Affinity offers Affinity Designer, part of the “Affinity trinity” by Serif Europe. It provides vector graphics tools, non-destructive editing, and a variety of color models. Available on Windows, macOS, and iPadOS, it is popular among professionals in design, illustration, and web development.
For those exploring alternatives to Affinity, consider Photoshop, Illustrator, Procreate, GIMP, Canva, Lightroom, Elements, Clip Studio Paint.
Photoshop
Devised by Adobe and holding its ground since 1988, Photoshop stands atop as a multifaceted platform for image creation, graphic design, and photo editing. Integrating into Adobe’s Creative Cloud, it has been an indispensable tool for raster graphics editing among digital art professionals.
Photoshop Top Features
- Powerful features like Layers, Adjustment Layers, and History Panel.
- Tools including Regular Healing Brush, Clone Stamp Tool, and Crop Tool.
- Variety of robust functions like Color Balance, Levels, and Curves.
- Blending Modes, brushes variety, Clone Stamp, and Healing Brush.
- Advanced tools such as History Brush, Blur and Sharpen tools, Dodge and Burn tools, and Sponge tool to adjust color.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Layer-based editing system | Supports image creation or alteration with multiple overlays and transparency. |
| Text, vector graphics, 3D graphics, video | Extended capabilities for editing or rendering multiple types of content. |
| PSD/PSB file supports | Adoption of own file formats to fully support image editing features. |
Photoshop Limitations
- Not very user-friendly for beginners.
- High system requirements.
- Subscription-based pricing model may be costly.
Photoshop Use Cases
Graphic Design
Dominating the realm of professional digital art, Photoshop serves graphic designers with cogent tools and formats to create both web and print graphics. Logo creation and manipulation is quick and easy.
Photography
Photographers harness the power of Photoshop for advanced photo editing, retouching and enhancing images with high precision and numerous toolkit options.
Web Development
Web developers use Photoshop for layout designs, graphics creation and optimizing images for the digital platforms ensuring faster load speeds and visually pleasing content.
Illustrator
In the realm of design software, Adobe’s Illustrator exists as a paragon of vector graphics and animation, elegantly crafting letterforms and product packagings as well as mobile graphics. It stands as a resource ardently utilized by professionals and semi-professionals in their creative pursuits.
Illustrator Top Features
- Powerful vector graphic capabilities.
- Comprehensive type toolkit of more than 18,000+ fonts, type on path, variable fonts, color fonts.
- Advanced raster image conversion with point precision.
- Integration with Adobe Creative Cloud, seamless movement across Illustrator, Photoshop, Fresco.
- Sophisticated pattern creation with radial, grid, and mirror repeat.
| Manipulation | Modify spacing; mirror images; insert shadows. |
| Palette | Brilliant colors and gradients at your fingertips. |
| File Handling | Y2K preparedness, syncs files to the cloud. |
Illustrator Limitations
- High learning curve, particularly for beginners.
- Consumes resources heavily.
- No free version available, aside from a 7-day trial offer.
Illustrator Pricing
An investment in Illustrator is structured with options: Individuals may avail it at $19.99/month, while businesses can harness its power at $29.99/month. Regrettably, no free version exists beyond a 7-day trial offer, but there are open source alternatives for customizations.
Illustrator Use Cases
Use case 1 – Graphic Designers
Graphic designers admire Illustrator’s ability to shape unique, customized banners in a variety of formats such as JPG and PNG. Furthermore, the manipulation and blending of shapes, objects, and images enable extensive creative possibilities.
Use case 2 – Web Designers
Web designers can leverage Illustrator’s advanced vector toolbox to create crisp, scalable graphics for web-based applications.
Use case 3 – Semi-professional Illustrators
Semi-professional illustrators admire the comprehensive font toolkit, and the possibility to incorporate free-form gradients in their work. This, when coupled with Illustrator’s advanced raster image conversion capability, could embellish the aesthetic quality of their designs.
Procreate
Enter the creative odyssey of digital art with Procreate, a cloud-based design titan offering an exceptional platform for sketches, illustrations, and design.
Procreate Top Features
- Animation Assist tool allows breathtaking time-lapse creation
- Customizable brushes and effects to match the uniqueness of your imagination
- Modification of text style and incorporation of typography for standout designs
- Paint filter adjustment and effect application, inclusive of chromatic aberrations and realistic blurs
- Affordable one-time license fee ensuring no recurrent costs
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Canvas Customization | Modify canvas by size and resolution for tailored design needs |
| Compatibility | Designed exclusively for iOS devices, ensuring optimal functionality |
| Language Support | Localized in 16 languages, with a focus on accessibility and user-friendliness |
Procreate Limitations
- Limited layering due to canvas size and quality restrictions
- No free trial or version, posing an initial investment risk
- Requires Apple Pencil for optimal usage, an additional cost for non-owners
Procreate Pricing
Procreate charges a minimal, one-time license fee of exactly $9.99.
Procreate Use Cases
Use Case 1: Design
Procreate, with customizable brushes and spectacular paint effects, becomes an indispensable tool for artists digitally crafting memorable impressions.
Use Case 2: Note-Taking
With support for an array of languages and types, Procreate morphs into a note-taker’s haven, revolutionizing the traditional art of jotting down thoughts.
Use Case 3: Aesthetics
From chromatic aberrations, realistic blur to text style modification and typography incorporation, Procreate caters ingeniously to the creation of ethereal aesthetic experiences.
GIMP
Enter GIMP, the veritable David in a world teeming with Goliaths of design software. This open-source GNU Image Manipulation Program has been a stalwart companion to illustrators, graphic designers, and photographers since its inception in 1995.
Top GIMP Features
- Advanced photo enhancement and digital retouching capabilities
- Customizable interface and preview mode for tailored user experiences
- A sturdy channel mixer to eliminate lens tilt effects and distortions
| Independent Crop Tool | Allows active layer editing sans the ballooning complexity. |
| Supports Multiple File Formats | An exemplar of diversity, it can adapt to a myriad of formats and also export data smoothly. |
| Extensible | Written in the language of versatility, GIMP is extensible via plugins and scriptable. |
GIMP Downsides
- Interface might feel like a labyrinth to beginners due to its cluttered nature
- Partial compatibility with Adobe file formats induces some grimaces
- Current versions lack Lanczos image scaling algorithm, sparking mixed opinions
GIMP Pricing
Here comes a radical departure from the norms. GIMP, unlike its contemporaries, is absolutely free! Yes, free as the air you breathe. No hidden charges, no subscriptions. Wealth is in freedom with GIMP.
GIMP Use Cases
Use Case 1 – Ad Creation
With its sturdy interface and extensive repository of tools, GIMP is a tornado powered with creativity. You can quickly draft engaging advertisements without paying a dime.
Use Case 2 – Flyer Design
The magic of GIMP doesn’t stop at just ad creation; it extends to crafting stunning flyers. Its array of highly efficient tools provides a fluid design experience for professionals and hobbyists alike.
Use Case 3 – Global Outreach
GIMP speaks a universal language with support for 82 worldwide dialects, carrying your vision across the globe without getting lost in translation.
Canva
Canva is a widely-used online graphic design platform based in Sydney, Australia. Launched in 2013 by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams, it boasts an impressive number of approximately 100 million users worldwide as of 2023. From small businesses to large enterprises, Canva has been a popular choice for creating engaging marketing content, compelling presentations, and more.
Canva Top Features
- Drag-and-drop Design: Allows users to effortlessly place images and text for a crisp, professional composition.
- Photo Editing Tools: Enhance your photos with a variety of effect options.
- Pre-built Templates: Offers a wide array of templates such as logos, social media posts, newsletters, making it easy for the user.
- Magic Write: An AI-powered copywriting assistant introduced in 2023 to further assist in content creation.
| Custom Charts and Diagrams: | Enables users to visualise their data effectively. |
| Mobile Apps: | For convenience, Canva offers two mobile apps for on-the-go designing. |
| Custom Fonts, Frames, Shapes and Icons: | Add a personal touch to your designs with a range of customisation options. |
Canva Limitations
- In 2019, Canva experienced a data breach that impacted approximately 139 million users, raising security concerns.
- Despite a wide range of features, Canva might not provide the specificity required for advanced graphic design tasks.
Canva Pricing
The basic features of Canva are free for all users. However, for additional features and resources, Canva Pro is available from $12.99 USD per month for the first user, and $6.99 for each additional user. Businesses seeking enterprise-grade capabilities can opt for Canva Enterprise at $30 USD per month.
Canva Use Cases
Use case 1: Small Businesses
Small businesses can take advantage of Canva’s user-friendly interface and pre-built templates to create marketing materials, helping to improve brand visibility and customer engagement.
Use case 2: Education
Canva’s educational tools can assist in creating engaging teaching materials, elevating the learning experience.
Use case 3: Nonprofits
Nonprofits can leverage Canva’s design platform to create impactful campaigns and spread their message effectively, under a no-cost plan.
Lightroom
Say good-bye to average when you harness the power of Lightroom, another titan from Adobe’s repertoire. This image organization and processing software has carved a niche for itself in the line-up of Creative Cloud subscription family.
Lightroom’s Pinnacle Features
- High-speed, proficient photo editing, facilitating swift alterations in contrast, color balance, and brightness.
- Offers an arsenal of built-in and customizable presets, paving the way for real-time, on-the-go editing.
- Features a suite of multifaceted editing functions, including white balance, tone manipulation, detail manipulation, lens corrections, calibration, transformation, spot removal, red-eye correction and more.
- Powerful organizational tools to import/export, tag, flag and color-code images post-capture.
- Non-destructive software backbone, preserving original image integrity by saving edited images as a separate file.
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Platform Compatibility | Runs smoothly on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, tvOS. |
| Adobe Integration | Equip yourself with broader arsenal by exploring other Adobe software like Photoshop. |
| Different Variants | Lightroom Classic for desktop enthusiasts, while Adobe Lightroom caters to users who favour mobile devices and AppleTVs. |
Lightroom’s Limitations
- Requires a monthly subscription fee to access Creative Cloud.
- Individual licensing may feel steep at $9.99/month.
Lightroom’s Pricing
Lightroom’s subscription starts at $9.99/month or can be coupled with Photoshop and online storage, ranging from $9.99 to $54.99/month.
Lightroom Use Cases
Digital Marketers
Digital marketers can leverage Lightroom’s power to create visually appealing, high definition images for content creation and brand promotion.
Graphic Designers
For graphic designers, Lightroom can be a real game-changer – providing the tools for detailed color grading, spot removal, and a plethora of other adjustments.
Social Media Managers
Social media managers can fuel their campaigns and cultivate online presence using Lightroom’s rapid editing and organizational features.
Elements
Embarking on a journey into the world of design and structural analysis, we encounter Elements: a two-fold course/software meant to raise your design knowledge to elevating peaks. As initially stipulated, Elements takes two distinct but related paths – the “Basic Elements of Design” course on Coursera, and the structural analysis and design software, RAM Elements.
Elements Top Features
- Comprehensive graphic design course: The course furnishes learners with design skills on balance, proximity, alignment, repetition, contrast, and understanding space, and how it can be utilized in shape, form, and structure development.
- Additional Skills: The color theory, online design, textual elements, graphic design, and print design are additional skills that can be acquired through the course.
- Certificate of Completion: A shareable certificate for LinkedIn is offered at completion, showcasing your newfound design prowess.
- Diverse language subtitles: The course accommodates a multinational audience with diverse language subtitles.
- RAM Elements: It’s an adept tool for design and analysis of structures, particularly steel, concrete, cold-formed steel, timber, and masonry projects.
| Software Requirements | Usage |
|---|---|
| 1.3 GHz or faster processor, 2GB minimum RAM (4 GB recommended), 675MB free hard disk space (2GB for model analysis), compatible graphic card, a minimum screen resolution of 1024×768 | Designing and analyzing trusses, continuous beams, frames, retaining walls, masonry walls, tilt-up walls, shear walls, and footings |
Elements Disadvantages
- Some may find the split focus confusing, as there appears to be no clear connection between the design course and the structural analysis software.
- The software might prove difficult to learn and use without tutorials or tailored training mods.
Elements Pricing
In terms of pricing, Elements provides options to suit varying preferences – a 12-month subscription, a one-time purchase and support, or a perpetual license with SELECT that includes round-the-clock technical support and annual renewal quotes delivered via email.
Elements Use Cases
Use case 1
If you’re looking to amplify your understanding of design skills, particularly balance, proximity, alignment, repetition, contrast, and space usage, Elements – through its well-structured course on Coursera – is a beneficial tool.
Use case 2
As a structural engineer, Elements can serve as a crucial tool for designing and analyzing different structures – with the RAM Elements software – adequately aiding cost reduction and materials efficiency.
Use case 3
For professionals seeking to display their design mastery on job platforms – Elements offers a shareable Certificate of Course Completion for your LinkedIn profile, acting as a digital badge that can improve job prospects.
Clip Studio Paint
Introducing Clip Studio Paint, your ultimate digital design companion that brings the thrill of natural media brushes to the high-tech world of graphic design. This fierce little rebel roams far beyond the mundane, pushing boundaries and leaving convention in the dust.
Clip Studio Paint Top Features
- Vector Drawing : No stress, unlimited manipulation. Go back, change, tweak, your artwork remains crisp and clear.
- Customizable Brushes : Variety to satisfy any creative itch. Pencil, ink, watercolor, and oil, flecking digital canvases with stunning textures!
- Post-Drawing Style Changes : Never be trapped in style again. Change brush types post-drawing – the power of reinvention at your fingertips!
- 3D Support : Draw realistic, accurate illustrations with 3D data import.
- Cloud Backup : A virtual lifeline: backing up files with complete history tracking.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Photoshop Brushes Import | Import your favorite Photoshop brushes for amplified artistry! |
| Over 55,000 Brush Materials | Explore Clip Studio Paint’s materials site for an inexhaustible wealth of brush materials. |
| Layer Folders | Effortlessly manage layers with the option for bulk layer management. |
Clip Studio Paint Downsides
- No free version available: potential hindrance for those on tight budgets.
- License fee or ongoing subscription: mandatory upgrade after version 2 update.
Clip Studio Paint Pricing
Pricing that tickles the fancy of both occasional doodlers and professional artists. The PRO version for just $3.51/month while the EX version offers more advanced features at $71.99/year. A budget-friendly design beast.
Clip Studio Paint Use Cases
Comic Creators
Comic-crazed? Clip Studio Paint is your genie. From sketching to word balloons and captions, it’s your one-stop-shop for comic creation!
Professional Illustrators
Perfect for professional illustrators. With features like panel layouts, perspective rulers, and custom textures, create masterpieces that invoke awe!
Design Rebels
Maverick? Non-conformist? Clip Studio Paint is for you. Push back against the art-establishment whilst breaking boundaries and exploring uncharted territories of digital design.
