Previously we’ve talked about the basics of graphic design. This time we’ll talk about it further about the software. It might have been known that most popular graphic design software is premium, it means that we need to pay in such a number to access it. It might be a little bit hard for a beginner to invest. Therefore, we give you some recommendations that might suit you.
We give you various software recommendations and you are free to choose which one that will be most suitable for you. Some of them aren’t popular and might be hard when trying to find the tutorials. However it is nothing to lose. Basically one to another software has similarities, it might have the difference only on its interface. You are free to experiment using them as what we will recommend are free.
Inkscape is a free and open source vector graphics editor. It is provided in the desktop version and possible to put on web extension in chrome. Inkscape has a comprehensive feature set, a simple interface, multi-lingual support, and it’s possible to customize the functionality with add-ons. What makes inkscape becomes beginner friendly is it has its community and many learning tutorials that might be found.
Houdini Apprentice is a free version of Houdini FX. This can be used for anyone to create personal projects. Using this to learn might be useful to develop skills. It is mentioned that it can only be used for personal projects or can’t be used for commercial purposes. It seems that there would be a wordmark once you render your project in certain types. It has strict rules if you want to use this, however it is worth trying as long as you pay attention to its license.
Gravit Designer is full-featured vector graphic design apps. It works on cross-platform that are Linux, MacOS, and Windows. It has the pro version, however for beginners you can use the free version through its online platform. Even if it’s online and free, it’s written on its web that it's full-featured as well. In this platform you can create vector illustrations, web and app UI, and further you can edit the image and photo using it. It looks like trying to use this as a starting point will be useful.
DesignCap is a free online graphic design software which provides simple yet powerful tools for editing. On its page mentioned that users can get the countless resources to execute their creativity. It has millions templates provided with many built in fonts, backgrounds, and shapes which would support to create design impressively. You just need to choose which template is most suitable for your needs, then you can customize the design using powerful tools provided, last you can export the design to share it online or save it on your pc.
Canva is a web-based vector graphics editor. It’s free to use, however some of the features may need a pro version to access. It has a 30-days trial once you want to try the pro version. What makes it easy to use is it has many layouts provided, there are presentations, social media graphics, resume, and more. Even if Canva doesn’t have a desktop version, it has the mobile version. You can access it anywhere easily and it’s integrated one to another platform. However, at the same time it means that Canva can’t be accessed offline, if you try to edit it while you don’t have internet access it can’t be saved.
Adobe Spark is a free media application developed by Adobe. It has mobile app and web versions. In this program you can create design from scratch or use templates provided. Before going to use this program better to read the pricing on its page. It has a starter plan category which is free and of course has some limitations. However, it is a good choice to start with.
Design wizard is an online edit software which provides many layout templates that are ready to use. However it allows users to personalize their design by uploading fonts, photos, logos, or create custom color palettes. It can create design for both social media and print. Using this web-based software you can create impressive videos as well. It is good to start with DesignWizard.
Klex mentions that it runs with the same powerful engine that runs Gravit Designer. It can be concluded that this has the same impressive technology yet simply accessible for everyone. You can create amazing projects using Klex. You can use the template layouts provided or start it with the blank one to create a personalized design.
Vecteezy mentions that it is the place where you can download free vector art, stock photos, and videos. Before you download it you might be able to customize it using Vecteezy editor. Besides you can get many resources from its community, you can create your own design from scratch. You are allowed to modify and use the resources for commercial use. However it is still important to pay attention to its License.
Vectr claims that it is a quick to learn and easy to use platform. It can be used to create vector graphics easily both on web or desktop platforms. Vectr can be used in cross-platform and it offers real time sharing. Every design has an URL, once you share its URL to your friends, they can watch you create and edit designs live. Its feature can be used both on web app and desktop versions.
This is a web-based free and open-source vector graphics editor. The SVG-Edit can be used to create and edit SVG images online. It doesn’t require additional software installation. Since it is a web-based editor, SVG-Edit compatible to be used on cross-platform.
RawTherapee claims that it’s a powerful cross-platform raw photo processing system. You can use it to develop raw files of digital cameras. The range targets of users are from beginners to professional photographers. It’s beginners friendly because it has a supportive community which is helpful and welcome. You can check its forum, read upon RawPedia and likely there is always something interesting to learn.
It’s a free photo editing software that needs to be installed in your pc. It’s possible to use Photo Pos Pro to edit photos, optimize images, give special effects, etc. In this software you can work with layers, masks, gradient and textures, and more. It might be possible to enhance photos and create stunning artworks using this free software. One of the testimonials said that it is as powerful as Photoshop yet it’s easier to navigate.
Krita is one of the best free painting programs that includes a variety of tools and features. It’s primarily designed for digital paintings and 2D animations. This can be used on cross-platform and has so many features. The minus is it might lack some post processing tools such as automatic healing. However, it’s likely that Krita is good to start with since it has a supportive community.
Pixlr provides the online photo editor that can be accessed from the browser for free. It offers a powerful AI tool to ease your work with the powerful professional results. Pixlr itself has some versions such as E, X, Desktop, Mobile, and BG. Pixlr recommends beginners to start with the Pixlr X and once have been familiar with it can try the Pixlr E to perform the more creative edits. In Pixlr you can start with the empty canvas or select one of the templates provided.
Paint.NET can be mentioned as a replacement for the Microsoft Paint that usually comes with the Windows installation. However, it mentioned that Paint.NET has grown into a powerful yet simple image and photo editor tool. It supports layers, special effects, and other useful tools. It has the online community providing helps, tutorials, and plugins. As it comes with the Windows installation it means that Paint.NET only can perform on Windows systems.
Sumo Paint is an image editor that can be accessed online. However, if you afford the pro version it might be possible that you can get the offline version and can unlock all the features for the online. It provides filters, painting tools, and image manipulation. It might be more than that since there are many features explained on its web.
GIMP refers to the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It’s an open source online image editing. No matter what’s your background it might be possible that you can use it since GIMP provides sophisticated tools. GIMP might be useful for photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring.
This SketchUp Free is a web based 3D modeling software. You can access the 3D design wherever you go as long as it has internet connection. The other beneficial thing is using this SketchUp free means that you don't need to download and install the software since it's web based. It provides Cloud storage which means that you can share your projects and collaborate with your team easily.
Daz 3D is a free software application for 3D creation and rendering. It can be used to produce both images and videos. It provides a smart content library in order to make users build custom scenes and characters easily. Daz 3D provides ready model contents such as characters, hair, creatures, vehicles, environments, and more. However it is possible if you want to modify what has been served.
Hexagon is also owned by Daz 3D since it was acquired from Eovia in 2006. It is a subdivision-type 3D modeler. Compared to Daz 3D, Hexagon can only be used to create a model and it’s with low resource overhead. In short, it’s only a strictly modeler. It can’t both animate and fully render.
Blender is a free and open source 3D creation suite. There is a fully 3D pipeline supporting. It is known that Blender is not the easiest software to learn, it might mean that it’s not beginners friendly. However, we can admit that Blender offers so many amazing tools. It has a flexible Python controlled interface which allows users to customize the interface layout, create tools and add-ons, etc.
ZBrushCoreMini offers the exciting experience of digital sculpting. It is designed for beginners of all ages. You can start with a simple sphere or a stone block then use some tools and you can create your first sculpture art. You can share your work through the iMage3D format. It may appear as a regular 2D image on any website, however it can be fully opened as 3D for other ZBrushCoreMini users. It might be possible to export your work for real-world printing.
ScultpGL lets you create sculpt 3D designs with the clay concept. Once you land on its website you are served a ball of clay which you can modify as you are sculpturing. It is possible to push, pull, grab, pinch, or otherwise manipulate a digital object. You can export its file in 3D printable formats and directly share it on portfolio sites like Sketchfab.
Paint 3D is a refresh of Microsoft Paint which provides raster graphics and 3D modeling editing. This is a free program coming with Windows 10. It allows the users to customize the 3D model from its library or create designs from scratch. It may not be the most sophisticated 3D modelling application, however it is fun enough to experiment with this program since it has a simple and friendly interface. Its simplicity makes it easy to work on creative projects. It might be possible to create a pretty design using Paint 3D with some practices and skills.
Those are the free software that we recommend to try. There are some web based programs which can be accessed easily as long as there are any internet connection at your location. The rest it might need software installation to use, however it might be possible to use the software offline. Each of them has its plus and minus, the choice is on you.
Since those are free versions, it might have many limitations, some features might not be used, and has a simple look or layout in order to ease the users with various backgrounds. However, as a starting point all of them are worth trying to sharpen skills. If those are enough, you can try upgrading your software which has more complex tools that are obviously useful.
Thanks everyone for your read. We hope that you find this article useful and see ya!
*Dn
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