Five Apps: Free graphic design tools
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Five free tools to aid in graphic design
Five free tools to aid in graphic design
This gallery is also available as a TechRepublic article.
When you think of graphic design, you generally think ofrnPhotoshop, Gimp, Inkscape, and other bitmap and vector image editing software.rnBut most designers have more than just the standard tools in their arsenal.rnWhether it’s a tool to aid in the selection of a color scheme, batch processingrntools, or font tools etc. – there’s always yet another tool to aid in yourrnquest to create the perfect design. And these tools aren’t just for thernhard-core designers. Anyone can add secondary tools to their ever-growingrngraphics toolkit – but which tool is best suited for you?
rnrnI’ve scrounged up five tools that meet different graphicsrnneeds. Alone, none of them will help you create a masterpiece. In conjunctionrnwith your favorite editor, however, these tools will go a long way to helprnextend your abilities and offerings.
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Credit: Images by JackrnWallen for TechRepublic
Darktable 1
Darktable 1
Five Apps
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1. Darktable
rnrnDarktable is anrnopen source photography workflow software. With this amazing tool you can bringrna level of quality to your photographs you’ve never had before. With thisrnsoftware you will enjoy a virtual light table and darkroom, similar to whatrnprofessional photographers use. Darktable features: Non-destructive editing,rnrun database queries against your image libraries, zero-latency fullscreen, zoomable user interface, powerful exportrnsystem, and more. Darktable also includes a module system that can handle tasksrnlike: Crop and rotate, base curve, exposure controls, highlight reconstruction,rnwhite balance, temperature, and more. If you’re looking for an outstanding toolrnto bring professional quality to your photos, Darktable is what you need.rnDarktable is free and runs on Linux and Mac.
Credit: Images by Jack Wallen for TechRepublic
Darktable 2
Darktable 2
Credit: Images by Jack Wallen for TechRepublic
Phatch 1
Phatch 1
2. Phatch
rnrnPhatch is one of the more handy graphics applications you willrnever use. What Phatch does is do batch editing on digital images – but it’s much more than that. What you do is create a set of actions tornrun on a folder of images. There are numerous actions you can include in thernset (such as color to alpha, colorize, contour, desaturate, crop, grid, invert,rnmask, mirror, perspective, posterise, rotate, rename, shadow, text, save, andrnmuch more). Once you’ve created your set of actions, you can then run thernactions against a folder of files. You have the option of making changes to thernsource files, or creating a new folder so to retain the integrity of yourrnoriginals. Phatch runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Credit: Images by Jack Wallen for TechRepublic
Phatch 2
Phatch 2
Credit: Images by Jack Wallen for TechRepublic
Color Scheme Generator 1
Color Scheme Generator 1
3. Color Scheme Generator
rnrnColor Scheme Generator is one of those tools you may not ever use. However, ifrnyou need to develop a solid color scheme, you’ll be glad you have this tool atrnthe ready. The tool works is by scanning an image (from your gallery or taken from you device camera) and then generating a colorrnscheme to match the pallet of the image. With CSG you can generate small,rnmedium, and large color schemes. Therntype of scheme you generate will depend upon how many colors you need. For morerncolors, generate a small scheme. For less colors, generate a large scheme. Fromrnthe color scheme you can then retrieve HEX, RGB, and HSV values for each color.rnColor Scheme Generator is free and available on the Android platform.
Credit: Images by Jack Wallen for TechRepublic
Color Scheme Generator 2
Color Scheme Generator 2
Credit: Images by Jack Wallen for TechRepublic
Gpick 1
Gpick 1
4. Gpick
rnrnGpick is there when you simply need to know various values ofrna color. There are tons of these types ofrnapplications, but Gpick (for Linux) is better than most of them. Gpick features: Fast color picking, creaternpalette from images, select color from anywhere on desktop, automatically namedrncolors, export/import, copy picked colors to clipboard, oversampling, mixrncolors, create harmonious colors, and much more. So if you’re looking for arntool that will help you pick a color (and see its various values), Gpick is an outstanding choice.
Credit: Images by Jack Wallen for TechRepublic
Gpick 2
Gpick 2
Credit: Images by Jack Wallen for TechRepublic
Frontforge 1
Frontforge 1
5. Frontforge
rnrnFontforge isrnnot the easiest tool to use; but once you get the hang of it, you’ll berncreating fonts that perfectly meet your needs. Fontforge is an outline font editor that lets yourncreate postscript, truetype, opentype, cid-keyed, multi-master, cff, svg andrnbitmap fonts. You can even edit existing fonts and convert fonts from onernformat to another. Fontforge does have a steep learning curve, but it is free, and it is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac.
Credit: Images by Jack Wallen for TechRepublic
Frontforge 2
Frontforge 2
Bottom line
rnrnIf you’re a graphics designer,rnyou need tools other than the standard editors. Each of these tools offers uprnsomething for every designer looking to expand their current toolbox. Givernthese a try and see if your graphic designing tasks become easier and yourrnpalette of offerings becomes more expansive.
Credit: Images by Jack Wallen for TechRepublic
