Articles

Graphic Design Article

<p>Graphic design has always been one of the more elusive layers of the digital stack. While websites have become increasingly more dynamic (think FontAwesome for iconography), custom graphics – at least the really good ones – continue to rely on third-party apps like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.</p>
<p>For CMS users, that means generating graphics outside the system and bringing them in separately. And for many content creators, it means relying on a graphic designer to do the job – someone who knows their way around Bezier Curves, or if a font is serif or sans serif.</p>
<p>For many design professionals, the more advanced tools of the Adobe suite will likely stay the course (although Sketch and UXPin have become great alternatives for prototyping). But they’re also not the domain of the layperson or <em>laydesigner</em> who simply wants to jazz up their blog or social post with a cool graphic.</p>
<p>Now, thanks to Canva, almost anyone can produce beautiful, custom graphics that feel like they were created by a professional agency – and start for free.</p>
<p>While Canva’s paid subscriptions offer more robust features and access to enhanced imagery, even their basic account lets you create some pretty awesome stuff. In just a few minutes, you can watch a design tutorial, master their intuitive tools, and drag your way to a gorgeous social media graphic or poster art.</p>
<p>Canva isn’t new to the graphic design scene, but they’re now integrating with CMS platforms to streamline content creation. We did a fresh review of the platform and its features, and checked out their Canva “Button,” which makes it even easier to launch Canva within your app or page, make a dynamite graphic, and publish it to your website without leaving your platform.</p>
<h3>What is Canva?</h3>
<p>Canva is a SaaS-based graphic design platform that lets users create beautiful graphics and visual content. That can be almost anything: presentation elements, posters, templates, background patterns, photographic imagery, and more. It’s available for both desktop and mobile, and features millions of graphics, images, fonts, templates, audio, video and other assets that are “off the shelf” and available to use in your own designs.</p>
<p>Founded in 2012, Canva has been something of a startup wunderkind. Last year alone, their valuation doubled from just over $3 billion to $6 billion – and they now boast an active global user base of 15 million subscribers across their free, Pro, and Enterprise offerings.</p>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/canva-sample-image.png" /><figcaption><em>Sample Facebook Cover Template</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>How was Canva able to grow so rapidly? Well, it’s more than just having a great product and word-of-mouth social exposure. </p>
<p>Simply put, Canva solved a problem that no one had managed to crack: <em>making good design accessible to everyone.</em></p>
<p>There’s no questioning the value that design brings to a brand’s communication and its impact on customer experience. It’s like an unspoken language that can either help – or hurt – your brand’s perception and reputation. While every business relies on design to reach and influence their audiences, it’s not always attainable or cost effective for basic, everyday applications.</p>
<p>The other problem has been the complexity of graphic design programs. Photoshop can takes weeks (or more) of training to perform even the most foundational tasks, and may be overkill for most content creators. Vector graphics are on a whole other level of complexity, and really necessitate a skilled designer to create custom logos, iconography, and other assets.</p>
<p>This is where Canva is changing the game by offering a platform for novice or even non-designers. It simplifies the process by offering libraries of beautiful, modern design elements that are easy to access. Users can select from stock photos, background patterns, fonts, templates, and even music and videos inside an intuitive drag-and-drop interface – and customize them into their own graphic design creations.</p>
<p>Guy Kawasaki, who joined Canva in 2014 as Chief Evangelist, <a href="https://www.canva.com/learn/guy-kawasaki-chief-evangelist/">describes it as “a platform for democratizing design</a>” – just like how Macintosh democratized computers and eBay democratized commerce.</p>
<h3>Create all kinds of visual content</h3>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/canva-templates.png" /></figure>
<p>Canva offers a sandbox of design tools and learning resources which are all available through its online SaaS portal. You can sign up for free in just a few seconds and even connect with your preferred social media account.</p>
<p>The first thing you’ll notice on the Canva website is the Template categories. This makes it easier for casual users to find what they need quickly and not fumble through expansive libraries like the major stock houses provide.</p>
<p>What’s great is that all of the template elements are ready-to-use. That means they work seamlessly on your "canvas," allowing you to drag and reposition in exactly the way you want. You can also import your own logos, images and graphics and instantly remove solid backgrounds to isolate elements (think of a headshot getting cut away from a background to use in a new layout). </p>
<p>Once you settle on your graphics and images, it’s simple to add custom text to promote sales offers, event details, and more.</p>
<p>The main design sections include:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Social Media:</strong> Create graphics for channels like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.</li>
<li><strong>Personal:</strong> Design custom invitations, postcards, planners, t-shirts, and even resumes to promote your personal brand. </li>
<li><strong>Business:</strong> Build presentation templates, website graphics, logos, business cards, and tools like invoice and proposal templates. </li>
<li><strong>Marketing:</strong> Make posters, flyers, infographics, brochures, newsletters, menus and more.</li>
<li><strong>Education:</strong> Create lesson plans, worksheets, certificates, storyboards, bookmarks, class schedules and other educational resources.</li>
</ul>
<p>There is also a “Trending” section where the most popular templates are displayed. These can include seasonal specific elements for major holidays or events. Need to make a Christmas graphic for your homepage hero? You can quickly create a custom holiday theme with beautiful images, iconography, background patterns and more.</p>
<h3>Canva Features</h3>
<p>It’s true that Canva has a lot of off-the-shelf components, and some users might worry that they’ll be using the same graphics as other brands. But Canva allows you to be free with your own designs, giving you the ability to edit graphics and templates, compose unique layouts, import your own logos and elements, and truly make any design your own.</p>
<p>Canva’s user-friendly editor makes it all possible. The sidebar menu includes:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Templates:</strong> Search thousands of templates by keywords to find exactly what you're looking for. </li>
<li><strong>Uploads:</strong> Import a custom image, logo, or video from your computer and place it in your design template.</li>
<li><strong>Custom graphic control:</strong> Group and position elements on a page and hyperlink graphics.</li>
<li><strong>Edit imagery:</strong> Adjust the transparency and settings on photos, add artistic filters, and crop to custom sizes.</li>
<li><strong>Elements:</strong> Select from a huge cache of free illustrations such as geometric shapes, stickers, charts, gradients, lines, connectors, and icons.</li>
<li><strong>Text:</strong> Add and edit text within your composition. You can add a heading, subheading, or body text to your template, and also add links.</li>
<li><strong>Videos:</strong> Browse a wide variety of free videos to add to your webpage or post. You can choose from one of the main categories or search for specific content.</li>
<li><strong>Backgrounds:</strong> Add colors, patterns, or create your own custom backdrop.</li>
<li><strong>Folders:</strong> With a paid Pro or Enterprise subscription, any images you purchase with a license will be displayed in a “Purchased” folder – and the photos and elements you like will be displayed in a “Likes” folder. Additionally, you can create your own custom folders.</li>
</ul>
<p>These are just some of the core features that Canva provides, but what’s really amazing is how simple it is to start using the entire suite of tools. Unlike Photoshop, there’s no complexity around layer controls or color settings. In minutes, the most novice technical user can get a sense of the navigation and start creating custom graphics.</p>
<h3>Learning, Training, and Tutorials</h3>
<p>Canva’s learning resources are a huge part of their value offering. From the “Learn” tab on their homepage, you can access a library of resources, from design basics to business branding. You can also browse ideas and inspiration from articles that show you how to edit photos or design for print applications.</p>
<p>Canva offers its tutorials through their "Design School," which features classes like “Personal Branding with Dr. Talaya Waller.” Each course provides a wealth of insights and actionable instructions for creating your own successful projects.</p>
<p>As if the software wasn’t awesome enough, the learning resources make Canva nearly indispensable – which explains their explosive growth.</p>
<h3>Canva Integration</h3>
<p>Canva’s API has everything developers need to integrate Canva with their apps, enabling access to photos, images, and online media inside the editor. Currently, Canva has integrations with major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Dropbox, Giphy, and Mailchimp.</p>
<p>The newest and most popular integration is called the Canva "Button," which allows users to design with Canva without leaving the webpage they’re working on. Imagine writing a new blog and suddenly needing a custom graphic. By clicking the Canva Button, you can automatically launch the Canva editor and design a graphic or select an image. Once completed, you simply click "Publish" and your creations are pushed to the appropriate part of your page or experience.</p>
<p>It only takes a few of lines of code to add the Canva Button, but it does require a Canva account for a user to make the activation. To learn more about the Canva Button and how to integrate it with your website, click <a href="https://www.canva.com/button/">here</a>.</p>
<h3>Canva and Content Management Systems (CMS)</h3>
<p>Canva is steadily broadening its integrations with CMS platforms. For content creators, this eliminates the extra steps of uploading designs manually from Canva and switching back and forth between apps. It also gives the non-designers on any team the ability to add beautiful images and graphics to their pages within the CMS, making their content more compelling. </p>
<p>While several platforms already offer a native integration, <a href="https://about.canva.com/wordpress/">WordPress provides a plugin</a> for designing custom graphics for your blog or website. Browse millions of graphics, images, and layouts in Canva – and once you're finished designing, your creation is automatically inserted into your WordPress post for publishing.</p>
<h3>Pricing</h3>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/canva-pricing.png" /><figcaption>Canva Pricing Plans</figcaption></figure>
<p>Canva offers three plans: Free, Pro and Enterprise. Anyone can <a href="https://www.canva.com/signup">sign up for a free account</a> and start creating right away. But like any "freemium" software model, it does have its limitations. For example, you can't resize your designs for different form factors, and there are only a few hundred graphics and images to choose from. But with 8,000 templates to peruse, you can create some pretty cool designs – and it's all free. </p>
<p>The Pro subscription, which is considered the "best value," is $9.95 per user per month (if paid annually). It's really an incredible deal when consider what you get: access to an expanded library with millions of images and graphics, over 60,000 templates, and the ability to create your own custom "Brand Kit." This is one of the most powerful features in the Pro, as it gives you control over your visual identity by collecting reusable assets like logos, fonts, colors and more – so you can maintain your brand standards.  </p>
<p>The Enterprise plan is built for teams, enabling you to manage Brand Kits for multiple properties or customers. You also get access to permissions that lock down template elements and limit access to specific team members, so you can protect your brand ecosystem. There's also 24/7 support, which is more apropos for an enterprise engagement with lots of customers and users. </p>
<p>Licensing for graphics and images can always be tricky, particularly with stock libraries. With Canva, there's an upside and a downside: if you cancel your subscription, you won't be able to access or use any of the elements that were stored in your account. However, you can continue using the elements you created during your subscription period (for example, a blog image on a specific post). </p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Canva is making good design more accessible, and it's worth checking out – particularly if you're a content manager or digital marketer. It's a natural addition to your CMS stack, but also brings significant value to gig-minded solopreneurs and enterprises alike. </p>
<p>Like the name suggests, it's your "canvas." But you don't have to be Picasso to make it beautiful. </p>
<p>To get started with a Canva account, click <a href="https://www.canva.com/">here</a>.</p>
<h3>About Canva</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.canva.com/">Canva</a> empowers users to create social media graphics, presentations, posters and other visual content. Featuring a simple drag-and-drop user interface and a vast library of templates and design ingredients such as fonts, illustrations, stock photography, video and audio content, and the power to include content from the web such as Giphy and Google Maps, anyone can take an idea and create something beautiful. Canva  is available on the web, iOS and Android.</p>


Canva “Button” Gives CMS Users Integrated Graphic Design Tools for Visual Content

paris-tuzun

<p></p>
<p>Photoshop is the first word in graphic design software and like most leading software products, it demands a fee from anyone who wants to use it. In fact, to access Photoshop, you'll need to fork out about $19.99 every month. Personally, I don't have an issue with this given how powerful Photoshop is but there are those who do.</p>
<p>Thankfully, there is a solution to this price problem.</p>
<p>Free alternatives to Photoshop do exist, and they hold their own in terms of quality, too. Here they all are. You can check here for non-free <a href="/paid-photoshop-alternatives/">Photoshop alternatives</a>).</p>
<p></p>
<h1>1. GIMP</h1>
<p>Announced to the public in 1995, GIMP is one of the most popular free Photoshop alternatives on the market. It's also likely to be the most powerful graphic design tool on this list. It's free and open source, but packs a professional punch nonetheless.</p>
<p></p>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/free-photoshop-alternatives---gimp.jpg" alt="Free Photoshop Alternative - GIMP" /><figcaption>GIMP Screenshot</figcaption></figure>
<p>There are big similarities between Photoshop and GIMP in terms of  functionality and user interface, so many find migration from one to the  other to be easy. GIMP is also capable of opening and working with PSD files, which are Photoshop specific.</p>
<p>GIMP has a number of high quality features which definitely hold their own against those of Photoshop. The  professional features available in GIMP such as color adjustment tools, customizable brushes, gradients, and auto image enhancement tools, make it easy for users to create artwork from scratch and edit  photos/images.</p>
<p>The in-depth tutorials cater for all users from beginners to advanced level. This makes it super accessible to everyone, including users who aren’t familiar with the open-source application</p>
<p>Learn more at the <a href="http://www.gimp.org/">GIMP website</a></p>
<h2>2. Inkscape</h2>
<p>Inkscape is a free and open source  vector graphics editor. It’s perfect for creating icons for apps and  websites, cartoon illustrations, and logos. Despite being free, Inkscape  looks and feels incredibly advanced. Some of its many features include  intelligent drawing tools, the ability to import and export multiple  file types, add-ons, and multilingual support. These powerful tools and  its intuitive UI make it an excellent option for beginners.</p>
<p>Although it’s probably a little more  comparable to Illustrator, Inkscape is a great free Photoshop  alternative, especially if you want to save some $$$ (since it’s free).</p>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/free-photoshop-alternative-inkscape.png" alt="Free Photoshop Alternative - Inkscape" /><figcaption>Inkscape Screenshot</figcaption></figure>
<p>It's also one of the few options on the list compatible with Linux (along with GIMP that is).</p>
<p>Learn more at the <a href="https://inkscape.org/en/">Inkscape website.</a></p>
<h2>3. Pixia</h2>
<p>Pixia is a raster painting program and graphics editor specifically well–suited for many forms of digital painting.</p>
<p>It offers a lightweight painting environment for digital painting and artwork of all types! Unlike other digital painting and editing tools, Pixia strips the bloatware features away, leaving a fast, focused environment that ensures you can paint without any distraction.</p>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/free-photoshop-alternatives---pixia.jpg" alt="Free Photoshop Alternative - Pixia" /><figcaption>Pixia Screenshot</figcaption></figure>
<p>It is also freeware making it a great free Photoshop alternative.</p>
<p>Learn more at the <a href="http://www.ne.jp/asahi/mighty/knight/index.html">Pixia website</a>.</p>
<h2>4. exPhoto</h2>
<p>exPhoto is another application by the same developer that created Pixia and is more geared towards photo editing and print graphics. The advantage is that you can choose which application best suits your needs at the time. </p>
<p>Doing some digital painting? Load up Pixia. Looking to touch up a photo? Time for exPhoto. Sure you have to install two apps but it keeps the features geared towards the task at hand, which is smart.</p>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/free-photoshop-alternative---exphoto.jpg" alt="Free Photoshop Alternative - exPhoto" /><figcaption>exPhoto Screenshot</figcaption></figure>
<p>exPhoto is also capable of handling and saving as PSD, just like GIMP.</p>
<p>Learn more at the <a href="http://www.ne.jp/asahi/mighty/knight/exphoto.html">exPhoto website.</a></p>
<h2>5. Pixlr</h2>
<p>Pixlr comes in two distinct flavours.  Pixlr Express is ideal for quick fixes and simple edits, while Pixlr  Editor is for power users. Both are both free, and both are  browser-based web apps, so there's never any need to download the  software. This makes it ideal for Chromebook users, too.</p>
<p>Pixlr is feature-packed but has a clean UI that makes it easy to navigate these features without seeming  “cluttered” or overwhelming the users with the number of options  available.</p>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/free-photoshop-alternative---pixlr.png" alt="Free Photoshop Alternative - Pixlr" /><figcaption>Pixlr Screenshot</figcaption></figure>
<p>One super useful benefit to Pixlr is that it runs free Android and iOS apps that allow you to edit right from your smartphone.</p>
<p>Learn more at the <a href="https://pixlr.com/">Pixlr website.</a></p>
<h2>6. Krita</h2>
<p>Krita was created by artists with the  aim of making art tools affordable to everyone. This is an open source digital sketching and painting studio that is geared towards concept artists. illustrators, and designers who want to sketch from scratch. So, if you want to edit existing imagery, this one isn't for you. Krita  also offers training material to kickstart your illustration career (or  hobby), and can open PSD files, too.</p>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/krita_animation2_pssib7.gif" alt="Free Photoshop Alternative - Krita" /><figcaption>Krita Screenshot</figcaption></figure>
<p>There is a bit of a learning curve to software and the UI isn’t too user-friendly, so its best suited to users with some experience. But once you get the hang of it this is an excellent Photoshop alternative that’s full of great features for  painting and design.</p>
<p>Learn more at the <a href="https://krita.org/en/">Krita website.</a></p>
<h2>7. Canva</h2>
<p>Canva is a browser-based web app that provides everything a graphic designer needs. For those who like to work on their phones or tablets, there are apps for iOS and Android as well.</p>
<p>Used by over 10 million people, Canva  serves up millions of stock images, hundreds of fonts, and a wide range  of filters, icons, and shapes. With their resources to hand, you can  drag and drop images into place before editing them. The simplicity of Canva makes sophisticated design accessible to everyone with a diverse range of templates available, and even the most amateur of users will get decent design outcomes with the help of this app.</p>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/canva_hepqwn.png" alt="Free Photoshop Alternative - Canva" /><figcaption>Canva Screenshot</figcaption></figure>
<p>Seasoned graphic designers may find Canva to be a little lightweight, but it’s a useful app to have on hand when you need to take a few shortcuts and don’t want to sacrifice quality in the process. This is a freemium app and more experienced designers will definitely want the paid version, but pricing is nowhere near Photoshop territory. Check out our <a href="/canva-review/">Canva Review</a> to learn more.</p>
<p>Learn more at the <a href="https://canva.7eqqol.net/c/12549/647168/10068?adcampaigngroup=Pro_LP">Canva website.</a></p>
<h2>8. Paint.NET</h2>
<p>Thanks to its image based tabs system  which makes it easy to work on multiple projects at once, Paint.Net is a great free alternative to Photoshop. Also, the inclusion of layers – a feature normally reserved for expensive professional software – makes Paint.Net tough to beat. The UI will feel familiar to Photoshop users but it’s also very easy to pick up for newbies.</p>
<p>I see it as a halfway house between Microsoft Paint and Photoshop, making it easy for graphic design newbies  to grasp. And it's for that reason – among others – that I've personally been using Paint.NET for all my image editing needs over the  last few years. It’s simplicity combined with the advanced features  available makes it a tough one to beat and also a great option for users  that have difficulty with software that’s geared more towards  experienced users. Features include a number of special effects that can  sharpen, blur, emboss, distort, and eliminate red-eye from photos in a  few clicks.</p>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pdn40_kirkland_y8gqzp.jpg" alt="Free Photoshop Alternative - Paint.NET" /><figcaption>Paint.NET Screenshot</figcaption></figure>
<p>It's bad news for Mac users though, as Paint.NET is available only for Windows.</p>
<p>Learn more at the <a href="http://www.getpaint.net/">Paint.NET website.</a></p>
<h2>9. Seashore</h2>
<p>If you're a dedicated Mac user, Seashore may be for you. Available only for Mac OS X's Cocoa framework, Seashore takes inspiration from GIMP (number one on this list) by serving up similar functionality and using the same native file format.</p>
<p>However, unlike the GIMP, Seashore is  aimed at a broader audience who just want to do some basic image editing. It’s ideal for new users who with little experience in this area, although the UI is pretty basic and definitely leaves room for improvement.</p>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/1_tdzwny.jpg" alt="Free Photoshop Alternative - Seashore" /><figcaption>Seashore Screenshot</figcaption></figure>
<p>If you’re an amateur photographer or just need to perform some basic image editing, Seashore will do the trick.</p>
<p>Learn more at the <a href="http://seashore.sourceforge.net/The_Seashore_Project/About.html">Seashore website.</a></p>
<h2>10. SumoPaint</h2>
<p>SumoPaint's slogan is, ‘Photoshopping  in your browser' – which is pretty self-explanatory. It's an incredibly powerful web app with an answer to most if not all of Photoshop's best features.</p>
<p>It’s also super fast to navigate and  the interface is definitely pleasing to the eye. All of the standard  features are accessible for free, such as gradient fill, blur, smudge, line tools, and other features you’d expect to find in Photoshop.</p>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sumopaint.jpg" alt="Free Photoshop Alternative - SumoPaint" /><figcaption>SumoPaint Screenshot</figcaption></figure>
<p>You can use it through your browser and tolerate the ads, or upgrade to SumoPaint Pro to use it without ads and utilize more features.users to access all the basic image manipulation features for free. SumoPaint Pro also allows you to download the software so you can use it offline.</p>
<p>Learn more at the <a href="https://www.sumopaint.com/">SumoPaint website.</a></p>
<h2>Free Graphic Design Software That Doesn't Suck</h2>
<p>Photoshop is a powerhouse, but if you're struggling to justify its  rather heavy price-tag, then the eight Photoshop alternatives listed  above should tide you over.</p>
<p>If you are curious as to what options exist with a price tag, check out our list of <a href="/paid-photoshop-alternatives/">Paid Photoshop Alternatives</a>.</p>
<p>Do you know of any other free Photoshop alternatives? Share them with us in the comments section below!</p>


10 Free Photoshop Alternatives

mike-johnston

<p>When it comes to photo editing, there are plenty of great software options out there from online photo editing software to downloadable options. In this post, we're going to break down all of these choices for you in one ultimate list of the best photo editing software available today (in no particular order).</p>
<h2>CorelDraw</h2>
<p>CorelDraw produces some of the best photo editing software out there. Not only has CorelDraw been around for a very long time but they also produce exceptional software that stands the test of time.</p>
<div class="section-intro col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1">
<p>Find all the professional vector illustration, layout, photo editing and design tools you need to work faster, smarter, and in more places with this superior graphic design software.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/best-photo-editing-software-coreldraw_l39dfq.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - coreldraw" /></p>
</div>
<p><strong>Video:</strong></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zjVWcw_lJw8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="/coreldraw" target="_blank">Learn more about CorelDraw</a></p>
<h2>Fotor</h2>
<p>What I call “Photoshop Online”, Fotor is a super powerful online graphics editor that is definitely some of the best photo editing software out there. I love the interface, how easy it is to use and the fact that it's entirely in the cloud. This also makes it super useful for those of us that function solely on Chromebooks (I use a Chromebook Pixel exclusively).</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/fotor_hugi36.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - fotor" /></p>
<p><strong>Video: </strong></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PyJ4OvTdtLM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="https://www.fotor.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Fotor</a></p>
<h2>Adobe Lightroom</h2>
<p>Believe it or not, Adobe Lightroom is, to me, like an easier version of Photoshop for photo editing. Where Photoshop is excellent for the professional that likes complete control over things.. the interface can be a bit overwhelming. With Adobe Lightroom, things are more simplified and it feels more intuitive.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/4272-what-is-lightroom_step-3_bjc7a6.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - adobe lightroom" /></p>
<p><a href="https://lightroom.adobe.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Lightroom</a></p>
<h2>Aurora HDR</h2>
<p>Aurora HDR 2019 contains every imaginable tool needed to produce high-quality “next-generation” dramatic images. It has been developed in conjunction with one of the world's most reknowned HDR phtoographers to offer the best features available. It also includes <em>Aurora HDR Looks</em> and a library of video training developed by professional photographers that will appeal to every photographer.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/11_fsrl8c.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - aurora hdr" /></p>
<p><strong>Video: </strong></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P85_xN5ne84?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="https://skylum.com/aurorahdr" target="_blank">Learn more about Aurora HDR</a></p>
<h2>Picktorial</h2>
<p>Picktorial deserves a place in any list of the best photo editing software. It's a great product for Mac that offers a huge array of capabilities such as seamless raw conversion, integrated digital asset management and more. From quick enhancements to detailed retouching work, you will find the tools you need together with organizing and exporting functions. All in an inspiring, intuitive interface.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/best-photo-editing-software-picktorial-for-mac_xlgrw8.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - picktorial for mac" /></p>
<p><strong>Video:</strong></p>
<p>https://youtu.be/Jq3QKTCKKj4</p>
<p><a href="https://www.picktorial.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Picktorial</a></p>
<h2>Xara Photo and Graphic Designer</h2>
<p>Photo &amp; Graphic Designer includes a revolutionary integrated, ultra-fast, non-destructive photo editing tool. It offers both automatic real-time photo enhance and manual controls (brightness, contrast, sharpen, blur, saturation, temperature and a new cross process option) plus real-time scaling and rotation even on very high res images. Other features include flexible cropping, red eye removal, advanced shadow &amp; highlights and brightness levels controls, perspective correction.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mustang_ygkaey.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - xara" /></p>
<p>Combine this with features such as vector masking, layer blending, feathering – all in the non-destructive, memory efficient way – and you have something that no other photo tool can provide.</p>
<p><strong>Video:</strong></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kzNtYHM-mB4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="https://www.xara.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Xara Photo and Graphic Designer</a></p>
<p>There you have it, our list of the best photo editing software. These products were carefully selected from the available options because they provide the best set of features for photographers and photo editors alike. While products like Photoshop still are the most popular tools out there, that doesn't mean it's the best option and that there aren't other good products. We hope you find the product you are looking for in our list.</p>


The Best Photo Editing Software that's not Photoshop

<p></p>
<p>In our previous post, we listed a selection of <a href="/eight-free-photoshop-alternatives/">free Photoshop alternatives</a> for those looking for something without a price tag. In this article, I'll be sharing with you some paid Photoshop alternatives.</p>
<h2><a href="https://skylum.com/aurorahdr" target="_blank">Aurora HDR</a></h2>
<div class="col-12 col-lg-3">
<div class="looks-sec__info looks-info">
<div class="row">
<div class="col-12 col-sm-8 col-lg-12 col-xl-11">
<p class="looks-info__text sk-subtitle sk-subtitle_type_clean sk-text_of_b">Aurora HDR is an advanced image editing application. Over 80 unique Looks instantly take your photos from raw to awesome, with just one click. Designed in collaboration with Serge Ramelli, Trey Ratcliff, Randy Van Duinen and other acclaimed photographers, Aurora HDR Looks bring you top-notch results in a snap.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-12 col-lg-9 col-xl-8 offset-xl-1">
<div class="looks-sec__looks looks-block">
<div class="looks-block__content"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/11_syofb0.jpg" /></div>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="https://www.picmonkey.com/" target="_blank">PicMonkey</a></h2>
<p>I still use PicMonkey pretty much exclusively for the majority of my photography work / edits. In most instances, it's more than enough to handle the job and I find it preferable to Canva so tend to use it instead.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/desktop-mobile-features_s9o3zt.png" alt="picmonkey - paid photoshop alternatives" /></p>
<p>Picmonkey has tons of easy templates for all kinds of scenarios and plenty of font / graphic options to keep you going for years to come and is a great paid Photoshop alternative.</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.coreldraw.com/">CorelDraw</a></h2>
<p>You might be shocked to see this name listed but believe it or not, CorelDraw is still around after decades in the industry – and it's also still incredibly good! CorelDraw is the granddaddy of photo editors and has stood the test of time. It's one of the best paid Photoshop alternatives out there.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zjVWcw_lJw8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>If you're looking for an excellent Photoshop alternative, CorelDraw is an exceptional choice.</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-lightroom.html" target="_blank">Adobe Lightroom</a></h2>
<p><br />
Believe it or not, Adobe Lightroom is, to me, like an easier version of Photoshop for photo editing. Where Photoshop is excellent for the professional that likes complete control over things.. the interface can be a bit overwhelming.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/4272-what-is-lightroom_step-3_j2hxnb.jpg" alt="Paid Photoshop Alternatives" /></p>
<p>With Adobe Lightroom, things are more simplified and it feels more intuitive.</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.fotor.com/" target="_blank">Fotor</a></h2>
<p>Powerful, user-friendly and globally accessible, Fotor is an online photo editing suite, utilizing exclusive technology to bring an unprecedented level of editing control to anyone and everyone.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/fotor_bu53al.jpg" alt="paid photoshop alternatives" /></p>
<p>The combination and integration of specialized image editing technologies, coupled with unique features and community competitions allows for Fotor’s continual growth and development.</p>
<hr />
<p>This post will be ever expanding so as I have an opportunity to test out new products, I'll be adding them to this listing. For now, these are the ones I can confidently point you to as <em>worthy</em> alternatives. Is there something I'm missing? Do you know of a product that should be here? Let me know in the comments.</p>
<p></p>


Paid Photoshop Alternatives

<p></p>
<p>You may fail to justify the time and resources invested in developing a good website design or redesigning your business web. However, the benefits you reap from a well-designed website are worthwhile. It ensures a good user experience, improves brand loyalty, and increases traffic as well as revenue.</p>
<p>Most branding and marketing strategies depend on web design to succeed. Your website is the first place where users establish contact with your business. The layout of your site will influence users to either use/buy a product from it or leave for another better one. Poorly designed websites affects the initial perception of your brand and UX of potential customers.</p>
<p>A terrible design will also affect your rankings on search engines making it difficult for visitors to find you. Read on to find out the most common mistakes in web design and their influences on users:</p>
<h2>1. Poor first impression</h2>
<p>If the first page of your website is ineffective and unattractive, you will experience high bounce rates thus affecting your ranking on search engines. A user will take at most 10 seconds to decide whether to stay or leave a site. Yours should create an excellent first impression to ensure it grabs the attention of users so that they remain on site and have time to convert them.</p>
<h2>2. Non-responsive website design</h2>
<p>A poorly designed website does not respond well on small devices such as smartphones. With eCommerce becoming a part of daily life, most online transactions are being completed by the use of mobile devices. Thus if your site is not mobile device-friendly, then you are losing a lot of opportunities to those with responsive sites. Besides, the number of users who would leave a website if it is not responsive is over 40%.</p>
<h2>3. Takes too long to load</h2>
<p>The best user experience is achieved when a website loads quickly. Businesses that do not invest in optimization of their site for speed risk providing poor UX, low search rankings and low conversion rates. 40% of website users will leave a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.</p>
<h2>4. Cluttered homepage</h2>
<p>Providing all there is to know about your business on your homepage is an overkill and a red flag to rank your site among those that have a terrible web design. An overcrowded site is not pleasing to the eye and makes the site lose its credibility. Your homepage should only carry the information that is valuable for your business. Even so, such information should be arranged in attractive layout that respects the white space rules. Ensure the page looks orderly and easy to navigate. Having a website with too much information will increase your bounce rates as users leave to look for other clean, professional, and simple websites designs. Here is a great example of non-cluttered homepage.</p>
<h2>5. Fails on content</h2>
<p>Poorly designed websites provide users with content that is irrelevant, provide no frequent content updates and content format is incorrect. If a user lands on your page but lacks the information they expected to find, they will leave to look for more search results that will provide them with the information they were looking for.</p>
<h2>6. Mystery Meat Navigation (MMN)</h2>
<p>MMN appeared mostly on websites in the past but is still prevalent in some modern designs. It refers to links that are invisible unless the user clicks on it or points the cursor at it. What is the point of creating links on your website if they are not visible? It is not a recommended practice for web designs. It leads to users abandoning your site to find an alternative one with clearly labelled links and call-to-actions.</p>
<h2>7. Uses too much animation</h2>
<p>Animations serves a professional purpose and are known to improve UX and UI on a site when used in moderation. But when you place animations everywhere that are mostly out of topic, you make your site look unprofessional and hilarious. This causes users to lose the credibility of your brand and leave for alternative website design.</p>
<h2>8. Uncalled for pop-menus</h2>
<p>Many websites users will not tolerate some pop-up menus that appear on their screens immediately when they enter the site. Pop-ups are confusing, annoying, and results to slow load speed which leads to increased bounce rates since a user cannot access the homepage directly thus lacking the information they wanted.</p>
<p>The impact a web design has on the users should not be taken for granted. Terrible website design is bad for your business. Ensure your users are getting the best experience by cleaning the above messes on your website. Always perform regular testing on your site to confirm users are enjoying the site. Read feedback and comments from your users frequently to determine if they are having problems using the website and address the difficulties if any.</p>
<p>Do everything in your site with moderation to avoid losing the credibility of your business and in the worst case scenario, destroy your reputation. If you build your website right, it can be your greatest asset to your brand's success, so invest in it.</p>
<p></p>


Terrible Graphic Design Fails Not to Follow

dylan-menders

Hotjar - Spot what confuses

Spot what confuses your users with Hotjar & AI

#ffffff

Explore a wide range of informative articles on Graphic Design, insights, and industry updates. Stay informed and ahead of the curve with our diverse collection of news and posts covering the latest trends and developments in the industry