Free design programs
Do you want to practice designing, or does your school/job require you to make a design for a one-time assignment? Then of course you want to spend no, or little, money on expensive programs. We can save you some time, as we have searched for the best free design programs and made a list that you can find below!
Canva is a free online design program that is perfect for people with little knowledge of graphic design. They have both a website and an app, which offer you the opportunity to make a variety of designs for things such as flyers, logos, and posters. You can also find templates for social media, to use for posts on for example Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube. If you already have design skills and want to try something new, you can also buy the paid version of Canva.
Inkscape is a free program that you have to install on your computer or laptop. The program is seen as an alternative to Adobe Illustrator and thus is used to quickly make illustrations to put on for example prints or promotional materials. Inkscape is a good app if you want to practice before purchasing an expensive program. The website also has tutorials that will help you understand the app in no time.
Design ready? Here are some examples of products you can print your designs on:
3. GIMP
GIMP stands for GNU-image manipulation program, and is a free graphic program for editing photos on your computer. The program is seen as a free alternative for Adobe photoshop. Before you can start using the program, you first need to download it on your laptop or computer.
Scribus is a free desktop publishing application with many opportunities to make a lay-out. The program is perfect for print-ready publications, such as magazines, brochures, or newsletters. Scribus can be compared to Adobe Indesign and Adobe PageMaker. On the website they have a manual that allows you to start working with the program in no time.
Gravit Designer is a free program that you can use to make business cards, logos, infographics, and other graphic elements. The program is very suitable for graphic designers and web designers.
Also see: 10 design tips for beginners, tips for making a logo