You may have wondered how those amazing digital designs and pictures are made. Graphic designers use a whole toolbox of software called ‘graphic packages‘ to create everything from stunning photos to intricate logos. But with so many options, where do you even start?
You’ve probably heard of big names like Adobe Photoshop and CorelDraw. These are powerful tools, yes, but there’s a whole world of graphic packages out there! Some are perfect for editing photos (raster images), while others are built for creating sharp, scalable designs (vector images). Think of raster images like photos, and vector images like the perfectly smooth lines of a logo.
For students and beginners, navigating this can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive list of 35 Examples of Graphic Packages, with a special focus on the Top 20, 10, and 5 you absolutely need to know. We’ll break them down into easy-to-understand categories: painting packages for photo editing and drawing packages for creating vector graphics.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to explore new software, this guide will help you discover the perfect graphic package for your needs. Let’s dive in!
Graphic Design Toolbox: A Guide to Different Types of Software
When you’re ready to dive into graphic design, you’ll find there’s a whole world of software options. To help you choose the right tools for your needs, let’s explore the main categories:
1. Open-Source Graphic Apps: Free and Flexible
- What they are: These are like community-built tools. Anyone with coding skills can help improve them, and they’re usually completely free.
- Why they’re great: Perfect for beginners and those who want to experiment without spending money.
- Examples: Inkscape (for vector graphics), GIMP (for image editing), Gravit Designer, SVG-Edit, Pinta.
- Tip: If you have PNG images, you can use a free PNG to SVG converter to make them scalable.
2. Cloud-Based Platforms: Design Anywhere, Anytime
- What they are: These are online tools you can use from any device with an internet connection. Some offer free versions with limited features, while others require a subscription.
- Why they’re great: Convenient for collaboration and accessible on both desktops and mobile devices.
- Examples: Canva, Stencil, Pixlr, Fotor, AppyPie.
3. Commercial or Paid Software: Professional Power
- What they are: These are professional-grade tools that you either buy or subscribe to. They’re packed with advanced features used by industry experts.
- Why they’re great: Essential for serious graphic design work and high-quality output.
- Examples: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Sketch, Xara Designer Pro+, Genially.
4. Desktop Applications: Powerful Tools on Your Computer
- What they are: These programs are installed directly on your computer, so you don’t need an internet connection to use them.
- Why they’re great: Offer robust features and performance for complex design tasks.
- Examples: CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Designer, Photoscape, Lunacy.
5. Mobile Device Apps: Design on the Go
- What they are: These apps are designed specifically for smartphones and tablets, allowing you to create graphics wherever you are.
- Why they’re great: Perfect for quick edits, sketching, and mobile creativity.
- Examples: Procreate (IOS), Infinite Design (Android), Ibis Paint x (Android), Adobe capture (IOS/Android), ArtFlow (Android).
List of Top 25 Examples of Graphic Packages
Now, let’s take a closer look at 25 popular graphic packages, broken down by their categories, so you can see which ones might be right for you.
Open-Source Graphic Apps (Free and Flexible)
- Inkscape:
- A powerful vector graphics editor, great for creating logos, illustrations, and scalable designs.
- Free and open-source, offering robust tools for professional-quality vector work.
- GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program):
- A versatile image editor, ideal for photo retouching, image composition, and graphic design.
- Free and open-source alternative to Adobe Photoshop.
- Gravit Designer:
- A full-featured vector graphic design app that works both online and as a desktop application.
- Useful for creating logos, illustrations, and user interface designs.
- SVG-Edit:
- A web-based vector graphics editor that runs in your browser.
- Perfect for quick edits and creating simple SVG images.
- Pinta:
- A simple, easy-to-use image editing program, similar to MS Paint but with more features.
- Good for basic image editing and drawing.
Cloud-Based Platforms (Design Anywhere, Anytime)
- Canva:
- A user-friendly online design tool with templates for social media graphics, presentations, and more.
- Great for beginners and non-designers who need to create professional-looking visuals.
- Stencil:
- A simplified graphic design tool for creating social media images, ads, and visual content.
- Known for its ease of use, and large stock photo library.
- Pixlr:
- An online photo editor with various tools for editing and enhancing images.
- Offers both basic and advanced editing features.
- Fotor:
- An online photo editor and design tool with features for photo retouching, collage making, and graphic design.
- Easy to use, and has a large amount of templates.
- AppyPie Design:
- Online graphic design tool that is part of a larger suite of online business tools.
- Useful for creating marketing materials, and other business related designs.
Commercial or Paid Software (Professional Power)
- Adobe Illustrator:
- Industry-standard vector graphics software for creating logos, illustrations, and print designs.
- Powerful tools for precise vector creation and manipulation.
- Adobe InDesign:
- Desktop publishing software for creating layouts for magazines, brochures, and print materials.
- Industry standard for multi page documents.
- Sketch:
- A vector graphics editor designed specifically for user interface and user experience design.
- Popular among UI/UX designers for its intuitive interface.
- Xara Designer Pro+:
- A versatile graphics software for vector illustration, photo editing, and web design.
- Offers a wide range of tools for various design tasks.
- Genially:
- Online tool that allows users to create interactive presentations, infographics, and other visual content.
- Great for creating engaging and dynamic visual content.
Desktop Applications (Powerful Tools on Your Computer)
- CorelDraw:
- A professional vector graphics editor for creating illustrations, logos, and page layouts.
- Known for its versatility and precision tools.
- Adobe Photoshop:
- The industry-standard image editing software for photo retouching, digital art, and graphic design.
- Extremely powerful, and used by professionals world wide.
- Affinity Designer:
- A vector graphics editor with powerful tools for creating illustrations, icons, and UI designs.
- A strong competitor to Adobe Illustrator.
- Photoscape:
- A simple and fun photo editing software with features for batch editing, collage making, and GIF creation.
- Good for quick photo edits and creative projects.
- Lunacy:
- Free vector graphic software for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Has many features that are similar to sketch.
Mobile Device Apps (Design on the Go)
- Procreate (iOS):
- A powerful digital art app for iPad, with a wide range of brushes and tools for sketching and painting.
- Popular among digital artists for its intuitive interface.
- Infinite Design (Android):
- A vector graphics app for Android, with tools for creating illustrations and designs.
- Offers a wide range of vector tools on a mobile platform.
- Ibis Paint X (Android):
- A drawing app for Android with a wide range of brushes and tools for digital art.
- Popular for creating manga and anime-style art.
- Adobe Capture (iOS/Android):
- A mobile app for capturing colors, patterns, and shapes from the real world and turning them into digital assets.
- Useful for creating custom brushes, patterns, and color palettes.
- ArtFlow (Android):
- A powerful mobile painting app with a wide range of brushes and tools for digital art.
- Offers a large canvas size and high performance.
Examples of Graphic Packages
Let’s explore some specific examples of graphic packages, categorized by their primary function: raster (paint) for image editing and vector (drawing) for creating scalable designs.
15 Examples of paint (raster) graphic packages
These packages are ideal for manipulating images and scanned documents. Keep in mind that raster images can lose quality and clarity when resized.
- Corel Painter:
- A professional digital art software for Windows, designed to simulate traditional painting techniques.
- Great for artists who want to create realistic digital paintings.
- Adobe Photoshop:
- A powerful image editing software for Windows and macOS, used for photo retouching, graphic design, and web design.
- The industry standard for professional image manipulation.
- Corel Photo-Paint:
- An image editor included in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, used for photo editing and graphic design.
- Offers a range of tools for image enhancement and manipulation.
- Serif PhotoPlus:
- A legacy image editing software for Windows, no longer supported with updates.
- While it was once a popular option, it is no longer recommended.
- MS Paint:
- A basic graphics editor included with all versions of Windows, offering simple drawing and image editing tools.
- Perfect for beginners and quick edits.
- GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program):
- A free and open-source image editing software for Linux, Windows, and macOS, a powerful alternative to Photoshop.
- Offers a wide range of tools for image manipulation and graphic design.
- Krita:
- A free and open-source painting program designed for digital artists, offering a wide range of brushes and tools.
- Excellent for creating digital paintings and illustrations.
- Artweaver:
- A Windows graphics editor developed by Boris Eyrich, offering a range of painting and image editing tools.
- Offers free and paid versions, with varying levels of features.
- Photopea:
- A free online image editor that works in your web browser, with a user interface similar to Photoshop.
- Great for quick edits and advanced image manipulation without installing software.
- Paint.NET:
- A free image editing software for Windows, offering a balance of simplicity and powerful features.
- User-friendly and good for both beginners and intermediate users.
- Pixlr E:
- An advanced online photo editor with a wide range of tools and features.
- Powerful browser based editing.
- MyPaint:
- A free and open-source raster graphics editor for digital painters.
- Designed to mimic traditional painting mediums.
- MediBang Paint:
- A free digital painting and comic creation software available for multiple platforms.
- Lightweight and feature-rich, popular among manga and comic artists.
- FireAlpaca:
- A free digital painting software that is lightweight and easy to use.
- Suitable for beginners and professionals alike.
- RawTherapee:
- A free, cross-platform raw image processing program.
- Focused on high quality raw image processing.
12 Examples of drawing (vector) graphic packages
These packages are used to create and modify objects without losing image quality, making them ideal for logos and illustrations.
- Xfig:
- An interactive drawing and open-source graphics application for the X Window System, used for creating diagrams and illustrations.
- A more technical program, that is not used by the average user.
- CorelDRAW:
- A professional vector graphics software for creating illustrations, logos, and page layouts.
- A comprehensive tool for graphic designers and illustrators.
- Adobe Illustrator:
- A powerful vector graphics editor and design application for creating scalable graphics.
- Industry-standard software for vector illustration and design.
- Affinity Designer:
- A professional vector graphics software for illustrations, photo editing, and UI design.
- A powerful and affordable alternative to Adobe Illustrator.
- Inkscape:
- A free and open-source vector graphics editor with powerful drawing tools.
- Great for creating logos, illustrations, and scalable designs.
- MS Visio:
- A vector graphics application included in the Microsoft Office suite, used for creating diagrams, flowcharts, and charts.
- Useful for visualizing data and creating technical diagrams.
- Vectr:
- A free online and desktop vector graphics editor with a simple and intuitive interface.
- Great for beginners and quick vector design tasks.
- Boxy SVG:
- A web based SVG editor.
- Has a clean and simple user interface.
- Vizzlo:
- An online tool for creating charts, graphs, and other data visualizations.
- Useful for creating professional-looking visual representations of data.
- Diagrams.net (draw.io):
- A free online diagramming tool for creating flowcharts, diagrams, and organizational charts.
- Versatile and easy to use for various diagramming needs.
- Gravit Designer:
- A full-featured vector graphic design app that works both online and as a desktop application.
- Useful for creating logos, illustrations, and user interface designs.
- SketchUp:
- While primarily known for 3D modeling, SketchUp also has powerful vector drawing capabilities for 2D design and documentation.
- Useful for architectural drawings, product design, and technical illustrations.
Conclusion
You’ve now explored 40 graphic packages, each with unique strengths. We categorized them into seven key areas: open-source software, cloud-based design services, commercial applications, desktop software, mobile apps, painting (raster) packages, and drawing (vector) packages.
Whether you’re a beginner eager to learn design or a student looking to enhance your projects, there’s a perfect tool for you.
- For Beginners: Start with open-source options like GIMP or Inkscape, or explore the user-friendly interfaces of cloud-based platforms like Canva or Vectr. These are excellent for learning the fundamentals without a financial commitment.
- For Students: Mobile apps like Procreate or MediBang Paint offer creative outlets on the go, while desktop applications like Paint.NET or Diagrams.net can be invaluable for school projects and presentations.
- For Aspiring Professionals: As your skills develop, consider exploring commercial software like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, which are industry standards.
Remember, the best way to learn is by doing! Experiment with different packages, find what suits your style and needs, and don’t be afraid to try new things. Start creating today, and watch your design skills flourish.
