15 Best Gifts for Graphic Designers – Unique and Creative Gift Ideas

If you’re one of those people who believe in gratitude and are thinking of expressing thanks through the act of gifting someone you love, you should do it now. Finding the perfect gift can be challenging, no matter who you are shopping for. It becomes even more difficult when choosing a gift for people who love to be part of creative endeavors. As it’s the start of a new year, gifting graphic designers with something special can bring a positive perspective to their lives. Offering creative and unique gifts can bring a smile to their faces.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• The act of giving gifts to graphic designers
• How to choose the best gifts
• Top 15 gifts for graphic designers

As a brand or business, you might have encountered a few graphic designers who stand out with their hard work, personality, and mere presence. What kinds of gifts can you give your graphic designer friend or family member? Who better to provide advice than experts in graphic design like ourselves?

I’ve gone around and asked our team of graphic designers and made a list of the best gifts for graphic designers. Check out this article right now!

Why do we Gift Graphic Designers?

If you’re still waiting for a person’s birthday or work anniversary to pop up so that you can gift them something, then you’re wrong. Before you jump into the list of gifts for graphic designers, check out a few reasons you might want to remind someone that you really appreciate their passion for design and art.

You get more miracles in your life by being grateful for everything.

— Healing Ministries 🔥🔥 (Ron) (@HMinistries8) January 4, 2024

Motivation and Encouragement:

If you know your friend is trying to pursue a graphic design degree or a new design job, it’s time for you to remind them that you’re there for their support. It’s all about showing appreciation for their hard work. All graphic designers need some sort of motivation and encouragement that can help them realize their potential.

Recognition of Creativity:

Creative individuals invest their time and effort in creating visually beautiful and impactful designs. Giving a thoughtful gift can be seen as recognition of creativity and their interest in pursuing a graphic design career. This can be viewed as a kind gesture to appreciate their creative talents.

Building Stronger Relationships:

There are different ways to appreciate people with whom you have a bond. If you have a partner, friend, or close colleague who is into graphic design, gifting is a universal way of building and strengthening relationships. From a client’s perspective, gifting is a meaningful gesture for expressing gratitude and acknowledging their creative talents.

Celebrating Milestones:

Gifts are often considered a way to celebrate significant milestones. You can gift graphic designers, you know, with some thoughtful gifts after they complete challenging projects, reach a career anniversary, or achieve a personal or professional goal.

Enhancing a Positive Work Culture:

In an office space, gifting is a way of contributing to a positive work culture and team camaraderie. Through such activities and by gifting them practical items, you can motivate them to foster a productive environment.

How do you Choose the Best Gifts for a Graphic Designer Friend?

If you’re looking to choose the best gifts for your designer or colleague, understand that the best gifts are the ones that match the style and personality of the receiver. So, before searching for a present, you’ll want to consider options that are chic and creative—ideally, something that an interior designer or graphic designer will love and connect with.

You don’t need to be a design expert to adore the gifts, either. But before choosing the gifts, the first thing you should do is make sure the receiver doesn’t have that thing with them. LOL.

So, before checking out the basic gift options like planners, colors, or some books, you can do some research yourself to get to know their needs. Consider the person’s style and aesthetic preferences, which will help you choose the gifts that align with their taste. Last but not least, if you’re unsure about the gift, don’t hesitate to ask the person about their wish list.

15 Great Gifts for Graphic Designers

If you are still looking for a way to surprise the creator with a very thoughtful and meaningful gift, I’ve included the best 15 gifts for graphic designers below. Have fun gifting!

1. Noise-Cancelling Headphones

Graphic designers require unwavering focus and determination to reach their creative potential, and if they are working in a noisy environment, they might struggle a bit.

So, first on the list, noise-canceling headphones or earbuds can let your graphic design friends enjoy their workload without the distraction of their loud workmates or roommates.

For sheer quality, you can always go for Bose headphones, a brand known for superior sound quality and comfort. You can check the wide variety of headphone options on their website or opt for lightweight headphones that pair easily with Bluetooth devices.

For an affordable way of gifting the designer with noise-canceling headphones, consider gifting them earbuds from Aihoor. Wireless earbuds from Aihoor offer noise-cancellation technology and Bluetooth connectivity. With water-resistant abilities, the earbuds offer 30 hours of playtime on a single charge; they have a built-in microphone so that the designer can call their friends while working as well!

2. Graphics Drawing Tablet

You can always gift the graphic designer in your life a digital graphic drawing tablet. Here, Wacom’s Pro Pen 2 drawing tablet allows users to create and edit images. The tablet is compatible with both Windows and Mac. For the best performance on a Mac, complement it with CleanMyMac X to keep your system running efficiently. This tablet has a ton of programmable ExpressKeys shortcuts, all designed to optimize workflow.

One of the best ways for designers to express their own creativity in their designs is this graphics tablet, which is a great gift for them. It offers virtually lag-free tracking, allowing graphic artists to attain a different level of control.

The tablet runs on an internal battery and can also be charged when connected to your computer or printer. The pen is battery-free and pairs directly with the tablet. This particular gift will excite the inner child of every graphic designer because it’s fun to play with and makes a thoughtful gift.

3. Browser Sketch Pad

Most designers work and initiate their design projects using notebooks, pens, and paper. If you’re planning to gift your web designer friend, the Browser Sketch Pad is a great choice. This sketch pad has 50 pages, with each page featuring a browser Chrome top to help and motivate graphic designers to sketch out their ideas. The pages themselves serve as a dot grid notebook, assisting graphic designer in your life in creating precise linework and aligning their web design elements to a standard grid.

Though this sketch pad is made of paper, users can be assured that it’s composed of 100% recycled eco-friendly materials. The sketch pad is letter-sized with a sturdy cardboard back, and you can purchase the website stencil kit separately to create an all-in-one design solution.

This gift is one of the best gifts for designers who like to map out their work before transitioning to the digital browser. And hey, it just encourages graphic designers to do their best!

4. Pantone: The Game

Graphic designers love Pantone, and this game is going to be a favorite among them. If you don’t know what else to gift your designer pal, it’s time you consider Pantone: the game.  It’s a simple yet competitive game that lets graphic designers create pop culture characters using only abstract arrangements of color swatches inspired by Pantone, the world’s leading color expert.

This can be seen as a challenging yet fun game for graphic designers to play. Amid all the work stress, they can enjoy a relaxing color identification game that also enhances their visual perspective skills. So, if you know any graphic designers who love practical gifts, this is a perfect game.

5. Blue Light Computer Glasses

What is a graphic design job without spending long hours in front of a computer screen? So, if you’re looking to gift your favorite graphic designer something meaningful, check with them if they have a good pair of blue light computer glasses.

Graphic designers tend to experience eye strain, fatigue, and disruptions to their sleep schedule due to long working hours in front of a computer screen. A pair of computer glasses can reduce these problems by blocking the blue light responsible for causing these issues. You can check out stylish and modern computer glasses on Amazon that are designed for extended wear. So, if you really want to make a caring gesture, ensure the designers use a pair of computer glasses that block blue light.

6. Laptop Lap Desk

When you see a graphic designer working on their couch or bed, you know they really love their job. Even if the person is a freelancer, an improvised designer’s workspace can elevate the working mood of an individual, so a lap desk ranks among the top gifts for graphic designers. This can be seen as a thoughtful and caring gesture because graphic designers can feel more comfortable with a lap desk to work in the easy way they want.

The LapGear Home Office Lap Desk offers good space for a 15-inch laptop computer with enough room left to balance the designer’s favorite coffee mugs or notepads. This lap desk, with a space-saving design, also comes with a special slot to hold your phone or another digital device.

So, why think again? If your designer friend doesn’t have a lap desk yet, this is your sign to get them the lap desk that helps designers who telecommute to work on design projects from home.

7. Sakura Pigma Ink Gift Set

This particular item ranks among the top gifts for graphic designers. The Sakura Pigma Ink Gift Set provides quality tools for designers to use for a variety of design projects.

This ink set contains 59 pens with water-resistant ink and different sizes of pen nibs, allowing graphic designers to experiment with new color and line combinations for their next creation. The quality of the ink is so good that it is bleed-resistant, and the artist will be able to maintain razor-sharp linework in all drawing projects and sketchbooks.

If you want to impress your graphic designer acquaintance who loves paper over digital media, you have to get them a Sakura Pigma Ink Gift Set.

8. Lego Modern Art Set

If Lego brings up early childhood memories, then the Lego Modern Art Set is a perfect gift for your graphic designer friend. These building blocks aren’t only meant for kids; this modern art set also encourages adults to express their creative potential to the fullest. There are 805 pieces to create one-of-a-kind art pieces.

So, this can be a perfect gift for graphic designers who love to play sensory games. This Lego set comes with an instruction booklet, including four templates to build with. This gift can be a motivating piece for your designer friends to keep working hard and improve their artistic skills.

9. Megg’s History of Graphic Design

Well, a good book is worth 100 gifts, and books take the spot of the ultimate gift that people love to give to their favorite individuals. Graphic designers should know about a lot of things and find inspiration on a daily basis, including the NAICS code, B2B graphic design, and nonprofits.

But how do graphic designers brush up on their knowledge? If the graphic designer you’re planning to gift is a bookworm, you can always give them “The History of Graphic Design,” a book written by Philip B. Meggs and Alston W. Purvis, highlighting significant developments in the field and containing 1400 pictures.

This book can be an ideal choice for aspiring graphic designers and seasoned pros alike, providing more insight into different methods and theories used over the years. Graphic designers would love to have this book as part of their library, and they would appreciate your thoughtful gesture.

10. Mixoo Capacitive Stylus Pen

If your graphic designer acquaintance loves working in digital mode, then the Mixoo Capacitive Pen is the perfect gift for them.

This stylus pen provides all the tools digital painters need for creating artwork. Designers can easily use the Mixoo capacitive pen with a micro-knit fiber tip, an ultra-thin adjustable brush tip, and a ballpoint ink pen for analog writing. Graphic designers will appreciate this gift as it is compatible with iOS and Android smartphones, tablets, and PCs with touch screens. It offers smooth performance and ultimate precision when used for drawing and creating designs.

The designer can easily carry it everywhere. Get them this stylus pen so that they can unleash their creative potential on digital artwork. This stylus pen helps graphic designers sketch whatever they want at any time.

11. Lorem Ipsum Tote Bag

If you are hearing “Lorem Ipsum” for the first time, then you really need to spend more time with your graphic designer. It may sound like gibberish at first, but content writers and graphic designers will recognize the words right away. Having these words printed on a tote bag can be a playful way of gifting someone who loves graphic design.

Lorem Ipsum is a placeholder text often used when creating website logos, UI/UX writing, blog posts, and graphic design ideas. The bag mentioned here is practical for daily use, with enough space to hold things. Your gift receiver can use it as a shopping bag or for packing things for the beach or gym.

These one-of-a-kind items can make great design gifts for artists in your life, and their affordable price can make them an attractive option for office staff and clients, too.

12. Graphic Design Lover T-shirts

Graphic designers love everything creative and artistic, so why not gift them beautifully designed T-shirts? It’s a fun way for them to express something about their own identity.

T-shirts that speak, look great, and call out graphic design tastes allow them to connect with like-minded individuals easily. Such unique graphic tees are available in men’s, women’s, and youth sizes, so you won’t have any trouble finding an appropriate style and fit for your favorite graphic designer friends in your life.

13. LED Light Box

An LED light box can be a fantastic gift idea for graphic designers who need to transfer or trace a lot of sketches. While older models could be clunky and hard to use, the Huion L4S LED Light Box is ultra-thin and adjustable, making it compact and lightweight.

This LED light is easy on the eyes, and it even has a memory feature to revert to the last-known brightness setting to enjoy consistency across different projects. The device is easily portable, as it can be powered using a USB cable that you can plug into a wall outlet or the USB port of your computer.

The work surface is covered in a protective film, ensuring a high degree of durability and a longer overall lifespan. So, you should definitely add this to your cart for gifting someone who will love it.

14. Charging Station

Graphic designers often have multiple devices cluttering the workstation, and it can become challenging to keep them all charged. So, planning to gift them a charging station might make a hectic graphic artist happy. The Griffin PowerDock 5 allows users to charge as many as five devices at once, which can help graphic designers manage the power of various electronic devices.

This charging station is designed to save space and can eliminate the unsightly cords that clutter a desktop, helping users stay organized while also charging all of their essential devices. This means that the charging station not only powers devices but also keeps the workspace free and clear so that the designer can focus on their tasks.

15. Pencil Holder

For a designer who loves old-school stuff, such as stationery, their desk is nothing less than a holy altar. Gifting something to decorate their workspace can bring immense joy to any designer. Although most creatives work on computers, there are designers who appreciate having post-its, papers, notecards, pens, and pencils handy nearby.

For that reason, gifting them a beautiful pen and pencil holder can make a significant difference in their life. It can also be seen as a home decor idea. They can organize their pens and pencils, enhancing the table’s aesthetics and making it a pleasing place to work.

Kudos For Gifting!

I hope this list helped you finally decide what you’re getting for the graphic designer person in your mind.  Graphic design can be an interesting field for people to work in, requiring a lot of effort, daily creativity, and passion. Therefore, if you have someone in your life who is passionate about graphic design, expressing your support through the act of gifting is a thoughtful gesture. Whether you’re a graphic designer yourself, you can always gift yourself because it makes you feel motivated to do more. You can also choose to give a multi-purpose camera phone holder, a mouse light pad, and a USB-C charger, or a subscription to different graphic design software along with the gift you choose.

As I’ve mentioned before, the act of gifting isn’t solely about presenting an expensive item; it’s more about acknowledging the dedication and creativity that contribute to their work. I appreciate your intention to gift someone who has a love for graphic design. If you’re a client looking to acknowledge the effort your graphic designer has put into your work, it’s also beneficial to be aware of graphic design retainers. Graphic designers will truly value your thoughtful gesture. Surprise them now!

FAQ

How do you appreciate a graphic designer?

You can show your graphic designer appreciation in various ways. Being thankful for their work, creativity, and dedication is one way to make them realize the importance of what they do. You can express your gratitude by giving them gifts and subscriptions or surprising them with a holiday package to enjoy. This can boost their motivation and make them feel valued. It’s important to appreciate your colleagues, friends, or family, especially if they are in the graphic design profession.

What do graphic designers need?

Graphic designers typically require a laptop, a reliable Wi-Fi connection, and a solid understanding of graphic design principles to pursue their profession. To enhance their workflow, they may find a drawing graphics tablet invaluable for digital sketches and designs, along with access to various digital tools. A comfortable and organized workspace is essential for them to concentrate on their work effectively. Many designers have specific preferences to ensure a smooth workflow. It’s advisable to communicate with your graphic designers and inquire if they have any specific needs to successfully complete their design projects.

What is the best gift for graphic designers?

Some of the best gifts for graphic designers include a top-notch graphics tablet like the Apple iPad Pro for unleashing their creativity or a quality sketch pad if they prefer offline sketching and designing. Other thoughtful gifts could be noise-cancelling headphones, a comfortable laptop lap desk, a desk chair, or a rechargeable phone stand. This extensive list offers a variety of unique and useful options to help you find the perfect gift for graphic designers.