Best Vector Design Tools

Graphic design has gained more popularity over the years. Many business people across the world rely on graphic designs to see their business succeed. It is one way to make your ideas stand out in a magazine or website by coming up with incredibly unique, eye-catching images.

Additionally, graphic design tools have revolutionalized fine arts. There are numerous graphic applications in the market today. And so many more are still in the pipeline. But this list consists of the tools that have been tried and tested over time. Many wannabes have come and gone but these have remained standing.

1 . Adobe Illustrator CC

The Adobe Illustrator CC tool is one of the most popular tools when it comes to vector objects. It tops the list when we come to graphic designing as it is regarded as the best in this industry. Actually, most of the other tools in design look up to Adobe. The tool creates artwork using both bristle brushes and calligraphy tools. It creates vector artwork by use of an array of pencil, pen, and curve tools.

Creation of logos, typography, sketches, icons, and video illustrations including mobile illustrator will work best if you use Adobe Illustrator CC. A combination of Illustrator and Photoshop can help design book covers and posters that do not have much text.

Pros

• It is one of the fastest designer tools
• The tool is accompanied by its plugins that can convert a blank page into a fantastic web page
• It is easy to use and has a high level of scalability

Cons

• The Adobe Illustrator CC only works on the Creative Cloud.
• You have to dedicate some time to learn how to work on Adobe Illustrator.
• The tool is expensive hence not cost-effective for many people.

2. Corel DRAW

This remains one of the most renowned tools in the industry. It is the recommended tool when it comes to logo design and vector illustration. Corel Draw has a great page layout and it’s very easy to use. No steep learning curve. But It is a versatile and powerful application. You can quickly draw lines, curves, and geometric shapes

Pros

• Freehand drawings are easily converted to vector graphics as desired.
• One can apply filters to vector graphics using Corel Draw.

Cons

• The tool is only used on Windows.

3. Affinity designer

The affinity designer tool is the recommended tool for new designers in the field. You can comfortably work on both vector and raster images. It's cheap and enables the user to work without straining a lot. The user interface is highly responsive and intuitive. One can easily edit or adjust lines and curves. Plus it handles branding, typography, and arts.

Pros

• The tool is not limited to any particular device, and it allows the creation of numerous artboards within it.
• It is compatible with both macOS and Windows.

Cons

• It lacks a plugin support
• It is unable to import Photoshop brushes.

4. Inkscape

Designers who are fond of SVG file format mostly tend to use Inkscape. The tool supports file manipulation and both the Spiro and Bezier types of curves. Its advanced version has an extension model that allows easy installation of new features. The tool is relatively easy to use and can be used by non-professionals who want to create images for their blogs. Sketching, coloring, and making illustrations are among the easy to do tasks for working with the Inkscape.

Pros

• The tool is free and has all the features needed.
• It can be used across all platforms
• It has a robust community and extension ecosystem.
• Good placement and path tools.

Cons

• It has poor text formatting features
• They need to upgrade their user interface as it’s sluggish.
• The illustrator interoperability is weak.
• Mac version is problematic.

5. Gravit Designer

Gravit designer originates from the same company as Corel Draw. It also comes fully equipped with design and editing features to handle all your vector graphics needs. And the best thing, it’s free! The software allows the creation of logos, photo editing, and animations. The dashboard is easy to use, and one can switch in between the tabs comfortably. It is used to design social media posts, and it is also flexible when used in either web or its desktop version.

Pros

• It allows importation and exportation of files
• It supports the opening of more than one document at a go.
• It offers a high cloud storage space in its Pro version

Cons

• Gravit designer does not have a real-time collaboration feature
• There must be internet access for the fonts to work as needed.

6. Vetr

This is a vector graphic tool that is free to use yet robust and powerful. Bloggers, website designers, and digital marketers are the main target market. It is used in creating 2D graphics, and it can either be browser-based or a stand-alone desktop app. The Vetr is user-friendly, intuitive, and highly-responsive.

Pros

• Its interface is user-friendly taking the user experience to a whole other level.
• New vector users find it handy and easy as you learn on the go.

Cons

• It is only suitable for a few task and small projects
• It has limited ready-to-use templates.

If you have a number of illustration tasks, be it charts, logos, icons, website graphics, etc. the above tools will sort you out. To pick the most suitable graphic design tool, look at the pros and cons of each and be the judge. Most of these tools have a free version so feel free to give them a shot before you commit.

Also, when choosing the best graphic design tool, consider your workflow, formatting capabilities, professional output, dependable color management, and bitmap to vector conversions.

For professional designers, there is no bitting the overall best Adobe Illustrator. It’s the best tool money can buy and for a good reason. It caters to all your design needs under one roof. CorelDraw is a close second and one of the best tools in the market as well.