Apps & Tools For Graphic Designers
There are so many ways to implement graphic design. Some people like to start by drawing their designs by hand, other people like to work in a completely digital space. No matter what your design preferences are, there are tons of apps, supplies, and tools that can really make your life as a graphic designer much easier. This article will cover some tools that are widely known to more seasoned designers, but I’ll also be including some obscure tools that many people probably haven’t heard of. So, let’s get started!
Freepik
Let’s start by stating the obvious. Freepik is one of the top tools and resources for graphic designers. There are incredible vectors, icons, and graphics available for download. Freepik offers both free and paid plans, and new content is added regularly. No matter what your graphic design style is, you’re sure to find something useful on the Freepik website.
Pinterest is a great tool for graphic design inspiration. You can use it to save designs from other artists that you really like or you can use it to find things you don’t like and see how you can improve them. You can also find people to connect with and collaborate on future projects by reaching out and actively participating in a design community.
Canva
Speaking of inspiration another great source of inspiration is Canva. If you’re not familiar with Canva, it’s basically a web application that is used to create things like social media posts, flyers blog banners, logos, business card etc. While I think it’s very important to create your own designs, Canva can be a great place to get some inspiration and create some quick designs. You may find yourself in a situation where you need a social media image within the next 10 minutes. Well, firing up Photoshop might not be possible given the limited amount of time that you have. Something like Canva can be a lifesaver. The best part is that you can use Canva on the go. They have apps for both phones and tablets running iOS and Android. If you have a computer you can use Canva on the web.
iPad Pro
If the idea of taking your design work portable appeals to you, consider purchasing an iPad Pro or other tablets. Tablets have gone more and more powerful over the years, and their giving many traditional computers a run for their money in terms of graphic design. While there is no full version of the Adobe Suite on a tablet, there are many very capable apps including, Canva, Procreate and Affinity Photo. The iPad Pro is a favorite in the graphic design community but just about any tablet will offer some great apps and add some great tools to your design workflow.
Tombow Dual Brush Pens
If you’ve heard of the iPad Pro, you’ve most likely heard of the Apple Pencil. And even if you haven’t you’ve probably heard of a stylus. The design of the stylus has improved greatly over the years, but there’s nothing like putting pen to paper. If you enjoy calligraphy or other forms of hand-drawn art, then you’ll love the Tombow Pens. They come in a variety of colors and line weights. It’s great if you want to create some hand-lettered artwork and scan it into your computer. The Tombow pens produce clean crisp lines so you don’t have to worry about smudging or fading when you’re scanning in your artwork.
All-In-One Printer
Last on our list is going to be a multifunctional printer. This is a printer that will print, copy, scan and fax (not sure who still needs a fax machine, but hey its included in the package). I know what you’re thinking, “Why would I ever need to print something if I’m a digital designer?” Hear me out, though. So there are many reasons why you would want to print something, but as a designer one of the top reasons goes back into inspiration. You might want to print off a picture to trace or hang up a quote that you like. You may even want to print off some of your own designs to add to your portfolio. In addition to the printing functions, you’ll also find the scanning function useful. Like we discussed earlier, many designers like to scan in their hand-drawn work. Most standalone scanners cost just as much as a multifunction printer, so you may as well pick up the multifunction printer if you’re in the market to buy something.
These are just a few of the tools and apps I recommend for graphic designers. There are so many unique programs that can enhance your design workflow. When you combine those programs with some physical products you can create some pretty amazing things.
