Vector graphics are illustrations which are digitally created images. They are also known as artboards, vectorspace or illustrator space. Vector graphics are similar to bitmap images but they are made up of shapes that can be edited. Vector graphics are most commonly used for logos, illustrations, icons, diagrams and pattern designs. Let us look at some of the best software options for vector graphics.
Vector files are not only used for making logos. Nowadays, these files are used in many areas of design. If you are looking for software to create vector graphics, here are the best programs you can use.
Adobe Illustrator
The best vector editor of them all
SPECIFICATIONS
Price model: SubscriptionSystem: macOS, Windows, iPadBest for: Professional designersTODAY’S BEST DEALSCreative Cloud PhotographyUS$9.99/mthCreative Cloud Single AppUS$20.99/mthCreative Cloud All AppsUS$52.99/mthVISIT SITEat Adobe
REASONS TO BUY
+Industry-standard vector editor+Useful AI tools
REASONS TO AVOID
-CC subscription required
If you’re serious about creating vector artwork then there’s really only one choice, and that’s Adobe Illustrator. Built for professionals, it’s simply the best vector editor you can get, and broadly speaking if you want to get ahead in graphic design then you need to know how to get the best out of it. The initial learning curve can be a little steep, especially if you’re new to creating vector artwork, but once you learn its ways, Illustrator will reward you with all the tools you’re likely to need (and plenty more besides), and plenty of advanced features for quickly tracing existing artwork so that you can edit it on-screen.
CorelDRAW
A venerable vector editor that still does the job
SPECIFICATIONS
Price model: SubscriptionSystem: macOS, WindowsBest for: All levelsTODAY’S BEST DEALSCorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2019US$198/yearLOW STOCKCorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2019 FullUS$499VISIT SITEat Corel Corporation
REASONS TO BUY
+Versions for all users+Strong set of tools
REASONS TO AVOID
-Pro version is expensiveAdvertisement
Originally launched in 1989, CorelDRAW has been in the vector game for almost as long as Adobe Illustrator, and it’s still a contender. Today it comes in three versions: there’s CorelDRAW Essentials, a basic vector editor that’s easy to learn and ideal for beginners, then there’s CorelDRAW Standard, aimed at enthusiasts and home business, and finally there’s CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, built for professionals with all the vector, typography and collaboration tools you’ll need. Both Essentials and Standard can be had for a one-off payment; with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite you can either buy the current version outright or subscribe for a year at a time.
Amadine
An impressive budget vector editor for Apple users
SPECIFICATIONS
Price model: SubscriptionSystem: macOS, iPad, iPhoneBest for: All levelsTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Excellent price+User-friendly+Impressive tools
REASONS TO AVOID
-Mac-only
For Apple users, here’s a great-value vector editor with an impressive array of features. Amadine‘s available for the Mac for $19.99/£19.99, and there’s now also an iPad/iPhone version that you can get for $9.99/£9.99, and while it doesn’t offer the full set of tools you’d find in any of our top vector editors, there’s more than enough for most designers, whether you want to use it for illustration, graphic design, interface design or just making scalable icons. Aimed both at design professionals and creative enthusiasts, it’s easy to use with a customisable UI and a decent collection of drawing and path editing tools, and it’ll export your work as JPEG, TIFF, PNG, PDF and SVG.
Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer will be an attractive and affordable alternative for many designers who don’t need the vast – and expensive – array of features offered by Adobe 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.
Specifically aimed at professional designers and how they work, this software can handle a very wide scope of design tasks, including web, branding, concept art, typography and even repeating patterns, as you might need on ceramics, wallpaper or soft furnishings.
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. Advanced color controls are provided where you can work in RGB , CMYK, Greyscale , 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.
Compatible with macOS and Windows. Affinity designer provides a graphic design app for the iPad with the same features offered on the desktop versions.
Gravit Designer
Gravit Designer is a full-featured vector design app from the company behind Corel Draw. Which is another free graphic design software that can be used to create vector-based designs. You can create logos, edit photos, and create illustrations and animations 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.
Gravit Designer online version is an HTML-based graphic design application to deliver high-quality vector graphics.
Dashboard: The dashboard is easy to navigate and allows to switch between the tabs or switch dark themes instantly easily. Users can also easily set the width and height of the document through the dashboard.
Pages: Its pages feature a perfect blend of artboards and pages that comes with its canvas settings.
Tools and Effects: It offers several tools, including the Bezigon tool, Lasso tools, and Pen tool, among others. It also allows adding multiple fills to an element.
Portability: It offers absolute cross-platform portability for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome OS to enable the designer to work from any machine efficiently.
It offers a modern user interface that is entirely customizable, engaging, and easy to use.
Gravit Designer offers an implicit way to design social media posts for various platforms, including Instagram and Facebook.
It offers natural flexibility through web and desktop versions of the software.
It supports multiple file formats for export as well as import.
It allows editing of scalable vector graphics.
Users get knife and tool support for non-destructive Boolean that makes it a potent tool for user interface design
Designers can easily open multiple documents and go to the papers on the tab.
Its Pro version offers unlimited cloud storage.
Cons:
There is not a lot of information present about the software from official resources.
A real-time collaboration feature is absent.
Designers can’t run prototypes on smartphones to find out how would they look.
Fonts need an active internet connection to work.
DesignEvo
DesignEvo is a vector based graphics software that helps website owners, YouTubers, content creators, and small businesses create compelling brand logos. Most of the functionality of this platform relies on its Image Editor and Templates.
Conclusion
After Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW is the most popular vector graphics software. Corel has been in the industry since 1986. It’s used for illustrative purposes, logos, complex graphic designs, etc. You can think of Corel Draw as a software that mimics the capabilities of professional designers/artists. Since vector shapes are calculated mathematically, vector graphics can be scaled without losing clarity. This makes vector graphics perfect for creating icons and other tiny details that need to be very small or need to be blown up to larger sizes without losing quality.