Our main objective is to provide high-quality free graphic design software for Windows 10, including desktop publishing and vector graphics. We cover the most popular software such as Adobe PageMaker, Microsoft Publisher, and Corel Draw, but we also list the programs that you may not know about yet.
So, are you a graphic designer with a need for the most up-to-date software? Here are the best windows 10 graphic tools.
The Importance of Graphic Designing
As an entrepreneur, you can’t imagine running a successful business online without paying heed to digital marketing. Digital marketing has become a prime requisite in every business or marketer’s arsenal. And graphic design works as fuel in igniting the marketing for your company to reach out to people and capture their attention.
First Impression
A powerful first impression is a must if you want to leave an impact on your target audience. Impressive graphic design is a true demonstration of your business principles and helps in initiating a powerful first impression in the minds of your prospects and returning customers…
Brand Identity
A well-planned graphic design strategy is important for a business to establish its image and remain visually consistent throughout the marketing efforts. Using the art of graphic design will help in improving the brand identity and brand recognition of a company.
What we have learned at Shergroup is to build layer by layer our brand identity. Remember it has to be something you like as well. Not every graphic design put in front of you is going to be something you like. Good design will often jump out at you as soon as you see it so don’t be afraid to go with your gut when you see something you like.
Using our own experience, we have emerged from our heritage as Sheriffs into a Business Solutions group. To achieve this, we needed a way to show us at work in a friendly and positive way. As a result of our research and the development of our brand, the Shergroupies were born! These simple avatars have created a positive aura around the Shergroup brand, and we love them!
Communicate your Information
Whether you’re a solopreneur or multimillion-dollar company you have a brand story that you would like to share with the world. Graphic design communicates your brand story with your target audience in the form of images, reports, charts, illustrations, etc., and attracts their attention to your brand’s offerings.
Again, we recommend you are creative and bold with your graphic design. Stock library pictures can be changed using tools such as PhotoShop to create your own distinct style. Don’t be afraid to step away from what your competitors are doing, in fact, embrace the difference in your design. It will make you stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Increase Your Sales
Good graphic design will help a business to gain high visibility which in turn can lead to increased sales. Attractive visuals, effective communication of ideas, higher visibility, and enhanced credibility push traffic to your brand. Increased traffic leads to more opportunities.
Trust & Credibility
Consistency in your brand’s appearance, online and on the street, will build trust and credibility. And your brand can evolve and be added to. Refreshing your website is something you can do on a regular basis and you can reduce your reliance on printed materials which is much more cost-effective.
Put your website at the heart of your business and pour your design and content into this hub. Build your other marketing elements with a consistent relationship to your website and build up your other marketing collateral so all the elements of your brand join up.
Apple is a master of this. From their products to their stores and their online presence, the Apple brand is instantly recognizable and just plain cool. Emulate this type of design in your own way. If you can’t find the skills in your team then the answer is to outsource the problem to a solutions group like Shergroup’s digital marketing agency.
We can help create an effective visualization of your brand with options and a full suite of marketing collateral.
Crello
- 50k+ static and animated templates
- User-friendly interface
- Integrated media library of video and audio files
- Built-in drag-and-drop editor
- Features are limited for those with free accounts
Crello is free graphic design software for those willing to create unique visual content of all kinds. Don’t hesitate to use their numerous instruments for uploading extra illustrations, removing image backgrounds, resizing, adding animations, removing objects, changing fonts or colors, and more.
Luckily, Crello’s massive library of professional pre-designed templates allows creating impressive graphic materials fast and easy.
Adobe InDesign
Another software by Adobe that can be used to create designs is 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
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is design software that is centered around 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
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 desktops. Vectr provides you with an easy-to-use platform that 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 fan favorite! It’s 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 cartomizer 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
Crello
Crello is an online graphic design tool for those in need of original and impressive visual content. It allows creating customizable social media, web, print, and ad content for your personal and professional needs. With its intuitive online editor, not only does it offer a massive library of trendy templates, but it also lets you download content and create your own designs from scratch.
Everything you need to do is sign up for free, choose a template, and customize it the way you want. Instruments are many: add texts and objects, remove image backgrounds, change colors and fonts, resize images, upload illustrations, and much more. Crello offers about 10,000 animated objects to follow the latest trends in design and helps you craft high-quality visuals. Most instruments are free here; for the unlimited downloads and some extra features, you can upgrade to a Pro plan for a token payment.
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 drops concept, where you only need to select the elements and drag them 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 on 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 understanding how to use this software. This software is best used to create images that are vector-based and need 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 the 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
Blender
- 3D modelling, visual effects, Sculpting & Animations
- Skin Modifier
- Camera & Object Motion Tracking
- Allows Masking
- Need Enough Knowledge to Draw Curves
- Cluttered Menus
Blender is another open-source 3D graphic designing software with a vast range of toolsets that also offers a free version. You can use this software to create visual effects, 3D models, interactive 3D apps & animations. The list of features of Blender includes rendering, high-end production path tracer, video editing, phyton scripting, simulation, modeling, and much more.
Krita
- Customizable User Interface
- Drawing Aid for Your Assistance
- Selection Mask Tool
- Resource Manager
Krita is a commendable free & open-source graphic designing software that provides professional visual designing tools to professional graphic designers. Krita supports all operating systems including Windows, Linux & macOS.
In short, this free graphic designing software is best for designing conceptual art, textures, illustrations & comics. It provides a customizable and interactive user interface for the ease of users. The resource manager helps to import brushes and textures to extend the tools list on Krita.
Inkscape
- Creates Praiseworthy Vector Art
- Best Free & Open Source Graphic Designing Software
- Cross-Platform with helpful Community
- Accessible to Use Graphic Designing Software
- Slow Responding Software
- Control System can be Improved
Inkscape is one of the best free graphic design software because of its exceptional features and tools. It provides a useful mechanism for designing vector imagery and helps illustrator designers to develop attractive designs and themes effectively. Inkscape provides flexible drawing tools with broad file format compatibility.
Moreover, there are a lot of features of Inkscape to draw and manipulate models using shape tools, pencil tools, transformations, and many other tools.
SketchUp
- 2D Modeling
- 3D Modeling
- Quick Customer Support Service
- Ease of Use
- Limited Storage for Free Services
- Does Not Support iOS & Android
SketchUp is also considered one of the best graphic designing software, and it provides free services for personal use. For professional use & extraordinary features, its starting price is 119$ per year. SketchUp offers a platform for beginners to create & design 2D and 3D designs easily. The main features of SketchUp include textures, 3D models, lighting effects, 2D models, layer managers, animations, and much more. It provides 10GB of cloud storage for free users.
Gimp
- Supports Linux, Windows, macOS & Sun OpenSolaris
- Digital Retouching
- Wide Range of Plugins
- Supports all file formats
- Does Not Support Photoshop Plugins
Gimp is a well-known free graphic design software that is free & open-source for users. The remarkable features of Gimp allow the users to edit raster images quickly & effectively. Designers can also create artworks from scratch. You can also experience advanced features of Gimp, i.e. curves, layer masks, animation package, etc.
It provides a customizable interface for a better user experience. Photo enhancement tool helps a lot to edit images by fixing perspective distortion, etc. On the contrary, if you want to see how GIMP compares to Photoshop, read this in-depth GIMP vs. Photoshop comparison by Anne Mirror.
Adobe Spark
- Adobe Product Integrations
- Easy to Use Interface
- A Huge Range of Templates is available
- Posters and Videos can be created easily
- Limited Feature Set
Adobe Spark is one of the most popular graphic designing software which provides free design features and tools to the users. This fantastic graphic designing software lets you design attractive graphics for websites and social media in minutes. Though it is not a complete alternative to Adobe Illustrator it could be beneficial for beginners. However, if you are still interested in features that Adobe Illustrator offers but don’t want to pay for its subscription then install and test one of Adobe Illustrator alternatives that are cheaper or even free.
You can also create video stories easily by using templates provided by Adobe Spark. Adobe Spark is the best software for newbies because it allows you to use templates and learn the basics of designing.
DesignWizard
- Easy to Create Customized Templates
- Large Database of Images
- 10,000 Free Templates
- User-friendly Interface
- Efficient & Effective for Designing
- Limited Options in Free Services
With a 1.2 million image database, DesignWizard is also a free platform for graphic designing. Users can find 17,000 plus templates on DesignWizard from which freebies could access 10,000. In addition, beginners can also find curated designs to get inspiration for designing attractive and elegant designs. Free services of DesignWizard allow you to resize the designs and create custom color palettes. Moreover, you can upload your fonts, pictures & logos on DesignWizard.
In the same token, this platform gives you the option to personalize your content by creating a folder for your favorites. Font Library & a massive amount of images are available on DesignWizard for the use of designers.
Paint 3D
- Realistic Textures
- 3D Doodle Tool is available
- Create 2D cutouts
- Simple to Use Application
- No Support for Multiple Layers
Paint 3D is a newer version of Microsoft Paint which is introduced with Windows 10. As evident from the name, it allows you to design 3D designs by using practical tools and features of Paint 3D. In addition, you can create and enhance 2D and 3D models easily without spending a lot of time learning this application. This application of Microsoft Windows can be considered as an excellent start to move towards the profession of graphic designing.
Snapseed
- User-friendly Application
- Edit RAW files
- Easy to use Finger Swipe Sliders
- Advertisement Free
- Slight Learning Process is needed
Snapseed is another photo editing application and is considered one of the best photo editing applications. Graphic designers can use this free and open-source application to edit images for better use. This software can also be used by photographers to get exceptional photo editing results. The application offers 29 tools and filters for picture & makeup editing. Additionally, there is a double exposure tool to blend two images together as well
Conclusion
Graphic Design is the art of visual communication, and it deals with the process of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with the goal of conveying a message to the viewer. So many tools are available for diverse purposes.
So, when it comes to choosing a tool you can’t be ignorant about how much work you will do with that tool.