A graphic designer creates online images, or graphics, for web pages, promotional materials or other creative projects. They often work with a variety of tools to brainstorm, create, edit and share their work with clients or team members. Here are some of the tools that graphic designers used.
Adobe Photoshop – It is a popular favorite with graphic designers for a reason — its array of image editing tools supports the beginner to the pro with a user-friendly interface and a plethora of well-written tutorials.
Canva – is an all-around solution for creating a variety of projects, such as infographics, web design, or T-shirts. It uses an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that is easy to use for individuals with no previous experience in graphic design.
CorelDRAW – is more than just an image editing software — it offers precise design, advanced illustration capabilities, and easy-to-use collaboration tools. Unlike many competitors, CorelDRAW offers both subscription-based and up-front pricing.
Adobe InDesign – is Adobe’s answer to a standalone desktop publishing program. While you can use it with other Adobe programs, it speaks a different language that some may find hard to use. It’s best suited for image-heavy posters, presentations, and documents. You can create a house style on the fly, making it an excellent timesaver.
Adobe Illustrator – It sets the standard for professionally designed logos, artwork, infographics, and icons. Illustrator is also constantly developing new features for users; with their new Generative Recolor tool, for example, customers can use the power of AI to explore limitless color palettes and themes.
Affinity Designer – is an excellent choice for personal projects or novice graphic designers due to its intuitive user interface. It’s a worthy competitor to Adobe Illustrator, with a similar suite of design tools and user-friendly features like custom keyboard shortcuts that save time and effort. It’s a good fit for designers who want a budget-friendly tool that doesn’t sacrifice functionality.
Procreate – is a graphic design software that bills itself as a complete art studio, made exclusively for iPad and Apple Pencil support. With a one-time purchase of $12.99, customers can dive into 3-D painting, use state-of-the-art brush control, and import and export PDFs.
Figma – offers a lot of features for free graphic design software. One of the most impressive is the unlimited cloud storage that comes with the free version. Its strength is with vector graphics, with an impressive range of tools — on-canvas commenting, prototyping, and advanced animation capabilities.
Sketch – is a Mac-only vector editing software that does an excellent job of managing your workflow with a customizable interface that uses your plugins. It’s a bare-bones photo editor that snubs Microsoft with its Mac-only use — which can be a deal-breaker for some.
Vista Create – is a great, free graphic design tool that you can use for either business or personal projects. Perfect for users that are in need of social media graphics, Vista Create offers a wide array of templates, the ability to schedule posts on popular social media channels, and a built-in brand kit to host colors, fonts, and logos.
Vectr– is another free tool that you can use online or in one of several desktop options. Its focus is vector graphics and typography, as the name suggests.
Krita – is an open-source digital art software that works with a variety of media, including animation, BMP files, and 2D drawing. It’s a powerful, free tool.
Inkscape – offers an open-source vector graphics tool that packs a lot of functionality into a free program. The trick is learning it since the UI isn’t as intuitive as it is in paid programs.
Affinity Photo – is a value-priced alternative to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator for touch-up jobs on existing images. It works with layers and filters to create stunning effects, with both vector and raster images. The software also supports the SVG file format like CorelDRAW.
Pixlr– is an image editing web app you can use in your browser for desktop work or in mobile apps supported both by iOS and Android platforms. It’s a basic program that is perfect for the essential editing tools, without all the bells and whistles — and learning curves — of more sophisticated offerings.
