2021 Update: we’ve just updated this gift guide to include graphic design gifts that are in stock in this weird year. Buying gifts for creatives may seem difficult, but it’s really not. Beyond cool pens and notebooks, think “artsy” and maybe even “quirky” gifts that make their job easier or give their creative mind a little boost.
Check out these 37 gift ideas for your graphic designer friend or family member. There are so many cool gifts here that you might end up picking out a couple for yourself, too.
Hand-written notes give a personal touch unmatched by electronic means. This box set lends a vibrant pop of color to notes, birthday cards, and thank-you cards. You could also splurge for a full Pantone swatch book.
Considered one of the premier references for graphic design, it makes a great addition to any designer’s library.
Sometimes you can’t keep a good graphic artist down, or sitting in one place. With this compact light pad, they can continue with their projects, even on the go.
A simple humorous t-shirt that any type-lover can appreciate.
Help keep beverages hot, and your favorite designer awake with this witty mug.
Show your humor with every glance at the fridge. The perfect gift for the graphic designer break room.
Want to brush up on a technique? Or learn a novelty one just for fun? Why not take a class from the comfort of home?
Combine the joy of pen to paper with the convenience of electronic rendering. We also have a list of our other favorite notebooks and sketchbooks.
The Stendig Wall Calendar is a graphic design icon that combines form and function.
This is one of the most useful resources for learning how to be a UI designer. It’s also a hidden gem that they likely have not read before. Today it only comes in an E-book format.
Graphic designers are infamous for having bad posture. This smart connected posture trainer will help anyone sit up and have better posture. It vibrates when you start to slouch. The second version has a battery that lasts 4x longer, has multiple sensors, and is smaller.
More than a sketchbook, less than an iPad. The perfect partner for designers on-the-go.
You can never have too many pen replacements for your graphic tablet. And this is a replacement pen for one of the most popular and trusted brands of graphic tablets. If they have an iPad make sure to grab an Apple pencil.
Brain.fm offers music that is scientifically proven to help you focus. They have a patented technology that creates music that elicits strong neural phase-locking and thus helps you focus.
Great for designers who do user interface design and like to sketch on paper first. This stencil kit comes with common icons that they can add to their design.
Express your love of color with these vibrant cell phone cases for iPhone 6+.
You carry so many devices, but charging is a no-brainer with this multi-port charger.
This 20 sided die has a fun phrase on each side for the designer lacking direction. Great for a new designer or creative director. You can also print and glue your own version for free! Or purchase a real dice for $17.
Visualizing your ideas just got easier. Sketch out concepts using this graph pad with browser tab layout.
Increase their reach by giving them a pro subscription to the graphic design portfolio share Dribbble. Not only will this give them serious street cred, it will also allow them to sell goods, create multi-shot posts, and have an upgraded profile.
A common client request that makes designers cringe on this coaster will help them get through the worst client meetings.
Nestled in a vintage-style box, this set contains everything you need to create beautiful calligraphy lettering.
This is an incredible niche gift for a designer. It has the CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow Black) colors that are used for printing color images as a stylish pin. I can guarantee they don’t have this. Great for graphic design grads.
I’ve used this game with clients who need a new brand. Clients sort adjectives into three categories (you are, you are not, and N/A) They have just released a Spanish language version and more languages have been promised to be added in the future.
Etsy is a cool marketplace that has unique prints to personalize a designer’s workspace.
Yeah, it’s a little retro but this little toy was responsible for creating a spark in many a young artist’s soul. So go ahead and take a little playtime flashback.
For the artist who doesn’t compromise quality. The smoothness of the ink has made these a popular choice for years.
Want to give your eyes a rest but don’t want to stop your momentum? Try switching to these cards instead.
A great gift for new and old graphic designs. This will help them learn more Illustrator hotkeys and speed up their workflow. There are also versions available for other Adobe Creative Suite programs.
The pomodoro technique is a time management method that uses a tomato kitchen timer. Getting this gift could be a fun way to help designers stay focused.
Almost every designer I have worked with has suffered from terrible spelling. A premium spell checker like Grammarly can help with that.
For those times when you’re up all night working on a project. If these are too bulky we suggest noise-canceling earbuds.
For those “print nerds” who lack the essentials of the trade.
Light Ring for Video CallsBefore 2021 we didn’t know we all needed a light ring. But video conferences are here to stay and it’s worth looking your best. You can take it one step more and get a green screen for those perfect Zoom backgrounds.
Master the cookie typeset with this fun alphabet cookie cutter set. Like a printing press but for cookies!
Express yourself with these re-usable canvas bags. Give people something to talk about while waiting in line at the grocery store.
This unique deck of playing cards features a different graphic design lesson on the front of each card. A great novelty item for any designer!
Don’t fear, a book is always a safe way to go. We’ve put together a blog post that details our favorite graphic design books. Books are affordable and appropriate gifts for graduations, birthdays, Christmas/holidays, or a colleague’s going away party.
If you think of a gift that isn’t on the list drop it in the comments below. We will periodically update this article.
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