Graphic design has changed immensely since the Internet was publicly established. Instead of buying graphic software from your local computer store, everything one could need is now available online. In many instances, designers don’t even need to pay or register for an account.
As the Internet continues to grow, graphic design tools become more essential. Luckily, it doesn’t take a degree in fine arts to use these online apps. Even the most novice of web hosting developers have potential to make stunning imagery and visually engaging content.
Here are some of the most important online tools users need to keep track of in 2017. Whether it’s for creating a button or promoting content on Facebook, graphics will always play a key role in online success.
Dropbox
Cloud storage is incredibly useful for those who don’t want to accidentally lose their work. Dropbox not only stores these images, but it can also be used to synchronize folders on separate computer systems. This means developers can work on a project from an office computer and then finish working on the graphic at home without worrying about copying the image to a flash drive.
Pixabay
Not all developers can afford stock photos or use images enough to warrant subscribing to these platforms. Sites like Pixabay are great resources for finding royalty free and creative commons images to use for virtually any purpose. The only trade-off is that Pixabay doesn’t have the extensive library that other stock photo sites may have. However, it’s driven by a community and is growing in popularity on a daily basis.
COLOURlovers
COLOURlovers is a great site for developing visual palettes for all purposes. It has several tools available and offers a social presence as others can vote and comment on projects. One of the more engaging aspects of this site is the Trends area. Based on current uses and technologies, users can follow visual trends for everything from branding to website development.
Canva
Looking to put images into an infographic or eBook? Canva may be the right tool to use. This platform comes complete with a wide assortment of templates as well as free images and text tools to accentuate the project. It can also help create the perfect image sizes for social media, email headers and much more. Since users can upload their own graphics to the tool, Canva is quite versatile for just about any project.
Pixlr
For those who need a good Photoshop replacement or to create an engaging social media graphic, Pixlr has excellent potential. The Editor system is reminiscent of some of the most popular graphic design tools complete with pulling images from URLs for editing. The functions available in the Express format offer a wide scope of elements to bring the most out of images for social engagement. The best part is that it doesn’t require an account to use.
Textures.com
Looking for a perfect background for the website or YouTube video? Textures.com has a wide assortment of background images that can be used in a myriad of purposes. Everything from 3D brushes to wood paneling is available for graphic design work. While the free account allows users to download up to 15 images per day, there is far more capacity when upgrading to the Premium Access.
1001 Fonts
Adding the right font to an image can be very beneficial. What better place to start the search for a graphic improvement like this than at 1001 Fonts? The database for this site continues to grow over the years and currently hosts nearly 9,000 typefaces. These range everywhere from being creative commons to purchasable from the site.
Fribbble
Vector images and textures are quite the commodity when designing on a massive scale. Users can find an incredible collection of these from Fribbble. This site is full of various graphic enhancements ranging from watercolor-designed font faces to assortments of textures. Fribbble seems more like a curation site for various materials around the web, but may be a great place to start when looking for graphics.
Vectr
Vectr is a free online tool specifically designed for vector graphics. It can be used as a standalone browser app or users can sign up to include saving features. The tool offers the basic elements any designer would need to create stunning images from the canvas. It supports multiple pages and layers for advanced use. Users can also export the file as a downloadable image, shared on Social media or directly printed.
Pablo
Once those perfect images are ready for social media, Pablo helps users share them. This system allows developers to instantly send graphics to various social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with a single click. It comes with an assortment of text tools, the ability to add company logos and the template images are optimized for the best sizes in Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
BeFunky
BeFunky is more of an image enhancement tool that anything. It offers an array of filters, effects, text type and graphics to accentuate any image uploaded to the system. Most people may use it as a way to enhance photographs to add more character prior to being used in social media. Luckily, BeFunky allows sharing to the most popular platforms directly from the system itself.
Deviant Art
Deviant Art has one of the largest growing collection of superior graphic design anywhere on the Internet. In fact, a large portion of graphics that find their way into social media came from this website. Whether looking for inspiration, a royalty-free graphic or something to enhance a website, Deviant Art is one of the best places to visit for all things graphic design.
In conclusion…
From the moment a website developer commits to a web hosting platform, graphic design becomes the foremost element. This is because a site needs to have an engaging appearance. Whether it’s to accentuate a blog post or share an item on social media, these tools have potential to improve success. All it takes is a bit of imagination and patience to learn the tool.
Originally posted on April 15, 2017 @ 8:16 am