10 top creative tools and apps for the iPad

Apple’s tablet is tailor-made for touchscreen creativity – as are many iOS apps. Here are 10 of the most inspiring examples

By Rob Clymo, Macworld U.K. | Software, ipad apps

£6.99, itun.es/i6JV6Bp

This app from Apple can often be overlooked, but take a closer look inside its presentation software and you'll be pleasantly surprised. What's more, if you've ever had to wrestle with PowerPoint, then you'll know just how clunky and out-dated that can be. Keynote is perfect for anyone who wants all the tools to put together a presentation, but also needs to create on the move. If you've been used to working with PowerPoint previously, then this will prove to be a revelation.

Keynote has a clean and simple layout and work area, allowing you to assemble slides with pinpoint precision. Better still, there's a whole pile of sophisticated options for adding content, such as animations and other interactive elements, that will bring your presentation alive. Drop in pictures and images, then export it as a finished package, and your next creative briefing should prove to be a runaway success story. You can even export files in the PowerPoint format if you're so inclined.

READ MORE: bit.ly/V3bC2m

6. Sketchbook Pro

£2.99, itun.es/i6JV5VK

If you're a fan of drawing, then Sketchbook Pro will prove a surefire hit. This incredibly clever application offers up a whole range of professional-level drawing and painting tools that provide power and precision, and the controls are pretty easy to master, too. It has a wide array of canvas options and makes the most of your tablet touchscreen and sensitivity controls. Adding to the fun is a raft of tools that include high-quality brushes, while the capacity for working with layers means that producing multi-layered documents is straightforward.

Pressure-sensitive controls mean that, with practice, you can soon be producing works of art in all kinds of freehand styles, using the collection of everything from pencils and pens through to deluxe brushes. If you need to make more complex tweaks further down the line, then your work can also be exported as layered Photoshop files, so it's one for the pros among you, too.