#and Scribus was always easier than InDesign from the get go

[gailynovelry]

I have to acknowledge that 90% of the reason why I ever manage to finish my novels is that I'm just a little freak for turning raw text into hot, hot formatted ebook.

These is the most engrossing activity known to mankind (by which I mean "me, specifically.") I am going to gay lesbian poly marry Scribus and Sigil both.

[andiroo42]

Free and affordable creative software for photo & video editing, design and illustration.

If you’re a creative and you don’t have a lot to spend on the latest software, you still want decent tools that will make life easier. Here’s a list of free and low cost software options that won’t make you a slave to outrageous pricing schemes and monthly subscriptions. All of the paid products listed here (except one) have retail options for under $50. Try them, see if they fit into your workflow and maybe they’ll find a new home on your hard drive and in your heart.

*Many of the applications listed here are open source meaning that the code base is available for anyone to tinker with and customize to their liking. It also means that fixing bugs and adding new features relies on the willingness of developers and often times the donations of users. Please support your favorite open source projects!

Photo Editing/Raster Graphics

Free:

Gimp (Windows, MacOS, Linux): Adobe’s Photoshop has long stood as the go to for photo editing, illustration and desktop publishing but their bloating app size and subscription based model doesn’t work for everybody. Short for GNU Image Manipulation Program, GIMP closely resembles Photoshop and is totally free and open source, nailing down the basic feature set you’d expect for editing photos along with some pleasant surprises.  https://www.gimp.org

Krita (Windows, MacOS, Linux): This app caters specifically to raster or pixel based illustration with unique drawing features, a streamlined interface, a great selection of brushes and customization options. It also has traditional 2D animation features.  https://krita.org/en/

Paid:

Affinity Photo (Windows, MacOS, iPadOS) : Serif’s Affinity line of products do a great job of giving a pro toolset without the pro price tag. Their one-time purchase price is super affordable. At first glance it may not have the same feature set as other packages, but on closer inspection it just does it in a different, perhaps even more efficient way. Kinda like if Lightroom and Photoshop had a beautiful baby without all the bloat. Check out their other entires on this list (Windows, Mac, ) https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/ Note: Affinity will often have discounts depending on the season!

ArtStudio Pro (MacOS, iPadOS): Closest thing to Photoshop on iPad I’ve ever seen, even more so than the newer iPad Photoshop app. Has plenty of pro features without feeling overwhelming. http://www.luckyclan.com/apps

Pixelmator (MacOS, iPadOS): a sleek, speedy alternative that focuses on integration into the Apple aesthetic. Great for editing profile pics and video thumbnails.  https://www.pixelmator.com

Procreate (iPadOS): Procreate for me is the definitive illustration app for iPad. It’s simple, intuitive and has the fastest drawing engine in the west. https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id425073498

Vector Illustration:

Free:

Inkscape (Windows, MacOS, Linux): I’ve always see Inkscape as sibling to Gimp, and certainly as the definitive open source replacement of Adobe Illustrator. The basic tools overlap but with some different terminology. You’ll definitely want to check this out if you’s like to make infinitely scalable artwork for logos, illustrations and mathematically perfect artwork. https://inkscape.org

Vectornator (MacOS, iPadOS): as a new comer, it does things a bit differently but has a super user-friendly interface. What it lacks in features it makes up in style. https://vectornator.io

Paid:

Affinity Designer (Windows, MacOS, iPadOS): Designer is unique in that it mixes vector graphics along with pixel brushes. I’ve used Designer for large scale illustrations and it doesn’t break a sweat. I appreciate it’s ability to handle raster effects like drop shadows, glows and blurs without losing performance. Definitely a game changer if you want to say sayonara to Adobe Illustrator and don’t mind the absence of some features. https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/designer/

Print Design/Desktop Publishing:

Free:

Scribus: (Windows, MacOS, Linux) This entry is on the infrequently updated side and I haven’t used it in a while, but it’s worth a look. From it’s site, it’s “a desktop publishing (DTP) application. Scribus is designed for flexible layout and typesetting, and the ability to prepare files for professional quality image setting equipment.” https://www.scribus.net/downloads/unstable-branch/

Paid:

Affinity Publisher (Windows, MacOS): Publisher is the best replacement for InDesign out there in my opinion. Besides being able to import InDesign files via IDML, one of it’s strongest features is StudioLink: an on the fly, in-app switching to Affinity Photo and Designer (if you own them already), bringing to it all the features of the suite. https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/publisher/

Video Editing

Free:

Kdenlive (Windows, MacOS, Linux): Kdenlive is probably the most well-known of the multi-track open source video editors and comes full of features you’d expect from professional software. It’s got a great community and good documentation. It also runs well on aging or low-spec machines. https://kdenlive.org/en/

Shotcut (Windows, MacOS, Linux): Shotcut is an intuitive editor that is frequently updated and feels like iMovie with a Premiere Pro aesthetic. Easy to edit transitions, color grading and above average green screening and compositing effects make it great for someone needing flexibility without the learning curve. https://shotcut.org

Olive (Windows, MacOS, Linux): This one is a newcomer and shows promise. It’s got surprisingly decent text editing features, compositing and animation features. https://www.olivevideoeditor.org

Paid:

Da Vinci Resolve (Windows, MacOS): As non-open source, proprietary software, the free version of this video editor has it all: 8k editing, color correction, visual effects and audio post-production in an easy to use package. While you can purchase the full studio version for a pretty penny, the free version is available with a few limitations. https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/

HitFilm Express (Windows, MacOS): HitFilm Express is a great tool for aspiring filmmakers who need to incorporate solid visual effects. It’s unique in that they offer a free base app and a sliding pay what you want scale, but spending more gets you extra features and you only pay for what you want. https://fxhome.com

BONUS: 3D Modeling/Animation/Creative Production

Blender: (Windows, MacOS, Linux) Blender is the biggest, most well-funded open source project around with a huge community of users. As an entire 3D-production suite, it includes modeling, sculpting, texturing, compositing, physics simulation, 2D animation tools, video editing, a real-time renderer and host of other features aimed at the creation of 3D artwork for motion and still images. It’s got a steep learning curve but plenty to keep happy for the price tag: zero. Download the current stable version at http://www.blender.org For the latest builds, go to https://builder.blender.org

Opentoonz (Windows, MacOS, Linux): Opentoonz is a dream come true for 2D traditional hand-drawn animators. Based on the original “Toonz” software, it’s been tweaked by Studio Ghilbli and was released to the public as open source in 2016. The original OpenToonz is available here:  https://opentoonz.github.io/e/index.html   I recommend the further customized Morevna branch: https://morevnaproject.org/opentoonz/

Pencil 2D (Windows, MacOS, Linux): If you’re interested in traditional 2D animation, Pencil 2D is a lightweight app that’s easy to use. It has basic features like vector tools and sound import, but I like to think of it more like an animation sketch pad than a pro-level production tool. https://www.pencil2d.org

Andrew Carroll is a freelance graphic designer in Allentown PA that focuses on logo and illustration design for ministries and small businesses. When not pushing pixels you can find him volunteering with Simplicity Outreach, an urban community center and hosting the Adventist City Ministries podcast. See his work at 42design.co  Instagram