What software do I use? That is a very good question and one I should have on record just for the fun of it. I’ve been a graphic designer since before there was Adobe. I used graphic arts software that predates Illustrator and photoshop. I met the originators of photoshop at a trade show and they gave me a beta copy that fit on one 400k floppy!
Years later I ran print shops with up to 60 employees and almost everyone needed to use some kind of Adobe product. Now I just design for myself and the current situation where you have to pay every month to use the product does not fit me very well.
Basically I’m retired and tinkering, paying a monthly fee to use professional software is out of the question. What do I do? I need to have free software or use old versions made before they switched to the ransom plan.
Plan A and plan B, I do have an old Mac that has a real copy of the full version of Adobe Creative Suite. I’ve had this machine for something like fifteen years, it was the top of the line and cost almost $7,000 new. I’ve pulled it out to use a only a few times. Last time I used it was three years ago when I borrowed two professional image scanners and it did an amazing job. Haven’t even thought about it since then, I think I need to retire this machine and continue to plan B.
Plan B is to organize my use of free software. So here’s my new list of software I use almost daily. Not all of this will be relevant to you but I’m trying to include most of what I use to make a complete picture of how I use my software. Some of it I have paid for but most is free.
I switch between a number of different computers, I am currently building and operating a number CNC machines, I’d like to have a full computer run each machine. Most of those are on linux so I won’t go into those here.
MAC SOFTWARE
My personal workstation is a Mac. I’ve always used Macs as my personal computer, I find it a familiar environment and most of the main programs run better for me on Macs. To each his own but I also do music and video and the way the Mac handles these tasks fits my style and workflow. I can go into more depth if you’re interested.
Other than when video editing takes over my life most of my time is actually spent working in “Google Apps”. I still keep a copy of “Libre Office” (microsoft office type suite) but I rarely ever open it. I like being able to get at all my work files from any computer and the apps have evolved to the point where they can do everything I need of an office suite.
“DaVinci Resolve” by Blackmagic Design. This is my main video editing software and it’s free for single users and the multiuser pro version is free too if you buy hardware from them. It will run on all platforms but other platforms require extra video codes to be loaded and maintained separately which drives me crazy so I only use it on a Mac. DaVinci started as a color grading program for making feature films and over the last few years has expanded into a full featured editing package.
The way DaVinci differs from Premier and the like is they’ve done away with all the old icons that really don’t mean anything to anyone any more. Does Premier still have buttons with Scissors on them? It’s meaningless and has been for decades, video was never mechanically edited, that’s a film analogy. DaVinci has a steep learning curve but once you learn it it’s way faster and more powerful than Premier. Did I say it’s free too?
DaVinci also includes a full music and audio editor, and when I say full I mean you can write music on it. You can fully create your own soundtrack from scratch. It’s very impressive but you also get the tools to remove noise and adjust volume plus a very cool sound synchronization tool that automatically keeps your frames matching your audio, even I think it’s magic. It’s also a VST player which is handy. Adobe has Audition which has a couple of tools that are still amazing like the FFT Audio Editor but DaVinci has improved on them all.
I also use “iMovie” for utility uses because it’s so quick and easy but the iMovie tools are very limited and become easily recognizable so your work looks like millions of other videos. It’s free but only for Macs. I’m the kind of person who has to get in there and tweak everything and iMovie has everything locked down tightly. If you need to trim a moving background vid iMovie is fine but anything needing more than a cut or two or titles or effects I move to DaVinci.
I use CAD software. I spent a lot of time learning to use “Fusion 360” by Autodesk but I’m upset with them right now and have not resolved my issue. It’s a commercial package owned by a blood thirsty corporation and I’m doing non commercial work. They offer a free license but they change the terms often and play the hide the free option button game so often it’s becoming offensive. If I switch there’s a large learning curve and there are few options that offer a package as large as Fusion 360.
For simple CAD software I use “Tinkercad” also by Autodesk. It’s free and runs in a browser window and is totally platform agnostic. You can quickly create objects to print on a 3D printer. There are lessons built into the program and for simple objects it’s all most people ever need. In the examples they show extremely complex models but you’d have to be a masochist to do that as it lacks all the tools to manage a large project. If I need to 3D print a simple bracket or adapter I still use Tinkercad. Go to https://www.tinkercad.com/
For drawing and sketching I use “SketchBook” by Autodesk. It’s free and runs on all platforms and tablets. Since it’s an Autodesk product, opening my sketches in Fusion 360 is extremely easy down to the highly detailed previews. I tend to sketch in layers and the speed I can take a photo and make a drawing on top and drop the whole thing into my CAD is truly amazing.
PC SOFTWARE
I have a Microsoft Surface running Windows and a “Renaisser Raphael 530 Dual Eraser Surface Stylus” and I love it. I was always and still am a draw in a notebook person but this combination has won me over. Taking a picture then annotating it in my own handwriting and then making layers and redrawing parts then when I’m home I find the whole thing on my computer has changed the way I work.
Working with 3D printers and CNC machines have their own software packages to learn. I won’t go into them here but I have used quite a few of them so if you have questions go ahead and ask.
I used to use the full Adobe Creative Suite professionally and liked it. I’ve worked in design houses and printers with up to 60 employees plus I’ve worked with the manufacturers and have worked trade show booths for Adobe and Apple but my current needs are easily met with totally free packages. I was keeping an old Mac around as it had the full Adobe package but since I haven’t needed it in years I’m going to get rid of that machine. I can barely remember the last time I used it.
For pixel based image editing I use “The Gimp” works just like Photoshop but free. Most of the time I’m just touching up photos to use as guides in layers for CAD. On the desktop a small Wacom tablet is great for clipping paths and to delete backgrounds. I got my Wacom for $20 on Craigslist. The Gimp has all the basic color tools and image editing you’ll need for most things. There’s a huge world of Gimp users and millions of free plug-ins but I don’t use any. I use a small piece of software to drive the Wacom, they don’t update their drivers for old products but I found a company that for $10 does and it’s way better than Wacom drivers.
For vector art I use “Inkscape”. It does what Illustrator does but not exactly the same way, luckily there are tons of youtube videos to get you going. I still use youtube more than the manual with this program. I use it quite often as it includes a proper type editor where the CAD packages are made by engineers and not designers so the type tools are usually awful. I need at least kerning, there’s no way I’m outputting sloppy type. Generally if my 3D work has any type on it it’s done in Inkscape and exported as a DXF into cad.
I haven’t done any page layout in years so I don’t have a replacement for “InDesign”. I also don’t do any typesetting that is more than a line long therefore a DTP package is pretty useless to me. I loved using InDesign but I’ve also used Quark, PageMaker, Frame, etc. At one time this was my main area of expertise. Apple has “Pages” that comes with the Mac, I’ve used that not too long ago and worked. I imagine Google Docs has something too.
If I were running a shop again I’d have to sign up for Adobe no matter what it costs but for non commercial use I think it’s stupid to be paying $29/mo and open it a few times a year if that.
This is not software but I use a free account at “Dropbox” for cross platform file sharing and for offloading images from my Camera. For long term storage I use the Nikon app that came with the camera. I’m not a smartphone person. I tend to use a real camera with a real zoom lens and I like to use the camera in the tablet for the background of my sketches. I sort my work on the tablet into folders on Dropbox. The camera uses the same Dropbox for short term storage, that way I can grab my photos on any device.
One utility I use often is “OBS” it’s billed as a screen capture program but it’s much more than that. The more designers try to impose restrictions on the web the more you’ll need OBS. It can take whatever you see on the screen and turn it into a picture or a video. Every youtuber uses it. If you use any screen capture tool you should try OBS.
And last but not least, “Blender”. This totally free package had been around since the late 90s and has grown into a multi headed behemoth. Everyone is using it for everything today, it’s quite overwhelming. I mean I can’t even watch the videos without going into overload. The point is everyone is using it. I’m using it to draw solid models, traditionally the normal use for Blender but don’t let that stop you.
I know people who are tired of Autodesk and are switching from Maya to Blender. It makes a lot of sense if you own your shop you should also own your software as cloud packages can be easily turned off and you’d be out of business. There have already been cases where companies have had their software shut off and they were instantly out of business, even an honest mistake could shut you down. And it’s a mistake you allow them to make, it’s in the contract and you’ve agreed to not hold it against them.
Right now I’m drawing cartoonish characters as objects that will be 3D printed. Blender excels in character modeling where my engineering cad tools fall flat quickly on that kind of task. The final object I create then gets imported into Fusion 360 where the engineering tools take over to finish the job. Few jobs are done with a single piece of software.
Of all these packages I’d recommend learning Blender the most for someone going into the creative arts industry. If a company owns some commercial software you can always train people. You give them one thing they can do and quickly they pick up the ins and outs, it shouldn’t be a big deal if you understand what the end result is supposed to be. Blender is leading edge right now and I think someone who learns that shows more initiative than someone who just uses the computer as a typewriter.
I’m watching a company that makes huge inflatable objects for marketing purposes. They used Maya for years to design the objects then flatten them out and add the required seams and gussets and whatever else is needed to make a 20’ high panda or spaceman out of cut and sew fabrics. They always started with a sketch and then a model in Maya, now they are using the Blender sketch as the model and saving one whole step.
I feel better having written out this list, it’s something I should have done long ago and kept track of with updates.
Works in Progress 