10 Best Software and Apps for Graphic Design
This article will discuss the ten best software and apps for graphic design.
What is graphic design software?
Graphic design software is actually for creating the visual content or editing the existing ones like the photographs. One of the best graphic design software shares some of the similarities in the looks and the feel.
The very primary user interface is intuitive, and the users drag-and-drop. However, it often does have the main window and the dashboards beside, beneath, or just above it. The window is like the canvas where you see the graphics you are working on.
Graphic design uses
It is used for everything virtual and the physical, from web design to logos and ads, print flyers, billboards, and even merch like hats and shirts. In addition, some of the graphics suites have templates for general things like business cards and the pitch desks.
Others have specific templates for things which include Facebook Ads. Even the video editing needs the graphics for titles cards and the other infographics. Graphic designers can either work as independent designers, with design agencies or in-house.
But in today’s world, many people are deciding not to outsource to most graphic designers. This is probably because of all of the best graphic design tools available out there, many with quick learning curves.
Suppose you are thinking of picking up graphic design. In that case, it is delicious to know the basic kinds of graphic design tools.
Best graphic design software
Suppose you are working on designing the graphic interfaces. In that case, it will be more convenient if you use an excellent free graphic. In most cases, Adobe programs do fully deserve the leading positions; however, you will just have to pay each month. Just count the amount of money that you will be paying during a couple of years of actually using it, and you will be terrified.
If you are beginning to work with graphics design or want to save your money on such programs, the free graphics software will be the best choice for you. In this article, we will discuss the free tools for graphic design.
Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is one of the biggest names in the photo editing software. It was just launched in 1988 and still undergoes constant updates. Today, you can use Photoshop on Mac, Windows, and iPad.
Photoshop is a much raster or bitmap image editing tool. This will make it easier to zoom in and edit fine details. There are photos manipulation tools that will allow you to repair or edit the fine details. Photo manipulation tools will allow you to repair or edit digital images—most of these work just with the simple drag and drop.
Aside from being just a photo editor, Adobe Photoshop does have some basic drawing features. Otherwise, you can use Photoshop and all the other Adobe Products from the Creative Cloud, just like the Adobe Lightroom or the desktop publishing tool Adobe InDesign.
Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is another one of the enormous tools which graphic designers use. Like Photoshop, it was also the very first released in the late 80s. Since then, it has had over 20 new generations. It can also be used on Windows, Mac, or iPad.
While Photoshop was just a justraster photo editor, Adobe Illustrator uses a vector graphics. A very simple sidebar will let you choose your drawings or the painting tools. Pencil tools will let you draw them freehand.
You can also cut, reshape, move and then resize the image as well. Illustrator does have text features with a very excellent typography choice. Real-time rendering will let you preview your designs with that bit of fuss. Since this is just vector graphics, your images can be printed and scaled up with no loss of quality.
Illustrator works alongside the other Adobe desktop publishing tools just like Adobe InDesign.Adobe Illustrator will cost $20.99 per month with is an annual contract. You can also buy the Creative Cloud Bundle of the apps, including the illustrator, for just $52.23.
Canva
This graphic design software is from Australia. Canva’s free online version is popular because it is intuitive and accessible. This is an excellent tool for making social media graphics.
Canva is still best to use with most of their templates. These include essential social media posts like Instagram stories and Facebook posts. In addition, there are many other useful templates for logos, posters, and presentations.
Everything works only through the drag-and-drop functionality. You can also add the text with many fonts to choose from. Can will also offer you print services. You can get your design printed and delivered on anything from the business cards to shirts.
One of the good signs is that it can be added up to Google Chrome as a plugin. In addition, there is always a free version of the Canva. Premium versions start just at $12.84 per user per month billed annually. These plans will get you more templates and a much larger photo library.
GIMP
GIMP stands for the GNU image manipulation program. GNU is just a free collaboration project, and the GIMP is one of their free and open-source graphic editors. It first came out in 1996. Today it works on Linux, macOS, and as well on Windows.
Gimp does use raster image design tools. It is so good for image resizing, restoring, and retouching. There are free-from drawing features. There is high-fidelity colour management that is made for quality printing.
You can also select the colours which are based on the CMYK or RGB. Another excellent benefit of GIMP is its cross-platform functionality. You can export and import the images in the BWP, PNG, TIFF, GIF, and HEIF.
You can also download one of the latest versions of the GIMP just for free. Unfortunately, many people still believe that it is as good as Photoshop. One of the main issues is that there is just a bit of a longer learning curve with the GIMP.
Inkscape
Inkscape has a set of vector graphics design tools that is open-source and free. It runs on Windows,macOS, and Linux. Its source codes are usually hosted on Gitlab. With Inkscape, you can create vector objects and also manipulate them.
There are freehand drawing tools for simple paths, curves, and lines. You can skew the images, rotate and scale. You can fill in the shapes with patterns that are raster and vector.
Other raster tools include bitmap tracing. Inkscape has fundamental text tools which use installed fonts. The editing format is mainly the SVG, but you can also import the other formats. Inkscape can also be added to Google Chrome.
CorelDRAW
Corel has been around since the mid-80s. It is a software company. They were sort of the incumbent to them rising the illustrators. One of the leading graphic design software products is the CorelDRAW.
CorelDRAW can also be used to do vector graphic editing. There are a lot of essential tools for vector illustration. CorelDRAW has page layout options that are just like the templates. The Typography tools are minimal, but still, they are very striking.
The file formats compatible with the CorelDRAW are PNG, JPG, GIF, PDF, and BMP. There are some essential photo editing tools too. In addition, when you use CorelDraw, you can take advantage of the good online tutorials.
Gravit Designer
Gravit Designer is just another design software which is from the Corel. It is mainly for the vector design, but it also includes the photo and image editing tools. Gravit Designer is very professional software. The interface is still very busy, and there is a learning curve. But the results are eye-catching and will pay off in the long run. It runs on Windows, Chrome,macOS, and Linux.
Advanced vector editing includes Boolean operations, intelligent shapes, vector path manipulation, and object sterling. Image editing does have clipping, scaling, and cropping.
You can also rasterize the selection to the bitmap objects. One of the best things about that I like about Gravit Designer is that it does have a free version. Unfortunately, it only gets you 500 MBs of cloud storage. Gravit Designer Pro is available at $49 per year if you want unlimited storage.
Affinity Designer
It is under the banner of the British software company Serif. The Affinity brand comes with many tools, and Affinity Designer is one of their most popular. It works best on iOS and desktop.
This Affinity’s vector design app.It is considered a very tough competitor with the Adobe illustrator, but its format is also very compatible. In addition, the vector drawing tools are robust. These may include the 1 Million percent zoom, real-time blending, and live effects.
The software can handle thousands of objects without even slowing down your computer. You can easily toggle between the vector-only objects or vectors with the raster. The typography will play a large part in giving an artistic look. There is Affinity Photo, which is a separate app for image editing.
The windows or the Mac version for the Affinity Designer are just $49, and the iPad version will cost you much less. Affinity Design also offers its users a free trial on the desktop versions.
Pixlr
Pixlr is owned by the 123RF, whose roots are deep in the license-free stocks image content. Today Pixlr is one of the most popular free and very easy-to-use online graphic design tools. It works not only on the tablet and desktop but mobiles too.
Pixlr is used for photo editing. The dashboard is much more intuitive. It uses a very simple toggling and sliding for most image editing tools. Pixlr offers its users a large library. You can pick from the ready-made borders, stickers, icons, and decorative texts. In addition, it contains an AI tool. This helps you take the repetitive tasks like the background removal. It’s also very significant for unleashing speedy creativity.
There is still a free version of the Pixlr with fundamental image editing tools. The Pro version is around $4.90, and the premium version is $14.99 per month. You can also check the site.
Final Words
This article has described the ten best graphics and apps for graphic design. However, we do recommend you do some research from your side to get the best results.
10 Best Software and Apps for Graphic Design
This article will discuss the ten best software and apps for graphic design.
What is graphic design software?
Graphic design software is actually for creating the visual content or editing the existing ones like the photographs. One of the best graphic design software shares some of the similarities in the looks and the feel.
The very primary user interface is intuitive, and the users drag-and-drop. However, it often does have the main window and the dashboards beside, beneath, or just above it. The window is like the canvas where you see the graphics you are working on.
Graphic design uses
It is used for everything virtual and the physical, from web design to logos and ads, print flyers, billboards, and even merch like hats and shirts. In addition, some of the graphics suites have templates for general things like business cards and the pitch desks.
Others have specific templates for things which include Facebook Ads. Even the video editing needs the graphics for titles cards and the other infographics. Graphic designers can either work as independent designers, with design agencies or in-house.
But in today’s world, many people are deciding not to outsource to most graphic designers. This is probably because of all of the best graphic design tools available out there, many with quick learning curves.
Suppose you are thinking of picking up graphic design. In that case, it is delicious to know the basic kinds of graphic design tools.
Best graphic design software
Suppose you are working on designing the graphic interfaces. In that case, it will be more convenient if you use an excellent free graphic. In most cases, Adobe programs do fully deserve the leading positions; however, you will just have to pay each month. Just count the amount of money that you will be paying during a couple of years of actually using it, and you will be terrified.
If you are beginning to work with graphics design or want to save your money on such programs, the free graphics software will be the best choice for you. In this article, we will discuss the free tools for graphic design.
Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is one of the biggest names in the photo editing software. It was just launched in 1988 and still undergoes constant updates. Today, you can use Photoshop on Mac, Windows, and iPad.
Photoshop is a much raster or bitmap image editing tool. This will make it easier to zoom in and edit fine details. There are photos manipulation tools that will allow you to repair or edit the fine details. Photo manipulation tools will allow you to repair or edit digital images—most of these work just with the simple drag and drop.
Aside from being just a photo editor, Adobe Photoshop does have some basic drawing features. Otherwise, you can use Photoshop and all the other Adobe Products from the Creative Cloud, just like the Adobe Lightroom or the desktop publishing tool Adobe InDesign.
Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is another one of the enormous tools which graphic designers use. Like Photoshop, it was also the very first released in the late 80s. Since then, it has had over 20 new generations. It can also be used on Windows, Mac, or iPad.
While Photoshop was just a justraster photo editor, Adobe Illustrator uses a vector graphics. A very simple sidebar will let you choose your drawings or the painting tools. Pencil tools will let you draw them freehand.
You can also cut, reshape, move and then resize the image as well. Illustrator does have text features with a very excellent typography choice. Real-time rendering will let you preview your designs with that bit of fuss. Since this is just vector graphics, your images can be printed and scaled up with no loss of quality.
Illustrator works alongside the other Adobe desktop publishing tools just like Adobe InDesign.Adobe Illustrator will cost $20.99 per month with is an annual contract. You can also buy the Creative Cloud Bundle of the apps, including the illustrator, for just $52.23.
Canva
This graphic design software is from Australia. Canva’s free online version is popular because it is intuitive and accessible. This is an excellent tool for making social media graphics.
Canva is still best to use with most of their templates. These include essential social media posts like Instagram stories and Facebook posts. In addition, there are many other useful templates for logos, posters, and presentations.
Everything works only through the drag-and-drop functionality. You can also add the text with many fonts to choose from. Can will also offer you print services. You can get your design printed and delivered on anything from the business cards to shirts.
One of the good signs is that it can be added up to Google Chrome as a plugin. In addition, there is always a free version of the Canva. Premium versions start just at $12.84 per user per month billed annually. These plans will get you more templates and a much larger photo library.
GIMP
GIMP stands for the GNU image manipulation program. GNU is just a free collaboration project, and the GIMP is one of their free and open-source graphic editors. It first came out in 1996. Today it works on Linux, macOS, and as well on Windows.
Gimp does use raster image design tools. It is so good for image resizing, restoring, and retouching. There are free-from drawing features. There is high-fidelity colour management that is made for quality printing.
You can also select the colours which are based on the CMYK or RGB. Another excellent benefit of GIMP is its cross-platform functionality. You can export and import the images in the BWP, PNG, TIFF, GIF, and HEIF.
You can also download one of the latest versions of the GIMP just for free. Unfortunately, many people still believe that it is as good as Photoshop. One of the main issues is that there is just a bit of a longer learning curve with the GIMP.
Inkscape
Inkscape has a set of vector graphics design tools that is open-source and free. It runs on Windows,macOS, and Linux. Its source codes are usually hosted on Gitlab. With Inkscape, you can create vector objects and also manipulate them.
There are freehand drawing tools for simple paths, curves, and lines. You can skew the images, rotate and scale. You can fill in the shapes with patterns that are raster and vector.
Other raster tools include bitmap tracing. Inkscape has fundamental text tools which use installed fonts. The editing format is mainly the SVG, but you can also import the other formats. Inkscape can also be added to Google Chrome.
CorelDRAW
Corel has been around since the mid-80s. It is a software company. They were sort of the incumbent to them rising the illustrators. One of the leading graphic design software products is the CorelDRAW.
CorelDRAW can also be used to do vector graphic editing. There are a lot of essential tools for vector illustration. CorelDRAW has page layout options that are just like the templates. The Typography tools are minimal, but still, they are very striking.
The file formats compatible with the CorelDRAW are PNG, JPG, GIF, PDF, and BMP. There are some essential photo editing tools too. In addition, when you use CorelDraw, you can take advantage of the good online tutorials.
Gravit Designer
Gravit Designer is just another design software which is from the Corel. It is mainly for the vector design, but it also includes the photo and image editing tools. Gravit Designer is very professional software. The interface is still very busy, and there is a learning curve. But the results are eye-catching and will pay off in the long run. It runs on Windows, Chrome,macOS, and Linux.
Advanced vector editing includes Boolean operations, intelligent shapes, vector path manipulation, and object sterling. Image editing does have clipping, scaling, and cropping.
You can also rasterize the selection to the bitmap objects. One of the best things about that I like about Gravit Designer is that it does have a free version. Unfortunately, it only gets you 500 MBs of cloud storage. Gravit Designer Pro is available at $49 per year if you want unlimited storage.
Affinity Designer
It is under the banner of the British software company Serif. The Affinity brand comes with many tools, and Affinity Designer is one of their most popular. It works best on iOS and desktop.
This Affinity’s vector design app.It is considered a very tough competitor with the Adobe illustrator, but its format is also very compatible. In addition, the vector drawing tools are robust. These may include the 1 Million percent zoom, real-time blending, and live effects.
The software can handle thousands of objects without even slowing down your computer. You can easily toggle between the vector-only objects or vectors with the raster. The typography will play a large part in giving an artistic look. There is Affinity Photo, which is a separate app for image editing.
The windows or the Mac version for the Affinity Designer are just $49, and the iPad version will cost you much less. Affinity Design also offers its users a free trial on the desktop versions.
Pixlr
Pixlr is owned by the 123RF, whose roots are deep in the license-free stocks image content. Today Pixlr is one of the most popular free and very easy-to-use online graphic design tools. It works not only on the tablet and desktop but mobiles too.
Pixlr is used for photo editing. The dashboard is much more intuitive. It uses a very simple toggling and sliding for most image editing tools. Pixlr offers its users a large library. You can pick from the ready-made borders, stickers, icons, and decorative texts. In addition, it contains an AI tool. This helps you take the repetitive tasks like the background removal. It’s also very significant for unleashing speedy creativity.
There is still a free version of the Pixlr with fundamental image editing tools. The Pro version is around $4.90, and the premium version is $14.99 per month. You can also check the site.
Final Words
This article has described the ten best graphics and apps for graphic design. However, we do recommend you do some research from your side to get the best results.
