What is Graphic Design Software?
Graphic design software is a suite of digital tools that create, edit and manipulate image-based and type-based designs or a combination of both. Application of graphic design software is seen across industries for designing logos, web pages, brochures, signs, books, and posters to name a few.
Products in this category support either raster or vector graphics. Raster images are made of pixels, while vector images consist of lines and curves created using mathematical theories. Because vector graphics are rooted in mathematical equations, they can be enlarged to any size without losing resolution. This is why products focused on vector graphics are often used for designing scalable logos.
This category covers a wide range of software products, with different products focused on different areas of graphic design. For instance, some products come with a library of design templates to help you create designs without professional training. You’ll also find products entirely focused on web page designing, desktop publishing or creating presentations.
Popular Graphic Design Software Products
Graphic Design Software Vendor Landscape
The Market Radar™ below shows the top Graphic Design Software vendors on Crozdesk. It ranks vendors based on the Solution Strength (user reviews, satisfaction) and Vendor Size to provide an overview of the Graphic Design Software market landscape.
What Graphic Designs Software should I Choose?
Most designers need more than one software applications for graphic design. It is almost impossible to find a one-size-fits-all solution. You need to use different applications in different situations.
What software you should choose depends on the task at hand. For instance, if you are designing scalable logos and icons, you should use an illustration software application capable of creating vector graphics. On the other hand, photo editing software is best suited for image manipulations, creating and editing digital arts and pixel arts.
Depending on your niche industry, you may also need page layout or web design software. For instance, if you mainly design for the print industry, you need a layout application for printing work, packaging and magazine layouts. For web designing, you can either use a generic photo editing tool or a solution specially designed for creating web graphics. Specialized solutions often leave out some generic features to include more advanced features for web designing.
There are also solutions specially designed to perform one specific task related to web designing. For instance, you’ll find products specially designed for creating color combinations or custom typefaces. Some products even allow you to post your design needs to an online crowdsourcing platform and get response from expert designers.
In some situations, you may need to use multiple graphic design applications to get the best results. For instance, when designing a print leaflet, you may want to use a photo editing tool for background removal, an illustration software application for incorporating the company logo and a layout program to arrange the page layout.
Common Features of Graphic Design Software
| Feature | Feature Description |
|---|---|
| CAD Tools | Computer-aided-design (CAD) is used for engineering or designing 2D and 3D models to create new products or graphic elements. |
| Data Export | Exporting functionality can be used to streamline the migration of data sets and information across systems, platforms or applications. |
| Data Import | Importing functionality allows you to use data sets from other systems or platforms to cut down on data entry requirements or to more easily migrate records from similar applications you have used in the past. |
| Multi-User | Supports more than just one user account and generally allows for collaboration with colleagues. |
| Pixel Graphics | Support for pixel graphics files, such as JPGs, PNGs, GIFs and others. |
| Third-Party Plugins/Add-Ons | Offers additional features or integrations built by third-party developers in form of plugins or add-ons. |
| Vector File Support | Support for vector graphics files using polygons and control points instead of pixels. Common file types include EPS, SVG and PDF. |
| Video | Support for video elements and other moving picture graphics. |
Latest User Reviews of Graphic Design Software Products
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"Useful Plugin for laser cutting drawings d..."
This plugin creates much cleaner vector file DXFs for laser, water jet, or plasma cutting versus the native Adobe Ill... All EXDXF-Pro User Reviews
"An easy to use professional graphic design..."
What I like about Adobe Illustrator is the ease with which I can create vector graphics with few tools. The handling ... All Illustrator CC User Reviews
"Outstanding Platform for Online Designing"
I'm currently using the web version of Canva. I like it's high performance, lightweight nature, responsiveness and th... All Canva User Reviews
"A remarkable design tool"
Xspiral has been a remarkable addition to my design toolkit. The platform stands out for its intuitive interface, whi... All Xspiral User Reviews
"An Essential Tool For Creative Projects "
Photoshop CC is an indispensable tool for any designer or creative professional. The vast array of features, from adv... All Photoshop CC User Reviews
""A Greatest Platform for editors""
Canva is a particularly user-dry platform that completes both beginner and professional, making the design accessible... All Canva User Reviews