: What analog tools should every designer have today? Prior to the proliferation of software, namely Adobe and Aldus, a designer needed an entire toolbox full of things to get a job done. From

@Turnbaugh909

Here's a list of tools I find mandatory:


Pencil
Layout Bond sketch pad
Straightedge
Smudge glove
Inking pens - This can be Sharpies or some other permanent marker,
you no longer need technical pens such as Koh-i-nor pens. You can use
tech pens if you like, but they are more trouble than they are worth
any more.
Inking Paper (Borden & Riley Bleedproof Paper for Pens rocks!)
A light table, even if it's small.
Pantone color books


On occasion I also use:


A small T-square for use on the sketchpad
Small 30°/60°/90° and 45° triangles


I don't exclusively use a computer for the design phase. It's much, much faster in my experience to use a pencil and paper for many projects. For logotypes, it can be very helpful to create a tight, hand-drawn, ink comp of the logo, or a part of the logo, in order to scan it and clean it up digitally. I also move between the screen and paper often for some projects. Refining something digitally, then printing it and adjusting by hand, scanning, and refining more.

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@RJPawlick971

Depends on the designer, really.

But in general, pencil and paper are the only 'must have' analog tools out there for most any designer...be they illustrators or UI designers or logo designers or what have you.

Everything else is great to have...working in analog is great--even if it ends up digital. And that list is endless--basically go to any art store and have at it.

EDIT: Come to think of it, even a pencil/paper isn't a MUST HAVE as there are so many great styli that can be used on a tablet for all your sketching. (Though I guess that means a good stylus is the last remaining bit of analog hardware required...)

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@Cooney243

Every designer should have and be comfortable with these tools:


Pencil and/or pen
Sketch pad


Everything after that is a matter of preference or specialization. I've been in this business for 15 years now and I have not met a single designer, art director, or creative director that does their best without first sketching it out. You can jump right into the computer but it's never as free as early concepts should be.

As for the other items listed here ...

Remember that digital makes up the majority of the market these days. Print isn't dead, but it isn't the only option for professional design. In fact, it's an afterthought much of the time.

Pantone? That's for those print junkies.

X-acto? Nice, but mostly just for print.

Light table, tape, tracing paper, ink erasers!? You guys are as bad as me. That's all for us fussy history buffs. I hardly pull that stuff out any more. My art supplies are more like a museum than a tool kit. They come in handy every few months but that's only when I'm doubling as an illustrator. Or just playing around. I could probably save my clients some money and go buy royalty free icons next time ;)

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@Smith574

some good answers and it would really depend on what "type" of design you are in:

The biggest, as stated by @JohnB is the use of Pantone Books. I also would like to add that every book must be stored in a dark room to prevent fade and inaccurate colors.


xacto knife pen
X-acto Heavy-Duty, aka Guillotine, aka Paper Trimmer
light table
light table magnification
masking tape
tape measure
12" ruler with padding on the bottom
grease pencil
grid paper
tracing paper
pens of multiple types
drafting pencils
shape stencils
pen eraser
drawing and sketching pencils (it is wise to get a good set)
some would prefer graphite for shading
big fan of Prismacolor pencils.
notepad for sketches next to the desk but also a handheld when you are out and get an idea.

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@Sims5801359

Graph paper, notepad, pens, pencils. My personal preferences are the old school Papermate Mechanical and a black Sharpie. Whiteboard with dry-erase markers is also a joy to have handy.

And Gin. Especially Gin. Single Malt Scotch is also appropriate.

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@Ravi4787994

As someone working in printing, one of the biggest for me is the Pantone Color Book



Regardless of of how well your monitor is calibrated, it is crucial to know what your printed colors are going to look like. The discrepancies of the RGB values between Photoshop and Illustrator for Pantone Colors is bad enough as it is. I always check my formula guide before I commit to using a color in a design.

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