Best Graphic Design Software for Beginners and Professionals (2023)

Have you been searching for the best graphic design software? Here is the post you have been looking for! In this article, we have compiled the best ones for you to choose to kickstart your graphic design career today.

Graphic design is now an important necessity in the digital era. The graphic design process involves creativity and the help of software. There are several graphic design applications that are often used by graphic designers because of their various functions. For beginners who want to learn graphic design, you can use these graphic design applications.

Graphic design software has its advantages and disadvantages, ranging from paid to free, from simple to complex, and from complete to those still needing improvement.

List of the Best Graphic Design Software for Beginners and Professionals

If you are confused about what software to use, here on Naijaknowhow, you’ll find recommendations for the best graphic design software that you can choose according to your design needs.

1. Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop often abbreviated as Photoshop is the most popular software and is often used by graphic designers and photographers. Photoshop is also an easy-to-use application for beginners. There are many Photoshop guides on YouTube that you can find. In fact, there are lots of websites online that would help you get started with Photoshop.

Usually, Photoshop is used by photographers to edit the photos they take to make them look more attractive. While graphic designers use Photoshop to create banners, posters and logos. In addition, Photoshop can also be used to design websites, smartphone applications, illustrations, 3D artwork, paintings and more!

2. Corel Draw

Corel Draw graphic design software is also popular among graphic designers and web designers because of its excellence in vector design. This application is also easy to use because it is based on vectors or lines, so you can freely draw by using a pencil on paper.

Many Corel Draw users are creative in making visual works such as logos, posters, banners, and even wedding invitations, I can go on and on! Learning Corel Draw is not that difficult. You can easily find tutorials on using Corel Draw in books and on the internet.

3. Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator can be likened to a combination of Corel Draw and Photoshop because its features are almost the same and capable of producing high resolutions. Adobe Illustrator can be used to create simple to complex designs, and the results can also be exported into various formats.

You can use Adobe Illustrator to create logos, maps, illustration images, infographics, packaging designs and many more. The presence of plugins in this software is very helpful in making web pages or landing pages more attractive. The advantages of Adobe Illustrator are comparable to the price which is quite expensive.

4. Adobe InDesign

If you are looking for the best application for creating layouts, then Adobe InDesign is the answer. This graphic design software is often used by print media such as magazines, newspapers, or tabloids. InDesign has Photoshop-like effects including shadow, bevel, glow, and more. In addition, InDesign can import files in the formats PDF, AI, PSD, JPG, and DOC / DOCX.

You can also use InDesign to modify photos, videos, and web or application design and development, as it is supported by Behance and Typekit features. However, the tools provided by InDesign are lacking and its use for editing images is limited. We recommend that you create design details in other software and then create a layout in InDesign.

5. GIMP

GIMP is a graphic design application for PC that is free. This is because it is still open source and can still be developed by anyone. Even though it’s free (check out the best free PC graphic design tools), its features are no less than its paid competitors. GIMP’s appearance is also minimalist and modern, making it easy for even beginners to use.

GIMP can also run on Windows, Linux, & Mac. The size is light too, so it can still be used on PCs with low specifications. Not only that, the graphics quality produced by GIMP is very clear. Unfortunately, there are quite a few filters or effects available.

6. InkScape

InkScape offers the convenience of creating vectors and images. This graphic design software is available on Windows OS, Linux OS and macOS. InkScape can be used by professional and novice graphic designers who only want to create simple designs, especially for manipulating features such as shapes, gradients, clones, and others.

The results of your designs can be saved in SVG, EPS, JPG, BMP, PNG, PostScript, or TIP formats which can be exported to vector-based formats. Uniquely, InkScape is an open-source that is still being developed, nonetheless, it can be accessed for free. However, the features are still incomplete.

7. Figma

Figma is a cloud-based design tool that has gained significant popularity among designers, especially those working on web and app design projects. Figma is accessible via web browsers on both PC (Windows) and Mac computers. It is a cloud-based design tool, which means you don’t need to download or install any software on your computer. Instead, you can use Figma directly through your preferred web browser by visiting the Figma website and logging into your account.

This cloud-based approach offers the advantage of being able to work on your design projects from any computer with internet access without worrying about software installations or compatibility issues. It also enables real-time collaboration and seamless sharing of design files among team members regardless of their operating systems.

If you prefer not to use Figma through a web browser, you can download it as software on your mobile device (Android or iOS), Windows, or macOS.

Conclusion:

That concludes our list of the best graphic design software that you can choose according to your needs. Each software has its own advantages and disadvantages. There are a lot more design software tools such as Sketch, Procreate, Gravit Designer, Canva, and Affinity Designer. However, remember that the best software for you depends on your specific needs, your budget, and your level of expertise. It’s often a good idea to try out a few different options to see which one aligns best with your workflow and design requirements. Do you have any other graphic design software recommendations? Kindly share with us using the comment box below. Thanks for reading!