Social Media Template: Adobe Express
Free templates and tools.
Adobe Firefly AI integration.
It's free with just 25 AI points.
Adobe Express is an all-in-one web-based graphic design application with a wide range of image and video tools for a variety of projects. There are many templates available that allow you to quickly jump in and start creating image or video posts for social media or other online platforms. Many are designed to help you create traditional PDF files and posters.
The user interface is simple and most of the main features are free. Adobe Firefly is Adobe's AI tool that can generate images within the app or edit existing images with text prompts, but prompts are limited to 25 credits per month for free users. Each AI task requires credit hours. Premium membership for $9.95 per month unlocks 250 credits, AI video editing tools, and access to stock images.
Casual Graphic Design: Canva
Lots of free templates.
Artificial intelligence tools for editing images and writing text.
The number of features can feel overwhelming.
Canva launched in 2013 as one of the first web-based graphic design platforms and has since expanded its offerings to include more templates for a wider range of formats, stock photos, video editing tools, and even AI-powered image editing and text writing.
As always, Canva is a great choice for designing PDFs, business cards, and posters, but now it's also a solid choice for creating more ambitious design projects of all sizes.
Free image editing for beginners: Paint.NET
Has all the basic image editing tools.
Completely free to download and use.
Lacks the higher-end features of Adobe and Affinity apps.
Paint.NET is a free image editing application for Windows that comes with all the tools you need for some basic photo editing or graphics creation. In Paint.NET, you can adjust levels, install custom brushes, and select areas with the magic wand. Layers, cropping and resizing are also supported. It's basically Adobe Photoshop from the early 2000s, but it's free and constantly updated with bug fixes and improvements.
This is different from the Paint program that comes with Windows.
But Paint.NET isn't for everyone. If you are a professional graphic designer or photographer who needs to manage large amounts of files and needs more advanced features, you may be better off using Adobe or Affinity apps. However, for beginners and casual use, Paint.NET is ideal.
The largest meme resource: ImgFlip
Easily accessible in any web browser on any device.
Featuring all the popular memes.
There is a monthly fee of $9.95 to remove the watermark.
When you need to keep up with viral meme trends for your design projects, there are few places more reliable than ImgFlip. View, download and edit popular meme images with just a few clicks, while built-in text tools let you insert messages without switching apps.
There is a monthly fee of $9.95 to remove the watermark from any meme you create.
Best Free AI Image Creator: Microsoft Copilot
Totally free to use.
Easy access to GPT-4 and DALL-E 3 AI technology.
Saving AI images on mobile devices can be cumbersome.
There are many artificial intelligence image creation tools on the market, but Microsoft's Copilot (formerly Bing AI) is by far one of the best. You can also access Copilot in the official Bing smartphone app.
High-quality images can be created in seconds after entering a prompt, and some AI-powered edits and filters can be applied after the fact.
Professional stylus drawing: Autodesk SketchBook
The entire application is completely free.
Designed with the needs of stylus users in mind.
The user interface is a bit confusing for first-time users.
For those who are looking for a great drawing application, Autodesk SketchBook is hard to beat. The app used to be a paid app but became completely free with numerous features and tools unlocked. You really can't find a better drawing app than this one.
SketchBook supports touch, mouse, and stylus drawing, and there are plenty of brushes, inks, rulers, and more to help you create the digital art you envision.
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The Mac version is called Sketchbook Pro, but there is no free version.
07/17Interactive Graphic Design: Genily
Tons of high-quality charts and chart styles.
It's very easy to customize each template.
Exporting projects as files requires a monthly fee.
Genially is the best software for graphic design projects that require professional-looking graphs, charts, maps, and interactive games. The web-based interface features a vast library of free templates, each of which is fully customizable, from fonts and colors to the images and data behind each chart.
You can upload images, but Genially also has a built-in library to browse, as well as a selection of high-quality animated GIFs for when you want to spice up your presentations. All projects made with a free account can be shared online via a unique URL, but if you want to export your work as images, movies, or code for offline viewing, you'll need to pay around $20 per month for a Pro membership.
Test Tattoo Design: InkHunter
A large library of tattoo art for experimentation.
The AR feature works great.
Tattoos cannot be rotated in AR mode.
InkHunter is a free app for iOS and Android devices that lets you preview your own or someone else's tattoo designs through augmented reality. You can choose a tattoo from the app's large design library, create a custom text tattoo, or create your own tattoo by uploading an image.
While InkHunter lacks the ability to draw or paint tattoos, it does have conversion tools that can remove color and enhance outlines in an image. This allows you to turn any image into a tattoo design, although the results will vary depending on the image used.
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09/17The Easiest AI Logo Creator: Looka
It's very easy and fast to use.
High quality logos in various formats.
Logos are not free.
Looka is an AI-powered logo creation tool that lets you create and customize a professional-grade logo for your brand in minutes using just a web browser. Once you select your industry and aesthetic, Looka will generate a number of high-quality logos that can be further customized to your specific tastes.
Unfortunately, Looka's logo is not free, but can be purchased as a one-time purchase for about $65. There are a variety of file sizes and formats to choose from.
Best vector app for collaboration: Vectr
All basic features are free.
Works entirely within a web browser.
Others don't need to install any software to view your work.
Free account limit is 30MB.
The free version occasionally has ads.
Vectr is a powerful image editor dedicated to creating and editing vector images. The entire service is web-based and runs in most major web browsers, so you don't need to download an app to use its features. This network-centric approach also supports Vectr's collaboration feature, which lets you share your workspace with others so they can watch your progress in real time. Some basic AI image editing tools are also available.
Vectr is free, but a premium monthly fee is required to unlock all elements and remove ads. The $3.99 premium subscription also unlocks 1GB of space and 50 AI credits, while the $5.99 premium package unlocks 3GB and grants 120 AI credits.
Best app for color palette inspiration: Palette Cam
Totally free to use.
High quality stock photography.
Easily export color codes.
There is no zoom function.
Applies to iPhone only.
Palette Cam is a free, lightweight app for selecting color codes, creating color palettes and finding artistic inspiration. The user interface is easy to use, just click on different parts of the image to save appropriate color details. Multiple colors can be selected for each image, and each palette can be saved with the image for easy access later or sharing on social media.
The app allows you to take photos or upload images from your device, although Palette Cam's main appeal is its vast library of high-quality and diverse stock photos, which are perfect for those times when you're short on creativity.
Best collaboration and presentation app: Microsoft Whiteboard
Totally free to use.
Easy to use for non-technical people.
Numerous templates for different projects.
These templates can be intimidating to new users.
Microsoft Whiteboard is one of the best applications for brainstorming and communicating with team members and clients. The app lets you quickly sketch out design concepts in meetings. You can also import image files for more detailed presentations if needed.
The main appeal of Microsoft Whiteboard is its focus on collaboration. All changes made to the digital board are uploaded to the cloud and synced to other devices in real time, meaning you and your clients or colleagues can use it to visualize ideas while talking on the phone or via chat services like Zoom.
The official app is available on Windows, iOS and Android devices. A web app is also available, which can be accessed in a browser on any device.
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13 out of 17Industry-standard graphic design tool: Adobe Creative Cloud
All the tools you need to design your project.
Supported by most industries.
Recurring monthly subscriptions are a pain.
It's impossible to talk about graphic design applications without mentioning Adobe's suite of products. Most design professionals have probably used at least a few Adobe applications, and many clients and companies require their use. The main four Adobe applications are Photoshop for creating and editing images, Illustrator for vector graphics, Lightroom for organizing photos, and InDesign for creating print media, although there are several others used by many people. kind of niche service.
Access these apps with a monthly Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for $59.99 (usually discounted to $35.99). However, individual apps are also available through separate app-specific subscriptions, with prices ranging from $4.99 to $19.99 per month.
Best Subscription-Free Photoshop Alternative: Affinity Photo 2
No subscription required.
Comparable to Photoshop in functionality.
There are not as many plug-ins as Photoshop.
Lack of AI tools.
Affinity Photo 2 is undoubtedly the best alternative to Photoshop. Affinity Photo 2 has all the major features found in Photoshop and can be used for any graphic design project you normally work with. It also supports import and export of Photoshop PSD file format, so you won’t have any problem using it when working with loyal Photoshop users.
Affinity Photo 2 lacks some of Photoshop's new features, such as one-click object selection and AI asset generation. However, if you don't need these tools and want to avoid an ongoing Adobe subscription, Affinity Photo 2 is a smart choice.
Available for iPad, Mac and Windows.
15 out of 17Best Subscription-Free InDesign Alternative: Affinity Publisher 2
Runs faster than InDesign on slower computers.
No subscription required.
Lack of support for InDesign INDD files.
Lack of visibility at industry level.
Affinity Publisher 2 is arguably the best software for graphic designers looking for something like Adobe InDesign that doesn't require a monthly subscription. Publisher 2 has all the major features in InDesign for creating magazines, books, and marketing materials. It also tends to load and run faster than InDesign.
However, unlike Affinity Photo 2, which works seamlessly with Photoshop, Affinity Publisher 2 does not support InDesign INDD files, which can make it difficult to collaborate with large clients who use InDesign. However, for smaller teams and freelancers, Publisher 2 is worth considering.
Available for iPad, Mac and Windows.
Best subscription-free Illustrator alternative: Affinity Designer 2
No subscription required to purchase.
Lots of file export options.
Files cannot be saved in common AI formats.
When it comes to vector creation software, Affinity Designer 2 is a strong competitor to Adobe Illustrator. Designer 2 matches nearly all of Illustrator's features, is less intimidating, and requires fewer system resources.
The main drawback of Affinity Designer 2 is that it cannot save projects in Adobe Illustrator's AI file format, which is very common in the graphic design industry. The finished file can be exported as PNG and many other file types, though, so this will only be an issue if you're working with someone who needs AI files.
Available for iPad, Mac and Windows.
17 out of 17The best tool for royalty-free stock photos: Unsplash
Over 3 million royalty-free photos.
There are many varieties and styles to choose from.
The search function is hit and miss.
If you're working on a graphic design project, you'll probably need high-quality stock photography, and Unsplash can't be beat. Unsplash is completely free, web-based, and has a library of over 3 million photos taken by professional photographers. All photos are royalty-free, which means you don't have to pay or ask permission to use them. Available in a variety of resolutions.
