Discover the best mobile apps for graphic design in 2021 with our ultimate guide, featuring the top 10 must-have tools for designers on the go.
Introduction
Graphic design software is a crucial tool for creating visual content and artwork to convey messages and ideas. Whether it’s creating logos, illustrations, or digital art, graphic design software provides users with the necessary tools to bring their creative visions to life.
Best overall
When it comes to the best overall graphic design software, Adobe Photoshop stands out as the industry standard. Packed with powerful and professional tools, Photoshop offers a wide range of features for photo editing, graphic design, and composition. Its extensive toolset makes it a go-to choice for professionals and beginners alike.
Best subscription-free
For those looking for subscription-free graphic design software, Serif Affinity Designer 2 is a top choice. This vector-based graphic design software for Mac and Windows offers a powerful array of tools for both vector and raster-based design. With features like Shape Builder and Warp tools, Affinity Designer 2 provides value-for-money without the need for a subscription.
Best free
Canva is an ideal solution for those seeking free graphic design software. With its easy-to-use interface and drag-and-drop functionality, Canva allows users to create professional-looking graphics, promote brands, and enhance online presence. It’s a popular choice for both designers and non-designers.
Best for illustrators
Adobe Illustrator is a stable and feature-packed vector graphics editor, making it the best choice for illustrators. With its range of small improvements and AI integration, Illustrator offers a robust platform for graphic design work at all levels.
Best for beginners
CorelDRAW, part of the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, is an excellent choice for beginners. It offers a user-friendly interface and a range of tools for vector drawing, photo manipulation, and desktop publishing. CorelDRAW is suitable for creating projects with multi-page layouts and is available for both Windows and Mac users.
Best online vector editor
Corel Vector, previously known as Gravit Designer Pro, has transitioned to a fully online platform. This cloud-based vector editor offers the flexibility of working from any browser and provides automatic saving to both online and local storage. It’s a convenient option for vector illustration work.
Best free Illustrator alternative
Inkscape is a noteworthy free alternative to Adobe Illustrator, offering broad file support, extensive text manipulation, and curve types. While it may be slower at times, Inkscape is a viable option for those looking for a free vector design tool.
Best for UI
Sketch is a focused tool for screen design, specifically creating icons and interface elements for websites and applications. With a minimalist user experience, intuitive keyboard shortcuts, and a vast library of plugins, Sketch is a top choice for UI design.
Best for Windows
Xara Designer Pro X is a comprehensive design tool for Windows users, offering capabilities for both bitmap and vector design tasks. With access to a million archive photos, template layouts, and design elements, Xara Designer Pro X is a versatile option for graphic design on Windows.
FAQs
What is graphic design software?
Graphic design software is a tool that enables users to create and manipulate visual content for various design projects, including logos, illustrations, and digital art. These software tools provide a range of features for working with vector graphics, photo editing, and layout design.
Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe Creative Cloud is a subscription-based service that offers access to a wide range of Adobe’s professional design software. With a single subscription, users can access industry-leading tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and more. The Creative Cloud also provides cloud storage, collaboration features, and regular updates to ensure users have access to the latest features and improvements.
The CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is a comprehensive software bundle that includes various design tools for both vector graphics and photo manipulation. It offers features such as desktop publishing, RAW file handling, and font management. The latest version includes improvements like pixel-based brushes, creative templates, and enhanced search functionality for images.
Sketch is a design tool focused on screen design, particularly for creating icons and interface elements for websites and applications. It is known for its minimalist user experience, intuitive keyboard shortcuts, and a vast library of plugins. While it is exclusively available for the Apple Mac, it can be used for a variety of design tasks, with a strong emphasis on creating slick user interfaces.
Xara Designer Pro X is a comprehensive design tool that can handle both bitmap and vector graphics, making it suitable for tasks such as desktop publishing, graphic design, illustration, and photo manipulation. The software includes access to a large archive of photos and illustrations, along with template layouts and design elements for rapid prototyping and mockups.
Graphic design software refers to tools or applications that enable users to create and manipulate visual elements to convey ideas or messages. These tools can include features for working with vector graphics, photo editing, typography, and layout design, among others. Graphic design software is used by professionals and non-professionals alike for a wide range of design projects.
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Canva
Canva is an ideal solution for designers and non-designers creating branded assets – an impressively easy-to-use graphic design app that largely relies on dragging, dropping, and resizing vector graphics. The beauty of Canva is in its simple execution. Whether you’re a skilled artist or you’ve never opened Photoshop in your life, you have the tools to create incredibly professional-looking graphics to boost your online presence, promote your brand, and more. There are plenty of templates for fast creation that can be fully customized to fit your branding. Little wonder it’s become a firm favorite in marketing departments where the demand to create a lot of high-end visual content fast is a necessity. But this is as much a content marketing tool as it is a design app, and under the hood you’ll find a simple video maker (see our Canva Video review), website builder (see our Canva Website Builder review) and a PDF editor (see our Canva PDF Editor review). Each is a delight to use – so long as you temper expectations, this is graphic design streamlined, so it lacks advanced tools for precise or very complex designs. Use the left-hand sidebar to find the assets you want – from illustrations to stock photos and videos, or upload your own media. Brand-conscious organizations may want to opt for the Canva Pro subscription, which unlocks the Brand Kit, ensuring design consistency across all creations.
Canva is an ideal solution for designers and non-designers creating branded assets – an impressively easy-to-use graphic design app that largely relies on dragging, dropping, and resizing vector graphics. The beauty of Canva is in its simple execution. Whether you’re a skilled artist or you’ve never opened Photoshop in your life, you have the tools to create incredibly professional-looking graphics to boost your online presence, promote your brand, and more. There are plenty of templates for fast creation that can be fully customized to fit your branding. Little wonder it’s become a firm favorite in marketing departments where the demand to create a lot of high-end visual content fast is a necessity. But this is as much a content marketing tool as it is a design app, and under the hood you’ll find a simple video maker (see our Canva Video review), website builder (see our Canva Website Builder review) and a PDF editor (see our Canva PDF Editor review). Each is a delight to use – so long as you temper expectations, this is graphic design streamlined, so it lacks advanced tools for precise or very complex designs. Use the left-hand sidebar to find the assets you want – from illustrations to stock photos and videos, or upload your own media. Brand-conscious organizations may want to opt for the Canva Pro subscription, which unlocks the Brand Kit, ensuring design consistency across all creations.
Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer 2 is a powerful vector-based graphic design software available for both Mac and Windows users. It also includes a range of raster-type tools, making it a versatile option for designers. The latest version, 2.5, introduces features such as variable fonts, stroke width and position alteration, and the ability to create QR codes. These features add flexibility and versatility to an already impressive app, making it a potential alternative to Adobe Illustrator. The software is subscription-free, offering great value for money.
Canva is a user-friendly graphic design app suitable for both designers and non-designers. It simplifies the design process by allowing users to drag, drop, and resize vector graphics to create professional-looking assets. Canva is popular among marketing departments for its ease of use and the ability to create high-quality visual content quickly. It also offers additional features such as a video maker, website builder, and PDF editor, making it a comprehensive content marketing tool.
Adobe Illustrator is a stable and feature-packed vector graphics editor suitable for graphic design work at all levels. While the latest version doesn’t include major updates, it offers small improvements such as font identification and editing, realistic mockup creation, and online project collaboration. The software integrates AI seamlessly, providing impressive results for users. Adobe Illustrator is available through a standalone subscription or as part of the Creative Cloud All Apps package, making it a valuable tool for designers.
CorelDRAW is part of the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, offering a range of software for graphic design and photo manipulation. The latest version includes improvements such as pixel-based brushes, creative templates, streamlined fonts, and non-destructive effects workflows. The software is also available for Mac users, making it a versatile option for designers across different platforms.
Formerly known as Gravit Designer Pro, Corel Vector has transitioned to a fully online platform, allowing users to create vector illustrations from any browser. While the online version may have experienced performance issues in the past, it offers the convenience of cloud-based design and offline work capabilities. Corel Vector offers a 15-day free trial for users to explore its features and capabilities.
Inkscape is a free vector design tool with broad file support, extensive text manipulation, and curve types. It also features an extension model for easy installation of new features. While it may experience occasional performance issues, Inkscape is a viable alternative to paid graphic design software, available for Windows, Linux, and Mac users.
Sketch is a specialized tool focused on screen design, particularly for creating icons and interface elements for websites and applications. It offers a minimalist user experience, intuitive keyboard shortcuts, and a vast library of plugins. While it is exclusively available for Mac users, Sketch is a powerful UI tool for designers working on Apple platforms.
Xara Designer Pro X is a comprehensive design tool that works with both bitmaps and vectors, making it suitable for DTP, graphic design, illustration, and photo manipulation tasks. It offers access to a large archive of photos, illustrations, template layouts, and design elements, providing users with the resources to create visually compelling projects. The software is designed for Windows users, offering a wide range of design capabilities.
Graphic design software refers to tools or applications that enable users to create and manipulate visuals for various design projects. These tools can include features for working with vector graphics, photo editing, typography, and layout design. Graphic design software is essential for conveying ideas or messages visually and is used across various industries for marketing, branding, and communication purposes.
In conclusion, the best mobile apps for graphic design offer a range of powerful and convenient tools for creating stunning visuals on-the-go. With intuitive interfaces and robust features, these apps are essential for designers looking to work efficiently and produce high-quality designs from their mobile devices.