Here are some lesser-known examples of Mac software that can help you work more efficiently. Some of these are also available on PC, as stated.
As Prince once sang:
If I gave you diamonds and pearls
Would you be a happy boy or a girl?
If I could, I would give you the world
But all I can do is just offer you links to apps.
It came out a while ago, but I’m sure it was something like that. Anyway in the spirit of giving, here are some hidden gems just for you:
iA Writer
Information Architects
Mac, PC
ia.net/writer
Do you ever feel like word processors try to do too many things? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to type out your ideas and thoughts with fewer distractions?
Enter iA Writer which has a very intentional bare bones approach to its user interface. All it consists of is a typing window, and a toggleable sidebar, with the latter listing your recent files. If you’re invested in the Apple ecosystem then I recommend saving to iCloud. This means that files are synced between your devices – so when ideas come to mind, you can make edits with whatever device you have to hand.
The writing area uses a utilitarian monospaced font as a default, with two other options hidden in the settings. The software comes into itself when you enter what is known as Focus Mode. This mode aids concentration by fading out earlier text, with your current sentence or paragraph being more visually prominent.
So fresh, so clean! ©Information Architects
Pro tip: close the side bar, turn on Focus Mode, and then make the app full screen. It’s just you, a big blank space, and a blinking text cursor. Perfect!
I’m making this all sound very simple, but there is a lot of extra functionality under the hood. Markdown is supported, so if you are familiar with that language, you’ll be right at home. There are also integrated style and syntax tools to help improve your writing should you wish to use them.
Vectoraster
Lost Minds Software
Mac
lostminds.com
I love that there are independent software developers out there, and I often check on Lost Minds to see what they have been up to. Vectoraster allows you to create vector halftone patterns from your imported images and other elements. It offers a great deal of control over the final result (i.e. point styles, grids, pattern distortion), and works remarkably quickly. Version 8 added animation support to the transformation effects, allowing for integration to your motion projects.
©Lost Minds Software
The developer has assembled a Behance moodboard which gives you a better idea of this app’s capabilities than I can describe. There is also a free demo, so I encourage you to give it a try if you appreciate the aesthetic of the halftone.
Overlord
Battle Axe
Mac, PC
battleaxe.co
This is a real timesaver that pays for itself in short order. If you have ever tried to work between Illustrator and After Effects, you will know that it can be a royal pain in the balls! Overlord acts as a middle man between the two, allowing vector shapes to be pasted from one to another. For best results, give your composition and AI artboard the same dimensions, and everything will paste in the expected position. Version 2 added Figma support if that’s your bag!
Typeface
Floor van Steg
Mac
typefaceapp.com
Font management isn’t the most exciting thing to think about, but if you have an ever-growing collection of the things then your computer will need it. Simply place all of your fonts in one folder, then point Typeface to the location! It will automatically sync with this folder when new files are added or other changes occur.
By default all of your fonts should be turned off, and you activate them by clicking on the little circle next to its name. If you hold the mouse button down, a menu will appear where you can choose whether to activate it temporarily or permanently.
©Floor van Steg
A useful practice is to tag fonts (i.e. with the associated brand/client) and then you can turn them all on together. With Typeface set to run in the background, you can also turn on a setting so that fonts auto-activate when opening a file where they are used. The app can also be set to include any Adobe fonts you have imported, or even to import the whole Google Fonts library!
Iconjar
Davey Heuser and Curtis Hard
Mac
geticonjar.com
Icon packs can contain thousands of graphics, and like me, you may have purchased a few of these and forgotten about them. Iconjar brings your sets together into one searchable app. You can change the colours and scale within Iconjar and then simply drag it out into Finder for a shiny new SVG file (other formats supported).
©Davey Heuser and Curtis Hard
Your icons can be added manually, but it will save you a lot of tagging work if your chosen set states Iconjar support, so look out for that.
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Header Image: Getty Images on Unsplash+. NStudio has no affiliation with any business linked to in this post.
