The process of visual communication and problem solving via the usage of typography, iconography, photography, and illustration is known as Graphic Design.
Graphic design is a subset of visual communication and communication designing. Graphic designers use symbols, text, and images in order to create and combine with the help of visual representation to transmit their thoughts, ideas, and messages.
Usually, many graphic designers use various typography, visual art, images, animations, and page layout methods to generate visual compositions. Some of the most common application of graphic design works while incorporates, are as follow:
- A corporate design like logos and branding
- The editorial design includes magazines, newspaper, and books
- Environmental design or wayfinding
- Advertising and web designing
- Communication design
- Product packaging and signage
In a professional environment, graphic design software programs are used as a high-end application for the in-house graphic design or for some of the freelance graphic designers.
It is very difficult to pinpoint a single application as one of the best applications for graphic design. Lots of products from Adobe and various other development companies are there for the designers.
Apart from this Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are also one of the best graphic designing software in the market due to its creative cloud trio integration.
There are some of the key features and tools which make the graphic designing hassle-free. Thus, choosing the right tool for the task can be sure to shot way to your success.
Also Read: Is Graphic Design Dead? [Statistics and Latest Trends]
7 Pro Tips To Find the right Graphic Design Software For You
Below are some of the main things which you should consider while picking any of the available graphic designing software.
Understand your Requirements
A graphic designer must have proper knowledge of all the tools and software that are appropriate for any given situation in order to satisfy the client’s requirement.
If you have a hefty knowledge about a single software then in that case its good, but it doesn’t mean that the particular tool will be able to produce the best result.
That being said, the best graphic designing software is the one that works according to your needs. Some of the specific programs are better suited for a few tasks than others. Although there are some programs which are considered as an industry-standard software but still they are not the only choices in the market.
So, in order to have the best software package for specific designing tasks, you can research the popular software that can allow you to do everything adequately.
Observe all the available options
- Adobe is yet another designing maker that is spread along with the vast range of products. Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign Photoshop, Framemaker, Dreamweaver, and many other applications.
- Quarks powerhouse is a page layout software and it uses a tool like QuarkXpress. Still, this software lost its crown after the augmentation of the adobe.
- Corel has also developed CorelDraw and PaintShop Pro X9 and many others.
- While on the other hand, serif’s PagePlus, PhotoPlus, WebPlus, and DrawPlus are some of the affordable alternatives if you are trying to avoid the traditional software.
If can read my another article if you want the best software for leaflet designing.
Your Profession
The selection of your graphic design software may also depend on the industry in which you are working. For example, if you want to develop graphics for 4D movies or animations, you can’t rely on Canva, Vectr, or SVG-edit. For that, you will have to go for Adobe Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, etc.
In my opinion, Adobe Illustrator is one of the best and most suitable software for graphic design for both professionals and beginners if you can afford its price.
I have posted another article discussing about whether the Adobe Illustrator is good for logo designing or not.
System Configurations
Although most of the popular graphic design software will work great on a computer with very little configurations. But, to get fast and amazing results, it is important to have a decent PC. But, if you do not have the one, it becomes important to find a software which can offer you enough performance to do your designing tasks efficiently. However, it is going to impact the quality of results.
In my opinion, Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Inkscape, and Sketch are some of the best software for low-end computers.
Tasks you want to perform
Each software has its different offerings for the users. So, when it comes to the graphic design, you are going to receive unique features with each software.
For example, Adobe Illustrator has a feature called Snap to Pixel which you will not get in most of the other graphic design tools.
But, when you use Canva, its drag and drop features will surely facilitate you which is its own unique feature as a graphic design software.
In the same way, you are going to have different tools with different software along with the features. So, you will have to research about all the industry leaders and then pick the right one for you.
Your Budget
To use premium services, we always have to pay the creators. The same thing applies to the graphic designing software too. So, if you want to use the top-notch software with amazing offerings, you will surely have to go for the pricing plans. However, some of them will offer you trial periods.
So, if you do not have enough money to purchase a one-time or monthly software package, you can go for free software too. Some popular free graphic designing software are Gravit designer, Vectr, Krita, Inkscape, etc.
But, when you want to dive deeper into this industry and approach top-notch projects, just go for the paid tools such as Adobe PhotoShop, Figma, Illustrator, etc.
Output Formats
If you just want to pick the right graphic design software for learning, you do not have to worry much about the formats. But, when it comes to approaching clients for designing tasks, you will have to consider software that can produce graphics in most of the popular formats.
Some of the popular file formats in the field of graphic designing are as follows.
- JPEG
- PSD
- Vector Graphics
- Raster Graphics
- SVG [Scalable Vector Graphics]
- CDR
Some other things to know about Graphic Designing Software
When we talk about the word processing program, each and every designer need a proper page layout, web designing software which may vary on their field and some of the photo editing software. Most of them also need a scalable vector graphics drawing program, while some of them use an SVG feature which is incorporated into high-end page layout software. Thus, unless and until, you are making logo design, you are good to go.
As such a logo designed in software like photoshop cannot be enlarged without losing its picture quality. If a logo is designed in a vector art program just like Illustrator, then, in that case, the design can be sized to fit on a business card, the side of the giant truck without any loss of the quality and resolution.
Common features in the Graphic Designing Software
- Drawing freehand as well as straight lines
- Entering the text and changing the style and font of the letters.
- The scaling and size of the font can be easily changed.
- Predefined shapes like squares, rectangles, and circles can be drawn easily with the help of special tools.
- Creating Brand logos, banners, leaflets, game-art, etc.
- Typography, presentations, and other business documents.
Conclusion:
Keep learning the latest graphic designing tools and get the best job in the world, and live your happy life. Graphic designing is not a rocket science, you just need to have a creative mind and it will be done.
I hope this article will help you to pick the right graphic design software for you. Make sure to share this article with others too.
Interested in knowing more information about such interesting fields? Then you need to stay tuned with us as we will surely get back to you with a brand new and interesting information that will surely increase your knowledge.