If you want to learn the basics of graphic design, you don`t need to deal with expensive premium software – there are some helpful programs that you can download completely free of charge and which are very comparable to their paid counterparts.
For experienced professionals, there`s no real substitute for the Adobe Creative Cloud, but if you`re not ready to invest in a subscription, these free graphic design programs are ideal.
Whether it is the creation and editing of vector graphics, illustrations or infographics, we have selected the best free software for you. All of these tools will help you achieve great results and not interfere with your watermarking work.
Inkscape.
The open source vector graphics editor Inkscape is widely known as the free counterpart to Adobe Illustrator – and for good reason. This free vector editor is a good choice for budding graphic designers, as the software offers a wide range of advanced tools and effects, including complex path operations, node editing, bitmap tracing and path-based text.
Like most free vector editors, the main format of Inkscape SVG (scalable vector graphics) is an open source standard based on XML.
Inkspace is available for Windows, Mac and Linux and is an important cornerstone in any hobby graphic designer`s toolbox.
Krita.
Krita was created by artists for artists with conviction that high-quality drawing software should be sccessible to all graphic artists – regardless of income. Krita is primarily intended for comic-strip artists, with a range of carefully developed tools, including semitones and ready-made templates, but it is also ideal for other forms of drawing. It offers a variety of drawing aids, including vanishing points, smooth shapes, layer masks and advanced selection functions.
If you`re into illustration or comics, Krita is amazing. It`s so feature-rich that you might find it a little overwhelming, but there are a number of excellent tutorials to get you started.
Gimp.
Gimp is the free image editing and graphic design software we use most often here at VisCircle for one simple reason: it`s brilliant.
Whether you`re customizing photos, creating a digital painting, or assembling several different elements, GIMP is fantastic. It doesn`t have all the tools you`ll find in Photoshop, and the fact that it`s produced by a huge team of volunteers from all over the world means that its user interface can be somewhat inconsistent at times, but it`s packed with advanced brushes, filters, layers ans masks.
In case it doesn`t offer everything you need, you can always extend it with a huge archive of extensions or install Photoshop plugins.
Blender.
Blender is a 3D content suite that is completely free – even if you use your creations commercially. Whether it`s modeling, rigging, rendering or animation, Blender offers almost everything for 3D.
Animators use Blender to create short films, TV shows and even feature films, and its developers are constantly working to develop the tool further.
Its interface may look intimidating at first, but it`s fully customizable, and you can eben create your own tools and extensions to customize the way you work.
Easel.ly.
If you need to create an info graphic, you can do this manually with a vector graphic suite like Inkscape or you can grab a special tool like Easel.ly.
There is no shortage of web apps to visualize data, but Easel.ly is one of the best. It offers a good selection of templates to experiment with, as well as large selection of shapes and other tools to edit existing designs or create your own from scratch.
You can download your completed infographics in PDF or JPG format, with quality settings optimized for use in path and print.
The basic tool is free and additional elements are available for a reduced fee, but unlike many free data visualization tools, Easel.ly will not watermark your work.
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