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15 Best Graphic Design Software for Beginners in 2023
Finding the best graphic design software is critical if you want to achieve all of your project requirements and make the most of your skills. The best graphic design software offers the flexibility and tools to take your designs to the next level – ideally without a steep learning curve. However, finding a graphics software to match your design needs, skillset, and budget can be a tall order.
This guide provides a round-up of the best graphic design software for beginners. We will give you the pros and cons, price, key features, and compatibility of the 13 best graphic design software. Hopefully, this guide will help you choose a tool that will tick all of your requirements and help you on your way as you learn graphic design.
- Snapshot of Our Top 3 Best Graphic Design Software
- What is Graphic Design?
- How to Choose a Graphic Design Software
- 13 Best Graphic Design Software for Beginners in 2023
- Best Graphic Design Software Comparison Chart
- How to Edit Photos With a Graphic Design Software
- Download the Best Graphic Design Software for Free
- Best Graphic Design Software FAQ
Top 3 Graphic Design Software Snapshot
1. PhotoDirector - Best Graphic Design Software Overall
PhotoDirector is the best graphic design software on our list. It is a robust graphic design tool and photo editor that offers all the features you need to create professional designs. This software’s photo editing tools include AI-powered tools, color enhancements, and responsive layer editing with object segmentation. Despite its pro-level features, it is easy to learn and use, even if you are new to graphic design. Detailed Review >
2. MyEdit - Best for Online Editing
Another new option on our best graphic design software list is MyEdit. This graphics software makes it easy to learn graphic design for individuals, professionals, and businesses. It is an easy-to-use online platform for editing photos and creating graphic designs. It's suitable for both beginners without much design experience as well as experienced designers seeking a streamlined platform for their work, with its user-friendly interface and advanced tools. Detailed Review >
3. VistaCreate - Best for Storage
VistaCreate is an online graphics software with thousands of fully customizable design templates, brand kits, and lots of free storage. Detailed Review >
What is Graphic Design?
Graphic Design is composing visual elements to communicate a message. It’s essentially moving words and images around in the most aesthetically pleasing way and choosing a cohesive color scheme.
Almost everyone these days has to make graphic design decisions on a regular basis, like where to place text on a social media post, how to place photos in a collage, creating a logo for a YouTube page, creating a spreadsheet or Powerpoint presentation for work, or making an evite for an event.
Good graphic design will streamline communication and elicit an emotional response from the viewer. This means the viewer will be intrigued by your poster art and want to see the movie. They will be moved by your flyer and want to adopt a puppy. They will feel the need to click that “Subscribe” button, or simply feel happy enough to hit “Like.”
How to Choose a Graphic Design Software
Graphics software is a computer program that provides the tools to manipulate images when designing signage, corporate branding, packaging, online content, clothing, and more.
Before paying for a product, ensure it fits all your graphic design needs. Most professional graphics software feature tools such as:
- General photo editing tools
- Drawing and painting tools
- Branding and logo design features
- Design templates
- Animation tools
The best graphic design software also offers artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as object segmentation and sky replacement. Depending on your project requirements, you should also consider software with a layer editing tool, allowing for complex edits with a few clicks of a button.
Graphics software is available at varying price points. To choose the best graphic design software for you, write down the key features you need and your budget, then find a graphics software that ticks off those boxes. You also want to make sure you choose the best graphic design software for your skill level, so check user reviews to make sure that any claiming to be “beginner-friendly” on its website, actually is in practice.
13 Best Graphic Design Software for Beginners in 2023
1. PhotoDirector - Best Graphic Design Software Overall
Key Features
- AI-Powered photo retouching
- Upscale old and grainy photos
- Remove people or objects in 1-click
- Professional filters and LUTs for color correcting
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
TechRadar Rating: 5/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 5/5
Price: Free
*Premium subscription available for $3.33/month
Who It’s For
PhotoDirector is a one-stop image manipulation software featuring a suite of advanced image editing and enhancement tools. It is the best graphic design software for beginners because it has a clean user interface, guided edits, one-click effects, and design asset libraries with everything from stock images, stickers, emojis, frames, animated titles, and more. And PhotoDirector uses a folder structure, allowing seamless sorting, tagging, and filtering of your images and projects.
Why We Picked It
With PhotoDirector’s layer editing module, express templates, and clipping masks, you can combine elements from different images, creating engaging compositions. It is also the best graphic design software because it has all the essential image editing tools you could need, including corrections, beauty touch-ups, and more.
Bottom Line
Even though PhotoDirector offers professional graphic design tools, it’s the best graphic design software for beginners, thanks to an intuitive drag-and-drop platform with guided edits. If you are new to PhotoDirector, you can use the interactive in-program tutorials and take full advantage of every feature this software offers.
If you want the best graphic design software, then download PhotoDirector by clicking the link below. Then start producing professional graphic designs with a few simple clicks.
Check out these related topics for photo editing:
- 15 Best Free Photo Editing Software for Windows PC in 2023
- 15 Free Photoshop Alternatives With Similar Features in 2023
- 5 Best Online Cartoonizer Tools | Transform Your Photos into Cartoons for Free
2. MyEdit - Best for Online Editing
Key Features
- Browser-based editing
- AI-assist tools
- Remove people or objects in 1-click>
- Cartoonize effect
Compatibility: Online
Overall Rating: 5/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 5/5
Price: Free
Who It’s For
Based on our review, we found that MyEdit is skillfully designed to cater to individuals, professionals, and businesses that need an intuitive, easy-to-use online platform for editing photos and creating graphic designs. With its user-friendly interface and advanced tools, it's suitable for beginners with limited design experience, as well as seasoned designers seeking a streamlined platform for their work.
Why We Picked It
We chose MyEdit because of its impressive versatility and the robust set of design tools it provides. Its intuitive interface, coupled with online accessibility, easily makes it one of the best graphic design software for beginners that we've tested. MyEdit's comprehensive suite of features allows for high-quality photo editing and graphic design. Furthermore, its cloud-based platform encourages easy collaboration and access from any location, making it an excellent choice for a wide range of design tasks.
Bottom Line
Once we tested the product, we determined that MyEdit serves as a potent and convenient graphics software, accommodating users of varying expertise levels. Balancing simplicity with professional-grade tools, and providing online accessibility, it presents a comprehensive solution for photo editing and design needs. This makes it a formidable contender in the digital design tools market, and one we'd recommend considering.
If you're looking for top-notch graphic design software for online editing, check out MyEdit by clicking the link below. Then, you can begin producing picture-perfect designs with a few simple clicks.
3. VistaCreate - Best for Storage
Key Features
- Team collaboration tools
- Speech bubbles
- Blur tool
- Frames and filters
Compatibility: Online
Trustpilot Rating: 4.6/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4.5/5
Price: Free
*Premium subscription available for $10/month
Who It’s For
VistaCreate (formerly Cello) has over 75,000 professionally designed templates for users to customize. It is the best graphic design software for storage because subscribers get an unlimited amount of storage, and the free version offers 10GB. By comparison, Visme only offers 3GB to their top-tier business customers, and DesignWizard only offers 10GB of storage to their $50/month clients.
Why We Picked It
We also think this is one of the best graphic design software because of VistaCreate’s robust free version which includes brand kits, a feature usually saved for paid customers in other graphics software. It also has free fonts, music, objects, animations, and backgrounds (although the background remover is only available in the paid version). Photo editing tools are also available, such as rotate, crop, flip, and resize. A unique tool allows you to upload your own images and turn them into stickers for your projects.
Bottom Line
VistaCreate has one of the best free versions of most graphics software on our list. However, anyone requiring a background remover for YouTube Thumbnails or similar projects will have to pay the monthly fee. Lunacy and Adobe Express offer background removal for free.
4. Stencil - Best for Bloggers
Key Features
- Upload and store your logos
- 5,100+ Google Web fonts
- 140+ preset sizes
- Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox
Compatibility: Online
Trustpilot Rating: 4.7/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4/5
Price: Free
*Premium subscription available for $9/month for Pro and $12/month for Unlimited
Who It’s For
Stencil is a web-based graphics software that allows beginners to quickly and easily create digital design assets. It is one of the best graphic design software for bloggers because the site focuses on design for social media and websites for people with no previous experience. The narrow focus means a pared-back feature set, which makes it easy for DIYers to navigate the site.
Why We Picked It
If you need a speedy solution to your web-based graphic design needs, then Stencil is the best graphic design software for you. Simply pick a background, add text, and upload it directly to your site (Stencil offers direct sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Buffer). Stencil has plenty of stock assets, so you can find exactly what you need. There are over 1,350 templates and over 5 million stock images, with more added every week.
Bottom Line
Stencil is a quick and simple tool for bloggers who want to spend more time writing and less time designing. While it is one of the best graphic design software for creating beautifully crafted posts, it doesn’t include editing features. If you need to edit your photos, you’ll need to use another software first, wasting valuable time. We placed it below PhotoDirector and VistaCreate because they offer photo editing and graphic design features.
5. Snappa - Best for Online Marketing
Key Features
- 200+ fonts
- Instant resize
- 100,000+ vectors and shapes
- Pre-Schedule posts
Compatibility: Online
G2 Rating: 4.6/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4/5
Price: Free
*Premium subscriptions available for $10/month for Pro and $20/month for Team
Who It’s For
Snappa is yet another online graphics software for users with no prior experience. We voted Snappa the best graphic design software for online marketers because, like Stencil, Snappa focuses entirely on web-based designs. It features ready-made templates for infographics, which help users market their online content and products.
Why We Picked It
This graphics software has an extensive library of well-organized templates, stock images, and graphics, so beginners can easily craft professional-looking designs with a few clicks. It also has some photo editing tools, such as crop, rotate, flip, color adjustments, blur effects, and overlays.
Bottom Line
Snappa is very similar to Stencil. They both focus solely on web and social media design for beginners. And while Snappa has some photo editing tools that Stencil lacks, Stencil is cheaper and has a much more tenable free version. Snappa is not a choice for anyone who wants to learn graphic design, as it is very hard to create designs from scratch, and there is no drawing tool.
6. Lunacy - Best for Teams
Key Features
- Image upscaler
- Background remover
- Avatar generator
- Eyedropper tool
Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux
G2 Rating: 4.4/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 3.9/5
Price: Free
Who It’s For
Lunacy is a completely free graphics software with no ads, locked features, or upselling. It’s the best graphic design software for teams because you can edit with up to 100 teammates in real-time. With Lunacy, you can leave comments and get feedback immediately. This isn’t the only graphics software on our list with team collaboration features, however, most charge a premium for business users.
Why We Picked It
Lunacy is one of the best graphic design software for vector graphics editing. It offers tons of built-in icons, illustrations, and stock images you can layer together like Lego. There’s also a text generator and a pen to draw directly on your design.
Bottom Line
Lunacy is a sketch tool and one of the best graphic design software for UI/UX and web design. For any beginners who want to learn graphic design - especially web design - this is a very robust free tool, and former Sketch users will find it a worthy replacement. However, if you are a beginner who wants a simple tool for social media posts, ads, or flyers, try one of the top 4 best graphic design software on our list.
7. Pixlr - Best for Photoshop Users on a Budget
Key Features
- Large stock image library in free version
- Photo effects like dispersion and glitch
- Import photos from computer, URL, or Facebook
- Healing tool
Compatibility: Online
G2 Rating: 4.4/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4.2/5
Price: Free
*Premium version available for $4.90/month
Who It’s For
Pixlr is an online photo editor and template designer, and the best graphic design software for former Photoshop users who need a more wallet-friendly option. Pixlr has an interface and menu that are very similar to Photoshop. It offers layer editing with a slightly pared-back feature set to the Adobe photo editor and a very pared-back price.
Why We Picked It
Beginners should not let the comparison scare them away - Pixlr comes with advanced (Pixlr E) and beginner (Pixlr X) versions, and projects will easily carry over between the two. When you open Pixlr, you can choose a template category, then customize your chosen template. Categories are Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Roblox, Pinterest, Twitter, or LinkedIn. You can also choose a simple collage, business card, or flyer. Since Pixlr is also a photo editor, you can make detailed edits and add effects to your photos before inserting them into the template.
Bottom Line
We like that you can simply go to the site and start editing - no sign-in required. However, because Pixlr X is web-based you need to be connected to a strong internet signal for it to work properly. We also weren’t that impressed with the typography options and found the text hard to manipulate. We recommend Pixlr more for photo editing than graphic design because of the poor text options and the small number of available templates.
8. Canva - Best for Stock Content
Key Features
- Background remover
- Built-in video editor
- Magic resize
- Simple design sharing
Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Online
Creative Bloq Rating: 4/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4.3/5
Price: Free
*Pro version available for $119.99/year
Who It’s For
Canva is one of the best graphic design software for the sheer number of stock and design assets available. Canva subscribers have access to over 100 million images and animated graphics, as well as audio clips for social media posts. It offers beginners over 610,000 easy-to-use templates, with new templates created daily.
Why We Picked It
This graphics software has a completely free version that offers a robust amount of stock as well, including 1 million photos and graphics, and 250,000 templates. But what we like about Canva Pro which is not available to free users, are the brand kits. Upload your own logo, fonts, and colors into Canva to use in your designs, or create them from scratch. Then save and build reusable templates to use in all your company’s designs.
Bottom Line
Scrolling through Canva’s completed projects, examples, and professionally designed templates is a great way for beginners to learn graphic design. And while we think it is one of the best graphic design software available, it offers very few image editing tools. If you need graphics software with a full photo editor, try PhotoDirector or Pixlr.
9. Vectr - Best for Web Design
Key Features
- WordPress integration
- 100 free edits
- Grid and snap tool
- Supports importing
Compatibility: Online
G2 Rating: 4.4/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4/5
Price: Free
Who It’s For
Upon evaluating Vectr, we identified it as among the best graphic design software options, particularly well-suited for beginners entering the field. Its uncomplicated and intuitive interface, paired with robust features, makes it an excellent starting point for individuals eager to grasp the fundamentals of vector graphics, without being besieged by excessively complex functions and tools.
Why We Picked It
Our choice of Vectr was influenced by its user-friendly design and its status as a free graphics software. Its functionality deftly balances simplicity for novices with the power required for those looking to delve into more advanced design elements. The dual availability of Vectr as a web-based platform and a desktop application infuses a degree of flexibility, empowering individuals to learn graphic design from virtually anywhere.
Bottom Line
While Vectr provides a user-friendly introduction to vector graphic design, our testing revealed certain limitations. Its focus on simplicity can sometimes lead to a deficit in more advanced features necessary for intricate projects. Users might also encounter performance and speed issues, especially with the web-based version, potentially impeding productivity and extending project turnaround time. Despite Vectr's effectiveness as a stepping stone for beginners, those aspiring to advance their graphic design journey may eventually require a more sophisticated and reliable tool.
10. DesignWizard - Best for Templates
Key Features
- Magic resize
- Video tools
- 1GB of storage
- Download in JPG, PDF, and PNG
Compatibility: Online
Capterra Rating: 4.3/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 3.5/5
Price: Free
*Premium subscription available for $9.99/month
Who It’s For
DesignWizard is yet another online graphics software with thousands of customizable templates. However, we think this is the best graphic design software for templates because the beautifully designed templates are so well organized that it’s easy to find exactly what you need. Templates are alphabetized by category, such as Album Covers, Announcements, Book Covers, Bookmarks, Brochures, Business Cards…you get the idea. Click inside a category, such as Book Covers, and you will find even more categories like Cookbooks, Romance, Science Fiction, etc.
Why We Picked It
With DesignWizard every part of a template can be edited, so you can upload your own fonts, photos, and logos or create custom color palettes. It also comes with over 1 million stock images, videos, illustrations, and graphics.
Bottom Line
This graphics software makes it easy to quickly and easily create a professional looking design with editable templates for any possible scenario. While we think DesignWizard is one of the best graphic design software for templates, that is all it offers. There are no image or photo editing tools, and no way to create a design from scratch. Canva has a similar amount of templates, but also offers some simple photo editing tools, while PhotoDirector offers templates and a fully-featured photo editor.
11. CorelDRAW Standard - Best for Illustrators
Image from CorelDRAW.
Key Features
- Professional vector image software
- Page layouts
- 1,000 clipart and digital images
- AI and animation tools
Compatibility: Windows
G2 Rating: 4.3/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 3.5/5
Price: $299
Who It’s For
CorelDRAW Standard is the best graphic design software for illustrators who require optimal efficiency, reliability, and professional features. It includes PowerTRACE™, a bitmap-to-vector tracing tool that improves the quality of your bitmap, and a live sketch tool. Vector graphics can be scaled with no quality loss.
Why We Picked It
This graphics software comes with PHOTO-PAINT Standard, Corel’s basic photo editor. It also has a modest library of royalty-free stock, including 100 high-res images, 175 fonts, 20 frames, and 60 templates. It is also one of the best graphic design software because it has precision color tools for applying fills and outlines, and a layer editing module where you can create compositions while keeping the elements separate.
Bottom Line
Even though CorelDRAW is an excellent tool for creating and enhancing illustrations, this software is not ideal for photographs. We found in our test that when you enlarge an image, the program tends to accentuate imperfections, which can impact the overall quality of your image. It’s also rather pricey for software aimed at hobbyists and home businesses. Although it has the same rating as Design Wizard, we found CorelDRAW was not as beginner-friendly, so it fell to #11 on our list of best graphic design software.
12. Adobe Express - Best for Social Media
Key Features
- Create logos
- Convert images to various formats
- Background remover
- Image resizer
Compatibility: Online
TechRadar Rating: 4/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4.2/5
Price: Free
*Premium version available for $9.99/month
Who It’s For
Adobe Express is a web design app for beginners. We think it is one of the best graphic design software for designing social media posts. Adobe Express has design templates for any kind of post, like YouTube thumbnails, Facebook ads, and Instagram Stories. While many of the graphics software on our list has social media-friendly templates, not many let you plan, schedule, and publish content across multiple channels at once.
Why We Picked It
Upload a photo and start a design from scratch or use one of the thousands of ready-made templates. You can add your branding assets in one click. Adobe Express also has some photo and video editing capability and access to Adobe stock.
Bottom Line
We were impressed that the free version of Adobe Express had access to plenty of Adobe Stock and Adobe Fonts for most projects. However, it lacks the branding kits, refined photo editing features, and scheduled social media posts found in the expensive Premium version, which is triple the monthly price of PhotoDirector.
13. Affinity Designer - Best for Precision Edits
Image from Affinity Designer.
Key Features
- Non-Destructive layer editing
- Vector tracing and isometric illustration tool
- Responsive drawing tools
- Dynamic on-screen guides
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
PCMag Rating: 3.5/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 3.9/5
Price: $54.99
Who It’s For
Affinity Designer from Serif is the best graphic design software with features that allow optimal design accuracy. These tools include flexible grid systems to create isometric elements, a snapping tool, a brush stabilization tool, and responsive zooming.
Why We Picked It
It’s also one of the best graphic design software because of its dual-environment capability that lets you work in vector and pixel art environments simultaneously, saving valuable time. You can create vector and pixel image layers using the layers panel to create unique compositions and effects. You can also use this panel to create clipping masks and gradients.
Bottom Line
Affinity Designer is relatively easy to learn and use and is ideal for illustrators who want to create vector images. However, it does not have pre-made templates, so we recommend it for beginners who are trying to learn graphic design. With Affinity Designer, you make everything from scratch. For an option with both preset and manual options, try PhotoDirector.
14. Visme - Best for Businesses
Key Features
- 1,000+ layouts and themes
- Widget creation
- Social media templates
- Animated elements
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
PCMag Rating: 3.5/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4.4/5
Price: $12.25/month for Personal, $24.75/month for Business, and Teams users have to contact sales for a quote.
Who It’s For
We think Visme is the best graphic design software for businesses because it has templates and tools for creating professional reports, proposals, interactive charts and graphs, and product mockups. It also comes with team collaboration features and asset management tools. Visme has privacy controls for sensitive information and supports importing and exporting for PowerPoint.
Why We Picked It
With Visme, you can use branded templates to keep all company assets together and save valuable time. This graphics software also contains a large library of GIFS, images, illustrations, and audio/video for presentations.
Bottom Line
Anyone on your team can use Visme to create professional documents, reports, and presentations without needing to learn graphic design. We recommend this graphics software for businesses, but not for personal use. The price is too high if you aren’t taking advantage of the business features, and you can find better options for personal use on our list of best graphic design software, such as PhotoDirector or Pixlr.
15. PicMonkey - Best for Frames
Key Features
- Brand kits
- Animations
- Smart resize
- One-click background removal
Compatibility: Online
TrustPilot Rating: 1.6/5
Beginner-Friendly Tools: 4.4/5
Price: $72/year for Basic or $120/year for Pro
Who It’s For
PicMonkey from Shutterstock is the best graphic design software if you like to put fun frames around your images and completed projects. This graphics software offers a variety of frames, like classic, shape cutouts, polaroid, vintage, and museum. There are pre-made frames, and completely customizable frames so you can match your brand colors with ease.
Why We Picked It
With PicMonkey, you also get over 6,000 fully customizable overlays, such as clipart, images, and stickers. There are also photo editor beautification tools like red-eye remover and teeth whitener, photo filters, and effects. You can also customize hundreds of different fonts and over 2400 design templates.
Bottom Line
We were quite confused when researching PicMonkey. In our test, we found it easy to use, with lots of assets available. Our only issue was how little was available in the more affordable Basic version, forcing most users into the more expensive Pro version. However, it appears most long-time PicMonkey users are fuming over recent changes and the diminishing quality and ease of use of older versions. Also, many users feel scammed by the free trial, which charged people a full year and then refused to reimburse them. If these user reviews have you worried, PhotoDirector offers similar features, (including premium images from iStock by Getty Images) for a more reasonable price, and has excellent customer service.
Best Graphic Design Software Comparison Chart
| Software | OS | Beginner-friendly | Design Assets | Photo Editing Tools | Animations | Free Download / Visit Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhotoDirector | Windows, Mac | Yes | Millions of stock images from iStock by Getty Images, and thousands of stickers, overlays, shapes, backgrounds, design templates, titles, and fonts | Yes | Yes | |
| MyEdit | Online | Yes | Browser-based editing, AI-assist tools, remove people or objects in 1-click, and cartoonize effect | Yes | Yes |
|
| VistaCreate | Online | Yes | 70K+ templates, plus frames, fonts, music, backgrounds, and stickers | Yes | Yes | Visit Website |
| Stencil | Online | Yes | 5 million+ stock images, 1,350 templates, hundreds of Google web fonts | No | No | Visit Website |
| Snappa | Online | Yes | 100,000 vectors and shapes, 200 fonts, thousands of templates | Yes | No | Visit Website |
| Lunacy | Windows, Mac, Linux | Yes | Thousands of images, icons, and illustrations | No | No | Download |
| Pixlr | Online | Yes | Thousands of images and templates | Yes | No | Visit Website |
| Canva | Windows, Mac, Online | Yes | 100 million images, graphics, fonts, audio, video and 610,000 templates | Yes | Yes | Download |
| Vectr | Online | Yes | WordPress integration, 100 free edits, grid and snap tool, supports importing | Yes | No | Visit Website |
| DesignWizard | Online | Yes | 1 million images, videos, illustrations, graphics, and thousands of templates | No | No | Visit Website |
| CorelDRAW | Windows | Yes | 1,000 clipart, 100 high-res images, 175 fonts, 20 frames, 60 templates | Yes | Yes | Download |
| Adobe Express | Online | Yes | 160 million Adobe Stock images, thousands of Adobe fonts and templates | Yes | Yes | Visit Website |
| Affinity Designer | Windows, Mac | Yes | Vectors and fonts | No | No | Download |
| Visme | Windows, Mac | Yes | 1,000 layouts and themes, audio, video, GIFs, images, illustrations | No | Yes | Download |
| PicMonkey | Online | Yes | 6,000 clipart, images, and stickers, hundreds of fonts, 2,400 templates | Yes | Yes | Visit Website |
PhotoDirector
vs
OS
Windows, Mac
-
Beginner-friendly
Yes
-
Design Assets
Millions of stock images from iStock by Getty Images, and thousands of stickers, overlays, shapes, backgrounds, design templates, titles, and fonts
-
Photo Editing Tools
Yes
-
Animations
Yes
-
How to Edit Photos With a Graphic Design Software
In this section, you will learn graphic design by first learning how to edit photos. We will be using PhotoDirector in this step-by-step guide as it is the best graphic design software for all experience levels.
Download and install PhotoDirector to your computer by clicking the link provided. Then launch the program.
- Import the images you want to edit by clicking Import in the bottom left corner of your screen. Then select Photos from the drop-down menu, and select the images you want to include in your graphic design project. Click Open to import these images.
- Enhance the images in your library as needed using Global Adjustment Tools.
- Click on the Guided tab at the top of your screen, then click Sky Replacement
- Click on the Edit tab at the top of your screen. Drag and drop an image file you want to add as an additional layer to the left-hand window. Using the Opacity slider, you can change the layer’s transparency.
- Add a shape to your project by selecting the Shape tool from the vertical toolbar on the right of your screen. Adjust the size and color of the shape as needed.
- Select the Text tool from the vertical toolbar, then select the font, size, and spacing properties. Using your mouse cursor, draw a text box on the image, then enter the text you want to add.
You can review and tag the images you are importing in the Photo Import window. Then, click on Import in the bottom right corner of the window to add these files to your library.
PhotoDirector offers various guided tools for graphic designers, including AI-powered tools you can use to create compelling designs. Follow the steps below to use incorporate these tools into your workflow:
Here, various templates will appear with previews of the different backgrounds you can add to your image. Next, click on the sky you like, automatically replacing your subject’s background.
After making basic corrections, you can add various elements to your image, including text and shapes.
You can also edit this layer using the Gradient and Magic Wand tools in the vertical toolbar to the right of your screen.
If you want to learn more about creating designs with PhotoDirector, try How to Make a YouTube Banner, or How to Make a Transparent PNG.
Download the Best Graphic Design Software for Free
Graphic design is a versatile discipline with various applications, and graphics software often specializes in specific tasks, such as vector image creation. These products are also available in various levels of complexity and choosing an interface that matches your skill level is crucial.
PhotoDirector is the best graphic design software as it offers professional tools but is easy for beginners to use. It is graphics software and a photo editor all in one. Its most significant features include graphic design templates, layer editing, and guided tools, including AI-powered tools like sky replacement. It has tons of customizable fonts and titles that can be easily dragged and dropped onto your projects and manipulated in a variety of ways, and free stock images to cover any possible photo need.
Many of the best graphic design software on our list are web-based, which means they require a strong internet connection, and often run slow or restart in the middle of a project. Unless the site has autosave, this can be disastrous. PhotoDirector is a dedicated software, so you can rest easy your creations are safe and secure.
You can learn graphic design today by downloading the best graphic design software, PhotoDirector. Click the button below and make your dreams of becoming a graphic designer a reality.
Best Graphic Design Software FAQ
1. What is the Best Graphic Design App?
PhotoDirector has an app available on Android and iPhone with all the same amazing features as the PC version. It also has professionally designed photo collage templates, so you can drop in your photos, change the text, and be done. It is the best way to learn graphic design on your mobile. Learn how to create unforgettable YouTube thumbnails with the PhotoDirector app by clicking here.
If you want to learn graphic design for videos, check out AdDirector. Promeo has awesome graphic design templates so beginners can easily put together ads or posts that will look like you hired a professional to create.
2. What Features Should I Look for in the Best Graphic Design Software?
The top ten features you should look for in the best graphic design software are:
- Compatibility with your operating system
- A user-friendly interface
- A layer editing module
- Animation tools
- Vector and raster image editing ability
- AI-powered tools
- Support for all main image file formats
- Guided edits or tutorials
- Stock image libraries
- Design templates
If you are looking for the best graphic design software that checks all these boxes, we recommend PhotoDirector.
3. Should I Pay for Graphic Design Software?
Various high-end graphics software offer a free version, but they are usually stripped of all the good features. This might suit you if you use the program once a month to create a personal Instagram post, but anyone who designs regularly will need to pay for a premium product.
4. How Much Does Graphic Design Software Cost?
No industry standard for graphics software pricing exists. Prices can range from $50 to $200, depending on the graphics software’s features. A majority of the graphics software on our list offer a limited free version, a Pro version for around $10-12 a month, and a business version that is quite a bit more.
5. What Software Do Most Graphic Designers Use?
Adobe Photoshop is an industry-standard design tool for professional graphic designers, with powerful image editing features. However, we did not include it on our list because Photoshop is not for beginners. It has a steep learning curve and a high price tag. Beginners looking for an easy-to-use and affordable software choose PhotoDirector.
6. Which Software is Best for Graphic Design for Beginners?
PhotoDirector is the best graphic design software for beginners. It has a user-friendly interface, drag-and-drop titles, and AI-powered effects applied with the click of a button. If you are just beginning to learn graphic design, PhotoDirector is an excellent choice.
7. Is Photoshop a Graphic Design Software?
Yes, Photoshop is a powerful graphic design tool, especially for image editing. It is often used in tandem with Adobe Illustrator, which has more vector editing tools.
8. What are the 4 Types of Graphic Designers?
Brand Identity/Logo Designer - These designers create brand elements for businesses or individuals. They design logos and choose the fonts and colors that will be associated with the brand. These brand assets will appear on everything from social media posts, websites, business cards, letterhead, and packaging, and should be instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the business.
Web/Mobile Designer - Designers for apps and websites should have a basic understanding of coding, and know the best practices for their medium. They not only handle the aesthetic elements like page layout but also work with the developers to make sure their designs don’t interfere with functionality.
Layout/Print Designer - These designers structure the pages of magazines, books, newspapers, brochures, etc. They must try to include all the necessary text while giving the eye a break and making the page appear pleasing. These designers understand the Rule of Thirds and a little about the printing process. For instance, they may need to know if the paper is matte or glossy, how large the paper is, if viewers will need to read it across a bus stop or hold it in their hands, and more before deciding on the colors or size of the font.
Packaging Designer - This type of graphic design is multifaceted. Instead of creating 2-D designs on a computer, you are designing every part of a 3D shape - the front, back, inside, bottom, etc. You have to not only learn graphic design, but understand the environmental impact of materials, make sure the design is sturdy and safe, and so much more. And that’s before any of the aesthetic decisions are made, such as making sure the design is eye-catching, legible, pleasing, and conveys exactly what is behind the packaging without making consumers guess.
9. Is Graphic Design Hard?
Graphic design can seem daunting to anyone who doesn’t possess a knack for aesthetics. Even if you consider yourself artistic or creative, you may worry your designs aren’t conveying the proper message.
Fortunately, many software, such as PhotoDirector, come with graphic design templates, so all you need to do is pop in your images and write in your text. All the aesthetic decisions are made for you.
Those who want to learn graphic design can start from scratch, or customize a template to their specific vision.
10. Which software is best for logo design?
PhotoDirector is the best graphic design software for logo design. It comes with over 4 million royalty-free images you can use for your logo. PhotoDirector also includes an incredible range of blending modes, and precise layer editing, plus fun design assets like stickers, frames, fonts, and overlays. You can even animate your logo in a number of ways.
11. How Do I Get Started in Graphic Design?
First, you need to learn graphic design by studying the best practices. You can do this easily by reading graphic design guides online, or taking an online course. Then you need to put what you’ve learned into practice. Try one of the best graphic design software for beginners mentioned in our article. First, explore the professionally designed templates, and decide what you like about them. Then, try to create your own designs from scratch. Once you feel ready to take your designs to the streets, it’s time to market yourself.
Create a web presence with a site or social media page with your company name and information. Start an Etsy shop and keep up with your social media, linking every post to your shop. Your first clients might just be friends and family, and that’s ok! You may even volunteer your services pro bono to build your portfolio and give you some great client pics and feedback on your social media.
12. How can I do graphic design with no experience?
If you are looking to learn graphic design with no experience, you can start by utilizing beginner-friendly tools like PhotoDirector or MyEdit. These are amongst the best graphic design software options that offer pre-made templates and intuitive interfaces. Additionally, take advantage of online resources such as YouTube tutorials, free courses on websites like Coursera or Skillshare, and practice consistently to build your skills and understanding of fundamental design principles.
13. How do beginners learn graphic design?
Beginners often learn graphic design by starting with the basics - color theory, typography, and layout design. Online courses, books, and easy-to-follow tutorials from the Cyberlink learning center can be invaluable resources. Additionally, using beginner-friendly graphics software and undertaking small projects, like designing a logo or a poster, can provide hands-on experience and help consolidate learning.
14. Is it hard to be a graphic designer?
The difficulty of being a graphic designer can depend on many factors, including your interest level, commitment, and the complexity of the projects you undertake. Like any profession, it requires a significant investment of time and effort to learn graphic design. However, with a passion for creativity and design, continuous learning, and practice, the challenges can transform into rewarding experiences.
15. Do you really need a degree for graphic design?
While having a degree in graphic design can provide a structured learning environment and may be advantageous in some job markets, it is not strictly necessary. Many successful graphic designers are self-taught, using the best graphic design software, online resources, courses, and practical experience to build their portfolios. The key lies in mastering the skills, understanding design principles, and demonstrating your creative ability through a strong portfolio, all of which can be achieved without a formal degree.
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