5 Graphic Design Software Options for Beginners
Best Open Source Mac Software
May 05, 2020 Free Windows 10, Linux, macOS open-source graphics editor: Inkscape 1.0 is out. The Inkscape project's version 1.0 of the free and open-source vector graphics editor is packed with new features. A number of vector graphics editors exist for various platforms. Potential users of these editors will make a comparison of vector graphics editors based on factors such as the availability for the user's platform, the software license, the feature set, the merits of the user interface (UI) and the focus of the program.
If you’re new to graphic design and not sure what software to start with, we’ve got you covered. From the top-of-the-line industry standards that employers will expect you to know, to free and lower-cost alternatives you can experiment with, below are five types of graphic design software that can help you start turning your creative ideas into reality.
1. Adobe Creative Suite
If you’re serious about pursuing graphic design professionally, Adobe Creative Suite contains much of the standard software you’ll use as a graphic designer—including Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop. Sure, these applications might take a little extra time to learn, but if they help you land a job, it’ll be worth your investment. You can start with a 30-day free trial and then pay on a monthly basis after your trial ends. Plus if you decide to go all in and study graphic design, Adobe offers all students a 60% discount on their Creative Suite software.
2. GIMP
GIMP—short for GNU Image Manipulation Program—is one of the most popular free (and open source) alternatives to Photoshop. Compatible with Linux, Mac, and Windows operating systems, GIMP includes a comprehensive set of tools for everything from image editing and retouching to full blown creation of artwork, icons, and other graphic design elements using layers, masks, and more. GIMP supports all popular file formats (and a few rare ones too) and is easy to use, even if it’s your first graphic design software.
3. Inkscape
A strong alternative to Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape is another free and open source graphic design software program. It’s a vector graphic editor that works for Windows, Mac, and Linux with a relatively simple interface and flexible tools for print, logo, and web design. These tools allow object creation, object manipulation, fill and stroke, text formatting, and operations on paths. (Many designers find cloned objects particularly useful.) Inkscape is primarily for working with SVG, but allows for export to PNG, PDF, EPS, PostScript, and more.
4. Affinity
Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer are relatively new competitors in the world of graphic design software. As you might expect, Affinity Photo is focused on photo editing, while Affinity Designer is vector graphic design software great for branding work, concept art, print projects, icons, and web mockups. Affinity software is designed to be fast regardless of the size or complexity of your work. It’s also highly customizable, with an intuitive, modern interface, advanced layer controls, the ability to undo up to 8,000 steps, and standard file format compatibility. This software is available on Windows or Mac at the reasonable price of $50 each.
5. Sketch
While it’s only available for Mac users, the vector editor software Sketch is quickly becoming a favorite for many in the design industry, especially those focused on web, app, user experience, or interface design. Priced at $100, this graphic design software is comparable in many ways to Illustrator and, in some aspects, Photoshop as well. Features include support for multiple pages and artboards, symbols and styles that can be easily repeated and updated across a design, and the ability to edit and merge vectors without destroying their original shapes. Sketch however is not a photo editing tool or ideal for print work, so you’ll have to rely on something else for that.
Want to turn your creativity and passion for design into a career? Find an Art Institutes campus near you to see how our programs in graphic and web design can help you get started.
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Filed under: Visual Design
May 25, 2017
graphic designgraphic design programThis is a list of computer software which is made for bioinformatics and released under open-source software licenses with articles in Wikipedia.
| Software | Description | Platform | License | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .NET Bio | Language-neutral toolkit built using the Microsoft 4.0 .NET Framework to help developers, researchers, and scientists | .NET Framework | Apache | Collaborative project |
| AMPHORA | Metagenomics analysis software | Linux | GPL | ? |
| Anduril | Component-based workflow framework for data analysis | Linux, macOS, Windows | GPL | University of Helsinki |
| Ascalaph Designer | Computer program for general purpose molecular modelling for molecular design and simulations. | ? | GPLv2 | Agile Molecule |
| AutoDock | Suite of automated docking tools | ? | GPL | ? |
| Avogadro | Molecule editor and visualizer for in computational chemistry, molecular modeling, bioinformatics, materials science, and related areas. | ? | GPL | ? |
| Bioclipse | Visual platform for chemo- and bioinformatics based on the Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP) | ? | Eclipse Public | The Bioclipse Project |
| Bioconductor | R (programming language) language toolkit | Linux, macOS, Windows | Artistic 2.0 | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center |
| BioJava | Java | Linux, macOS, Windows | LGPL v2.1 | Open Bioinformatics Foundation |
| BioJS | JavaScript | Web browser | Apache | ? |
| BioMOBY | Registry of web services | Web browser | Artistic | Open Bioinformatics Foundation |
| BioPerl | Perl language toolkit | Cross-platform | Artistic, GPL | Open Bioinformatics Foundation |
| BioPHP | PHP language toolkit | ? | GPL v2 | Open Bioinformatics Foundation |
| Biopython | Python language toolkit | Cross-platform | Biopython[1] | Open Bioinformatics Foundation |
| BioRuby | Ruby language toolkit | ? | GPL v2 or Ruby | Open Bioinformatics Foundation |
| CP2K | Perform atomistic simulations of solid state, liquid, molecular and biological systems. | ? | GPL and LGPL | Free open source GNU GPLv2 or later |
| EMBOSS | Suite of packages for sequencing, searching, etc. | ? | GPL and LGPL | Collaborative project |
| Galaxy | Scientific workflow and data integration system | Unix-like | Academic Free | Collaborative project |
| GenePattern | Scientific workflow system that provides access to hundreds of genomic analysis tools | Unix-like (public server); Linux, macOS, Windows | MIT | Broad Institute, UC San Diego |
| Geworkbench | Genomic data integration platform | Linux, macOS, Windows | GeWorkbench License[2] | Columbia University |
| GMOD | Toolkit to address many common challenges at biological databases | Unix-like (server), Web browser (client) | Varies depending on tool | Collaborative project |
| GenGIS | Application that allows combining digital map data with information about biological sequences collected from the environment | Windows, macOS | GPL | Collaborative project |
| Genomespace | Centralized web application that provides data format transformations and facilitates connections with other bioinformatics tools | Web browser | LGPL | Broad Institute, collaborative project |
| GENtle | An equivalent to the proprietary Vector NTI, a tool to analyze and edit DNA sequence files | ? | GPL | Magnus Manske |
| GROMACS | Molecular dynamics package mainly designed for simulations of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. | Linux, macOS, Windows | Common Public 1.0 | GenoViz |
| Integrated Genome Browser | Java-based desktop genome browser | Linux, macOS, Windows | Common Public 1.0 | GenoViz |
| InterMine | Extensive data warehouse system for the analysis and integration of biological datasets | Cross-platform | LGPL | University of Cambridge |
| LabKey Server | Software platform, allows organizations to integrate, analyze, and share complex biomedical data | Linux, macOS, Windows | Apache | LabKey Software Foundation |
| LAMMPS | Molecular dynamics program | Linux, macOS, Windows | Apache | Sandia National Laboratories. |
| mothur | Software for analysis of the 16S rRNA gene | Linux, macOS, Windows | ? | University of Michigan |
| PathVisio | Desktop software for drawing, analysing, and visualizing biological pathways | Linux, macOS, Windows | Apache 2.0 | Maastricht University |
| Orange | Component-based data mining and machine learning software suite, featuring a visual programming front-end for exploratory data analysis and interactive visualization, and Python bindings and libraries for scripting | Linux, macOS, Windows | GPL | University of Ljubljana |
| Staden Package | Sequence assembly, editing, and analysis, mainly consisting of gap4, gap5, and spin. | Linux, macOS, Windows | BSD | Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Medical Research Council |
| Taverna workbench | Tool to design and execute workflows | Linux, macOS, Windows | LGPL | myGrid |
| UGENE | Integrated bioinformatics tools | Linux, macOS, Windows | GPL 2 | Unipro |
| Unipept | Metaproteomics biodiversity analysis | Web browser | MIT | Ghent University |
| VOTCA | A Coarse-grained modeling package, | GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows, any other Unix variety | Apache License 2.0 | Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Biopython License
- ^'GeWorkbench License'. geWorkbench. Columbia University. 15 June 2014.
External links[edit]
- Free Biology Software – Free Software Directory – Free Software Foundation
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