“Design is not just how it looks and feels. Design is how it works.”
Steve Jobs
We can’t talk about graphics without talking about functionality. This is what Steve Jobs wanted to say: beauty is linked to utility and form is linked to substance. If you know how to design beautiful graphics, you can lay the foundations for a user experience that is above all functional.
Precisely because of the importance that the visual aspect has over functionality, it is important to know the Graphic Design tools available today. There are many, but if you find the right one for you, you have a winning weapon for communicating your brand.
The visual aspect is an integral part of the customer experience with a brand, a product, a service and in general a company. The first impression is above all visual and there is no second chance to make a good first impression.
Once the “skin” test has been passed, another, more difficult one arrives: that of coherence. If a website is well designed, with attractive graphics that reflect the soul of the company, the customer expects to deal with the same coordinated image on multiple touch points. Brochures, business cards and flyers on the one hand, social posts, cover images and campaigns on the other: you must know how to design graphics in a coherent way for multiple channels.
To ensure a more than positive user / customer experience, you can use different Graphic Design tools: there are some that allow you to design the entire coordinated image of the brand, switching from one format to another.
There are others, however, for the more experienced, that give you carte blanche in designing a graphic, from the layout of a new website to a scrolling social post linked by a common thread. In this case, it is the user’s expertise that makes the difference.
When choosing the best Graphic Design tool, don’t forget about AI- powered features for advanced one-click editing (like removing an entire background from a foreground subject). There are even tools that are entirely AI-powered and create graphic assets for you with just a single sentence.
Finally, consider the download possibilities: the more formats you can download, the more usage opportunities you have!
Here are the best Graphic Design tools you absolutely must know!
Best online Graphics Tools for beginners
Canva
Canva.com was a true revolution for graphic design tools. In fact, it opened the doors to advanced graphic design features that until its launch were at the mercy of a few competent professional graphic designers. Canva’s great superpowers are two:
- the range of formats to work on (there are no limits: from websites to newsletters, from posts on any social media to offline material for print);
- the advanced level of design and editing functionality (including Artificial Intelligence).
Canva’s success is therefore due to just one feature of this graphic design tool: simplicity. An ease of use available to anyone who registers for free, present both on desktop and on apps for smartphones and tablets. In the paid version, however, real magic happens.
VistaCreate
It used to be called Crello, today it is VistaCreate, an online tool for professional graphics but very easy to use. This free tool allows even the less experienced to create graphics of all kinds, from social posts to logos, from flyers to YouTube thumbnails.
The user starts from a template, of which over 100,000 models are available, which he can customize in every detail (fonts, music, animations, illustrations, backgrounds, objects and other design elements), then save it in different export formats.
The free plan provides registered users with a royalty-free photo/video/vector library that increases to 70 million files with the Pro plan.
Photopea
Photopea is a web-based image and graphics editor that offers a wide range of functions similar to professional software such as Adobe Photoshop but is much easier to use. It is free, can be accessed directly from the web and allows you to create / modify graphic images of various types.
There are all the useful features for photo editing (brightness, contrast, color, curves and levels) and for photo retouching (brushes, pencils, shape tools and selection tools). It supports a wide variety of image formats, including PSD, PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG and PDF and you can easily convert images from one format to another.
Snappa
Easy-to-use, accessible online graphics tool that lets you create engaging visual content for your social media channels, blog, or website, even if you have no design experience.
Snappa’s interface is drag-and-drop, so moving elements and making changes doesn’t require any graphic design skills. Snappa offers a wide range of pre-made templates for all types of formats, and includes a built-in library of millions of high-quality images and icons that you can use for free in your projects.
The free plan gives you access to over 6,000 templates, 5 million photos and graphics but you can download 3 files per month. The PRO plan for $10 per month billed annually, however, allows unlimited downloads.
Vectr
Vectr is a Graphic Design tool that boasts a clean and minimalist interface that makes it easy to use even for beginners. It offers a wide range of drawing tools, including brushes, pencils, shape tools and selection tools. In addition, you can insert text, effects and filters.
Design elements are split into separate layers for greater flexibility and control, and the user can rely on a large library of pre-defined shapes and icons to speed up the workflow.
Here too, there is a free plan that allows you to store files in a space of 30 MB, but users have access to a limited number of items and advertising appears. With the paid plans Premium 1 and Premium 2 , however, the space increases, credits are introduced to use artificial intelligence tools and the user has access to more than 20,000 items in addition to not having the hassle of advertising.
The best online Graphics Tools for experts
Figma Design
Figma is a web-based digital tool for creating design projects in real time. It allows you to design websites, apps, wireframes, mockups and interactive prototypes by simulating the user experience. For example, you can connect the different pages of the website designed with Figma and simulate the navigation flow, so you can understand if the user experience is as smooth as you expected.
Multiple designers and developers can work on the same project at the same time, seeing changes instantly and commenting and providing feedback in real time. This makes it ideal for teams working remotely or in different locations.
Like many other graphic design tools, Figma has a free plan with enough features for many individual users and small teams. Paid plans offer additional features for more advanced users and larger teams.
Sketch
Sketch is a popular vector graphics editor for macOS (but also available online) specialized in designing user interfaces (UI) and user experience (UX) for websites and mobile applications.
Its strength lies in its advanced prototyping capabilities, which allow you to simulate the navigation flow and test the usability of the design in a realistic way. This “test-and-refine” approach allows you to identify and correct any usability problems before development, so as to give the user an optimal experience.
With Sketch’s style and library management tools, you can create and customize styles for colors, text, and effects, and organize them into reusable libraries for an efficient workflow. And you can share it all with anyone, for true teamwork.
Pixlr
Pixlr.com is a website that allows you to access a photomontage editor with very advanced features that use Artificial Intelligence. The interface is very similar to that of the most famous photo editing programs and you can work in two ways:
- by uploading an image at your disposal
- using an image created by generative AI
You can make any changes you want to the image, modify every single detail, apply special effects or take advantage of advanced retouching features.
The online editor from user-uploaded photos does not even require registration, unlike the AI image generation tool. A real easy photo editing tool available to everyone directly online.
Graphics software for PC
Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop, also known simply as Photoshop, is a proprietary software developed by Adobe specialized in image processing and photo editing. Perhaps, the most famous program for this kind of activity, due to the completeness of its features that make it, in fact, a professional Graphic Design tool.
There is little room for improvisation here: it has a rather high learning curve and for this reason it is the recommended tool for professionals, students or graphics enthusiasts looking for a complete tool.
It offers a wide range of features for photo retouching and image interventions are based on layers and masks: in this way, the changes can be subsequently modified or eliminated without altering the original image.
Illustrator
Illustrator is a “cousin” program of Photoshop, from the same parent company (Adobe) but specifically designed to work on illustrations, logos, icons and any graphics that need to be resized without losing quality. Unlike Photoshop, in fact, which is based on raster images composed of pixels, Illustrator uses vector images. This allows you to create infinitely scalable images without losing quality.
It includes tools for arranging and organizing graphic elements, such as creating layers, groupings, and alignment guides, allows you to create and apply custom effects, and offers a wide range of color management options, including using CMYK, RGB, and Pantone color models, and applying textures and patterns.
InDesign
If Photoshop reigns supreme in photo editing and Illustrator excels at vector graphics, InDesign takes the reins when it comes to shaping complex text, images and graphic elements into harmonious compositions for print and digital.
Its strength lies in its impeccable management of text : from paragraphs to titles, InDesign offers precise control over every typographical aspect, ensuring impeccable rendering on any medium.
But InDesign is not limited to text. It integrates images from Photoshop or Illustrator and manages them precisely within the layout to enrich them with graphic effects.
GIMP
GIMP is considered the free version of Photoshop. This program is installed on your PC, whether Windows or Mac, is free and is so similar to Adobe software that it seems like its mirror image.
Unlike paid Graphic Design programs, this tool is quite simple to use. If you know the most common commands for photo editing, with GIMP it is a moment to crop, crop, improve the colors and size of any graphic file and more.
GIMP, in fact, allows you to extract files in many formats, not only the most common for images, but also webp or PDF. You can open multiple files on the same workbar, thus switching from one project to another in a few clicks. A copy of the famous programs really well done.
Inkscape
Inkscape is a free and open-source cross-platform vector graphics editor, especially popular on GNU/Linux systems. It uses the SVG format as its native file format, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of software and applications.
It offers a wide range of drawing tools, including brushes, pencils, shape tools, selection tools, and tracing tools for creating precise shapes from existing images. You can add text to your images with a variety of formatting options, including font styles, sizes, colors, alignments, and text effects, as well as effects and filters.
The Inkscape community has developed a wide range of extensions that add new features to the software, such as creating barcodes, generating pattern effects, and analyzing complex paths.
A tool with a simple interface but suitable for those who already have experience with professional graphics tools.
The best AI-powered Graphics Tools
Midjourney
Midjourney is an AI software that allows you to generate images from text descriptions. Basically, you write a description of an image and Midjourney uses AI to create an image that matches your description.
This tool, among the most popular in its category, is capable of generating realistic and detailed images, which are often indistinguishable from real photographs. You can create images in a variety of styles, from realistic to painterly, abstract and even photorealistic.
You still have a lot of control over the final result because you can edit the text description, add details, and provide guidance to the AI to get the image you want.
Dall-E2
DALL-E 2 is an artificial intelligence system developed by OpenAI, capable of generating realistic and creative images from text descriptions. This is an update of the first version that presents incredible innovative features.
It uses more advanced AI models to create images that are often indistinguishable from real photographs, and can understand complex linguistic nuances and generate images that accurately match the user’s intent.
Additionally, DALL-E 2 lets you edit and refine existing images by adding elements, changing styles, or applying effects.
Jasper Art
Jasper Art, also known as Jasper AI Art, is an artificial intelligence tool integrated into the Jasper AI software that allows you to generate images from text descriptions.
Once a prompt is entered, the user can choose from a variety of art styles, such as realistic, abstract, painterly, and cartoon. The AI returns 4 images that can be refined.
This tool is paid, it provides a free trial but not a free account.
Starry AI
Starry AI is an artificial intelligence image generation tool that allows you to create images from simple text descriptions. It is available as a mobile app for iOS and Android and as a web app.
You can describe the image you want and Starry AI will use its artificial intelligence to generate it. You can provide details such as colors, style, objects and even your mood and choose the style of the image, including realistic, abstract, painterly, fantasy and even Van Gogh or Picasso style.
The generated images can be edited using a variety of tools and filters to achieve the desired result and in the end you will get a high resolution image to use on the channels of your choice.
Wombo Dream
Wombo Dream, also known as Dream by Wombo, is an artificial intelligence application for image creation that allows you to generate images from text descriptions. It is available as a mobile application for iOS and Android and as a web application.
After requesting an image with text, you can refine your search and edit the chosen photo using a variety of tools, filters and special effects to achieve the desired result.
The best Graphics Tools to create logos
Looka
Looka is an online branding and design tool that allows individuals and businesses to create professional logos, websites, business cards and other marketing materials quickly and easily, even without graphic design experience.
In particular, Looka is an excellent choice for creating logos, thanks to several features that make it accessible, fast and intuitive even for those with no design experience.
Artificial intelligence guides the user through the logo creation process to understand their needs and preferences. Based on the answers, Looka suggests ideas, icons, fonts and colors that are suitable for the user’s brand and industry. This feature makes the logo creation process easier and faster, especially for those who do not have a clear idea of what their logo should look like.
Looka offers a wide range of pre-designed logo templates to choose from, covering different styles, industries and themes. The templates are a great starting point for customizing the logo to your needs, but the user can also create a logo from scratch using Looka’s editing tools.
Tailor Brands
Tailor Brands Logo Maker is an online tool designed to create logos in a simple, fast and accessible way, even for those with no experience in graphic design. It relies on artificial intelligence and pre-defined templates to help users create a personalized logo.
The tool asks you questions about your industry, brand style, and preferences, then based on your answers, the AI suggests suitable fonts, colors, icons, and designs for your logo.
Tailor Brands Logo Maker’s interface is intuitive and easy to use, even for those new to graphic design. You can choose from a variety of pre-designed templates as a starting point for customizing your logo, but you still have the option to customize several aspects of your logo.
Placeit
Placeit is an online platform that offers a wide range of mockups, design templates and stock videos to create professional visual content for your business or personal projects. Placeit Logo Maker, in particular, is a tool that allows you to create logos quickly and easily, using artificial intelligence and pre-defined templates.
Similar to Looka and Tailor Brands, Placeit Logo Maker uses artificial intelligence to guide you through the logo creation process. You can preview your logo on different media, such as billboards and t-shirts. Once finalized, you can download it in different formats suitable for print or online use.
Squarespace Logo
Squarespace Logo is an online tool for creating a logo without any design skills. You can use Squarespace Logo to create a logo for your website or business, even if you don’t have a Squarespace account (if you do, you can download high-resolution logos for free).
The interface is intuitive and the logo creation process is quick and easy and you can customize your logo with a variety of fonts, colors and icons.
Creative Market
Creative Market is a website where you can buy and sell high-quality digital design assets. It is not a full-fledged editor but can be used to download logo-making materials such as fonts, icons, illustrations, and vectors.
However, you can find pre-made logo templates to customize with your own text and colors.
