Web and graphic design on MacBook Pro with Retina Display

[jontarbuck]

Interested on hearing the current thinking for web design on a retina MacBook Pro - am wondering how easy it would be to create standard resolution images in Photoshop? Do you just have to scale everything down by 50% when saving out assets? I would also get a 27 inch cinema display for standard resolution work and testing, but I really like the idea of photo editing, logo creation and business card design on a high resolution display...

 

[Snowshiro]

Do you just have to scale everything down by 50% when saving out assets

Actually, Adobe to their credit have thought of that. When you do "Save for web", Photoshop automatically scales up the image in the preview panes so that you can see what it will look like on a standard laptop/desktop display.

I probably do about 25% of my design on my rMBP. I still prefer my desktop workstation if I'm going to be sat at it all day, but I can easily go a few hours at a time with the rMBP. I also have an Apple ACD for when I want to continue working on the rMBP instead of switching to another machine, and it's dead easy to set up. If you get a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, you only need to plugin the display cable (as well as the power cable) and you're good to go.

Fantastic for:

Mobile and tablet design - especially now that virtually all smartphones of the last year or more have high resolution "retina-like" displays.

Good for:

Print - A 220dpi screen gives you a much closer idea of what it's going to be like when printed. Color reproduction is pretty decent out of the box (unless you get a bad screen) but of course you can always calibrate it anyway.

So-so for:

Web design - it can get a bit confusing at first when everything is small and sharp, but you do get used to it.

 

[jontarbuck]

OK, so any artwork you create in Photoshop is scaled up in the Save for Web dialog is scaled up automatically? That sounds weird!

 

[commac]

I probably do about 25% of my design on my rMBP. I still prefer my desktop workstation if I'm going to be sat at it all day, but I can easily go a few hours at a time with the rMBP. I also have an Apple ACD for when I want to continue working on the rMBP instead of switching to another machine, and it's dead easy to set up. If you get a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, you only need to plugin the display cable (as well as the power cable) and you're good to go.

Which model do you have? I want the same setup. Desktop + laptop with external.

As for web creation if you can deal with the fuzziness try a lowDPI setting using a resolution app. Makes using retina just like regular laptops resolution wise.