6 BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN SOFTWARE (2020)
- sulfyjeena
- Apr 7, 2020
- 4 min read
Adobe Photoshop is synonymous with photo editing for graphic designers. It is one of the most popular photo editing software tools in the market in a robust package that offers excellent graphic design capabilities.
PROS:
It offers a complimentary mobile application
Its slick user interface offers a lot of assistance for easy use
Got a rich set of typography and drawing tools
Comes loaded with 3D design capabilities
Offer synced library and a plethora of photos on Creative Cloud
Efficient file transfer between different programs
Multiple design tools come with responsive graphics
Ability to edit animation and video layers
Users can define the size of the canvas, create custom brushes, work in 3D, isolate elements from backgrounds, among others.
CONS:
Adobe now offers Photoshop along with the subscription of Creative Cloud. The recurring payment turns out to be more costly, and people who want to buy software forever don’t have the option to buy a perpetual license
A plethora of features might overwhelm a new user
Offers lessor support for raster and vector images like SVG files
2. Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign is a must-have software tool if you are in the business of publishing. It offers excellent capabilities to design stunning magazines, info sheets, and brochures while easily exporting them to PDF or HTML.
PROS:
Graphic designers can efficiently combine graphics and texts for easier streamlining and optimizations of files.
It allows users to add tags to indexes, keywords, anchor text frames, footnotes, table of contents, and captions with hyperlinks.
It supports HTML exporting that enables web developers to export clean and simple codes during the implementation of the website’s layout designs. This works great for WordPress sites.
It can help you eliminate redundant div tags in HTML files along with insignificant content grouping.
Has the capability of resizing multiple objects and change the width and height at the same time.
Designers can leverage its Eyedropper tool to apply position or size instantly to another object within the document.
It is an industry-standard for desktop publishing.
CONS:
The less intuitive user interface can make things overwhelming for new users.
Not positioned for general users. Suitable for enterprise use only.
Relatively expensive than other similar software available in the market.
PDF comment integration needs perfection
CorelDraw Graphics Suite packs some pro-level features and offers a highly accessible interface that is easy to use. It is a bundle of multiple applications that deliver powerful editing features.
PROS:
It offers app-wide workflow and under-the-hood innovation and performance enhancements to boost productivity
Works perfectly without any lag with Surface Pen
Users get the option to choose GPU acceleration over the default CPU while working with system-intensive sophisticated vector graphics
Smooth transition from desktop to tablet mode to leverage touch features
It offers better EPS and third-party PDF importing capabilities and leverages with their GPL Ghostscript feature
It is capable of exporting files in up to 48 file types, including AutoCAD, JPG, PNG, SVG, AutoCAD, JPG, and TIFF. It can also open 35 file types, including EPS, HTML, AutoCAD, PDF, PowerPoint, SVG, and even old FreeHand files
CONS:
Unlike Adobe, there are no complimentary mobile applications offered by Corel
Two many payment options might confuse the user
Not easy to operate for beginners
Inkscape is a capable free graphic design software that can help designers create scalable graphic designs that won’t stretch or blur during resizing. It’s a user-friendly option for hobbyists or beginners interested in vector drawing.
PROS:
Users can easily make individual text lines without frames along with the paragraph type.
It supports multiple gradients and comes with a separate tool to create complex combinations.
It comes equipped with Bezier handles to ensure more effortless movement of nodes.
Inkscape offers several well-designed and full-featured tools to create, edit, and convert vectors.
It is also capable of downloading or creating ready-made plugins.
Users can leverage different preset categories of filters to save time and effort.
CONS:
Inkscapes’ streaming text needs to be converted into plain text, for instance, before export.
The Mac version is not error-free.
Processing is a bit slower than other graphics software.
Compatibility with Illustrator is not bulletproof.
The sketch is a vector-based graphic design tool that is best suited for app, web, and interface design. It is best suited for creating interactive prototypes for UI/UX purposes.
PROS:
It allows easy sharing and collaboration through the cloud. Designers can share the entire interface in the cloud through a simple file sharing process
Users can mirror designs on larger devices for team viewing to identify how the design would exactly look in a particular device
Users can export any layer or group as a PNG file
Sketch autosaves all the changes in the design step by step to avoid any loss of design. Significant relief for designers, indeed!
Users can leverage libraries with standard Android icons, iOS icons, and Mac icons
It requires a low learning curve
CONS:
Being a new design tool, it is not entirely polished and requires a lot of enhancement
It offers limited illustration capabilities that can hamper intricate illustration work
Screens don’t render in high resolution while accessing from the cloud
Available only for Mac users
Absence of automatic layout flowing option
Adobe Illustrator is more than just a graphic design tool that is perfect for illustrative artwork, page layouts, corporate logos, website mockups, and almost anything else as per the requirement. Moreover, it’s an industry benchmark in vector creation tools.
PROS:
Instead of stored pixels, it generates graphics based on mathematical equations to ensure crisp and sharp lines that you can print in any dimension
It creates graphics files in relatively small sizes so that designers can share them easily through a simple email attachment
You get access to over 90 million images, graphics, templates, and videos from Adobe Stock
Use Adobe font integration to select thousands of fonts and implement the most suitable font for the project
Tight integration with other Adobe products
CONS:
It is costlier in comparison to other vector-based graphic design tools
So many features can look a bit overwhelming for new users. It requires a steep learning curve to use it efficiently
It could eat up a lot of space on your machine
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