Examples of graphic packages used by graphic designers abound. There are different categories ranging from raster to vector application software.

In graphics designing, we use application packages such as Adobe Photoshop, GIMP GNU, Paint 3D, etc to manipulate raster images. And use packages such as Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, Inkscape, AutoCAD, etc to create vector images.

For students in junior secondary/high schools, we shall list 20 examples of graphic packages in this tutorial. The list shall be divided into painting packages and drawing packages.

Classes of Graphic Design Packages

When sourcing a computer graphics package to use, you should consider choosing from the following list.

1. Open source graphic apps: These are software that receives a vast community of contributors. Anyone with good coding knowledge can modify such software to suit his/her needs. They are essentially free to use. So, you can download any of them and use them to practice graphic designing. Examples include Inkscape, GIMP, Gravit Designer, SVG-Edit, Pinta, etc. You can also use the free PNG to SVG converter to save your PNG file as an SVG image.
2. Cloud-based platforms: These are platforms that provide tools that allow anyone to create and manage graphics online. Some of the platforms provide free services, with limited capability. To have full access to the features of the platform, you may need to pay. Also, such platforms can be used both on desktop and mobile devices, but they require access to the internet. Examples of cloud graphic services are Canva, Stencil, Pixlr, Fotor, AppyPie, etc.
3. Commercial or paid software: This refers to proprietary graphic packages that one can either subscribe to or purchase. They can be desktop apps or cloud-based. They include popular brands used by professionals in graphic designing and the printing industry. Examples are Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Sketch, Xara Designer Pro+, Genially, etc.
4. Desktop applications: Desktop packages are applications that are installed on desktop computers for design purposes. When purchased or downloaded for free, users will not require internet access to use them efficiently. Examples are CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Designer, Photoscape, Lunacy, etc.
5. Mobile device apps: These are apps developed for mobile devices. They can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play and be used on smartphones and tablets. There are apps for android and IOS devices or both. Examples are Procreate (for ios), Infinite Design (android), Ibis Paint x (android), Adobe capture (both), ArtFlow (android), etc.

Examples of Graphic Packages

We listed 20 examples of graphic packages in this section. These packages were classified as raster and vector graphic packages.

10 Examples of paint packages

These are graphic packages you can use to manipulate images and scanned documents. Remember that such images may lose their quality and clarity. 10 examples of painting graphic packages are listed below.

1. Corel Painter: This is a professional digital art software for the Windows operating system (OS).
2. Adobe Photoshop: An image editing software for windows and Mac systems. It is used to edit images, and create banners and websites.
3. Corel Photo-Paint: An image editor that comes with the CorelDraw graphics suite. Used in photo editing and graphic designing.
4. QFX: This is an image editing software developed by Ron Scott in 1990.
5. Serif Photoplus: This is an image editing software for windows. It is now a legacy app with no support for updates.
6. Picasa: This graphic package is owned by Google and it’s used to organize, edit and view digital photos. However, the service is discontinued for google photos.
7. MS Paint: It is a graphics editor that comes with all versions of Windows OS. Higher versions of windows come with an improved version of Paint.
8. GIMP: An open-source and cross-platform image manipulation software developed for Linux, Windows, and Mac. It can be used in place of Photoshop.
9. Krista: A professional and open-source painting program developed by artists,
10. Artweaver: A windows graphics editor developed by Boris Eyrich.

10 Examples of drawing graphic packages

These are application packages you can use to create, draw and modify objects. The modified objects may not lose their originality. The list of 10 examples of drawing graphic packages is given below.

1. Xfig: An interactive drawing and open source graphic app that runs on the X Window System.
2. CorelDRAW: A fully loaded professional graphic design software developed for professionals.
3. Adobe Illustrator: A vector graphic editor and design application software for creating gorgeous graphics everywhere.
4. Harvard graphics: A graphics and presentations software developed for IBM systems and released in 1986. It eventually went off the market in 2017.
5. Affinity Designer: A professional creative software for vector graphics. It was developed by Serif and is used for illustrations, photo editing, etc. versions are available for windows and mac.
6. Inkscape: An open-source scalable vector graphic editing software with powerful drawing tools.
7. MS Expression Design: A professional vector graphic design and illustration tool for creating web and desktop application elements.
8. Adobe Fireworks: A graphic editor made for web designers. It was used to create website application interfaces but has been discontinued since 2012.
9. Adobe Freehand: Used to create illustrations, print, and website layouts. Adobe support for the application has been discontinued since 2011.
10. MS Visio: This is a vector graphics application included with the Microsoft Office suite. It is used to draw diagrams, flowcharts, and charts.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we enlisted 35 examples of graphic packages that can be used to create and edit objects. These examples were divided into seven categories as follows:

• Open-source software
• Cloud design services
• Commercial applications
• Desktop and downloadable software
• Mobile apps for android and ios devices.
• Painting graphic packages
• Drawing app packages

For a beginner who wants to learn and create designs, you can choose from any of the first five categories. For students who are studying for exams, you can learn and identify the list of raster and vector graphics.