If you've never used a design app or 3D-modelling tool before, fear not. Create graphic designs or experiment with 3D, GIMP offers it all and more. Best free Mac system tools. Browse and download Graphics & Design apps on your Mac from the Mac App Store. The Mac App Store has a wide selection of Graphics & Design apps for your Mac. Best Free Graphic Design Apps For Mac This week on the Tuesday Trio, we explore 3 free applications for graphic design. Image design apps come in all various styles and sizes (and costs), from vector editors, to photograph publishers, to posting software. Best Graphic Design Apps for Mac. If graphics design is your drift, here are some of the best apps for graphic design on iOS. Remember, these apps aren’t limited to your Mac only, you can synchronize them with all your other Apple products. Quitter (Free) Quitter is an App by Marco Arment. Marco Arment co-created Tumblr and Instapaper.
Creativity is an art but with the right app for graphics designing, your creations can become masterpieces. A simple brush and a palette of colors are great tools but with the reformation in the graphics industry, most designers are looking for the best graphics art apps available with maximum features and those that support multiple platforms. This guide contains a list of all the best possible software for graphics artists in 2021.
Best Apps for Graphic Artists In 2021
1. Affinity Designer
The first one on the list of the best software for graphic artists is Affinity Designer which can be used for creating professional artwork. This application is an inexpensive app (approx $50) for graphics and can be used on Windows and Mac operating systems. Affinity Designer is a replacement over DrawPlus X8 program by Serif and has been built from scratch.
Features
Support Cloud Functionality.
Supports designing on Wallpaper, Ceramics, and Soft Furnishing.
Supports multiple tasks like Branding, Typography, Concept Art, and more.
To visit the website, click here
Also Read: Every Artist Must Have These Drawing Apps For iPad
2. Adobe Illustrator CC
Talking of the best graphic art apps, Adobe Illustrator CC is one of the few that makes it to every list. This application has been one of the most commonly used software by graphic artists since 1985 and is currently on its 22nd version. It is undoubtedly a very powerful application and is compatible with both Windows and macOS. Adobe Illustrator shares many similarities in tools and functions with Adobe Photoshop and is considered a vector version of the latter.
Features
Allows massive and comprehensive rescaling of images.
Expensive as compared to others on this list. (approx. $32 for one month’s subscription through yearly pricing is cheaper).
One of the software for graphic artists that helps users design almost whatever they can imagine.
To Visit the Website, Click Here
Also Read: 6 Best Free Adobe Illustrator Alternatives For Designers
3. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
The next on the list has always been a tough competition for Adobe and is one of the most popular apps for graphics designing. At $198 for a year’s subscription, users get a complete bundle of apps rather than one software. CorelDRAW is the major app out of the complete package which attracts most artists as it is not only a vector drawing app but also supports desktop publishing as well. Template features and managing web images are two of its newest features inculcated recently.
Features
Includes a photo manipulation app known as Photo-Paint.
Also contains the PowerTRACE app that can convert images into vectors.
FontManager and AfterShot are two more apps in the bundle.
Available on Windows and Mac
To Visit the Website, Click Here
Also Read: Best Desktop Publishing Software: For Home & Business Users (2021)
4. Gravit Designer
If you are looking for free software for graphic artists then Gravit Designer is a cross-platform vector editor that is very easy to learn and use. This is one of the best graphic art apps that is available online as a web version too and runs on a cloud base. However, the installed version is faster than the online one.
Features
Available on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome OS
There is a PRO version that allows unlimited online storage
It cost around $50 for a year’s subscription.
To Visit the Website, Click Here
Also Read: 5 Best Laptops For Graphic Designers In 2021
5. Inkscape
Speaking of free apps for graphics, the list of best graphic art apps would be incomplete without Inkscape that offers a lot of features to designers. It allows users to manipulate text along with using Bezier and Spiro curve types. It also facilitates broad file support.
Features
A free vector design tool.
Available on Windows, Linux, and Mac.
It is GPL licensed app which means the source code can be downloaded.
To Visit the Website, Click Here
Also Read: 10 Best Free Poster Making Apps for Android In 2021
6. Sketch
For exclusive software for graphic artists available on Mac operating systems, Sketch is the best apps for graphic designing. This app is very simple to learn and receives regular updates from its developers. It focuses on designing screens and is mainly used for creating a slick user interface.
Features
Create icons and elements for applications and websites.
Support macOS, iPad, and iPhone only.
Available for $99 per year for one computer.
To Visit the Website, Click Here
Also Read: Top 10 Best Canva Alternatives for DIY Graphic Design
7. Xara Designer Pro X
Moving on with the list of best graphic art apps, an application that is affordable and provides extensive templates is Xara Designer Pro X. This tool can work with both vectors and bitmap and at the same time can incorporate desktop publishing as well. Other tasks include designing graphics, manipulating photos, and illustrations under one interface.
Features
Available for Windows operating system only.
It cost $299 for one license.
Access to over a million illustrations and photos along with hundreds of predefined templates and more.
To Visit the Website, Click Here
Also Read: Top 5 Amazing Android Apps For Designers
8. MediBang Paint
For beginners in the graphic and designing industry, one of the best apps for graphics is MediBang Paint which is a lightweight app minus all the overwhelming buttons and options. It can however deliver similar results as compared to the best graphic art apps. This app is mostly used by people who create comics and Manga as some of the features include managing multi-pages and easy panel slicing.
Features
Supports Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices.
Download for Free.
Support Articles and Tutorials are available
Any work initiated on a device can be completed on another with the help of the sync feature.
To Visit the Website, Click Here
Also Read: 10 Best Drawing & Illustration Software
9. Clip Studio Paint Ex
Another software for graphic artists who are keen on designing comics and cartoons is Clip Studio Paint Ex. This app has been developed in Japan and offers two versions: Pro & Ex. The Ex version converts 3D models into line art and manages multi-page projects while the Pro version facilitates creating individual images. Clip Studio paint allows users to download content from its library of 3D models, brushes, illustration tools, and predesigned graphics.
Features
It contains customizable word balloons for comics.
It supports Tablet and Stylus external devices.
Available on Mac, iPad, and Windows.
To Visit the Website, Click Here
Also Read: Turn Your Photos into Digital Art With These Tools and Apps
10. Krita
The final one on the list of best apps for graphics is an open-source and free app known as Krita. This app is managed by an online community of graphic artists. It contains many useful features like shaky lines, color management tools, and allows users to create unique brushes. Krita is an app for graphic designers that allows them to import and export their creations to other tools.
Features
Available for free on Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Simple and convenient to use.
The app interface can be customized.
Graphic Design Software Free
To Visit the Website, Click Here
Also Read: The Best Web Designing Tools For Professional
Final Word
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About the author:This guest article was written by Emma Best from Laptopical - a guide to the latest laptop reviews and laptop related news. You can also follow her on Twitter.
I've been using my MacBook Pro since a while now and I must say: I really love it. The most common app(s) that designers use has to be Adobe Photoshop (Or the full suite). The app(s) are great, but there is a downside: The price tag. Photoshop CS4 costs $699, CS4 extended is $999 and the full Creative Suite starts at an stunning $1799. For many people this is just a little bit too much to 'play around with'.
Luckily, there are also many free applications out there that can do the same kind of job that Photoshop could do for you. This article rounds up the best 15 free Mac Programs for Graphic Designers. Some of these applications can even do stuff that can't be achieved using Photoshop, or are much more simple to use.
Keep your wallet in your pocket, since all these programs will cost you nothing.
GIMP
The most popular of all free photo editing software, GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, and is highly-supported and frequently updated. Comparative to Photoshop, users can perform basic tasks such as photo retouching, color correction, and image size, or more complicated tasks like image composition and creation. GIMP has a scripting interface for advance users, as well as plugins, extensions, and filters.
Seashore
If you want GIMP, but don't have X11, then Seashore is the appropriate software for you. Based on GIMP, it has nearly all the settings and functions of the more advanced program without the higher requirements.
Inkspace
An excellent alternative to Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw, Inkscape is a free vector graphics program supporting standard SVG format, as well as XML and CSS standards. This program can do everything you'll need in a vector graphics program - tracing, path operations, direct XML editing, etc. Import and export formats include all the common image types, including JPEG, PNG, and TIFF.
Front End Digital Media Workshop
Don't waste time manually resizing individual photos for your various projects. Front End Digital Media is a batch conversion app for images (as well as video and audio), and allows you to mass resize, resample, split, join, and up/down sample JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, PSD, and PICT image files.
Image Tricks
The biggest appeal for the Image Tricks app is the ability to apply dozens of different filters to over 20 different image formats. The finished photos can then be exported as either TIFF, JPEG, or PNG.
Comipro Plus
If you create cartoons of any type, Comipro Plus is an excellent app. Designed in Japanese but usable to English speakers, this program helps create modern-looking comics, including editing and adding word bubbles.
Google SketchUp
Different from a normal vector graphics program, Google's SketchUp allows you to not only create a design, but view it in 3D. It is easier to use than more complicated 3D software, such as AutoCAD, and is free.
Colorate
Colorate is used to change and manipulate the colors in a photo. The Library generates a color swatch based on the photo, then allow you to add a new color pallete, either blending the current one, creating a custom one, or randomizing a completely new pallete.
Goldberg
This program is best used for those times when you're viewing your photos, and notice that a color is slightly off, or a side needs cropped a bit more. Instead of firing up a full photo editing application, you can simply make minor adjustments, including color correction, blurs, noise, and embossing.
NIH Image
If you need to animate one of your photos or designs, this program is for you. It's compatible with a wide array of programs, and in addition to animating images, it can also perform minor tweaks to contrast, sharpening, smoothing, filters, and more. It also analyzes particles, angles, and paths.
Scratch
This program is so simple, it can be used also immediately with no prior instruction. It is used for creating small games, interactive art, and animated stories, and is primarily marketed to children. Despite it's juvenile market, it is an excellent tool for putting together quick interactive banners and images without the learning curve.
DAZ Studio
If you're in need of realistic 3D models, DAZ Studio is an easy-to-learn 3D program for creating 3D objects, including people, animals, and objects (buildings, cars, etc). DAZ Studio is easier to use than other 3D animation tools, and is perfect for creating surrealistic and 3D art.
Bryce
Built to run with the aforementioned DAZ Studio software, Bryce is used to create real-looking landscapes using photos of real landscapes. Take a picture of your yard, a forest, some mountains, or other landscapes, import it into Bryce, and then add all the elements needed to turn it into a new world.
ArchiCAD
If you need a 3D design tool with more power and features than Google SketchUp, ArchiCAD is the right program to you. Similar to AutoCAD in both function and name, this program allows users to design their sketches and ideas into a realistic 3D render.
JAlbum
Every graphic designer requires an efficient way to keep all their photos and images organized. JAlbum is the ultimate photo organizer, as it not only allows you to organize your photos and folders using simple drag-and-drop functionality, but it also creates thumbnails and HTML pages of your photos for easy online publishing. The HTML pages to publish can be made to either export a gallery or a slide show. In addition, there's support for IPTC and EXIF data, lossless editing, image filters, style sheets, and an integrated FTP client.
Bonus: Pixelmator
I've added Pixelmator myself to this list, as Emma didn't include this app to her top 15 list. I really love to use Pixelmator myself and I don't think it should be missing from this amazing list.
Pixelmator, the beautifully designed, easy-to-use, fast and powerful image editor for Mac OS X has everything you need to create, edit and enhance your images.
Bonus: Blender
Just like Pixelmator, I've added Blender myself to this list, as Emma didn't include this app to her top 15 list. Blender is a great open source app for 3d content.
Blender is the free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License.
Are there more Mac Apps that you, as a graphic designer, love to use that is missing from the list above? Please share!
This guest article was provided to you by Emma Best from Laptopical.
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