viewfinder and a swivelling 3-inch touchscreen. As well as making it easy to snap stunning photos, the X-T100 can also shoot 4K video, as well as 100fps HD video, with film simulation modes to give your motion work that professional touch, and it even has an external microphone port so that you can ensure your video sounds as good as it looks. The X-T100 comes with the XC15-45 mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ kit lens, a good all-rounder that should serve you well in most situations. But if you want to go the extra mile with your photography then the X-T100's X mount means that you can choose from a range of 25 FUJINON lenses, giving you everything from super-wide landscapes to pin-sharp telephoto shots. The X-T100 comes in a choice of three colours Once you've got your shots, the X-T100's always-on Bluetooth connection makes it easy to transfer your photos or movies to any of your devices and then upload and share them on social media. Available in three colours – dark silver, black and champagne gold – there's X-T100 to match your own personal brand, and it can be yours today for £447, saving you £172 off the normal price. And if you fancy something a little heftier with similar retro looks, Fujifilm's X-T20 mirrorless digital camera is currently available for £749, knocking £50 off the standard price. Don't wait around, though; these Amazon Black Friday deals are only available until midnight tonight. View the full article

This year Black Friday has kicked off in style, with some truly incredible deals already cropping up all over the place. Of course Amazon is home to some of the juiciest discounts, and that includes this outstanding price cut on Apple's MacBook Air which has dropped by nearly $350. It's not often that Apple devices go on offer, and even then reductions of this magnitude are rare. With a 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, a 1.8GHz dual-core 5th-generation Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz, and up to 12 hours of wireless web battery life, it's no wonder that this device has racked up hundreds of glowing reviews. And thanks to this Black Friday offer that knocks the price tag down to $649.99, this Apple MacBook Air is more tempting than ever. After more incredible offers? Make sure you check out our Apple Black Friday deals. And if you want a MacBook with different specs, we've also got you covered with the best MacBook Black Friday deals currently available. Want more MacBook Air deals? Check out these links to the best discounts. View the full article

Black Friday is here and we're amazed at all the laptop deals out there waiting to be claimed. Our list of the best Microsoft Black Friday deals is packed with incredible offers, and this discount on the HP Envy 13 comfortably ranks alongside them. That's because HP has knocked down the price by a whopping $350! Powered by an 8th-generation Intel Whiskey Lake processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD, this laptop is perfectly suited to your everyday computing needs. If you're after a device for day-to-day tasks, this is the machine for you, especially as it will only set you back $499 as opposed to its regular price of $849. While the HP Envy 13 isn't the most powerful device available, it's more than good enough to take care of the basics. And at a knock-down price, this is one of the best Black Friday deals we've seen so for this year. If this isn't quite the deal you're looking for, check out these offers. View the full article

Time is running out to take advantage of the epic Adobe Black Friday sale. So if you want to pick up a bargain subscription on the industry-leading suite of creative software, now is the time. Adobe is known for making its offers region-specific, but this time it's treats all round: you can get 40% or more off a CC subscription wherever you are in the world. But you'll need to hurry if you don't want to miss out as this offer ends today! For more deals and advice, take a look at our guide to nailing Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2019, or explore our roundup of all the Adobe Black Friday deals. The price reduction applies to the complete Adobe Creative Cloud suite, which encompasses over 20 different apps. That includes all the big players – photo editing favourite Photoshop, digital artists' go-to Illustrator, video editing software Premiere Pro, web prototyping tool Adobe XD and motion effects creator After Effects. You'll also be able to explore the new additions to the Adobe family, tablet-based art app Adobe Fresco, and Photoshop on iPad. If you need any extra encouragement, remember that when you buy Adobe's full All Apps package you're also getting 100GB of cloud storage (with the option to upgrade to 10TB) and premium features like Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark. Created on Illustrator by Karan Singh The programmes are fully integrated, so you can switch between them (and jump from one device to another) seamlessly – whether you’re out and about or in the studio. Built-in templates help you jump-start your designs, while step-by-step tutorials will help you sharpen your skills and get up to speed quickly. This deal ends today 29 November 2019, so if you want to save big on Adobe's entire suite of creative software, grab it now. Related articles: Top-class Photoshop tutorials to hone your skills The best Apple Black Friday deals The best web hosting services for designers View the full article

Black Friday is well and truly underway, with companies falling over themselves to offer bargain hunters the best deals. Not one to miss out on the action, Affinity is getting into the Black Friday spirit by slashing the price of everything in the Affinity Store by 30%. This includes its award-winning apps, official workbooks, creative content packs and much more. For artists and designers looking for an alternative to subscription-based software, Affinity is a tempting option that's gaining ground on competitors with a raft of new releases. And thanks to this across-the-board Black Friday discount, Affinity's products have just been made all the more appealing. Creative software like Affinity Publishing let users create next-level professional publishing, while the ever-popular Affinity Designer helps graphic designers and illustrators bring their visions to life. What's more, they're all supported by macOS and Windows. Affinity isn't the only creative software publisher offering a discount either, see our Adobe Black Friday deals hubs for deals on Adobe Creative Cloud, as well as our picks of the best iPad Black Friday deals or Wacom Black Friday deals for you to install your new creative software. On top of Affinity Designer, Affinity Publisher and Affinity Photo, there's also a range of professional tools for comic artists, font packs, and carefully handcrafted brushes. Photo and Designer workbooks are also available to help you get the most out of Affinity's creative software. While it's common for Black Friday deals to last through the weekend until Cyber Monday, we can't see this mentioned anywhere in the Affinity Store. To avoid disappointment, don't wait until Cyber Monday and risk missing out, add your Affinity products to your basket and click buy today. Related articles: Affinity Designer 1.7 review Affinity Publisher launches, and reveals a ridiculously cool new feature Affinity Designer: How to use effects and styles View the full article

Black Friday officially started today, and if the deals we're seeing come in are anything to go by, the 2019 event is going to be bigger and better than ever. It's usual to see older products discounted, not so normal to see new model with any reductions – especially from Apple. So we were super excited today to find BT offering a very decent £220 saving on the shiny new 2019 16" MacBook Pro. Released just a few months ago, the 16" MacBook Pro is one of the best laptops you can buy. A popular choice among creatives, not only is it now the most powerful MacBook Apple has ever made, it also boasts a slightly bigger (and even more beautiful) screen that makes all the difference when it comes to see artwork in all its glory. This BT deal takes the new device down to £2,179, which is still, by no means cheap. However, it's still a decent saving on a laptop that we weren't expecting to be included in the Apple Black Friday deals. Looking for a different MacBook spec? Be sure to take a look at our pick of the best MacBook Black Friday deals currently available. View the full article

Creating a successful brand involves more work than just coming up with a snazzy logo or a memorable slogan then calling it a day. It's all about communicating the essence of the company at every touchpoint as effectively as possible. Big companies put a lot of time and effort into this, just check out some of the meticulous design style guides behind some of the most famous brands. However giant companies can also be guilty of over-egging their brand guidelines as well. Some great examples of these over the top and frankly bonkers design specifications were recently shared on Twitter by software engineer Kat Michaela. These include notes on the gravitational pull of the Pepsi logo, advice that the Netflix logo isn't to be bitten or digested, and the bizarre claim that the Twitter logo isn't a bird. You couldn't make it up. In the tweet which kicked off her thread, Michaela says that "checking out the absolute bullshit some designers came up with for some Giant Company's brand guidelines" is one of her favourite things, and it looks like she isn't alone. Before long Twitter users were commenting with their reactions and the strange feedback they've heard over the years. This includes such gems as @ianto_scorpius's story about when he was asked to use specific Pantone colours but the client refused to provide the codes, and the time @HesNotTheStig was forbidden from using cats or larvae in association with the Caterpillar brand. Our favourite detail from this absurd thread though is the comparison drawn between the shape of the Pepsi logo and the Earth's magnetic fields. It's so idiotic and self-important that it even sparked an online hoax debate when it was originally unveiled. But despite this madness, other Twitter users were quick to point out that these micro-managing guidelines are actually good design practice. While they might seem a little pedantic, @FoxxieAngel says they make sense: "I often have to warn my clients that their logos are not improved with lens flares, emboss looks and gradient overlays." Meanwhile @joar_lj comments: "The Pepsi one is famously insane, but as a graphic designer, uh, most of this stuff actually makes sense – don't animate the logo, don't put it in a box etc, its standard stuff. It's a visual identity, something that every org larger than a corner store uses." And in defence of designers, lots of people highlighted the fact that it's often marketing and advertising teams who make these puzzling demands, not the creatives themselves. So while these brand guidelines might seem laughably crazy to designers, perhaps they're saving other departments from headaches in the long run. Either way, we still can't take Pepsi seriously when it says "emotive forces shape the gestalt of the brand identity". Related articles: Has branding become boring? The 6 best branding books in 2019 Are trends any good for branding? View the full article

Working in the creative industries, Black Friday comes second only to Christmas in terms of getting your hands on great gear. But while it’s a great time to grab an Apple Pencil for less or save big with a cracking Black Friday iPad deal, you must be feeling it's a shame there’s no way to make similar savings on great web dev techniques and expertise. We thought so too, which is why we’ve decided make merry this Black Friday and offer you a whopping £140 off tickets to our upcoming web development conference GenerateJS – taking the total price to just £158 + VAT. Taking place on Thursday 2 April 2020 at Rich Mix, London, GenerateJS is set to bring together some of the most exciting names in JavaScript under one roof. With top speakers such as Jeremy Keith, Phil Hawksworth and Remy Sharp already announced and many more on the way, it already promises to be a fantastic event, offering fascinating topics such as service workers, frameworks and more than a hint of vanilla JS. Couple that with a Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale offering you nearly 50 per cent off full-price tickets and you’ll get a whole lot of JavaScript without splashing much cash. But don’t forget: Black Friday comes but once a year so there’s not a lot of time to catch this fantastic saving. If you want save yourself £140 on this unmissable conference, you’ll need to get yours by 6pm on Cyber Monday, 2 December, using the code BLACKFRIDAY at generateconf.com. Related articles: GenerateJS launched and first speakers revealed 21 steps to super speedy JavaScript The best JavaScript libraries View the full article

If you're familiar with Apple products, you'll know it's rare to see them discounted. But the Apple Pencil in particular, is extremely hard to find with any worthwhile savings. So today we were super-excited to see this great Black Friday Apple Pencil (1st gen) deal, which knocks £18.20 off the regular retail price. Usually £89, you can currently buy the Apple Pencil for just £70.80 – that's the biggest discount we've ever seen on this product. Before you purchase, make sure this is the correct Apple Pencil for you. After all, there are now two versions, both creatively named Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil 2. This Apple Pencil deal is on the first generation, which is compatible with iPad 10.2-inch (2019), iPad mini (2019) and iPad Air (2019) from the current line-up. It is also supported by previous iPads, including the iPad 9.7-inch (2018), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2017), iPad Pro 10.5-inch (2017), iPad Pro 9.7-inch (2016), and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2015). If you're not sure which Apple Pencil is right for you, our guide to the Apple Pencil vs Apple Pencil 2 has all the information you need to decide. If you're on the hunt for a shiny new device to go with your new stylus, be sure to check out our round up of the best Black Friday iPad and best Black Friday Apple deals currently, which we are updating constantly with all the top offers. Deals on the Apple Pencil 2 and across the pond in the US aren't quite so much to shout about, sadly, with Best Buy knocking a measly $5 off the Apple Pencil, taking it down to $94.99. But as we mentioned above, finding any discounts on these items is almost impossible, so it's maybe a case of anything is better than nothing. Maybe? If you want to hold out and see if any better deals pop up, be sure to bookmark our dedicated Black Friday Apple Pencils post, where we add all the best offers as (and if) they arrive. In the meantime, here are the best prices on both generations of Apple Pencil in your area: View the full article

iPad Black Friday deals are arriving thick and fast now. Some of the best iPad Black Friday deals can cut over $300/£300 off Apple's globally popular tablet. The exact discounts depend on which model you choose, but whether you’re looking for a cheap iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air or mini, you’ll find the very best offers here on this page. So far, the biggest price drops we've seen are on the powerful iPad Pro, but there are also some good savings to be made on the brand new iPad 2019. We've seen some decent discounts on the older iPad (from 2018 and 2017), iPad Air and iPad mini too. Top 6 iPad Black Friday deals now iPad 10.2-inch (2019) 32GB, Wi-Fi: $249 ($329) | Walmart iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2018) 64GB, Wi-Fi: $899 ($999) | Amazon iPad Air (2019) 64GB, Wi-Fi: $469 ($499) | Walmart iPad 10.2-inch (2019) 32GB, Wi-Fi: £299 (£349) | John Lewis iPad Pro 10.5-inch (2017) 512GB, Wi-FI: £499 (£749) | Currys iPad Air (2019) 64GB, Wi-Fi: £448 (£479) | Amazon If you’re not sure which iPad to buy, fear not. You’ll find our expert guide to choosing the best iPad at the bottom of this article, in a section called: Which iPad should i buy? Pro tip: if you’re looking for the cheapest iPad Black friday deal, choose a Wi-Fi model. An iPad with a cellular connection – which enables you to use 3G or 4G when there's no Wi-Fi – will cost you more. (And once you've chosen your iPad, don't forget to browse the best Apple Pencil Black Friday deals.) Read on for the best iPad Black Friday deals right now... Apple's newest and best iPad Pro device comes in two versions: the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2018) and the iPad Pro 11-inch (2018). Both come with the powerful A12X Bionic processor, the same battery capabilities, and a variety of storage options. The larger version offers more screen real estate for creatives; while the smaller model is more portable and easier to take on the move. Here are the best iPad Pro Black Friday deals on the latest 2018 models. And we've also found some stonking discounts on the older 10.5-inch iPad Pro (2017)... iPad Pro Black Friday deals: US Jump to UK iPad Pro Black Friday deals iPad Pro Black Friday deals: UK The iPad is Apple's baseline tablet. The latest model, the iPad 10.2-inch (2019), raises the tablet's specs closer to those of the latest iPad Air, with the addition of Smart Keyboard support and a slightly larger screen. It boasts strong battery life, decent performance, and it's cheaper than the other iPads – giving you some of Apple’s best iPad features on a more limited budget. You'll find all the best iPad Black Friday deals on the 10.2-inch model below. And for even bigger iPad Black Friday deals, look to the older (and slightly smaller) 9.7-inch, 6th-gen model from 2018. iPad Black Friday deals: US Jump to UK iPad Black Friday deals iPad Black Friday deals: UK Can't see what you're looking for? Take a look at some more offers in your area below. We weren't expecting to see many hefty discounts on the newest iPad Air this year, but there are some iPad Air Black Friday deals already available. Deals on older iPad Airs are also now much easier to come by. See below for some early deals, followed by today's best iPad Air prices. iPad Air Black Friday deals: US iPad Air Black Friday deals: UK iPad mini Black Friday deals: US Jump to UK iPad Pro Black Friday deals iPad mini Black Friday deals: UK The best iPad Black Friday sales around the web Walmart: iPad Black Friday discounts of $100 or more in the US Amazon: Big savings on iPads in the US and UK Best Buy: Doorbusters knock up to $200 off select iPad models in the US John Lewis: Price matching other UK retailers - with a two-year guarantee Very: £50 off new iPad models in the UK Currys PC World: Up to £250 off iPads for Black Friday in the UK AO: £50 off iPads in the UK Argos.co.uk: Cheap iPad Black Friday deals in the UK After a different product? Take a look at our general guide to the best Apple Black Friday deals, or one of our other product deal roundups pages: Black Friday and Cyber Monday MacBook deals, Apple Pencil Black Friday deals or Apple Watch Black Friday deals. Alternatively, bookmark our Black Friday deals hub to see all the best offers on a range of creative kit. How much are iPads on Black Friday? As offers on Apple products are rare, we're likely to see iPad deals at an absolute maximum of around 40 per cent off. But that's still a fair amount off (especially when prices run into the several hundreds) – and even with smaller discounts, anything is better than paying full whack. In terms of where to look for deals, Apple itself isn't exactly renowned for rolling out massive price cuts on its gear – it usually offers gift cards. Last year, you could pick up a discounted iPad at Walmart, Currys, Very, John Lewis and Amazon on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Last year, we saw discounts on the 2018 11 iPad Pro and 12.9 iPad Pro models, so as these models age, it's a fair bet that you'll be able to snag some significant Black Friday and Cyber Monday iPad Pro deals, especially on pre-2018 iPad Pros. We may also see discounts on the 9.7-inch iPad, which received a major update in 2018, adding Apple Pencil compatibility among other things. If using a Pencil isn't high on your list of priorities then you'll be likely to save on a 2017 model if you shop around. If you're after an iPad Air or iPad mini, you're also likely to save on older stock, and may even get a bit off the newer models. How to get the best iPad Black Friday deals Get ready to hunt for an iPad Black Friday deal If there's one thing you can be sure of when it comes to the best Black Friday iPad deals (and the best Cyber Monday iPad deals, of course), it's that they're going to be in short supply, and serious discounts are going to be even more rare, so you're going to need to be prepared to leap on a good deal as soon as you spot it. The best offers are likely to appear as lightning deals with limited stock available, so keep checking back here for news on them as soon as they come up. For the best chance of finding great Black Friday Apple iPad deals, you'll need to keep an eye on as many retailers as possible; Amazon had some good deals last year and you can expect some more this time around, but you're also likely to find savings from eBay and John Lewis as well as major electrical stores. If you're in the USA, watch out for iPad deals from Walmart and Newegg, while in the UK firms such as Currys PC World and Very are likely to come up with the goods. Decide in advance roughly what model you're after; do you want a standard iPad, a Pro, a Mini or an Air? And watch out for retailers shifting older models at knock-down prices; they'll look pretty much the same but you'll have to make do with poorer performance than the latest iPads, especially if you're running iOS 12 on aged stock. Finally, try to overcome your Black Friday excitement and take the same care you would for any other major purchase. Check for cashback offers, make sure the guarantee's going to cover you if something goes wrong, and make sure you keep your receipt in case you need to return your shiny new purchase. Which iPad should I buy? You'll need a newer iPad for Apple Pencil support If you're likely to fill up your iPad with photos, videos and music then you should naturally opt for as much storage as you can comfortably afford (up to 1TB on the iPad Pro), but do you really need to pay the extra for a cellular model? The smarter option is to tether a Wi-Fi iPad to your iPhone, and use that for a mobile signal when you're out of range. If you want maximum power, specs and screen size, then go for the best iPad Pro money can buy – the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2018), which boasts an A12X Bionic chip for super-speedy graphics, and 2732 x 2048 resolution. See our iPad Pro 12.9-inch review here. The slightly smaller (and cheaper) iPad Pro 11-inch (2018) is another excellent choice for creatives, and has the same super-charged A12X Bionic chip. Both the iPad Pro models work with the second generation Apple Pencil – although you'll have to buy that separately. The Apple Pencil 2 attaches magnetically to the iPad, where it also charges and pairs, and it's one of the best styluses available for drawing. Both models are available with 64GB. 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of memory. If you're not so fussed about screen size, or top specs, then the new 10.2-inch iPad (2019) could be for you. It's a lot cheaper than the 2018 models, and has a still impressive A10 chip and 2160 x 1620-pixel resolution. It supports the first generation Apple Pencil, and is available with 32GB or 128GB of memory. Other iPads include the iPad mini (see our iPad mini review here), which has a A12 chip and 7.9-inch screen. It's extra portable, as the name suggests, and is compatible with first generation Apple Pencil. There's also the iPad Air, which has 10.5-inch display and also has an A12 chip, plus several older models of the iPad. The 2017 versions have previously been on sale over Black Friday, so you may be able to pick up a Black Friday iPad deal on one of them. When looking at older iPads, remember that if you want to use your new iPad for drawing then be sure to plump for a model with Apple Pencil support. Related articles: The best iPad Pro deals Apple iPad Air 2019 review The best Surface Pro Black Friday deals View the full article

Apple's Airpods have rapidly become some of the most sought-after headphones, but like most Apple products, they're far from cheap. And, a bit like the Apple Pencil, finding decent discounts on them are rare. But they do exist if you know where to look. Walmart is a great place to find excellent offers, and this brilliant Black Friday Apple Airpods deal is a prime example. Right now you can get the latest model of Apple Airpods (2nd gen) with standard charging case for just $129. That's not only a very decent $30 saving but puts the price of this particular model at an all-time low. If you're not already familiar with Apple Airpods, the true wireless design is powered by the new Apple H1 headphone chip, are super comfortable to wear and now feature hands-free access to Siri using just your voice. In short, when it comes to truly wireless headphones, they're hard to beat, so if you're in the market for some new in-ears, there's never been a better time to invest. We've also got details of all the best Apple Black Friday, Surface Pro Black Friday and Microsoft Black Friday deals if you're in need of anymore discounted hardware. If you've missed out on the deals above, never fear, new deals are dropping all the time, so be sure to bookmark our dedicated Black Friday Apple AirPods post. In the meantime, here are best Apple AirPod prices in your area right now: View the full article

Microsoft has only just released the Surface Pro 7, but Best Buy has gone ahead and slashed the price by $360 already. This updated version of Microsoft's leading two-in-one laptop/tablet was unveiled at its Fall Hardware event on 2 October 2019, so we weren't expecting bargain prices in this year's Black Friday sale, but Best Buy has come through with the goods (for more savings, explore our roundup of the best Surface Pro Black Friday deals. The Surface Pro range is extremely popular with creatives, thanks to its ultra-slim and light design, impressive battery life and vibrant PixelSense display. The model on offer will usually set you back close to a grand, but Best Buy has dropped the price down to just shy of $600. Amazing! This 12.3-inch device in Platinum boasts an Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of memory and an 128GB SSD. Plus, there's a black type cover thrown in too. This is a truly incredible deal on such a new product. If you're in the UK, the deals are looking a little different. The best savings are on higher-spec machines, such as this offer at Very: If you're not in the US, or want to compare what's on offer from other retailers, the widget below will pull in the best prices in your region. Read more: Surface Pro 6 review Hands on: Microsoft Surface Pro X review The best Microsoft Surface deals in 2019 View the full article

This unbelievable Black Friday deal sees the price of Sony’s original A7 III camera (body only) cut by a staggering $368! Usually retailing for $1,998, you can currently get hold of the Sony A7 III for just $1,629.99 – that's the lowest price we've seen on this quality mirrorless camera. Sony's A7 camera range have become hugely sought-after in recent years, with the A7 III being one of the best full-frame mirrorless cameras on the market. Suitable for a variety of professional photo and video situations, the Sony A7 III boasts a 24.2MP CMOS sensor, BIONZ X image processing engine to realise an impressive 10 fps continuous shooting rate and improved autofocus. The A7 III also utilises a 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilisation system, which helps to reduce the appearance of camera shake by up to 5 stops. In short, the impressive Sony A7 III camera will help you craft beautiful-looking photos. But if you're looking, in particular, to shoot things at speed (wildlife, cars, sporting events etc) you'll be hard pushed to find a better combination of quality and value for money right now. If this Sony A7 model doesn't suit, we've got details of plenty more excellent Black Friday deals on a variety of products, including the best Apple Black Friday and Surface Pro Black Friday offers available right now. Not in the US? Here are the best Sony A7 III camera deals in your area: The best compact cameras in 2019 The best camera bags and cases in 2019 The best laptops for photo editing in 2019 View the full article

Dell's laptops are some of the best around, and the XPS 15 and XPS 13 are both solid machines for creatives. The XPS 15 even made it to our best laptops for graphic design roundup. And the fantastic news is that both these models are on sale direct from Dell over the Black Friday weekend, and the deals have already begun! The Dell XPS 15 is one of our favourite laptops. It boasts a practically borderless 15.6-inch display weighs just 1.8kg (4 pounds), making it one of the lightest laptops of its size available. And right now Dell is offering $300 off this model, taking the price from $1,699.99 to $1,399.99, and there's also £322 off in the UK. This one is on sale as we speak, so get moving if you want one. The cheaper model, the Dell XPS 13, has an 8th-gent Intel i5 processor and a 13.3-inch display. Its colours are crisp and bright, especially if you opt for the 4K ultra HD InfinityEdge display, and there's a 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM. The Dell site tells us that a deal for this model is coming at 7pm GMT/2pm EST and it's going to be a whopping $400 off, taking it from $1,199.99 to $799.99. Have your fingers poised and at the ready, or if you're in the UK, you can get £400 off right now. For more hot deals, see our Apple Black Friday deals and Microsoft Black Friday deals posts. Not quite the Dell deals you were looking for? Check out more offers on Dell devices below. View the full article

Black Friday has begun! And this Amazon lightning deal on a 15.6-inch Acer Swift 5 laptop is one of the best reductions you're likely to see during the frenzy of this weekend. With a whopping 40% off, it's knocked down from $1,399.99 to just $839.99! But you need to hurry as lightning deals don't stick around for long. We've even seen some of them sell out in as little as half an hour. This ultra-thin and lightweight laptop boasts an 8th gen Intel Core i7 processor and a super-fast wireless connection. The powerful machine has also got 16GB of memory and fingerprint technology, a 256 GB hard disk and Windows 10 Home. So much bang for your buck – especially with $560 off! We're updating our Black Friday deals posts live to save you time searching for the best deals. Hubs like the best iPad deals, and Apple Pencil deals will have new bargains added throughout the weekend, so keep checking back. Want a laptop but not exactly this one? Check out our MacBook Black Friday deals or Microsoft Black Friday deals, or see more deals on popular laptops below. View the full article

There have been lots of different interpretations of Batman over the years. Perhaps you grew up watching the campy Adam West series, or maybe you're a fan of the gruff and gritty Christian Bale films. Thanks to his iconic appearance, which suggests his creator followed our character design tips, the Caped Crusader easily lends himself to variation without being lost. However we doubt you've even seen him as he appears in a hilarious model swap video that's been doing the rounds recently on social media. In the viral clip, the character models of Batman and Catwoman from the game Batman: Arkham Knight are swapped, revealing their underlying gender stereotypes. Or, to put it in layman's terms, Batman transforms from a stoic and moody hero into a flirtatious femme fatale. This is communicated through his new body language, which is complete with a slinky walk, thrust-out chest, and manic smile. Meanwhile Catwoman strides about with a back as straight as an arrow and barely shows any emotion at all. The icing on the cake is the fact that the voices aren't swapped in the same way as the character models. So while Batman parades around with his new-found mannerisms, his voice is still that of Catwoman's. It's a bizarre juxtaposition that makes for compelling viewing, especially with the stoney-faced Catwoman talking in a baritone. Check out the clip above from YouTube user sn0sh00 to see the side-splitting role reversal of the two characters in action. But as well as being entertaining, the clip is a lesson in how game designers use movement to communicate character. By seeing familiar actions in a new context, we get a greater appreciation of how information is relaid to us via gestures. Despite being a couple of months old, this video found a new lease of life earlier in the week as a cut scene from it was tweeted by content strategist Juan Buis. At the time of writing the clip has racked up hundreds of thousands of likes and over eighty thousand retweets. In the replies to the tweet, users praised the clip with @OrionKidder simply calling it "Art" and @BondageLand saying "This is my new favourite version of Batman." However the video also sparked a debate about the problematic gender stereotypes in video games and comics. Whether or not you agree with these points, the video is still a fun way to examine character design and learn the subtle ways in which personalities can be communicated. Related articles: 9 character designers you need to know Push your character designs further with this workout Insider advice from a master film character designer View the full article

Black Friday is well underway now, even though the official date is still a couple of days away. And we've just spotted one of our favourite ever art supplies has had a whopping reduction courtesy of Amazon. This set of 72 Copic markers (Set B) is down from £397 to just £301. That's almost £100 off the entire set! And there's even bigger savings on Set A – which is down from £439 to £313 at Amazon. Copic markers are stationery like you've never seen it before. They give you complete control to help you create your next stunning illustration. They're refillable, and have replaceable nibs, meaning that you never need to buy a Copic marker more than once. This set of 72 has dual nibs – one medium broad and one super brush – and will last a lifetime. It's one of Amazon's Lightning Deals, meaning there are only 12 hours to snap it up. So get it while you can! For more fantastic deals, see our dedicated Black Friday deals hub, or our hot iPad offers in our iPad Black Friday deals post. Not quite what you're looking for? See more deals on Copic markers below. View the full article

The fallout from Tesla's Cybertruck launch keeps on coming, and this time it involves the Golden Ratio. First the Cybertruck's 'armor glass' windows were shattered by metal ball bearings during a demonstration, then its eccentric design was ripped apart by designers. And to top it all off Lego poked fun at the vehicle by making a shatterproof version of the electric truck out of its distinctive plastic bricks. Can't it do anything right? Well, apparently not. In the latest in a punishing series of hot takes, the Golden Ratio has been applied to the eccentric Cybertruck, but designers aren't buying the idea that this miraculously validates its bizarre design. If you're not familiar with it, the Golden Ratio (below) is a common mathematical ratio roughly equal to 1:1.61 that describes the perfectly symmetrical relationship between two proportions. The proportions of the Golden Ratio are used to bring harmony and structure to pieces of art It's often superimposed onto classical pieces of art or architecture in an attempt to explain why they look so pleasing, however this doesn't mean that slapping it over something as fugly as the Cybertruck instantly transforms it into a Renaissance painting. In a r/Design post by user Sir_Lancelot_Papaya, Elon Musk's problematic pickup truck is overlaid with the mathematical ratio that's often used to create pleasing, organic-looking design compositions. "If you're wondering why despite its unusual design characteristics it still looks "balanced", this is one of them," Sir_Lancelot_Papaya explains. If you look closely, you can see the Golden Ratio as a grid of measurements But as far as the comments on the post are concerned, this is just a load of numerological nonsense. Not only has the post attracted criticism of the vehicle, as user Willy_1967 so eloquently explains "Its still f**k ugly", it's also led to heated debate as to whether the Golden Ratio carries any weight to begin with. According to user owlpellet, the Golden Ratio is, "1800s psychologist quackery. Kindly ignore it", while wabiguan says, "the golden ratio is a bullshit concept, it doesn’t apply as universally as ppl like to believe." Ouch. Tesla’s futuristic Cybertruck design mocked by designers It doesn't help that the image Sir_Lancelot_Papaya posted doesn't even appear to follow the 1:1.61 ratio, instead coming in at 2.612. Top commenter wotoan sums up the general mood of the comments section by saying, "this is just picking random dimensions off the truck and seeing if anything recognisable comes up." There's no arguing that Tesla's Cybertruck has been divisive, but we didn't expect it to undermine one of the fundamental design principles. What will it destroy next? Colour theory? Kerning? Only time will tell. Related articles: 7 best car logos of all time The designer's guide to grid theory The '90s called... it wants Tesla's new logo back View the full article

It's Christmas! Well, not yet, but then if you've been working on any festive commissions this year then the chances are that the deadlines have already been and gone. However just as there always turns out to be a last-minute present you need to buy on Christmas Eve, there's also going to be someone who needs a card or party invitation in December. To help you out if you find yourself in that situation, we've gone in search of some of the latest free fonts for Christmas projects. They're free for personal use, but if you need to use them in a commercial project then they can all be licensed for not very much money. 01. Merry Christmas Colour in those sprigs of holly for added Christmas cheer 'Merry Christmas' is a weird phrase when you think about it. You never wish anyone a merry New Year, birthday, anniversary or anything, so why does Christmas get all the merriness? We may never know; it's a mystery to ponder as you brighten up a festive design with this Merry Christmas font. Every single big jolly letter is adorned with a sprig of holly and berries; for added effect, be sure to drop an adjustment layer on top and colour them in. 02. Badinerie Christmas Badinerie Christmas is packed with festive ornamentation The standard version of Badinerie by Jean Boyault is an elegant cursive font that would look perfect on a Christmas card, but hold on just a second, because there's also a special Christmas version that looks even better. While Badinerie has optional flower ornamentations to brighten up your work, Badinerie Christmas features all manner of festive decorations to give your design that extra-Christmassy feel. 03. Christmas Lights Christmas lights without the hassle of untangling them after they've been stashed in a box all year Everyone loves some shiny Christmas lights, and this free font from Sunkissed Minimalist Co does a good job of recreating the effect. Christmas Lights is a hand-drawn holiday font with each letter encased in a traditional Christmas light; we'd recommend putting your text along a gently curved path for extra impact and setting each letter in a different colour, while for the ultimate in realism, you should set at least one in black, because there's always at least one broken light 04. Bauble Monogram Never mind the baubles, it's Christmas! If you're going to have Christmas lights then you definitely need some baubles as well, so here's a free font that fits the bill. Bauble Monogram features a Times-ish serif within a bauble silhouette; again, for maximum effect you're going to going to want to set each letter in a different colour, and if you really want to go for it you could place each letter separately with slightly haphazard positioning and rotation. It's all in the details. 05. Snow Blue A dash of snow turns any font Christmassy, and this one saves you the trouble of doing it yourself One tried and tested piece of festive visual shorthand for designs is to add snow to the top of lettering to give it a wintry feel; Snow Blue saves you the effort of painting it on yourself. Created by Letterdreams, it's a fun display font with chunky, cartoony letters, numerals and punctuation, each of them ornaments with a thick layer of snow; you can almost feel the temperature dropping as you type out your text. 06. Santa Claus Ho ho ho! Ah, here he is. Capture the spirit of old Saint Nick with Santa Claus, a gorgeously medieval-looking font family that looks like it was hand-drawn using wide-nibbed calligraphy pens. As well as a regular font containing upper and lowercase letters, punctuation and decorative special characters, there's also a deco set full of lovely snowflake dingbats that you'll want to use to give your designs that final festive flourish. 07. Christmas This one gets straight to the point, no messing No messing about with clever titles here; Christmas is a lively script font featuring uppercase letters supplemented with bauble-like ornamentation. Created by Jacky Hernandes, it's perfect for those last-minute cards and invitations. 08. Comfy Christmas You can almost feel yourself drifting off on the sofa; cheers! To finish off, here's a font that thoroughly encapsulates the meaning of Christmas: getting nice and comfortable in a big armchair after over-indulging on food and drink. Comfy Christmas' big, bold and friendly characters look like they've feasted well and they're just about to drop off in front of a James Bond film after a second helping of Christmas pudding, and who can blame them? And as an added Christmas bonus, there's both a standard font and a full set of italics. Related articles: The best Christmas gifts for illustrators 11 free Christmas vectors that aren't cheesy The best Christmas gifts for graphic designers View the full article