Adobe leads the graphic design market. While most of the company's products have been converted to services, Photoshop Elements 13 remains a software. The program lacks some of the basic features its counterpart service has, but it still serves as one of the best graphic design programs for novice users. Best Graphic Design for Mac: Adobe Illustrator Review Visit Website Illustrator is one of the most popular graphic design programs used in the workforce, specifically for creating vector art. Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design Standard software combines industry-standard tools for professional print design and digital publishing. Create eye-catching images and graphics at lightning speed with innovative painting and drawing tools and dozens of creative effects in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. With the millions of graphics being designed and visuals being created now and then, it becomes quite important to have the best graphic design software to compete in highly artistic design sphere. Though Adobe Photoshop is a powerful designing software program that makes the work of designers incredibly comfortable as well as advanced. Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 20.0 For Mac is the world’s best imaging and graphic design software for all professional and home users to create and enhance photographs, illustrations, and 3D artwork. Download Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 20.0 latest version free standalone offline setup for Mac OS X.
Why use graphic design software?
We’ve tested graphic design software since 2009. In our most recent testing, we spent over 50 hours comparing these programs' features, tools and interfaces to determine which software creates the most professional work while still being affordable and easy to use. We’ve determined that Corel PaintShop Pro is the best overall program because it offers both vector and pixel-based tools in one inexpensive software.
Best overall
Corel PaintShop Pro
Graphic design software with a vast array of tools
Hundreds of photo filters
Powerful mixture or vector and photo editing tools
No automatic vector-tracing feature
Not available for Mac
Corel PaintShop Pro’s powerful mixture of photo editing tools and vector-drawing tools, coupled with its relatively low cost, makes it the best overall graphic design software we tested. You’ll find over 650 photo filters that you can apply to your projects, as well as vector brushes, pen tools and the ability to create custom brushes. This software might be a bit daunting at first because it has so many tools to learn. But the interface is easy to navigate, and the company provides plenty of learning resources to help you become a proficient user.
Although you’ll find advanced photo editing tools, like panorama stitching and HDR image creation, this program does not include automatic vector tracing. This means you need to hand-trace raster images if you want to turn them into vectors. Although this software is compatible with most major image file types, it doesn’t work with SWF files, meaning you can’t make that kind of animation file. PaintShop Pro is only available for Windows, so Mac users will need to look elsewhere.
Best Budget
Affinity Designer
A one time purchase graphic designer that provides value
Impressive array of vector and text tools
No automatic image-trace feature
No free trial
If you’re familiar with Adobe Illustrator but you’re not keen on paying for the expensive monthly or yearly subscriptions, Serif’s Affinity software is the solution. Affinity Designer only requires a one-time payment, and it’s the least-expensive program we tested. However, there is no free trial period, so you cannot test the software before buying it. This software is comparable to Adobe Illustrator; both are vector-based design programs that are built to work alongside a photo editing program and a desktop publishing program.
Because you’re supposed to use this program in conjunction with Affinity Photo, a photo editing software, pixel tools are limited. However, unlike Illustrator, Affinity Photo has a few pixel-based tools, like a pixel brush and shape tools, which you can access in the Pixel Persona mode. That way, you’re not completely dependent on an outside program for basic image editing tools.
This software’s advanced pen and vector tools allow you to adjust stroke and line density, as well as node and curve positions, to truly give you creative freedom when you’re working on your projects. Many of the tools are the same as Illustrator’s, and many even have the same hot keys. One thing that is missing from Affinity Designer is automatic image tracing, which would turn a raster image into a vector at the click of a button. Affinity’s forum mentions that the company hopes to implement this feature in later versions, but for now, you’ll have to hand-trace images.
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Best for professionals
Adobe Illustrator
A professional standard illustrator tool
Adobe Illustrator$20.99
Customizable vector-tracing feature
Subscription-based software
Lacks many photo editing features
Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard for vector-based graphic design software due to its powerful, professional-grade tools. One of the best features of this software is the raster image tracing, which lets you convert pixelated images into editable vectors with the click of a button. When working with vectors, select the white cursor tool to rearrange node placement and curves. This gives you far more control over vectors than many other programs allow.
Adobe intends this software to be used in conjunction with Photoshop, so it doesn’t really have photo editing tools. This means it lacks color correction, content-aware fill, lens correction tools, HDR image creation and panorama-stitching features. However, you have access to masking tools, a history log and a few templates.
You can test this software using the seven-day trial. This is shorter than the average 30-day trial, but it’s better than nothing. As with most other Adobe software, this program can be used only through subscription payments. You can choose between monthly payments and yearly payments, but there is no way to make a one-time purchase.
How much does graphic design software cost?
You can typically find basic graphic design software between $30 and $100. There are more advanced programs, which can sell for as high as $300 or require a subscription. Some, but not all, of the less-expensive software provided fewer tools. However, other affordable programs, such as Corel PaintShop Pro, have just as many design tools as more expensive software. Just determine which tools you need most, and then purchase the program that provides them.
Why trust us on graphic design software?
In our most recent evaluation, we spent over 50 hours testing and comparing graphic design software to see which programs were the easiest to use and offered the most creative freedom. We also evaluated the tools and features of each program to see if they warranted the cost of the software. To get further insight, we reached out to a professional graphic designer, Brooklyn Parks.
How we tested graphic design software
When you are learning how to use new software, you focus on how easy it is to use and if it can complete your desired tasks in a timely manner. To evaluate the software, we focused on both the illustration tools and the image editing features of each program. We determined which tasks we were able to complete, how long those tasks took and how easy the software was to use.
To explore the different effects the software offered, we used the same three images for all of the programs: a portrait, an image of a landscape and a still image. Then, we used common design tools – such as those for cropping, inserting text and resizing – and applied them to each of the images, noting how long it took to complete each task. The software interface played a significant role in how quickly we could find the tools, with clean and user-friendly workspaces helping the most.
To test the illustration tools in each program, we created a brochure that included text, graphics, gradients and shapes. These common tasks required a combination of tools. We evaluated how quickly we were able to do each of these tasks, as well as the speed of the software and the quality of the image after we had manipulated it. All of these factors made up each program’s ease-of-use score. Programs that lacked illustration tools, such as the pen tool or vector brushes, required more time to create design elements.
Overall, most of the programs performed similarly, but some outshone the rest. If you are looking for software to create dramatic effects on your photos, consider the number of photo filters the software has. Some programs, like Corel PaintShop Pro, provide dozens of filters.
The workspaces and tools differ from one program to the next. However, most allow you to customize your workspace, which helps you navigate the software. We looked for software that came with both predesigned templates and support within the application because these factors make the software easier to use. CorelDRAW comes with hundreds of such templates.
Your specific uses for the graphic design software will determine which program will work best for you. We created an ease-of-use score that reflects how quickly we could complete common tasks. You should also look for a program that has all of the tools you need to create your designs.
Printing: how important is the finished product?
When you’ve finished designing a project and you want to present it to others, you need the best printing features. For printed articles, you should set up your page to “bleed” so that the creases of your magazine appear continuous and colored. Equally important is the option to show your printer’s marks. This will help you immensely in the package-and-print process.
The best graphic design programs offer on-screen color proofs that allow you to preview the colors on your page. For example, it confirms that a rose-red heart you created will print as the right color, and not a dark shade of pink. Using a Pantone swatch significantly helps with this, as Pantone creates the colors with an exact chemical process that ensures the colors print the same anywhere. Another important feature is prepress support, which automatically ensures there are no errors before the project is sent to the printer and alerts you of any necessary changes.
Importing & exporting files: Will you use other files on your software?
Compatibility can be an issue with graphic design software. When you share files, you want people to be able to open them no matter which program they use. Most software supports different file types, especially common ones such as JPEG, BMP and PDF. The more file types the graphic design software offers, the more versatile it is. You should not let file types limit your designs or your learning.
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Adobe leads the graphic design market, and Photoshop Elements is a simplified version of Photoshop. Although Photoshop Elements lacks some of the features of Photoshop, it’s still one of the best graphic design programs for novice users. It’s also a great place to start if you’re looking to become a graphic designer.
Pricing
Although most of Adobe’s products have been converted to subscription-based services, Photoshop Elements remains a one-time-payment software. It sells for $69.99, making it one of the least-expensive programs we tested. Before deciding on it, you can use the 30-day trial to see if it’s a good fit for your work style.
Ease of Use
Photoshop Elements lets you select one of three workspaces to correspond with your skill level: Quick, Guided or Expert. The Quick view displays only the most common tools and elements, to help you quickly create a design or edit a photo. The Guided view shows you different design effects and teaches you how to apply them to your images. And the Expert workspace has all of the tools for you to use at your discretion.
This categorization makes this software especially appealing for beginners, because the Quick and Guided pages aren’t as overwhelming. When you’re comfortable with the Quick and Guided modes, you can move on to Expert mode. This prepares you to jump into Adobe Photoshop, the higher-level photo editing program.
Illustration Tools
Photoshop Elements includes several tools to help you create unique and intricate designs. With a wide selection of brushes and the option to create your own, the program allows you to adjust the thickness, stroke, color and tip of a brush. The software is also compatible with tablets, so you can adjust the pressure of a custom brush or use the tablet to draw.
While the software has several tools, it does not offer a pen tool or vector brushes. This isn’t surprising, considering Photoshop Elements is a simplified version of Photoshop. Adobe Illustrator deals with vectors and is the program that uses pen tools. Although Photoshop Elements’ lack of pen tools limits the type of designs you can create, there are shape tools that let you easily make stars, hearts and other preprogrammed shapes.
If you are looking for a program that offers vector and pen tools, consider Xara Photo & Graphic Designer. With grids, snap-to alignment and text wrap, you can place your objects and typography in the precise location you want and create accurate designs. Unfortunately, the software lacks custom guides that allow you to create your own grid to align your objects.
With Adobe Photoshop Elements, you can customize your typography by color, size and weight, or add effects. The software allows you to alter the fonts, shapes and images with gradients and opacity, giving you a wide range of typography effects.
Free Graphic Design Software
Photo & Image Tools
With the software’s 132 photo filters, you can add textures and adjust colors on each of your photos. The program even includes panorama merging and HDR imaging. In addition to the photo effects, the software has tools that help improve the quality of photos, such as color correction, noise removal and automatic lens correction.
The software also has content-aware scaling, which allows you to resize images without distorting them, as well as a history log that displays every edit you make and allows you to undo any unwanted changes. You can also use the mask tool to remove unwanted objects or subjects.
To help you design projects, Photoshop Elements comes with over 100 predesigned templates for photo books, Facebook headers and more. It also has a helpful feature that allows you to export your designs directly to social media sites.
Printing
This software offers bleed setup and printer’s mark tools so you can make sure your designs print and cut exactly the way you want them to. If there is a potential problem with your print order, Elements will notify you before sending your print request to the printer.
Help & Support
Adobe has several support options. You can access help within the application or use the support page on the company’s website. Adobe’s website has video tutorials, support forums and solutions to common problems. You can contact an Adobe customer service representative via live chat, phone and forums.
File Compatibility
Photoshop Elements works with most image file types, including PNG, GIF, TIF, JPEG, PSD, BMP and RAW. However, it cannot read AI, SVG, SWF, DOCX or TXT files. However, just about any raster-based file should work.
Although Adobe Photoshop Elements lacks some helpful illustration tools, such as the pen tool, it supplies you with a vast assortment of photo editing features and tools to create intricate designs, and includes over 100 photo filters. This program is an especially good option for beginners who want to become proficient in Adobe software.
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