What is Graphic Designing?
We all love appealing graphics, the colorful, the eye-catching, and the vibrant. If you have studied customer psychology, you will realize that graphics play a critical role in creating better engagement rates. In fact, the human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than the raw text. Plus, great visuals provide an enjoyable and informative experience.
According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), graphic designing is defined as the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content. It communicates certain ideas or messages in a visual way.
Graphics help businesses to engage customers and deliver valuable info more effortlessly than other forms of content. You can easily deliver information about projects, campaigns, events, or products among your team members.
Almost all companies use graphics in one way or the other on social media platforms, websites, email marketing, etc. They use it to sell or promote their products. Companies make creative logos and advertisements using graphic designing. Businesses like restaurants can use graphics in their restaurant menu to attract more customers.
In addition, visuals can also be used to express art. Many artists are graphic designers who use different software to create their stunning art. They further display their art in workshops or art display events.
Basics for Graphic Designing
It is crucial to be aware of the elements that make up the design. Impactful designs can be created by using elements in combinations. These graphic design elements include color, form, line, shape, size, shape, and texture.
Moreover, there are some basic principles that help in establishing a balance for the piece of design. The principles include theme, contrast, emphasis, movement, proportion, and rhythm.
A good graphic designer must understand these elements and principles to continue this journey. Having a better understanding of your goal will help you come right graphics that will assist you in developing your brand identity.
Graphic Designing Tools
Following are the 10 best graphic designing tools for the year 2021. Moreover, information like pros, cons, and pricing is also explained.
1. Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is one of the best tools for graphic designing. It is a very good option if you want a tool with simple features. Adobe Ps is an industry-standard for graphic designing.
Moreover, it is an amazing tool with fully packed features.
Pros:
- A simple interface for beginners and experts.
- Available for both desktop and mobile versions.
- Regularly updates with new features.
- Contains multiple fonts, templates, and graphics.
Cons:
- Challenging to use on a small screen like a mobile phone.
- The toolbar is less detailed.
- Takes a lot of your phone’s space.
Pricing:
- Monthly plan: US$31.49/month.
- The annual plan is paid monthly: US$20.99/month.
- Annual prepaid plan: US$239.88/year.
2. Visme
Visme is a “no tech or design skills required” content development tool that has taken the online world by storm.
These Web-based tools employ pre-designed layouts and drag-and-drop capabilities to help you to generate a variety of compelling material to drive your advertising strategy. From pictures to infographics and eBooks to movies, this tool has it all.
Pros:
- Extremely flexible with detailed analytics.
- Wide selection of fonts, icons, pictures, backdrops, and layouts to choose from.
- Users may customize their content to get the most out of it.
Cons:
- Only three projects are available for free, and they contain the Visme logo.
- It is web-based and does not support iOS, Android or desktop.
- Only suitable for small businesses.
Pricing:
- Premium accounts start at just $7 per month.
- $16 per month for the entire features.
3. Painter 2021:
Painter 2021 is from Corel Corporation. Arts and craft lovers use it for graphic designing purposes. It is mostly used for digital art and watercolor paintings.
Moreover, it includes various aesthetics such as oils, pencils, etc. Beginners may have difficulty using the app but can have a grip by practicing in creating eye-catching posters seamlessly.
Pros:
- It is easy to stimulate paintings and drawings.
- The texture looks real.
- It includes different brushes and artistic tools.
Cons:
- Do not have an initiative interface.
- It is tricky to use.
- It contains bugs.
Pricing:
- US$429 once-off
- US$16.58/month
4. Adobe Fresco:
It is for the artists who want to create graphic designs on the go. In addition, it also helps to draw and paint simultaneously. It is primarily for mac devices.
To make it work it needs to be connected with photoshop. The creative cloud desktop for windows can also use it.
Pros:
- Vector and raster brushes have a wide range.
- Best to use on portable devices.
- Accurate and natural strokes
- Has a free version
Cons:
- No option to add text.
- Does not have customizable brushes.
Pricing:
- $9.99
- The free version offers essential tools only.
5. Procreate:
Procreate is created by Savage interactive. It is a raster graphic designing software. People can create digital illustrations, sketches, and paintings.
Procreate can be used on any iOS device and is only compatible with iOS. Moreover, it is affordable software.
Pros:
- Affordable with no monthly subscription.
- Contains a wide variety of customizable brushes.
- Have great learning material.
Cons:
- Cannot add text.
- Layers are not labeled
- It is relatively slow.
- Only used in iOS devices.
Pricing:
- $9.99 in the app store.
6. Adobe Illustrator:
Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor. It is a powerful tool for creating logos, icons, and other visual content.
It is also industry standard and comes with advanced features. In addition, it is compatible with windows, macOS, and mobile devices.
Pros:
- It is an initiative design.
- It contains a friendly user interface.
- Detailed art can be created.
- Contains pasteboard freedom.
- Designs can be shared across devices.
Cons:
- It is expensive
- It takes time to understand and learn it.
- Advanced features can be challenging to use.
Pricing:
- Monthly plan: US$239.89/month
- Annual plan: US$238.89/yearly
7. Adobe InDesign:
Adobe InDesign is the most famous desktop publishing software. It is used for designing web pages, publications, and presentations. InDesign can be used with other Adobe products such as photoshop, illustrator, and after-effects.
The beginner might take some time to understand it. In addition, Procreate is compatible with macOS, windows, and desktops.
Pros:
- Produces excellent quality designs.
- Contains great sharing features.
- 100GB cloud storage.
- Access to new products and adobe fonts.
Cons:
- It does not have an automatic spell checker.
- Too many overwhelming tools and features.
- Not intuitive for some features.
- Difficult for beginners.
Pricing:
- Monthly plan: US$31.49/month
- The annual plan paid monthly: US$20.99/month
- Annual prepaid plan: US$239.88/yearly
8. Vectornator:
It comes with great features that can be used by all graphic designers. Designers from different industries such as newspapers, magazines, and advertising agencies can easily use it.
Vectornator is famous for its spotless interface which makes it easy to use. People with Windows OS need to upgrade to Mac computers to use it.
Pros:
- It provides access to all icons.
- It has royalty-free images.
- Sync projects across devices.
- Can turn any graphic design into vector design.
Cons:
- Compatible only with Apple devices.
- No tooltip for fast action.
Pricing:
- Free
9. Affinity Designer:
Affinity Designer comes with tons of powerful features. It includes three drawing tools, a color mixer, innovative brushes, and much more. The arts can be exported to formats like PDF, SVG, etc.
Moreover, it is the best choice for designers who work on different projects simultaneously. It was created by Serif and is used by designers who work in conjunction with other design software.
Pros:
- Quite affordable.
- It is compatible with all file types.
- Quick startup.
- Excellent features and tools.
Cons:
- It contains a complicated tool crossover.
- It requires some extra learning.
Pricing:
- US$24.99 once-off payment for desktop.
- US$9.99 for an iPad app.
10. Gravit Designer:
Gravit Designer is an affordable and reliable tool for illustrations, animations, and other visual content. It is enjoyed by many professionals and experts. Moreover, it is a good tool to get used to graphic designing.
In addition, its free version offers all the tools you need to become the best designer. The pro version unlocks more advanced features and a lot more storage.
Pros:
- It has access to the Google fonts library.
- Contain many canvas sizes.
- Desktop and web versions.
- It is compatible with many styluses.
Cons:
- Live collaboration features are not available.
- Fonts can be accessed only when online.
- The free version has some limitations.
Pricing:
- Free option.
- 30 day free trial for pro.
- Pro: US$39.
11. Inkscape:
Inkscape is basically a vector graphics editor which is mostly used for creating logos, diagrams, clip art, cartoons, flowcharts, and typography. It is compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Moreover, it is a little bit difficult to understand it as a beginner. The interface can be tough sometimes but with practice, anyone can have a solid grip.
Pros:
- Plugins can be created and downloaded as well.
- You can personalize the software.
- It is a very feature-rich tool.
Cons:
- It can be slow.
- Each design requires a separate page.
- Vectors can be hard to learn at first.
Pricing:
- Free.
In conclusion:
These were some of the most used and advanced graphic designing tools to be used in 2021. These designing tools can help you in improving your artistic skills. Moreover, they can also improve your business advertising and commercials. Choose what suits you the best.
