Looked a little and i did not see anything of this sort. I'm just looking for a few suggestions for some graphic design programs free ones or one that have trial versions that i can play with. I have two macs i operate off of my late 2013 macbook pro and my 2008 mac pro desktop so hopefully i can get a program i can run on both computers. I look forward to any and all suggestions thank you much
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Good beginner graphic design programs?
- Thread starter Nemi1596
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Adobe's Elements products are usually aimed at beginners. They still offer a one time purchase and there is a trial mode available to give you a feel if it's right for you.
On Mac specifically the Classic version of Pixelmator is also fairly easy to get used to and doesn't overwhelm the user with a mountain of features or a never ending UI of menus, all while being a very capable editor. It too has a free trial available and comes in at a much lower price point.
These are the two I would suggest most for beginners.
On Mac specifically the Classic version of Pixelmator is also fairly easy to get used to and doesn't overwhelm the user with a mountain of features or a never ending UI of menus, all while being a very capable editor. It too has a free trial available and comes in at a much lower price point.
These are the two I would suggest most for beginners.
Like ^ mentioned Adobe Elements is pretty solid for beginners. If you plan on pursuing graphic design I would highly recommend just learning Adobe Photoshop as it's the industry standard. If you are enrolled in a university or school you can check out their Creative Clouds for Students to save $$$ (you also get a trial)
Also, another tip if you belong to a public library (ex. Los Angeles Public Library) you get free access to Lynda.com where you can access tons of Adobe Photoshop video trainings. Best of luck!
Also, another tip if you belong to a public library (ex. Los Angeles Public Library) you get free access to Lynda.com where you can access tons of Adobe Photoshop video trainings. Best of luck!
Truthfully, as a graduate of design school and someone working professionally in the field, just dive right into Adobe CS6. There's easy, affordable... very affordable ways to get it, and the difference between CS6 and the new versions is negligible. Learn and master those slowly but surely. I wouldn't put my time into learning different products or programs just to have to relearn them. Overtime you will learn more and more tricks, techniques, and efficiencies in the programs and it will feel great. If you learn, for example, the Affinity set of programs, you will have to relearn a lot of the same features in Adobe, and a lot of the progress will be lost... That and I have yet to see any companies use Affinity. Adobe, love them or hate them is the standard.
Just my 2 cents.
Just my 2 cents.
I never understood why people claim you cant do professional or high grade quality work using final cut express or any of the elements products or even very cheap iPad apps. why do you need all those bells and whistles when hardly anyone uses them or at least all of them anyway? you can always make do and make stuff just as interesting in much cheaper ways by finding alternative methods and sometimes more simplification will make wtuff stand oit more or be more popular anyway. heck take a look at this game, the refiewer says it looks like its made with Microsoft Paint. But if it is than it just goes to show my point. I find it much more interesting looking than all those modern aaa games that all look the same:
rpgamer.com
if you can do everything within an elements app why do you really need more features? for what purpose? what do they lack that really anyone besides maybe someone working on motion pictures not even gaming ads needs?
The Greater Good Review - RPGamer
The Greater Good boasts unique graphics that occasionally amaze but too often hamper gameplay. Other than that, a solid first turn-based RPG by sole designer Sam Enright.
rpgamer.com
if you can do everything within an elements app why do you really need more features? for what purpose? what do they lack that really anyone besides maybe someone working on motion pictures not even gaming ads needs?
I never understood why people claim you cant do professional or high grade quality work using final cut express or any of the elements products or even very cheap iPad apps. why do you need all those bells and whistles when hardly anyone uses them or at least all of them anyway? you can always make do and make stuff just as interesting in much cheaper ways by finding alternative methods and sometimes more simplification will make wtuff stand oit more or be more popular anyway. heck take a look at this game, the refiewer says it looks like its made with Microsoft Paint. But if it is than it just goes to show my point. I find it much more interesting looking than all those modern aaa games that all look the same:
The Greater Good Review - RPGamer
The Greater Good boasts unique graphics that occasionally amaze but too often hamper gameplay. Other than that, a solid first turn-based RPG by sole designer Sam Enright.
if you can do everything within an elements app why do you really need more features? for what purpose? what do they lack that really anyone besides maybe someone working on motion pictures not even gaming ads needs?
It's not so much that you can't do great work with free, alternative, or the stripped down versions of Adobe apps. They are just tools after all. There are graphic design geniuses who could make better work than me with Corel Draw 2.0. That's not necessarily the point.
But OP asked as a "beginner", it implies he wants to improve overtime. For efficiency purposes, you should start with an app and stick with it, because if he gets clients, or wants to work with anyone else in the industry professionally, it's going to close a lot of doors if he can't put that he knows Adobe programs on his resume or force him to spend a lot of time relearning software.
The programs most accepted by industry is Adobe. This isn't me fanboying - I personally hate Adobe and everything that company has done business-wise. I purchased Affinity Photo and Designer for my iPad. I remember starting out with GIMP in high school, and I wish I asked someone in the industry beforehand and they would have said "start with Adobe and just stick with it even though it's frustrating at first" because overtime you will learn amazing, amazing little things in the programs that are breakthroughs for what you can and will do in graphic design.
I was responding to the way most people and companies look at it. This is why I would much rwther freelance or work from home so they would not scoff at me or look down on me for laying back on the beanbag with my iPad Pro and pencil and doing it this way rather than with eveyrone else using Photoshop hunched over the desktop. These companies act like if you are not using what every other sheeple does or doing things their eay, “you are not professional” when in reality you could create much better, or at least more unique, stuff and faster often on an iPad with Procreate and Artstudio what Inuse than on a desktop and a mouse and Photoshop. Sire I use Illustrator on desktop but that is for specific work. For raster or butmap I use all iPad apps and it doesnt make it any worse or less professional no matter how many companies and industry esperts claim this when the end results turns out more interesting. They also seem in their hiring processes to weed out people not using the full versions of asobe or final cut for some reason and look down on you if your video projects were created using Final Cut Express not apro, which is ridiculous if the end result is the same or better. Look how their LinkedIn job ads are structured if you think I am making this stuff up and their Adobe and Final Cut elitism.
I'm in the same boat as you, however I started with Paint Shop Pro back when it was still developed by Jasc. A good friend of mine switched me to Photoshop pretty quickly. I had some reservations at first but he told me to tough it out as I'd be much better off, and he was right. I officially got hooked into the Adobe way of life starting with Version 7 of Photoshop.
I completely understand from a creative point of view. Absolutely do what you are comfortable with. But from a company point of view, look at it from their perspective - what if a company of 15 people all used different programs. Just imagine the inefficiencies of solving problems (I can think of about 10 scenarios right off the bat), teaching each other new techniques, training in new guys, the IT headaches, file transfers and compatibility, handing over final deliverables to other companies, etc.
Now take that problem and multiply it by about a thousand if a company has about 100 designers.
CS6 is no longer sold by Adobe. The so-called "affordable" copies sold online are either generally part of OEM licenses which Adobe retracted the licenses of, or straight-out pirated copies.
It is very rare to find an official boxed CS6. Besided, these are outdated, and will not run properly on Catalina anyway without hacking your way around. Too many 32-bit dependencies.
Photoshop is pretty inexpensive at $10 a month. Or get the Affinity Suite at 50% off: only $75 for all three, which is hard to beat, and an optimized experience for Mac. If you are just testing the waters of graphic design, it gives you everything to start illustrating, photo editing, and doing print work.
If you find that you enjoy doing graphic design, and intend to go further, rent the Adobe suite - in particular when working with others. But it really depends on the work or job. I've been off Adobe software for years now, and in most jobs I get by without the need to touch Adobe software. If I must use Adobe apps, I will rent the suite for the duration of the job - which is generally InDesign. Photoshop can be easily replaced in my experience.
The OP indicated the age of their machines, not the OS, however given the age of the systems at least one of them is not running Catalina, likely the 2008 Mac Pro. Now the 2013 based Machine could possibly be running it, but hardware wise might be dragging behind spec wise for a lot of Adobes newer software.
I have a late 2013 iMac myself, and it just barely chugs along running Premiere and Photoshop, both in current versions. Premiere runs much smoother, and although Photoshop CAN be used, it hangs up... A LOT.
I suspect that the reason @TSE suggested CS6, was based upon the age of the systems. I could be wrong, as it's just a wild guess. As he is technically correct, apart from a few QOL changes and some new features here or there, one can get by using CS6 these days.. for now.
I know a Polish guy actually the guy who hired me for the last in-house or corporste office job (online marketing or creating ads for Google AdWords including graphic design for the display network) and not freelance job I had who is one of the brothers who cofounded a company in Poland who uses a really old version of Photoshop because thats what he is used to on a brand new iMac.
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The big question that must be answered before evaluating any of the replies is "why". Why are you interested in graphic design programs?
If your interest is personal/hobby use then there are a lot of options, with the Affinity apps at their current sale price being an excellent choice. They currently have a long free trial period (90days) and low price. You'll find a larger number of good tutorials on the web than what's available for any other apps except those for Adobe's.
If you interest is to develop skills to allow you to work professionally then there is a very strong advantage to going with the Adobe offerings from the start.
You said my point in the least amount of words possible. This OP! This!