Choosing the best graphic design platform for you involves considering what you want to accomplish with it. Here are some of the overall best free and paid graphic design platforms that are currently available, as well as some points to consider when choosing a platform!
Here are some of the most popular graphic design platforms that may be a good fit your needs!
Adobe's large suite of photo and video editing software is probably what comes to mind first for many beginning and professional graphic designers. Adobe ranks among the most popular platforms for many digital content creators based on its wide variety of web-based and app-based digital tools and customizable user interface. Adobe's Creative Cloud, which includes Photoshop, is packed with unique features, including its Design Space view, Artboards, synced libraries, and glyph panel.
However, Adobe only offers its products as a subscription service with no option to purchase them, which can end up costing much more over time than simply buying a different platform. This is especially true for beginners, who may find that Adobe offers far more features than they actually need.
Canva is a free graphic design platform that allows users to create relatively simple graphics. Users can choose from a wide variety of customizable templates that are available to fit any occasion, and these basic graphics can be excellent for creating basic social media posts, invitations, and similar promotional products. However, like most free platforms, Canva is limited in its overall capabilities and is usually not the best choice for more complex projects.
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is filled with many professional features that rival those of Adobe Creative Cloud and offers three payment options to better meet the needs of a wider variety of graphic designers.
Here are several key points to look for when determining the graphic design platform that best meets your needs!
Knowing what features you need, which may be helpful, and which are unnecessary for the types of projects you are planning to work on is crucial when it comes to selecting a graphic design platform that meets your needs. It does not always make sense for beginners to spend a significant amount of money on the best platform available if that platform has far more features than they will be capable of using in the near future, especially if they are working on a one-time project and are not sure if they will continue to use the platform.
The complexity of your graphic design platform should match your current level as a graphic designer, potentially with room to grow if you intend to stick with the art long term. Choosing a graphic design platform that is relatively easy to use is helpful for graphic designers of every skill level, and this is particularly important for beginners.
Although you usually should not choose a graphic design platform based on price alone, it is important to make sure the platform you choose fits into your budget. In many cases, the end goal of your graphic design work is to make money, and it does not make sense to invest more in your software than you can expect to make within a reasonable amount of time.
There are many free platforms available that can often meet basic needs, but it is important to choose an option that works for you if you decide to purchase or subscribe to a paid platform. By determining what features you actually need to successfully create your current projects and which ones would simply involve spending more money on things you won't use, you can ensure that the graphic design platform you choose will meet your needs without breaking the bank.
At CorelDRAW, we prioritize making the features graphic designers of every level need accessible at a reasonable price. Explore our website to learn more about our graphics suite or to download your free trial!
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