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Cyber Monday is over, but you can still find deals on tech accessories and software for artists. Any of the below items would make a great gift for the artist or photographer in your life (or for yourself!). A word of advice: Move fast, as many of these products will sell out quickly. (Prices current at time of publication.)
Lume Cube 2.0 LED panel
Buy for $84.99 and save 6%
A powerful lighting accessory, the Lume Cube 2.0 is a mini LED panel with a DSLR shoe mount and 1.5 hours of battery life. An excellent gift for photographers, it is tough, waterproof, and—weighing in at a mere 3.5 ounces—extremely portable. It’s simple to use: you can control brightness with just two buttons and toggle between light modes, including a low-light mode for long exposures. It can also be controlled wirelessly via Bluetooth using the mobile app.
Epson EcoTank ET-3850 printer
Buy for $319.99 and save 20%
While it might seem difficult to get excited about a printer, we love Epson’s EcoTank line printers, which save money by using high-capacity, refillable ink tanks instead of ink cartridges. Our tech writer Terry Sullivan says this about the EcoTank: “I have to say that switching to a printer with an ink-tank system, instead of an ink-cartridge system has been one of the best buying decisions I’ve made in all my years of writing about tech gear. Why? In the more than two years I’ve had my own Epson EcoTank (an earlier version of this model), I’ve barely had to think about it and only needed to refill the tanks up once! Otherwise, it has simply worked. I also haven’t needed to fuss with settings, head cleaning, or alignment. Aside from my Amazon Kindle, it’s been one of the most consistently reliable consumer electronics accessories I’ve ever bought.” This versatile model will scan and copy as well as print, and it is now 20% off. So, if your studio needs an office printer, consider an EcoTank.
Zagg Pro Keys wireless keyboards & detachable cases for iPads
Buy for $50.39–$139.99 and save 10–54%
If you’re looking to make your Apple iPad function more like a laptop, getting a wireless keyboard can be, well, key! But before you buy, you’ll want to make sure the keyboard is compatible with your iPad. Zagg offers keyboards compatible with a number of iPad, iPad Pro, and iPad Air models, and they come with or without a trackpad. Just scroll through the drop-down menu to find your model. These keyboards are nicely designed with a detachable case and backlit keys. They also have an impressive battery life—even with a trackpad on, Zagg says their keyboards can hold a charge for up to 3 months.
Canon ImageProGraf Pro-1000 pigment printer
Buy for $999.00 and save $300
Unlike the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 wireless printer, which is best for office tasks, this much pricier 17-inch pigment printer is a great choice for photography or art projects. Like all pigment printers, it produces vibrant color prints, but where it really shines is in printing black-and-white photos. The PRO-1000’s 10-color Lucia Pro pigment ink set includes both photo and matte black inks, producing deeper and more intense blacks that look fantastic on fine art photo paper. And because it has separate nozzles for the two types of black ink, it doesn’t need to switch tanks while printing (a common annoyance), reducing ink waste and saving time. The PRO-1000 also has a dedicated Chroma Optimizer channel that layers on a clear coating for a smoother finish. You can quickly and easily check ink levels, printer status, and other settings on its 3-inch LCD screen, as well.
Wacom ONE 13 digital drawing tablet
Buy for $299.95 and save 25%
From one of the top tablet companies comes this well-balanced model, which is affordable, color accurate, and user friendly. Its 11.6-inch screen is large enough for most projects, has negligible parallax, and is finished with a slightly textured matte film that has a realistic paperlike feel. Because it’s a display tablet, it can be used it like any computer tablet, like an iPad. But it also allows you to tap into the software on your computer. One downside is that it doesn’t offer wireless connectivity like some drawing tablets, but overall, it’s very easy to set up and use. This is a great entry-level tool with a decent-sized screen for a good price.
Adobe Creative Cloud
Pay $29.98 per month for the first year and save 50% (students save 70% the first year)
For many artists, this software suite from Adobe is a must-have, since it offers everything from image- and video-editing software, like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro, respectively, to motion graphics and animation tools, like After Effects. Not everyone loves the subscription model, but the entire suite is half off for the first year.
Corel Painter 2023 | Professional Painting Software (Mac Download)
$214.99 and save 50%
Although many artists may find all digital tools they need from Adobe, there are alternatives. When used with a drawing tablet or drawing display tablet (which is highly recommended), Corel Painter 2023 allows you to easily sketch, paint, and illustrate on a blank canvas or rework a photograph or digital illustration. It offers many types of brushes, including new Fluid brushes, Thick Paint, watercolors, pastels, oils, acrylics, airbrushes, and more. And right now it’s offered for half the price.
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Peak Design carbon fiber travel tripod
Buy for $539.96 and save $60
If you need a portable tripod, whether you’re shooting star trails at night or portraits at dawn, consider this lightweight, easy-to-use model. The carbon fiber version weighs just 2.8 pounds and has a packing height of 15.2 inches. It can extend to 60.2 inches (with center column raised), and can hold up to a 20-pound camera.
Bambu Lab A1 mini 3D printer
Buy for $349.00 and save 24%
When it comes to 3D printers, models and prices can get very confusing very quickly. But there are a couple of things that set the Bambu Lab A1 mini 3D printer apart, particularly if you’re a novice. Although it’s a budget-priced 3D printer (yes, models under $500 are considered budget models), it still allows you to print in up to four colors. And it’s very easy to set up and operate. Best of all, it is now almost $100 off.
