One of the most common questions we get here at Tattoo Smart is, “Which iPad should I buy?”
And we get it. It can be intimidating to make the leap from good ol’ paper to digital. It’s a big investment in your future, and you want to be sure you get it right.
Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Read on to figure out which iPad would best suit your digital design needs.
The first thing to consider is your budget. Investing in an iPad is an investment in yourself and your career. It will provide immense value and time savings, and will bring a new sense of clarity to your tattoo designs. We suggest getting the best/biggest/newest iPad you can afford.
Apple Pencil Compatibility
With a budget in mind, you’ll want an iPad that is compatible with Procreate and an Apple Pencil. Check out the chart below to determine which generation of Apple Pencil you will need.
RAM
The next most important iPad spec for digital design is RAM.
More RAM = More Procreate Layers. RAM Determines the number of layers you can use in Procreate. The more the merrier. If you’re using 2,000px x 2,000px canvas at 300 DPI, 1 GB will get you 21 layers; 3 GB will allow about 63 layers; and 4GB hit around 130 layers. Fancy.
CAPACITY
Lastly, consider your individual storage needs. We always ALWAYS strongly encourage you to backup your designs to the cloud, but you’ll also need to consider the storage demands of other apps, photos, etc. If you have typical iPad usage you’ll want 128, 256, or 512 GB.
You can usually find a good deal on refurbished iPads on the Apple website. You can also check out eBay!
For more information, check out procreate.art/faq.
