7 Useful Apps For OSX Web Designers
Because of various requests I received lately and the irrefutable fact, that there are plenty of useful yet sometimes rather unknown applications available for OSX, I’d like to share some of my most vital pieces of software with you ordered by function below.
Image Editing - Photoshop CS3 / CS4
Even though there are some really promising approaches to create a real alternative to it, Photoshop was and still is one of those irreplaceable applications any professional web designer can’t get around yet. However, I’d like to put the spotlight on my personal runner-up which is Pixelmator, a project I kept an eye on from the very first release already. It’s not quite where it needs to be in order to seriously compete with Photoshop, but it’s beautifully executed, includes some sophisticated functions and already is really useful for some smaller tasks such as photo retouching for example.
Coding & FTP - Coda
Working on various kinds of source code are daily tasks for any web designer and so it’s definitely a plus to work with an application you feel comfortable with. This application is called Coda for me and is so much more than just a basic text editor - it literally includes anything you need to “grow beautiful code” according to their website. One of the features which is really time-saving and in my opinion truly outstanding is the integrated FTP client based upon their very own Transmit 3 engine - it’s just like editing code on a local system when you actually work directly on your web space.
Task Management - Things
Time is probably one of the most valuable resources for anybody, so it absolutely makes sense to work as efficient and organized as possible. Even though there are plenty of free and commercial apps and even web services which can help you here, I absolutely valuate Things, it’s clean, uncluttered interface and the fact that I probably wouldn’t know what to do without it anymore because it remembers almost anything for me from the birthday of my girlfriend to the next steps of the project I’m currently working on. In addition, there’s even an iPhone application which usually reminds me of the huge amount of work I still have to do once I’m back in office. Seriously, it’s a great app and well worth the money.
Invoicing - Invoy
The range of solid invoicing applications is not that broad to be honest, but one I made pretty well experiences with is called Invoy. It’s definitely not a solution if you need to create hundreds of invoices and estimates a day, but it usually does a good job and should be sufficient for almost every freelance designer.
Feeds & Twitter - EventBox
One of the most useful applications I came across ever is called EventBox and has been released just a couple of weeks ago for the first time. Before, I had to visit many different websites each and every day to read the RSS feeds I’m subscribed to and to see what happened on flickr or facebook, not to mention the need of an additional application for twitter. Now, EventBox combines it all and it does that exceptionally well, so if you got a Mac, are tired of those repetitive tasks and currently read this blog I strongly recommend giving it a try - you’ll love it.
Backup - Backblaze
Another essential aspect of every business is a solid backup system which continuously secures your business data. I have to admit that I used an external drive and time machine first to prevent data loss, but it’s not that long ago when I realized that a local solution probably might not be the best idea when a good friend had a serious damage by water because of a bursted pipe. It usually happens when you expect it least and so he lost many personal things but also important, irretrievable business information when he came back home and noticed that every room of his apartment was flooded. Unfortunately this could happen to any of us at any time and so it’s better to use a reasonably priced, secure and well done solution like Backblaze instead.
Image Sharing - GrabUp
Who doesn’t know the repetitive and sometimes really annoying task of creating and submitting a screenshot to someone. Now there’s a small but incredible useful app which does that automatically for you after the initial setup. Just create a screen-shot and GrabUp immediately puts in on your web space, adds a custom watermark image to protect it and even copies the URL to the image into the clipboard so it’s just a matter of seconds until you can paste the link to it into a messenger window or eMail message.
In the end, some of the applications mentioned above are probably very well known already, but especially the smaller, well thought-out and often useful apps absolutely deserve it to be mentioned from time to time and the sheer amount of these make the difference between a Mac and a PC in my opinion and not the operating system itself. I’m sure you know some of them too so please don’t hesitate to share them with us.
Image by Marc Dietrich
Comments
Written by Thank you very much - glad you enjoy it as well!
Written by Thanks Max! I’m diggin’ “Invoy”!
Written by Thanks for sharing this applications. Especially Backblaze looks very interesting to me. I will give it a try!
Written by Thanks for your comment - hope you enjoy backblaze.
By the way, nice to see some german readers around here. 
For estimating / invoicing I can recommend Studiometry which I use now for a couple of years. It is great to get the big picture and has a good balance of ease of use and functionality. And: you see, where you’re steering at 
Written by Indeed, Studiometry is a nice tool, however, when I tried it, I didn’t like the way it worked too much. It felt like a piece of software which has been converted from a Windows version to Mac and because I absolutely enjoy the look and feel of native OSX apps, Studiometry was not my choice back then.
Just read your article and tried Things. You didn’t promise too much. I like the clean, well structured design and it’s available as well in German
Written by No problem - I’m using it myself and would be lost without it already.
Interesting,
Some great apps thanks for providing such a list,
Keep up the good work
Written by And you forget Yojimbo for bookmarks and web archives! http://www.barebones.com/products/Yojimbo/
Written by I would appreciate more visual materials, to make your blog more attractive, but your writing style really compensates it. But there is always place for improvement
Written by Thanks for your feedback — I absolutely agree and will do this in my next articles!
Great Article on FrooWeb- Maximilian Bartel
- 31061 Alfeld (Leine)
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Very nice article. I love the new look and feel of the website, by the way!