The iPad is one of the best new tools for designing t-shirt graphics.

Here are 4 different ways:

1) Affinity for iPad

As of July 2020, there is still no full version of Adobe Illustrator available for iPad. The best alternative is an excellent vector app called Affinity Designer.

Affinity also makes an app called Affinity Photo, which is similar to Adobe Photoshop.

• Pros: Affinity apps on iPad have the same features and functionality as the desktop Mac and PC versions of Affinity.

• Cons: The learning curve. Some of the tools can be difficult to locate on iPad, potentially slowing down your design workflow.

Here’s a video showing some ways to use Affinity Designer:

2) Procreate App for iPad

The Procreate App for iPad is currently the BEST DRAWING APP for iPad. Why? Because it’s simple, intuitive, and powerful. You can export your files as layered Photoshop PSD files.

But it’s not a fully featured graphic design app, such as Photoshop. I refer to it as a replacement for pens, pencils, brushes, paper, and a scanner. (You will also need a drawing stylus, such as an Apple Pencil).

• Pros: A big time saver if you draw your own graphics. Easy. Simple. Inexpensive. Tons of good brushes.

• Cons: Lack of capability for text along curves (arched type). No built-in vector capability.

Here’s my #1 method for turning raster/pixel-based Procreate drawings into vector format:

3) Adobe Fresco for iPad

If you want to draw with vector brushes, Adobe Fresco is worth a look.

• Pros: Vector brushes. Excellent watercolor and painting brushes.

• Cons: Not as delightful to use as Procreate.

4) iPad as a Drawing Tablet (on Mac)

Your iPad can be used as a pressure-sensitive drawing tablet with the Sidecar feature in macOS Catalina.

• Pros: Works well with pressure-sensitive brushes in Photoshop and other graphic design software.

• Cons: Your Mac needs to be nearby in order to use this function. Not compatible with Windows PC’s.