The iPad Pro may be the ultimate digital sketchpad when you pair it with Apple’s Pencil, but it doesn’t really look like an old-school sketchbook with its fancy aluminum back and sleek glass front panel. For those of you who long for your well-loved sketchbook, but enjoy the the convenience of creating digital art on the iPad Pro, there’s a fun new PU leather case that looks just like a wire-bound sketchbook and even has a slot for your Apple Pencil.
The front and back covers of the case are made out of three layers of material. PU leather covers the outside of the sketchbook case for a classy look and there’s a microfiber lining on the inside of the case. In between these two softer materials lies a hard, shock-absorbent plastic core, which protects your tablet from harm. The case comes in black, brown, gray, and cream color options.
The wire that binds the two covers together is made out of cold-formed steel, which is 1.35mm thick, making it much stronger than the thin wire that holds your average cardboard-covered sketchbook together. The case also sports a wide elastic strap like a Moleskin to hold it closed properly. The end result is one fine looking iPad case, which more closely resembles one of those expensive leather-bound sketchbooks you’d find at a high-end art supply store.
On the inside of the cover next to the wire spiral, there’s a slot that holds the Apple Pencil, so you never lose your precious digital drawing utensil. When you open the case and flip the front cover to the back, the side of the front cover reveals a fold-out stand that can prop up your iPad Pro in landscape or portrait mode when you’re drawing. It’s also available for the iPad Air and iPad Mini, if you don’t have the iPad Pro.
Longo Case has been making cases for more than 10 years, and it’s all set to get these Sketchbook cases shipped to backers by March 2016, assuming it makes its $5,518 goal on Kickstarter. At the time of writing, the Sketchbook case was nearly halfway to its goal.
Although the first early bird offer is gone, you can still get a case for £18 or $26, which is fairly reasonable for an iPad case. After that level expires, it’ll go up to £20 or $30. If you’re interested, you can pick on up on Longo’s Kickstarter page.
