Are you a graphic designer who’s looking to learn the best free open source software for graphic design? Or are you a beginner graphic designer who wants to know about design software in general. Then this is the right place for you.
There are so many graphic design software to pick from, and sometimes it’s difficult to choose the best one for your first computer based learning. Many people ask me about the best free and open source graphic design software and where to find them. This list will cover those questions as well as give you some valuable information to help you decide which one is the best fit for you.
Krita
Krita is a free and open source graphic design software and painting program. The tool aims to provide comprehensive support to all artists, designers, and studios to create eye-catching digital art. Using Krita, the designers can create beautiful concept art designs, matte paintings, textures, comics, and unique illustrations.
The software offers two different desktop versions; Krita Plus and Krita Next. Krita Plus supports Windows and Linux platforms, with the main focus remaining on bug fixing. On the other hand, Krita Plus is compatible with Windows, Linux, and OS X. It focuses on adding new features, which are not stable.
If you are a newbie designer, you get a supportive user manual guide and tutorial to design attractive designs and art from scratch to end.
Source: Krita
Features
- Krita provides an intuitive user interface that allows designers to shift the panels and dockers, customizing the workflow.
- Designers get the choice of selecting more than thirty dockers to get additional functionality, light, and dark color themes.
- The software provides over a hundred preloaded professional brushes and brushes stabilizers for those whose hands shake while designing.
- The best free open source graphic design software comes with built-in vector tools helping to create comic panels.
- The tool also includes nine sophisticated and customizable brush engines with extensive settings.
- Easily create patterns and textures with the wrap-around mode feature.
- The software also provides a set of productivity features that include drawing assistants, full color and layer management, PSD support, etc.
GIMP
GIMP or GNU Image Manipulation Program is a free and open source graphic designing software and popular cross-platform image editor. The free graphic design tool supports all major operating systems such as Linux or GNU, Windows, Mac, etc. Since it is an open-source solution, the software allows designers to change the source code and distribute the modifications.
The software proves incredibly helpful for graphic designers, illustrators, photographs, and even scientists. The sophisticated tools simplify the designing tasks and surge efficiency with the third-party plugins and customization options.
GIMP also becomes a crucial component of the desktop publishing workflow system, helping color management and color reproduction generate high-quality digital prints.
Source: GIMP Features
- Graphic designers, artists, and illustrators can convert and transform ordinary images into stunning and unique creations with high-end tools.
- The software provides the best-in-class graphic designing components that are highly suitable for creating beautiful icons, different design styles, interactive user interfaces, and mockups.
- GIMP has a top-rated tool for the best image manipulation. It can help you to redefine your imaginative power and restore creative composites.
- The software can easily integrate with other designing tools such as Inkscape, Scribus, etc.
- GIMP also offers extensions during integrations with various programming languages resulting in the best customization.
Inkscape
Inkscape is much like adobe illustrator and Corel Draw. It is also one of the powerful tools available free to everyone. It is also known as the counterpart of vector graphics creator adobe illustrator.
Inkscape basic and default file format is in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). Inkscape is available for Linux, Mac, and Windows operating systems.
Highlights
- Styling objects
- Supports various types of file formats
- Operation depends on the path.
- Manipulation in the object can be done effectively.
- Ease of documentation
- Flexible user interface
Synfig Studio
Available on Windows, OSX, and Linux, Synfig Studio is a 2D animation software for all creative enthusiasts to bring their designs to life. Depending upon your drawing style, you’d be able to achieve just about any kind of vibe of animation you’re aiming for.
Check one of the complex animations created with this software: https://www.youtube.com/embed/PThy9_RZQ8c?feature=oembed
You can also create something light-hearted and simple if that’s your forte. As I said, it all boils down to what you’re looking to create, and consider it a nod from Synfig Studio.
Talking about the features, it gives you complete control over your vector artwork right from importing it to exporting the finished product. You can duplicate shapes, work with over 50 layers, add filters and apply gradients.
Apart from that, you can totally take over the bone system to accurately structure your design so that their movements look the way you want them to look. This can be easily achieved by utilizing their Skeleton Distortion layer, which helps you to apply complex deformations to bitmap artwork.
You can choose from two different versions – Stable and Development. The former is the one that’s well-tested and proven, while the latter is the newer one that has experimental features and additional bug fixes. Both of them are free to download as this is open-source software.
Dia
Dia was built on a single document interface (SDI) similar to Inkscape and GIMP. It is mainly used to create electronic circuit type networks, flowcharts, etc. It is integrated with many advanced features, i.e., using this to help draw relationship models in database structures, UML, simple electrical circuits. SVG and XML file formats are supported.
Using Dia, you can export SVG, EPS, DXF, PNG, JPEG all other well-known formats.
Blender
Blender is another free and open source graphic design software that offers best-in-class tools for creating 3D animations and objects. The graphic design application supports a complete 3D pipeline that includes animation, modeling, rendering, motion tracking, stimulation, and more. You can also create 2D animations and edit videos.
If you want to customize the tool and specifically implement applications, you can use the application programming interface (API) for Python scripting. The software proves an ideal suite for small studios and individual designers who can take advantage of the responsive development process.
Blender is well compatible with popular platforms such as Windows, Linux, and macOS. The interface of the cross-platform tool uses OpenGL to provide an improved user experience.
Source: Blender
Features
- The best free and open source graphic design software is entirely developed for creating stunning animations, 3D and 2D images, and rigging.
- Blender allies you to create splendid digital sculpting, modeling curves, retopology, and eye-grabbing renders with the help of an extensive toolset.
- The VFX tool enables you to track motions, amplify camera settings, compositioning, and masking.
- Enhance the 2D and 3D designs with a 3D viewpoint and grease pencil feature.
- The software provides robust simulation tools such as MantaFlow and Bullet, and it can easily integrate with several pipelines.
- This is also a video editing tool with essential features and functionalities.
Pencil2D
Pencil2D is a drawing software; it is enabled to design hand-drawn animations using bitmap and vector graphics. It is straightforward to use, and it is integrated with a clearer interface and equipped with high-end animation tools.
So the Pencil2D drawing tool is might be the best way to know the fundamental principles of vector graphics and cartoon animation.
Skencil
Skencil is a vector drawing application. It is available in Linux/Unix/GNU-like operating systems. It enables us to create some great diagrams and illustrations and useful drawings. Skencil is built with an interpreted language, i.e., python, and it is very high-level object-oriented.
Highlights
- Ease of use.
- Gradient fills
- Write EPS files
- Blend Groups
- Transformed images and text
- Advanced rectangles and curves etc.
Font Forge
FontForge is a font editor, which supports many font formats for designers. It is lightweight and enables you to create smooth designs of your own-type, true-type, and postscript. It is free software developed by George Williams and written in C-programming language.
It uses FreeType rendering font creations on screen.
SVG-Edit
SVG-Edit can help to create vector graphics within the browser without any additional software installation on your system. It is a cross-browser javascript graphic design tool.
SVG-Edit consists of two interfaces, which include svgcanvas.js and svg-editor.js. These two components work mutually to create effective vector graphics.
Conclusion
If you are a designer or you are thinking about starting your career as a graphic designer, the first thing to learn is if you have the right tools available. Would you go to work on your first day with a wooden spoon? Probably not, so why would you do that with graphic design? You need high-quality design software in order to produce business graphics, marketing material, advertisements, logos, brochures and more.