The scope of graphic designing has become very big in 2025. Earlier, designers used to edit photos only, but now they should know how to make logos, design websites and apps, edit videos, and even create 3D animations. The demand of the market has increased, and different software tools are required for every task.
Today, a designer does not have to be an expert in just one software but has to become a multi-tool user. A good designer is one who is a master of tools, along with being creative. Here in this blog, we will discuss those graphic designing tools, which are mostly popular and helpful as well as industry standard in 2025.
Whether you are a beginner or already working as a freelancer or in an agency, these tools will boost both your productivity and creativity.
Core Graphic Designing Tools
Adobe Photoshop – Best for Photo Editing
Photoshop is the most famous graphic designing software in the world. Its craze has not diminished even in 2025. It is mostly used in photo editing, but nowadays designers also make posters, social media creatives, banners, ads, memes, thumbnails, and digital art and image manipulation with it.
Features:
- Removing the background with AI-based object selection is done in just 1 click.
- Complex designs are also easily managed with the Layers system.
- Smart filters and neural tools automatically upscale the photo.
- You may also create GIFs, moving banners, and even basic video edits.
If you want to do Graphic designing in any field—be it marketing, advertising, social media, or freelancing—Photoshop is a must. Its 2025 version has become even smarter with a built-in AI assistant.
Adobe Illustrator – Best for Logo and Vector Design
Illustrator is a vector-based design software. This implies that the design that you create will never be poor, even when you have it printed on billboard size. The usage of this tool allows creating logos, icons, illustrations, stickers, patterns, and branding assets.
Features:
- Creating complex shapes becomes easy with the Pen tool.
- Smart guides and grids make the alignment of designs perfect.
- New AI color palettes and an auto-vectorization feature are also introduced in 2025.
- Branding projects, packaging design, and typography work are all possible with it.
Illustrator is a bit advanced, but if you want to become a logo designer or create brand identities, then this tool should be in your toolkit.
Adobe InDesign—Best for Brochures, eBooks, and Magazines
InDesign is primarily targeted to such individuals that create multi-page documents like brochures, catalogue, eBooks, company profiles, reports, and magazines. This tool is used daily in the publishing industry.
Features:
- Smart layout tools to fit text and images perfectly into the layout.
- Master pages maintain design consistency.
- Automatic page numbering and table of contents creation is easy.
- High-resolution support for print-ready and PDF exports.
InDesign can seem tough for beginners initially, but once understood, creating large-scale print designs becomes very easy.
UI/UX Design Tools
Figma—Best for Website and App Design
UI/UX designers like to use Figma. It is browser-based, so you can create a design in a browser. You don’t even need to download software. Multiple team members can work on a single project in real time.
Features:
- Auto-layouts and components make the design consistent and scalable.
- Live collaboration and comment system makes client feedback easy.
- Built-in design libraries, icon packs, and plugins are available.
- In the 2025 version, the AI assistant gives auto-layout suggestions.
If you are creating app design, website design, or dashboards—Figma is the best choice. Freelancers, startups, and agencies all use it.
Adobe XD – For Prototypes and Interactions
Adobe XD is also a UI/UX design tool. It is particularly applied to develop interactive app layouts and click prototypes. Great to work with the users of the Adobe ecosystem because you can simply import Photoshop and Illustrator files.
Features:
- Design, prototype, and share—all possible in one tool.
- Auto-animation makes it easy to create simple transitions.
- Plugins and asset libraries make designing fast.
- Real-time preview can be viewed on both mobile and desktop.
XD is good for people who already use the Adobe suite and want simple, lightweight UI tools.
3D Motion & Animation Tools
Adobe After Effects—Best for Motion Graphics
After Effects is a powerful tool for motion designers and video editors. It is used in creating logo animation, text effects, video intros, motion posters, and transitions.
Features:
- Timeline-based animation control system.
- Hundreds of presets with built-in effects and transitions.
- 3D camera tracking, object masking, and color grading features.
- 2025 has got AI templates, auto-animate feature,s and a fast rendering engine.
This tool is a must-have for YouTubers, marketing agencies, and animators.
Blender—Tool for 3D Design and Motion
Blender is a 3D free-software application for modeling, rigging, animation and simulation, rendering, compositing, and motion tracking. Best of all—it’s completely free.
Features:
- Real-time rendering with the Eevee engine.
- Professional-grade tools for sculpting and modeling.
- Video editing and VFX support are also included.
- The 2025 version improves both UI and performance.
Blender is perfect for beginners who want to pursue a career in the 3D and animation field.
Autodesk Maya – Best for Advanced 3D Animation
Maya is high-end 3D animation and modeling software mostly used by movie and game studios. It is used to create character animation, VFX, simulations, and cinematic shots.
Features:
- Motion capture integration and physics-based animation.
- Advanced rigging, skinning, and character control.
- High-resolution rendering and realistic lighting options.
In 2025, direct export options for Unreal Engine and other game engines are also available.
If you want to work in a place like Pixar, DreamWorks, or gaming studios, then you will have to master Maya.
Digital Drawing & Art Tools
Procreate—Best for iPad Drawing
Procreate is a revolutionary app for iPad users. This application is specially set for illustrators, concept artists, and doodle makers. People use it to make comics, social media art, and even animated reels.
Features:
- Real pen-like drawing experience with support for Apple Pencil.
- 200+ customizable brushes and textures.
- Time-lapse recording for social media sharing.
- Animation assist, 3D painting, and layer groups have also been added in 2025.
If you are an iPad user and design in a traditional drawing style, then Procreate is the best option.
Useful Websites for Graphic Designers in 2025
Freepik
Freepik is one of the most popular design resource sites to discover millions of free or premium design assets. It consists of vectors, PSD formats, icons, illustrations, and stock images that can be easily used in such tools as Photoshop, Illustrator, PowerPoint, or Canva. This platform is very helpful for beginners because using ready-made elements makes the design quick. You can quickly get creative for social media posts, banners, brochures, or ads. The free version of Freepik also offers a lot of valuable content, but even more advanced options are available in the premium plan.
Envato Elements
Envato Elements is a premium website that is an all-in-one platform for designers, marketers, and video creators. Here you get unlimited downloads under a monthly subscription—which includes video templates, presentation slides, graphic kits, fonts, mockups, and much more. This site is especially best for people in Graphic designing who create professional-quality projects and need high-resolution, copyright-free, and ready-to-use resources. Envato’s library is regularly updated, which keeps new and trending assets.
Unsplash & Pexels
Unsplash and Pexels are the websites where you can obtain stock images of high quality completely free of charge. You will be able to use such images in blogs, websites, and social media posts or as your design background without any copyright tension. Photos on both sites come with royalty-free licenses, which are safe for personal and commercial use. If you want creative and aesthetic photos that can make any design visually strong, then these sites are the best. Designers mostly use them for presentations, banners, and product backgrounds.
Unsplash
Pexels
Google Fonts
Google Fonts is a trusted and free font library from which you can download and use 1500+ web-safe fonts. These fonts can be directly integrated into Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and websites. In typography design, font choice is quite crucial, and you can find them all in Google fonts, which includes serif, sans-serif, display, and handwriting. Its interface is also user-friendly, where you can select the font after seeing the preview. If you need consistent and readable fonts in branding and UI design, then Google Fonts is the best source.
Icons8
Icons8 is a creative resource site where you get free and paid icons, 3D illustrations, avatars, and tools. The special thing about this site is that its design style is consistent, which is very useful in mobile apps and web UI projects. You also get helpful tools like a background remover, a face generator, and a font library on this platform that speed up the design process. Icons8 is useful for both beginners and pros, especially when you need quick custom icons and illustrations.
Conclusion
Graphic designing has become quite easy and fast in 2025 — thanks to smart tools and helpful websites. You can edit photos with Photoshop, create logos with Illustrator, design apps with Figma, create animations with After Effects, and even do 3D modeling with Blender.
But remember, “Tools are just a helping hand in Graphic designing; real design is made from your thinking and creativity.”
So learn the tools well, practice daily, do new experiments, and inspire the world through your designs.
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