10+ Best Graphic Design Software for Mac and Windows in 2022

Best Graphic Design Software for Mac and Windows – In today’s modern era, everything that is attached to digital needs cannot be separated from what is called graphic design.

Many millennials and young people understand the important role of graphic design. Even in jobs that are present in the present or the future, it is certain that all technology, content, and other digital needs will continue to run side by side with graphic design media. Therefore, the world of graphic design plays a big role and deserves to be studied by the modern generation.

Graphic design will direct our perception of the world of art, aesthetics, and visualization. The use of graphic design in digital media is also diverse, it can be seen in the things we often encounter today, for example, social media, websites, metaverse, and the like.

These media are not only a means of social communication, but also a place for creators and graphic designers to share a variety of design content of all kinds, the goal is to make their work famous, seen, and liked by many people.

In the past, graphic design was used only to create such as banners, pamphlets, brochures, logos, invitation designs, or simple designs. However, nowadays the need for graphic design is getting wider, graphic design is starting to be used to create promotional content, feed designs, advertisements, more modern logos, video thumbnails, website designs, cartoons, typography, fonts, vectors, and much more.

Best Graphic Design Software for Mac and Windows

Creators or designers are also supported by the existence of computer graphic design applications or software, which are currently more and more in kind. Of course, graphic design software has its way of working and advantages.

Well, for those of you who want to be involved with graphic design software, it is advisable to learn how to use the existing software. Through this article, we will tell you about the recommendations for the best graphic design software that you can use on your computer or laptop. For a more complete explanation, see the list below!

1. Adobe Photoshop CC

One of the graphic design software for photo editing and effect manipulation is none other than Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is a software developed by Adobe as a photo editor software. This software was first launched in February 1990, and since then many extraordinary works have been produced through this software. Of course, this is because of the superior features and editing tools in it.

Adobe Photoshop is one of the main software that is widely used for photographer work, photo editing, photo manipulation, effect editing, and so on. This software is very appropriate for you to consider as your partner in working on projects or just learning the basics of graphic design for photo editing.

2. Adobe Illustrator CC

Still in the same family as Photoshop, namely Adobe Illustrator software. Adobe Illustrator is software used for making vector graphic designs or image illustrations. This software was developed by Adobe, Inc. and was first launched in March 1987. As great as Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator has also been used by graphic designers to create extraordinary works.

Some examples of works from Illustrator such as logo designs, icons, pamphlets, packaging, cartoon designs, illustrations, feed designs, advertising designs, and many more. With many features and tools available, this software will help you in drawing or editing your work. Complete colors, various plug-in support, and large forum support are other reasons that will make graphic designers use Illustrator software as a partner in their work.

3. Adobe InDesign CC

Adobe InDesign is a software developed by Adobe and first launched in August 1999. Adobe InDesign is design software that is commonly used in the publishing field. Adobe InDesign is commonly used to create posters, magazines, newspapers, books, and brochures.

With features like those in InDesign, and the ability to process text that is very easy to use with the help of layout design, you will be given the convenience of working on publishing projects. This software will be very suitable for those of you who work as employees of a publishing company, publication, or individual design needs.

4. CorelDraw

CorelDRAW is a software developed by Corel Corporation and launched in January 1989, two years after the first release of Adobe Illustrator. CorelDraw software almost has the same function as Adobe Illustrator, which is both vector-based software. In general, CorelDraw is often used by novice or professional designers to work on logo designs, brochures, invitation designs, pamphlets, and other vector designs.

CorelDraw is also easy to use for beginners because the interface is more user-friendly and the tools in it are easy to use. Many students and the advertising sector in Indonesia use CorelDRAW as their standard software for designing. For those of you who like to draw but don’t have enough specifications to use Adobe Illustrator, you can consider this software as a replacement.

5. PaintShop Pro by Corel

This software is one of the families of CorelDRAW software. PaintShop Pro is a software developed by Corel as a photo editor software. This software was first launched in August 1999, one year after the launch of CorelDRAW. Unlike CorelDRAW which is used to draw illustrations, PaintShop is more focused on being an image editor software like Adobe Photoshop.

Some reviews say that this software is an alternative software to replace Photoshop. The ability of this software also deserves appreciation, especially in its operation which is somewhat easier than Photoshop. For those of you who want to experience using Photoshop but can’t use it, you can try this software.

6. Inkscape

Inkscape is a software developed by The Inkscape Team, intended for graphic designers who want to try digital images. This software was first launched in November 2003. Inkscape is FSF (Free Software Foundation) software including software that is used by all users for free. Not only that, but this software is also open-source, you and the developer can learn and contribute to modifying the software.

In addition, Inkscape is a graphical software with a simple interface. Another plus that Inkscape has is that it has a portable version. If you are looking for graphic design software that is free and easy to use, Inkscape is the recommendation, besides being free and easy, this software is also light to use.

7. Sketch

In contrast to other graphic software, this software is software specifically for macOS users. The sketch is graphic design software that you can use on a computer or laptop that uses macOS as its operating system. You can get this sketch by buying it on the official website for $99 or around Rp. 1,400,000. It is indeed quite expensive, but if you consider the price of MacOS, which is also expensive, it makes a little sense.

The advantage of this software is that its performance and performance are very light and smooth. Sketch has many useful features, one of which is the Artboard Preset feature which is very useful if you are working with Artboard. For those of you who use MacOS, I highly recommend choosing this software. This is reasonable because the software that is only devoted to MacOS must be interesting and the experience presented will be very impressive. In terms of color, there is also no doubt, that macOS is the champion.

8. Clip Studio Paint

Clip Studio Paint is a digital painting and illustration software that can be used to create comics, concept art, and 2D frame-by-frame animation digitally. Clip Studio Paint was developed by Celcys, a Japanese graphics software company, and is available for a variety of popular operating systems such as macOS, Windows, and iOS. In Japan, this software is better known by the name “kurisuta”. In general, Clip Studio Paint is a vector-based graphics application that will support the needs of designers or artists in creating animations, manga, illustrations, comics, and the like.

Clip Studio Paint is also supported with complete coloring features. This will help its users to make the images look more alive. Users can use Clip Studio Paint to create comics and illustrations in black and white or in full color. Clip Studio Paint is also very compatible with many formats, both for import and export. For those of you who like to make comics or illustrations, you can consider this software to work in your work.

9. Pixlr

Pixlr is a cloud-based suite of photo editing tools and utilities. Pixlr was founded in 2008 by a Swedish developer, Ola Sevandersson. Pixlr is a platform for photo editors and photo-sharing services. Pixlr can be used on a web browser, mobile device, or desktop computer for free. The Pixlr editor platform is compatible with various formats such as JPEG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, PSD (Photoshop Document), and PXZ which is the original Pixlr document format.

Many use this tool as an alternative to Adobe Photoshop, this is because Pixlr provides a variety of editing features that are quite complex. In addition, Pixlr is one of the easiest photo editors to use, where users are presented with a variety of professional design template ideas that are instant to use. Pixlr has provided photo editing features with modern tools, and several editing features such as: giving artistic effects, photo collages, filter touches, removing backgrounds, overlay features, and many more.

10. GIMP

GNU Image Manipulation Program or better known as GIMP is a raster-based graphics processing software. This software was first launched in 1996. This application supports almost all computer operating systems, both Windows, macOS, and Linux. In addition, GIMP can also be used portable or installed via a USB drive. GIMP editors can be used to create graphics and logos, change image resolutions, combine images, and make conversions from various types of images.

On the other hand, many use GIMP as an alternative to Photoshop. Some of the main features of GIMP include color adjustment, curve adjustment, cropping, rotation, hue saturation, sharpening, clone stamp, layer masking, channel mixing, healing brush, and levels. GIMP is one of several graphic design software that is open-source, which means that this software is marketed for free, anyone can use it, study it, or change it. This software will be perfect for those of you who want to save money.

11. Canva

Canva is a graphic design application that is used to create social media graphics, presentation templates, posters, documents, and other visual content. In general, Canva has provided instant templates to use for its users. Canva was founded by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams in Perth, Australia on January 1, 2013. Like other graphic design software, Canva also has features that will help you, the features are fairly complete for standard use. The most important thing about this software is that the UI is quite user-friendly, which will make it easier for you to learn.

These design platforms or applications can be used free of charge by users, and for added functionality, developers offer paid subscriptions such as Canva Pro and Canva for Enterprise. Canva can be used by users in a desktop Web App or an application installed on a smartphone. Using Canva also depends on your internet connection, so if you want to use it, make sure your internet connection is stable for good performance.

12. SketchBook

SketchBook is graphic design software used for expressive drawing and concept sketches and animations on computers and laptops. Previously this application was called Autodesk SketchBook, later changed its name to SketchBook, and has been separated from the Autodesk company into an independent company, namely SketchBook Inc. This software is intended for designers or creators with digital drawing needs.

At first, SketchBook included software that was traded in the market, but now this software has been marketed for free, for some reason. By using Autodesk SketchBook, you will be able to draw concept art, visual designs, illustrations, and various other images on your device. Coupled with the many features provided, you are sure to be able to draw aesthetically like drawing on paper.

13. Gravit Designer

Gravit Designer is a free and full-featured vector graphic design software, that allows you to design illustrations on all platforms. This application has many OS support, ranging from Windows, macOS, Linux, Web App, and ChromeOS. The Gravit Designer application is a universal solution to meet creative needs, perfect for a variety of designer jobs including illustration, UI, screen mockup design, print art, branding, and logo design.

As a graphic design software, the size of this application is quite light. Even so, this software still prioritizes its features, to help users in beautifying and beautifying their work. Not only that, but this software also provides free templates that can simplify your design activities. However, the drawback of this software is that it cannot read files created by other graphic design software, such as .ai, .crd, and .eps files. Even so, users will design with the advantages of the Gravit Designer application itself.

14. Autodesk 3ds Max

As the name suggests, this software has a function for 3D modeling. Autodesk 3ds Max or 3ds Max is a 3D modeling and rendering software that is usually used for game design, visualization design, and animation. The use of 3ds Max software has a long history in terms of 3D modeling, which since the early 90s was known as Studio 3D, until it was finally acquired by Autodesk in the mid-2000s by developing many visualization effects and design creations.

You can also use 3ds Max software for infrastructure needs, interior design, video games, animated films, TV series, visual effects, manufacturing sector planning, and others. This software is included in the premium software because it is a very complex sophistication of its features. It provides a variety of features, including extensive plug-in options, shape manipulation features, textures, camera motion control, quality 3D modeling tools, UV mapping features, Auto-masking, and much more. In addition, 3ds Max is known for its relatively user-friendly software workflow.

15. Onshape

Onshape is a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) product development platform that combines CAD, data management, real-time collaboration tools, and business analytics. Users can use Onshape using web-based servers, by collaborating on a single model, editing, and interacting at the same time. This program is intended for various industries that want to do product design, design of machine parts, manufacturing equipment, and others.

In general, Onshape can help businesses modernize the product design process. Software is also very suitable for those of you whose job is to draw 3D modeling, such as drawing 3D models of a machine or tool to be made. For non-professional design needs, this software is available at no cost. But for commercial and professional purposes there is a special subscription fee of $2,100, while for the standard version the price is $1,500.

16. Xara Designer Pro X

Xara Designer Pro is a graphic design and brand management software solution to help businesses create illustrations, edit photos, build websites, create vector graphics, and more on a unified platform. This software also has a cloud Add-on that will help you when editing or sharing files using different devices. This software has a lightweight performance and is very compatible with low-end specifications, rendering, editing, and processing performance is also very fast. Not only that, but this software also has a simple UI display.

Xara Designer Pro also has very useful features, some of which include: 3D features that will help you when you want to create 3D visualization effects or 3D object manipulation, creative effects, Adobe plug-in integration, and more. In addition, this software also has a very powerful Zoom capability, it can zoom up to 25.601%. For those of you who work as web designers, this software is highly recommended. By using this software you no longer need to install various kinds of software for web design needs, because this software already provides everything. Starting from photo editing, illustrations, vector rendering, web design, and various other features. Xara Designer Pro X does not have a paid version but offers a free trial. This software offers a paid version starting from USD 199,000/one time.

17. Adobe XD

Adobe Experience Design or often referred to as Adobe XD is graphic design software that has the main function of making wireframes, UI/UX prototype designs, and screen designs for digital products for both mobile applications and websites. Adobe XD is available for macOS and Windows devices. New users can use the Begin Tutorial for a how-to or process using Adobe XD, where you’ll be quickly guided through the basics of the application as well as other important tasks.

There are two types of use of Adobe XD, the free plan is a starter package that allows anyone to download and use this software for personal use, including design tools and prototyping tools at no cost. The paid plans are intended for professional use, where there are new features for unlimited sharing and collaboration, as well as full access to premium features. In essence, for those of you who want to be a UI/UX designer, Adobe XD will be the right choice for you to use.

18. Figma

Figma is a collaborative interface graphic design software that runs in the browser. Figma provides users with various tools or icons needed for the project design process, such as vector tools for illustration, prototyping capabilities, and code generation for hand-offs. This software has main functions similar to Adobe XD, Gravit Designer, Sketch, and other similar graphic design software.

Although Figma is browser-based, it turns out that a desktop version is also available for Windows and macOS. The companion application, Figma Mirror for Android and iOS, allows viewing of Figma prototypes on mobile devices. This software has quite complete features, suitable for those of you who work as mobile application designers. Because it is web-based, Figma allows users directly to collaborate on projects and work in teams at once anywhere and anytime.

Closing

That’s a list of the best PC graphic design applications that we can recommend for you. Each graphic design software has different features and advantages, both in terms of use and the results of the designs that users work on. For example, you choose to use Adobe Illustrator to work on vector or illustration designs, or you may choose Adobe Photoshop which is design software for photo editing, effect manipulation, and others. As for other graphic design applications, such as Canva, which is designed in such a way by providing design templates, choice of graphic icons, and the like.

Seeing the many graphic design software that has been discussed, will give you a reference for what kind of design needs you want later so that users can also determine the type of graphic design software that will be needed later. If you have any questions regarding the graphic design application that we have described above, please write your questions in the comments column below. Don’t forget to share this article with your friends on social media. Thank you and good luck!

FAQ:

What applications do graphic designers use most often and the most?

Adobe Photoshop is the most popular and versatile software in the market and is preferred by most graphic designers, digital artists, photo editors, etc.

Which app is best for graphic design beginners?

Canva is a highly accessible piece of software designed especially for people with no graphic design training or knowledge. Easy to use and the template allows graphic design for everyone.

What software is most needed for graphic design?

You need design and editing software that can handle text and graphics for graphic design. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, GIMP, CorelDraw, and Canva are some of the most popular graphic design software in the market today.

What is the average price for a graphic design application?

Depending on the software, graphic design applications are expensive and free to access. GIMP is a popular, free, and open-source graphic design software. Adobe Photoshop which is the most popular graphics software on the market costs $20.99/month which is billed annually.