Graphic designing is simply a process of producing various types of visual art. In this regard, graphic design software free download would be a great idea for those who are totally new to graphic designing and want to learn it from the scratch. Also, almost every graphic designer must have heard about the best free graphic design software for beginners. Both of them would help you a lot in your learning process of graphic designing. And, then a bunch of other stuff that doesn’t sound very good but you will anyway
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People don’t just start graphic designing out of the blue. It takes a lot of study and hard work to become an expert. If you are curious about graphic design software free download, then you’ve come to the right place.
What makes a great social media graphic design app?
Social media posts have a very short lifecycle, so you don’t want to spend hours creating them. That’s why graphic design apps are crucial: instead of starting from scratch each time, you’ll have a range of great templates and design resources (like stock images, icons, shapes, and text styles) ready to go. Then, all you have to do is mix and match things with your own brand elements to have something unique and powerful.
And you don’t need to pay huge prices to get incredible results. What makes graphic design apps free isn’t a lack of quality. I’ve considered more than 30 free graphic design apps and found five incredible, free resources. Granted, some of these are more limited free plans of premium products, but they’re are all up to the job of creating awesome images for your social media marketing channels.
To evaluate each social media post maker, I spent a significant amount of time browsing hundreds of themes to get a feel for the quality of each one. I also created at least two test posts using the templates (with most of the favorites, even more). I generally focused on the overall ease of use and professional offerings of each app, but I also had some key criteria that each app needed to meet to be included on this list:
- Is this app easy enough for anyone to use? Tools like Photoshop and Illustrator are incredible in the right hands, and unusable in the wrong ones. Social media management is rarely done by people with a design background, so any app has to cater to regular people. This isn’t to say there won’t be some learning curve, just that it doesn’t require a textbook to climb.
- Is this app suited well for social media marketing? Again, Photoshop and Illustrator can do incredible things, but they are complete overkill for most people trying to create images for their social media marketing channels. I wanted apps that streamlined the process of creating strong graphics, not offering every tool under the sun.
- Is the app experience good? A free graphic design app has the potential to be, frankly, awful to use. But even if you’re not (yet) paying for a service, you shouldn’t be hamstrung by a slow, janky, and just unpleasant experience. Especially when there are great apps out there you could be using.
- Are the design assets varied and professional? It’s easy to find social media templates online, but many of them are awful. You can’t slap some cheesy clipart on a graphic that represents your brand, or keep recycling the same social media post design over and over. We only included apps that had assets that would allow you to represent yourself or your company in a professional light. (To be honest, this criterion cut the most apps.)
- Can you use the app in multiple ways? If you create one post for Twitter, it should be easy to repurpose it for Instagram, or even for a flyer. Similarly, you should be able to quickly edit and update last year’s Christmas sale post with this year’s info. Apps that made this list had to be multi-purpose, rather than force you into one way of working.
Adobe Spark
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
Adobe Spark is a free alternative to the company’s popular, for-pay Adobe Illustrator. While it’s not nearly as full-featured, it does support integration with other Adobe products. It’s easy to use and it comes with a host of free templates. If you’re looking to quickly create posters or videos for ad campaigns, Spark is a great choice.
The potential drawback? A limited feature set makes this a great starting point for beginners but less useful for more in-depth projects or experienced designers. The good news is that Spark is available for both web and mobile, meaning you can design anywhere, anytime.
Krita
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, Linux
Krita is a free, open-source painting program made by artists, for artists. Ongoing development of this tool depends on donations and is driven by the needs of the designer community at large. It’s no surprise, then, that Krita includes a customizable user interface, feature-rich toolset, and a comprehensive resource manager.
For businesses looking to boost their graphic design impact, Krita is a great tool — if they have the help of an experienced designer. For companies in need of simple, streamlined solutions, other software on this list offers a better fit for beginners.
Gravit
Platforms: PC, Mac, Chrome OS, Linux
Gravit is a vector design application created by the makers of Corel Draw. With a host of tools for creating vector art and a self-adjusting interface, Gravit earns its place among the best free graphic design software for Mac and Windows — the tool is also available for ChromeOS and Linux.
Worth noting? When you sign up for a free trial of Gravit you automatically get access to “Pro” features, including the ability to work offline and see version history. However, you lose these features when your trial is up unless you’re willing to pay for a subscription.
CorelDRAW
Storied graphic design software that’s had some major updates
SPECIFICATIONS
Platform: Windows, MacPayment model: One-off purchase or subscriptionTODAY’S BEST DEALSCorelDraw Graphics Suite 2021US$249/yearCorelDraw Graphics Suite 2021£299/yearVISIT SITEat Corel Corporation
REASONS TO BUY
+Feature-rich+Strong community of users
REASONS TO AVOID
-No longer the industry standard-Still expensiveAdvertisement
First launched in 1989, CorelDRAW lost some of its popularity to Adobe Illustrator but it still has legions of fans, and the 2021 version of the software introduced some major updates. Long available for Windows only, a Mac version has been available since 2019, serving to broaden the appeal of a package that now has a lot of Illustrator’s features, and at a slightly more affordable price. You have more flexibility in how you pay too since you can choose between a one-off payment or a subscription.
So why is CorelDraw lower on our list of the best graphic design software? It’s actually hard to decide which is whether CorelDRAW or Illustrator is the ‘better’ tool. Both have tons of features, but the interfaces are quite different. While fans of CorelDRAW insist that it’s easier to use than Illustrator, the fact remains that Illustrator is the industry-standard tool, and in many jobs, you’ll be expected to use it.
That said, there’s no issue with importing and exporting AI and PDF files to CorelDRAW. The main reason to choose one over the other however is because you prefer the interface and workflow. If you’ve never used either and you have the time, we’d suggest signing up for the free trial of both so you can compare them for yourself.
Creative Cloud Express
The best free graphic design app
SPECIFICATIONS
Platform: Browser and mobile appPayment model: Free and subscriptionTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Very intuitive interface+Huge library of images and assets+Free-forever plan
REASONS TO AVOID
-Occasional bugs / lag issues-Missing some shortcuts-No guides / marginsAdvertisement
Formerly Adobe Spark, Adobe Creative Cloud Express (or CC Express) is the newest addition to the Adobe family, and the brand’s attempt to compete with affordable entry-level graphic design software like Canva and Picsart. Available online and as a mobile app for both iOS and Android, it takes the basic photo/video editing tools and the Asset library from across Adobe’s suite of apps and puts them into an accessible one-stop package.
Best of all the app is free to download and free to use forever – for a limited number of basic tools. You can unlock more features if you sign up for a premium CC express account for $9.99 / £10.10 a month or $99.99 / £101.15 per year. There’s a 30-day free trial of the premium version so you can try it out before you commit.
Gravit Designer
The best free vector editor overall
SPECIFICATIONS
Platform: Browser, Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOSPayment model: Free, with subscription for pro versionTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Decent set of tools+Works with AI and Sketch files+Desktop and online
REASONS TO AVOID
-Free version has limitations
From the people behind Corel Draw, Gravit Designer is the best free graphic design software specifically for vectors. With a clean and intuitive interface, it can cope with most design jobs, from icon design and prototyping to vector illustration and animation. On the free version, you can export files as PDF, SVG or bitmap, and you access your work wherever you are via the Gravit Cloud.
You can use Gravit Designer online or download a copy to your computer. Note that you automatically start out on a free trial of Gravit Designer Pro when you sign up, and once your trial is over, you transition to the free version, but lose the Pro features – unless you pay for a subscription.
Pros
- A huge library of vector assets
- Intuitive user interface and workflow
- The browser and cross-platform versions are connected to the cloud
Cons
- It will become paid in the future
- Lack of additional functions
The developers of Gravit Designer software offer many possibilities. This is something between Inkscape and Vectr.
It has more functions than Vectr and is as intuitive as Inkscape. This program allows you to do everything that you expect from a vector software and have some tools typically available in digital asset management software for photographers.
You can create curves, edit paths, manage layers and use the knife function. It supports SVG, PDF, JPEG, SKETCH and since recently, EPS formats for import and export too. Besides, you can work on your projects on different platforms.
Gravit Cloud provides a smooth transfer of files between desktop and online versions. A portable version of this software is also available.
Among other useful functions of Gravit, there are vector assets available. The library of Gravit Designer assets includes badges, forms, emojis and illustrations that can be combined and modified for commercial and non-commercial use.
SVGator
Specialized toolset for creating vectors
1/4
Editors’ Rating (4/5)
WebUSE SVGATOR FOR FREEPros
- Intuitive feature set
- Vector-oriented tools
- Drawing options
- Detailed tutorial
Cons
- No mobile versions
SVGator is a user-friendly program for drawing SVGs. You can open a free SVG maker in any popular browser and start your creative workflow. The interface is absolutely clear and you will easily figure out how to use the provided functions to draw ideal lines and shapes with minimum effort on your part.
The highlight of the program is the possibility to create and export as many static SVG files as you need without spending a cent. Though it is simple to use, the range of features is far from entry-level. Seasoned graphic designers will surely appreciate quick node workflow, top-notch graphic tools, a high-end grid system, smart guides, and snapping options. All these functions are located on the UI for fast access.
What’s more, there is a detailed tutorial on the website describing the process of using this software to create different types of graphic design. If you are currently in a creative rut, you can examine the work of other users, to get inspired.
Inkscape
A powerful software for vector graphics. Free even for commercial use
1/4
2/4
Editors’ Rating (4.5/5)
Windows / Mac / LinuxUSE INKSCAPE FOR FREEPros
- Completely free
- Plenty of filters
- Contains new nice effect tools
- A lot of educational content
Cons
- Can be very slow in large projects
This open-source vector free graphics program is widely known as a free analog of Adobe Illustrator. The difference between them is in the fact that Inkscape uses Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) as the main format. Designers, who are familiar with vector graphics, will easily master this program. Here you can create projects of any complexity.
It is a winner in Inkscape vs Photoshop battle, if you need a program for beginning graphic designers as it provides a large number of modern tools and effects, including complex path manipulations, node editing, bitmap tracing, and path-based text.
As soon as you enter their website, Inkscape immediately shows that it’s a professional tool for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. However, there is a separate page that contains instructions and tells how to download it.
What is vector illustration?
In contrast to raster images that are created using pixels which are just small dots of color, vector images are made up of points, lines, and shapes that can be edited to precise detail, and because they’re based on mathematical equations they can be scaled indefinitely to any size. Extremely versatile, a single vector image, let’s say a logo, can be printed anywhere from the corner of an envelope to a roadside billboard – all using the same original file.
Conclusion
In the field of graphic design every minutes count. You may need to sketch something in a hurry, you may need to inspect different fonts at a glance, or you might need to create an attractive web display banner in seconds with your mouse only. Therefore, it is critical that graphic designers have the right software installed on their computer which can help them save time and increase productivity.
Graphic design software for beginners has never been easier than with the help of this graphic design software. This is a great piece of graphic design software for anyone to use. A nice little graphic design software program, it comes with all the tools one would expect from a professional graphic design software package.