In the realm of graphic design, having the right tools at your fingertips can make a significant difference in your productivity and creativity. While much attention is given to software and hardware, the importance of a good keyboard is often overlooked. A keyboard that is specifically tailored to meet the demands of graphic design work can greatly enhance your efficiency, comfort, and overall experience.
Graphic designers spend hours meticulously crafting their designs, manipulating digital elements, and fine-tuning every detail. A high-quality keyboard designed with the needs of graphic designers in mind can provide a seamless and intuitive workflow. From precision typing to quick access to shortcuts and customizable features, the right keyboard can elevate your design process.
To help you find the perfect keyboard for your graphic design work, we have curated a list of the top 7 keyboards known for their exceptional performance and features. These keyboards have been carefully selected based on their key switches, ergonomics, backlighting, programmable keys, connectivity options, build quality, noise level, additional features, and budget considerations. Each keyboard offers a unique set of advantages, allowing you to choose the one that best suits your preferences and requirements.
Let’s delve into the details of these keyboards and discover how they can revolutionize your graphic design workflow, bringing a new level of comfort, precision, and efficiency to your creative endeavors.
Kinesis Advantage2 LF keyboard is a standout option for graphic designers seeking optimal comfort and productivity. Its contoured ergonomic shape is designed to increase overall comfort and enhance productivity. With patented split key wells, a concave shape, thumb keys, an orthogonal layout, 20 degrees of tenting, and integrated palm supports with cushioned palm pads, this keyboard provides a comfortable typing experience that can help reduce strain during long hours of graphic design work.
One of the key highlights of the Kinesis Advantage2 LF is its genuine Cherry mechanical switches. The Cherry MX “Silent” Red mechanical switches offer a premium typing feel and performance while minimizing noise. With a low activation force and a linear feel, these switches provide smooth and responsive key presses. The function row also features new Cherry ML mechanical switches.
This keyboard’s full onboard programmability is powered by the Driverless Smart Set engine. This allows users to create custom layouts in QWERTY or Dvorak, perform on-the-fly macro recording, and remap keys with just a single touch. With support for Windows, Mac, and PC modes, the Kinesis Advantage2 LF offers seamless compatibility with all major operating systems.
Kinesis Advantage2 LF is plug-and-play, requiring no additional software installation. It is compatible with Windows 7–10, Mac OS X, Linux, and Chrome, making it versatile for a range of setups.
Verdict: Kinesis Advantage2 LF is an exceptional keyboard that combines ergonomic design, premium mechanical switches, and full programmability. Its focus on comfort and productivity makes it a top choice for graphic designers looking for an optimized typing experience. With its durability, extensive compatibility, and the backing of a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty, the Kinesis Advantage2 LF is a reliable investment for graphic design professionals.
Pros:
Cons:
Costom XVX M84 is a compact and visually striking keyboard that combines artistry with modern technology. With its unique Coral Sea theme and ergonomic design, this 75% mechanical keyboard offers a comfortable and satisfying typing experience.
One of the standout features of the Costom XVX M84 is its dual-mode connectivity. It supports both wired and wireless connections, providing flexibility and convenience. The 2.4G wireless connection ensures a strong and reliable signal with a range of up to 33 ft (10 m), while the included Type-C cable allows for charging and gameplay simultaneously.
Costom XVX M84 is a hot-swap switch keyboard, meaning you can easily alter every Gateron switch without the need for soldering. The hot-swap PCB is compatible with a wide range of 3-pin and 5-pin switches, allowing for personalized customization of your typing experience.
With its ultimate personalization RGB keyboard, the Costom XVX M84 offers 19 RGB backlight modes, 9 color options, 5 brightness levels, and 4 customization modes. This keyboard allows you to create a vibrant gaming atmosphere, and if desired, the backlighting can be turned off to save power.
In terms of compactness, the Costom XVX M84 features a TKL (ten-keyless) layout, which saves desk space while still retaining essential keys like arrow keys, multimedia keys, and control keys. This makes it suitable for both gamers and office workers who prefer a minimalist desktop setup.
Verdict: Costom XVX M84 impresses with its visually stunning Coral Sea theme, ergonomic design, and versatile connectivity options. With hot-swap switches, customizable RGB backlighting, and a compact TKL layout, it offers a blend of functionality and aesthetics. Whether for gaming or work, the Costom XVX M84 is an excellent choice for those seeking a compact and personalized mechanical keyboard experience.
Pros:
Cons:
Logitech Craft is a keyboard that offers a unique and intuitive creative input experience with its innovative Crown dial. This tactile aluminum dial adapts to the application you’re using, providing instant control over the specific tool you need. By touching, tapping, and turning the Crown, you can access context-specific functions, change their values, and enhance your workflow.
With Logitech Options software, you can install profiles that optimize the Crown for popular creative applications like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and InDesign, as well as Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Word. This allows for seamless control over various functions within these programs, such as adjusting brightness, creating charts, or resizing text, all with a simple turn of the Crown.
In addition to its innovative input dial, the Logitech Craft keyboard provides a premium typing experience. Its efficient and stable design, coupled with a matte key surface and spherical dishing, ensures effortless finger movement and precise touch typing. The keys are backlit, illuminating as your hand approach and automatically adjusting to lighting conditions.
Logitech Craft aims to create a balanced and natural creative experience. By using the Crown to adjust your work, the mouse to navigate, and the keyboard to type with precision, you can be more efficient and intuitive in your workflow. This eliminates the need for complicated shortcuts and unnatural movements, providing a more seamless and enjoyable user experience.
Verdict: Logitech Craft keyboard offers a unique and intuitive creative input experience with its innovative Crown dial. Its compatibility with popular creative applications and the ability to optimize functions make it a powerful tool for graphic designers. Combined with its premium typing experience and smart illumination, the Logitech Craft provides an excellent option for those seeking a keyboard that enhances both creativity and productivity.
Pros:
Cons:
Corsair K95 RGB is a high-performance keyboard that combines durability, customization, and responsiveness to meet the demands of intense gaming and graphic design work. Its aircraft-grade anodized brushed aluminum frame ensures lightweight yet rugged durability, making it suitable for extended use.
With 8MB of profile storage and hardware macro and lighting playback, the Corsair K95 RGB allows for easy access to up to three stored profiles on the go, independent of external software. This ensures seamless customization and quick setup across different systems.
The dynamic multicolor per-key backlighting adds a level of sophistication to the keyboard. Each key can be individually customized with different colors and illumination levels, and the 19 zones on the top edge of the light bar enable sophisticated and dramatic animations.
The Corsair K95 RGB utilizes Cherry MX Speed RGB mechanical key switches, known for their blistering speed and reliability. With a 1.2mm actuation distance, these gold-contact Cherry MX switches deliver rapid keystrokes with impressive durability.
For graphic designers who rely on macros, the Corsair K95 RGB offers six programmable G keys. These dedicated macro keys allow for assigning single keystrokes or complex multi-key combinations, providing quick access to essential commands.
Verdict: The Corsair K95 RGB is a feature-rich keyboard designed for gamers and graphic designers seeking durability, customization, and responsive performance. With its aircraft-grade frame, dynamic multicolor backlighting, programmable macro keys, and Cherry MX Speed RGB mechanical switches, it offers a powerful toolset for enhancing productivity and the gaming experience.
Pros:
Cons:
Apple Magic Keyboard is a wireless and rechargeable keyboard that offers convenience and compatibility with Mac, iPad, and iPhone devices. Its wireless connectivity via Bluetooth ensures a seamless connection to your device without the need for cables. With a rechargeable internal battery, there’s no need to worry about replacing loose batteries.
This keyboard works effortlessly with Mac, iPad, or iPhone devices, pairing quickly to get you working immediately. Its extended layout provides an enhanced typing experience, featuring document navigation controls for quick scrolling, full-size arrow keys, and a numeric keypad ideal for spreadsheet work and finance applications.
One of the standout features of the Apple Magic Keyboard is its impressive battery life. The long-lasting internal battery can power the keyboard for approximately a month or more between charges, reducing the need for frequent recharging. Additionally, it comes with a Lightning-to-USB cable, allowing you to conveniently pair and charge the keyboard by connecting it to a USB port on your Mac.
Apple Magic Keyboard is compatible with Bluetooth-enabled Mac devices running macOS 10.12.4 or later, iPads running iPadOS 13.4 or later, and iPhones or iPod touches running iOS 10.3 or later.
Verdict: Apple Magic Keyboard offers a wireless and rechargeable solution for Mac, iPad, and iPhone users, providing convenience and compatibility. Its extended layout, comfortable typing experience, and long-lasting battery make it a suitable choice for those seeking a versatile and reliable keyboard for their Apple devices.
Pros:
Cons:
Logickeyboard ASTRA 2 is a specialized keyboard designed for Adobe graphic designers, specifically tailored for use with Adobe Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, and InDesign CC. This keyboard is compatible with Windows 7–10, making it suitable for a wide range of Windows users.
One of the standout features of the Logic Keyboard ASTRA 2 is its backlit keys. The keyboard offers a dimmable light with five selectable levels, allowing users to adjust the backlighting to their preferences. This feature enhances visibility and usability, especially in low-light environments.
Designed specifically for Adobe graphic designers, the Logickeyboard ASTRA 2 provides a layout optimized for the efficient use of Adobe Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, and InDesign CC. The keyboard’s keys are labeled with Adobe-specific shortcuts, making it easier to access commonly used functions and streamline workflow.
Verdict: Logickeyboard ASTRA 2 is an excellent choice for Adobe graphic designers working with Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, and InDesign CC on Windows systems. Its specialized layout, backlit keys, and compatibility with Windows 7–10 make it a valuable tool for enhancing productivity and convenience in Adobe design workflows. With the Logickeyboard 1-Year Limited Warranty, users can have confidence in the keyboard’s quality and reliability.
Pros:
Cons:
Consider the type of key switches used in the keyboard. Mechanical switches are popular for their tactile feedback and durability, with options like Cherry MX switches being well-regarded. Different switches offer varying levels of actuation force, tactile feedback, and noise level, so choose based on your preference.
Look for keyboards with ergonomic features such as split key wells, palm rests, and adjustable tilt angles. Ergonomic designs can reduce strain and improve comfort during long hours of use.
Backlit keyboards can enhance visibility in low-light conditions. Consider keyboards with adjustable backlighting options that allow you to customize brightness levels and colors to suit your preferences.
Keyboards with programmable keys enable you to assign custom functions, shortcuts, or macros to specific keys. This can greatly enhance productivity by automating repetitive tasks.
Check the connectivity options available, such as wired or wireless (Bluetooth or RF) connections. Ensure compatibility with your devices and choose the one that suits your preferences and needs.
Look for keyboards made from durable materials, such as aluminum or high-quality plastic. Keyboards with solid build quality are more likely to withstand heavy usage and provide long-lasting performance.
Consider the noise level of the keyboard, especially if you work in shared environments or prefer quieter typing experiences. Mechanical switches can vary in noise level, with some offering “silent” or “quiet” options.
Some keyboards offer multimedia controls, volume knobs, USB passthrough, wrist rests, or customizable software. Determine which features are important to you and align them with your workflow.
Set a budget based on your requirements and priorities. Keyboards range in price, so consider the features and build quality that align with your budget constraints.
If possible, try out the keyboard before making a purchase. This can help you assess the typing experience, comfort, and overall feel of the keyboard. Alternatively, read reviews and feedback from users to gather insights.
Choosing the best keyboard for graphic design work ultimately depends on individual needs and preferences. Consider factors such as ergonomic design, typing experience, customization options, compatibility, and budget. If comfort and ergonomics are priorities, keyboards like the Kinesis Advantage2 LF or Logitech Craft may be suitable. For specialized software compatibility, the Logic Keyboard ASTRA or Apple Magic Keyboard for Mac users can be ideal choices.
For a combination of gaming and graphic design needs, the Costom XVX M84 or Corsair K95 RGB offers customizable features and durability. Additionally, the Logitech Craft stands out with its unique Crown dial and compatibility with creative applications.
Consider your specific requirements, whether it’s programmable keys, backlighting options, connectivity preferences, or build quality. By assessing these factors and weighing them against your needs and budget, you can make an informed decision that enhances your graphic design workflow and overall productivity.
