16 Essential Tools every Designer must Use and Own

To thrive in this tech-heavy scenario, you need complete knowledge about graphic designing software. Whether you're a certified designer or not, you can always kick start your career in the field by practicing, using different tools or software. Take note that some of these designing tools are easy to use and let you create striking designs with ease.

The best part about the software or tools is that most of them are available for free. So, you can go for essential graphic design tools that are often gentler than much complex and expensive software in the market when you need to learn.

Nevertheless, if you research effectively, you will find reliable and free of cost graphic designing tools, to begin with. And, you can experiment with plenty of ideas without breaking your bank.

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With the help of the right tool, you can carry out almost any task singlehandedly. If you are wondering which options are best for you, we have got you covered.

Here is the list of 16 essentials tools that you need as a designer.

1. 1. Photoshop

   

   You may have heard about Photoshop before. But here's why you need to know about it again and use it.

   Have you ever thought about a tool or program that helps you transfer your artistic style into the digital world? If so, then Photoshop is here to help you, being one of the most powerful tools currently available.

   Therefore, you should expect to create the best patterns and prints to make your mark in the designing world. As a graphic designer, it is a must-have tool for you as Photoshop comes with several features, tools, or settings. With the help of these options, you can turn your creative idea into an expert-level design that might boost your market value.

   Photoshop further allows the following:

   • • It lets you explore and enjoy new insights;
   • • It brings ideas to life;
   • • It enables you to polish your design skills;
   • • It will enable a step-by step-learning process;
   • • It facilitates your overall designing progress.

2. 2. Kuler

   

   We have been noticing variations in logo design trends regularly. Logo designers are naturally expected to come up with unique and witty ideas to cope with ever-changing trends.

   Concerning the fact that creative ideas are hard to generate quickly, Adobe has introduced a tool, Kuler. This astounding tool helps designers in numerous ways.

   For example, you can find complementary and analogous shades and the RGB and HEX codes that allow you to build intruding designs, using eye-catching shades.

3. 3. DesignBold

   

   If you are looking for an online yet user-friendly design tool to get the job done quickly, DesignBold can be your choice. It seems like a simplified, Photoshop-like tool that lets you create striking designs with quick drags and drops. It comes with a vast collection of layouts and myriad designs that you can customize according to your needs.

4. 4. Assembly

   

   Vector designs are a fresh trend in the designing world currently. So, to be a part of the bandwagon, you can learn the right techniques to develop a striking logo using vector designs. If you are pro at Adobe illustrator, you can get the job done in one go.

   However, beginners can download the Assembly app to build stunning vector designs using their iPhones. The gallery in the app offers over 180 customizable shapes.

5. 5. PixTeller

   

   PixTeller is an easy-to-use online image editor & animation maker to create posters, animated gifs, logos, photo collages, quote pictures, banners, invitations, flyers, video thumbnails & more.

   Even if you are a designer or not, you can bring life to your idea and use pre-designed graphic templates to turn words, photos, and illustrations into marvelous images and animated videos in minutes. Use our free design tools to create, download, share - anytime, anywhere, and blow your readers away with beautiful visuals.

   You can make your graphic images & animated videos, and its faster, easier, and not-at-all complicated. Choose hundreds of free pre-design graphic templates, professionally crafted, easy to use, and customize with the help of our image editor and animation maker tool.

6. 6. Logaster

   

   Designers with short-term deadlines can make the most of this online tool. Logaster is the best option to design a logo for a small project in a limited time. It takes only a few minutes to come up with a comprehensive yet unique design.

7. 7. Sketchbook Pro

   

   Experts say graphic designing and sketching are inseparable. You need to have a pen and paper ready to draw an idea whenever it hits you. But, in this tech-savvy time, it seems awkward to carry a variety of pencils and a hefty notebook, especially if you have options like Sketchbook Pro.

   This app features a vast collection of pens, brushes, markers or pencils, etc, so you can draw your idea on any canvas.

8. 8. Illustrator

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   Did you know Adobe Illustrator lets you perform 2D or 3D graphic manipulation to boost efficiency in any design? With illustrator, not only digital artists but even bot graphic designers can develop various digital products!

   Illustrator also comes with exciting features like easier image cropping, stability enhancements, stylist sets to texts, or faster document creation, etc.

9. 9. InPaint

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   Isn't it frustrating when you finally find the perfect images for your project, but they come with watermarks? No doubt, removing a watermark from a photo is quite a time-consuming task. That is why we have incorporated InPaint on the list. It lets you remove a watermark like a pro. Simply download the software, open the watermarked image on it, remove the watermark by clicking on it, and do your job.

10. 10. Palleton

    

    As a designer, you must be aware of the significance of an appropriate and impactful color scheme. If you've been seeking inspiration to develop a striking color palette, Palleton can work for you. It helps you create a color combo that blends in with your design perfectly.

    The color wheel on the tool showcases a variety of attractive hues and shades. You can also look for tried and tested color palettes like Tetrad, Freestyle, Monochromatic, Triad, and Adjacent colors.

11. 11. FontShop

    

    Choosing the appropriate font style is just as important as selecting the perfect color. However, when you start searching for a font that syncs with your design, it takes up a lot of your precious time. Designers who struggle to find relevant fonts can opt for FontShop.

    You can even incorporate the font into your creation and see how it looks and finish off your design project as an expert.

12. 12. Sketch 3

    

    You need different symbols to craft a design to perfection. These symbols can help you develop flexible designs with ease that you can reuse later. The perks of Sketch 3 aren't restricted to this. It contains useful features such as color picker, text and shared styles, art-boards, pixel perfection, and many more to level-up your design game.

13. 13. Fotor

    

    Who doesn't want to finish maximum editing ASAP? Fotor, an online image editor and poster designing application lets you perform basic photo editing, improve brightness, beautify the portrait just by one-tap, and also helps in creating promotional content. It can serve as your assistant when there is plenty of editing or designing to complete before the deadline.

    It doesn't involve complex functions. You can use a stock image and add text or stickers to personalize it. Fotor comes with the following features that you may need in various designing projects:

    • • Design stickers;
    • • Cloud saving;
    • • Text and fonts;
    • • Design Templates.

14. 14. Adobe Creative Cloud

    

    It seems like Adobe knows exactly what a designer requires! As a designer, programs like Indesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator are your ultimate tool-kit to make your journey hassle-free and fun. But, the remarkable efforts of Adobe aren't limited here.

    It has introduced Adobe Creative Cloud, where you can store graphics, typefaces, and color palettes in the cloud storage and quickly access them for future projects. Graphic designers must keep fonts and color combos handy, so you can access them without wasting extra time.

    This creative cloud from Adobe is an excellent tool to store useful features and save time simultaneously!

15. 15. Pixelmator Pro

    

    If you are a creative genius, this tool is exactly what you need. Pixelmator Pro comes with simple editing tools and a single-window interface. Its intelligent photo editing features have made it an ideal selection for designers. With Pixelmator Pro, you can work on multiple projects, using intuitive tools to carry out tasks like organizing layers, moving, and resizing.

    Moreover, if you are someone who loves to experiment with different features, Pixelmator pro offers an exciting variation of handcrafted brushes to polish your painting skills. These brushes contain dual textures to incorporate dynamic vibes to your artworks.

16. 16. Webflow

    

    You must be surprised to know that developing a responsive website layout is possible in a short time. With Webflow, you can design and build your design while investing little effort into the process.

    If you are wondering, there's no need to use code with the tools, just export and change the website's HTML/CSS tags as per your client's requirements, and you are good to go.