GRAPHIC DESIGN SOFTWARE FOR DESIGNERS

Whether you are an amateur graphic designer or an experienced digital artist, using the
right tools can multiply your talent exponentially. Well-built graphic design software provides
intuitive controls and flexibility that can be easily understood by a beginner but also has vastly
superior tools for an experienced user. 

The best way to know which software would suit you best is to get hands-on with the tool
and experiment with them. Each of the software is characterized by its features, ease of use,
performance, cost, and availability. Many paid graphic design software provide a free trial for
users to give them a better understanding of the product. 

 Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is arguably the most popular software for graphic design and is used
by millions of artists around the world. Whether you are looking to create banners, posters,
websites, or logos, this best graphic design software can do it all for you. From small edits to
sophisticated designs, Adobe Photoshop has tools for every level. If you are someone who
works with illustrative designs, you can even draw or paint anything you like. 

Along with image editing, you can create naturalistic artwork and composition in this
software. You can define the size of your canvas, isolate elements from backgrounds, create
custom brushes, work in 3D, do much more. 

Platform: Windows and Mac

  Sketch

Sketch is a Mac-only graphic design program that focuses mainly on digital design.
These digital designs are used to create websites, apps, and interfaces. Unlike Photoshop,
Sketch isn’t built for photo editing or print work. With Sketch, you can create a prototype by
collaborating with other designers on the platform itself. The program has a smart layout feature
in which the component will automatically resize based on the content. There are hundreds of
plugins in the software which will let you do vector editing and other design work with precision
down to the pixel. Digital icons are another thing that can be created through this software.
Sketch, on the downside, is not great for print design or illustrations.

Platform: Mac
  Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is design software that is centered on vector design. You can create
artwork, icons, posters, etc., and the designs created in Adobe Illustrator can be used in
business cards or billboards and from smartphones to 8k screens. You can use this software to
draw, mix, and refine designs to create something spectacular. Adobe has made a mobile
version called Adobe Illustrator Draw, which is one of the best graphic design apps out there. 

To draw, you can use the shaper tool and create vector shapes. Geometric shapes can
be added to other outlines and can be moved, reshaped, and scaled. Even the fonts in the
software can be manipulated according to your needs by adjusting their weight, slant, or width.
For beginners, Adobe provides professionally designed templates to save time. The user
interface of the program is helpful, but there is a steep learning curve to get good at illustrator.

Platform: Windows and Mac

  Affinity Designer

The Affinity Designer is a cheaper alternative to illustrator, which is especially suitable

for someone who is in the early stage of design career. The software is known to work
smoothly, which can improve your workflow and make you express your creativity more freely.
You can move and zoom your artwork at 60fps; see the gradients, effects, and adjustments
changing live along with the transforms and curve edits. 

Affinity Designer lets you work on both vector and raster workspaces, and you can
switch between them easily. This software can work on any device, and you can create
unlimited artboards within it. Affinity designer provides a graphic design app for the iPad with the
same features offered on the desktop versions. Advanced color controls are provided where you
can work in RGB or LAB color spaces with up to 32-bits per channel. You can find a wide range
of toolset in the program which can be used to achieve a high level of accuracy and productivity.
The grids and guides are fully customizable, where you can change the spacing, sub-divisions,
gutters, angles, etc. Another powerful feature of Affinity designer is that you get floating-point
accuracy by zooming your artwork, even by more than a million per cent.
 
Platform: Windows, iPad, and Mac
  Adobe InDesign

Software by Adobe that can be used to create designs is the Adobe InDesign. This
graphic design software is used primarily in the publishing industry because you can design
magazines, info sheets, books, posters, interactive PDFs, brochures, etc. with it. With the
‘adjust layout’ option that InDesign provides, you can change the text of your document, and the
graphic will adjust accordingly. 

The properties panel has been redesigned to give you more intuitive control over the
tools. The Sensei technology integrated into InDesign makes the automatic arrangement and
resizing of images. Beginners can quickly learn this graphic design software because it has a
low learning curve. To work with other members of your team in creating a design, you can use
Adobe InCopy. The Creative Cloud Libraries can help you share text, colors, and graphics with
other members.

Platform: Windows and Mac

  CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2019

CorelDRAW was earlier built only for Windows OS; it is now available for Mac as well.
With this graphic design program, you can create professional vector illustrations. There are
powerful design tools to help you work faster and smarter. You will find numerous customization
options, whether you are working on logos, web design, or print projects. CorelDRAW now uses
AI technology to provide you with LiveSketch, which converts sketching into precise vector
curves. The suite contains tools for graphic design as well as layout. It has Photo-Paint and
Corel Font Manager for photo editing and font management. 

The software has web graphic tools and presets to develop creative web content; you
can publish directly into your Wordpress site through it. The file compatibility is also
overwhelming; the program supports over 100 file formats. 

Platform: Windows and Mac

  Xara Designer Pro X

Xara Designer is built for both bitmaps and vectors. The program can handle desktop
publishing, graphic design, illustration, photo editing, all in one place. The graphic design
software provides you with hundreds of template layouts, design elements, and over a million
archive photos to get you started quickly. While drawing any shape, lines, or curves using
vectors, you would not face any loss in quality when you scale it up. You can create custom
design elements and use them in any of your designs. Tools like gradients, outlines, and
transparency in the software will give your artwork a special touch. 

Platform: Windows
  GIMP

GIMP is a free graphic design software that works on many platforms like Windows,
Linux, and Mac OS. GIMP is an open-source program that allows you to change its source code
and distribute the program. There are many customization programs and 3rd party plugins that
can be used in GIMP to improve your productivity and create better designs. GIMP can also be
used to retouch images, wherein you can even make creative composites. Interface
components and mockups can also be designed, along with print designs such as icons and
logos. 

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac

  Gravit Designer

This is free graphic design software that can be used to create vector-based designs.
You can create logos, edit photos, and create animations and illustrations in this program.
Gravit does not have an offline version in the free plan. The software is fully customizable
according to the user’s needs. The pro version of Gravit is paid and has more advanced
features like advanced export options, offline version, more color space, etc.

Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS

 Visme

Visme is an online design tool that goes above and beyond basic design capabilities,
without requiring you to learn any complex software. It has an easy drag-and-drop editor, which
lets both businesses and individuals create stunning and interactive visual content. There are
hundreds of templates to choose from across 40+ categories, from presentation and
infographics to press releases, reports and social media images. With a free Visme account,
you can use some of these templates, but you get full access to millions of stock photos, videos,
icons, animated graphics, fonts and graphs to customize these templates as much as you want. 
If you want to access premium templates and features like the brand kit, you need to upgrade to
a paid account. There are multiple download formats available in Visme, from image to offline
web. You can also publish your projects online and share them with a live URL. The unique
thing about Visme is you can bring your content to life with advanced animation and interactivity
features. For example, you can create a custom animated character, or add links, hover effects
and pop-ups to your designs.

Platform: Web Browser 

 Vectr

Free graphics software, Vectr can be used to create vector graphics. These vectors
created won’t lose their quality when scaled. Vectr doesn’t use pixels to create the design; it
uses mathematical equations. This free graphic design software is available both online and for
desktop. Vectr provides you with an easy to use platform which you can use to create any 2D
graphics. It can be business cards, logos, posters, brochures, etc. 

Vectr provides you with detailed guides on how to use the program, which you can use
to learn and create anything with your imagination. 

Platform: Windows, Web Browser, Linux, Mac, and Chrome OS

  Colorcinch

Colorcinch is a simple-to-use free online photo editor that is rich in features. You can
quickly and easily edit photos using the array of editing tools to adjust exposure, contrast, color,
etc, or crop and rotate images, but Colorcinch goes much further than basic image editing. It
can be used for creating all kinds of graphic design projects too. You can use their specialty
effects such as the cartoonizer to turn any photo into a cartoon with a huge variety of cartoon
styles, and they have the most extensive libraries available on the internet for filters, effects,
overlays, masks, graphics, and icons.

All of this is wrapped up in one of the most polished and efficient UI’s of any online photo
editor. Getting started on Colorcinch couldn’t be simpler - there’s no need to register with the
site, and you can simply upload your image and start editing. When it comes to exporting your
finished image, there’s a choice of export options to suit you.

Platform: Web Browser

  Canva

If you have no previous experience in designing and you are looking for something very
easy, then Canva is for you. This free online graphic design software allows you to create
designs easily and quickly. There are a ton of templates, fonts images, many of which are free
to use. Canva works on the drag and drop concept, where you only need to select the elements
and drag it to your work area and customize it. This program does not provide you with
advanced features like Photoshop. It, however, solves a beginner’s design need who doesn’t
want to get into the process of learning and purchasing premium software. Canva is available as
a graphic design app that can be used in Apple and Android devices. The basic features in
Canva are free; you will, however, be charged if you want to use more features in it. 

Platform: Web Browser, Android, iOS

  PixTeller

PixTeller is an easy to use editor tool that can be used to create graphic images
(downloadable in PNG, JPG, PDF format) and animations (downloadable in MP4, GIF format).
Anyone can use it to make images, animated gifs & videos for personal or business use, with no
technical or design knowledge. Creating graphics is a time demanding process, but with this
design tool, anyone can make personalized visuals from scratch or by customizing any pre-
made templates in minutes.

Platform: Web Browser

 Design Wizard 
 Design Wizard is an online graphic design software, the pricing of which starts at free
and increases along with the features. This graphic design software provides users with more
than a million curated images, 15000+ templates. Another interesting feature of Design Wizard
is its integration with Hubspot, Marketo, and Buffer. 

Platform: Web Browser

 Infinite Design

This graphic design app is built only for Android devices, which can be used to create
vector graphics. The app can be used to create complex and eye-catching designs without
much effort. As the name suggests, this app provides an infinite canvas where you can zoom,
pan, or rotate. There are four types of symmetry that you can experiment with, and there are
unlimited layers that you can work on. This app provides advanced features also like translate,
scale, flip, distort, etc. The image you are creating on the graphic design app can be turned into
a fully editable vector path. The advanced features in this app are accessible by purchasing it
only.

Platform: Android
  Inkscape 

Inkscape, like many other platforms, provides multi-purpose use. It can be used by
designers, illustrators, or web designers. The software has flexible drawing tools, which make it
easy for beginners to understand the software and create art without difficulty. As the text is an
integral part of graphic design, Inkscape has a powerful text tool at your disposal. This software
is open source and can be used with any platform. A designer has to spend some time to
understand how to use this software. This software is best used to create images that are
vector-based and needs to be required in SVG format. Inkscape provides a lot of filters and a
helpful community for the designer to grow.

Platform: Windows, Linux, and Mac

  Adobe Comp

Adobe Comp is a graphic design app designed to be used along with other Adobe
software like Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. Designs can be created with the use of text and
shapes. Adobe provides free fonts from Typekit library, which are the same as desktop. With
Comp, you can convert your rough designs into crisp graphics and finish the designs on your
desktop with other Adobe software.

Platform: iOS and Android

Graphic design software in the early days was hard to use. Technology has come a long
way, and software is now intuitive and helps a user express creativity more freely. Selecting the
right platform would depend on your work and what you want to achieve with the software. 

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Garg, R. (2014). Multimedia. S.K. Kataria & Sons.
Landa, R. (2019). Graphic Design Solutions (6th ed.). Cengage.

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Connor, L. (2021, February 1). The best graphic design software of 2021. 99designs.
https://99designs.com/blog/design-resources/best-graphic-design-software/.