Graphic design has come a protracted manner since I began within the arts practically a decade and a half in the past.
Enhancements in instruments like Photoshop or my private favourite, Procreate, from then to now have helped take away artistic roadblocks and velocity up the design course of. Then, user-friendly design instruments like Canva have made design extra accessible to non-specialists.
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Now, it’s 2024, and we discover ourselves within the throes of the “AI revolution.” We’re met with a ton of AI instruments for graphic design that promise to streamline our artistic workflows and extra.
However is the juice actually well worth the squeeze with these instruments? Immediately, we discover out.
Desk of Contents
Why use AI for graphic design?
From eradicating artistic blocks to saving time, listed here are three causes to think about including AI to your graphic design course of.
Take away Artistic Blocks
One of many primary advantages I’ve discovered by utilizing AI is that it helps me take away artistic blocks.
So, once I’m writing and hit a wall, relatively than watching a clean display, I’d ask ChatGPT to generate an instance use case for one thing. Even when the textual content it generates is clunky and unusable, it no less than offers me a place to begin.
In terms of design, particularly, the identical goes for one thing like coloration pairing. With out AI help or pre-created palettes, I battle to decide on a couple of coloration for a design. (As you’ll see later, a selected AI instrument for graphic design might help take away that artistic block.)
Artistic Experimentation
As an Illustration graduate who specialised in printmaking, I can inform you first-hand that artistic experimentation in actual life will get messy.
Not solely is the method typically messy, however it could possibly take up loads of area. Earlier than it, a number of bodily variations of your experimentations are mounting up, and the subsequent situation is the place to retailer them.
Apart from that, non-digital artistic experimentation is usually riskier. With out the devoted “Ctrl Z” or equal at your disposal, you’re all the time one transfer away from ruining a design. The crux? It’s sufficient to place you off even making an attempt, and that’s not good for enterprise.
However I’m not just a few random ex-art grad on a cleaning soap field lecturing you about artistic expression with out simply trigger. I’m additionally a enterprise proprietor shouting from the rooftops about one key reality: Experimentation is the driving power behind innovation.
So, the extra you’ll be able to encourage it in your self and, if related, your group, the higher.
Save Your self Time
There’s a cause 95% of execs utilizing AI say it helps them spend much less time on handbook duties. And an additional 83% say it helps them concentrate on the artistic elements of their position.
Via automation, AI might help you simplify your artistic workflow, be it by means of bulk edits or producing designs in just a few prompts. Additionally, by eradicating artistic blocks and offering a solution to experiment at velocity, you will get from an idea to a remaining design a lot faster.
That stated, there’s one thing magical about making a bodily piece which you can maintain in your fingers. And with out all these years spent within the print room or experimenting with totally different mediums — from textiles to gloopy oil paints — I don’t suppose I’d perceive the best way to use AI to attain my desired end result.
How I Examined the Greatest AI Graphic Design Instruments
I examined every instrument in opposition to the next standards:
- Worth. I wished to know if you happen to might get began with the instrument totally free. (As a facet observe, it’s price exploring how a lot it’s going to value you to truly obtain and use the top product for industrial functions.)
- Ease of use. I wished to check how intuitive and user-friendly the design platform was.
- Design capabilities. I wished to understand how broad every instrument’s design capabilities have been. Extra particularly, I attempted to know whether or not the instruments’ AI components have been overhyped or genuinely useful.
- Licenses and copyright. I wished to know if you happen to might use the top merchandise commercially. Bonus factors if the businesses behind the instruments actively shield individuals from potential authorized motion after utilizing designs created by means of the platform.
- Ethics. As a artistic, I used to be interested by how every firm skilled the AI fashions. I personally would favor to not use a instrument that didn’t work with creatives pretty or didn’t brazenly state the way it skilled the fashions.
AI Instruments for Graphic Design
I road-tested six instruments for graphic design. Right here’s what I discovered.
1. Adobe Specific
Adobe Express is an all-in-one AI content material creation app that enables customers to make gorgeous social posts, advertising photos, flyers, and extra.
Its AI instruments are powered by Adobe Firefly, a generative machine-learning mannequin particularly for design.
Although Adobe Specific is accessible for everybody, HubSpot’s latest integration permits HubSpot customers to make use of the AI content material creation app to make aesthetically pleasing advertising supplies with out leaving HubSpot.
A preferred use case for Adobe Specific is to “create gorgeous, life-like photos.” Nevertheless, you may as well use the instrument for AI photograph enhancing (i.e., altering backgrounds and eradicating undesirable components out of your photos).
I made a decision to strive Adobe Specific for producing photos from scratch. For context, bear in mind what I stated earlier about having an Illustration diploma and spending quite a bit of time in a printmaking studio. So, I’d positively say my bias is towards the extra painterly/illustrative facet of graphic design.
My immediate: “A easy black define of a mountain drawn within the type of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings drawings coloured with random splotches of drawing ink in magenta, blue, purple, and gold.”
I used to be really fairly impressed with the output, particularly contemplating I solely prompted the instrument and didn’t configure any of the settings initially.
However how does Adobe Specific stack up if you get extra particular with the settings? I selected Artwork because the content material kind to search out out.
In my view, the setting change didn’t make that a lot distinction to the output. However that might be as a result of the unique immediate was biased in direction of an “artwork” kind of output anyway.
As an additional experiment, I additionally adjusted the immediate to deliver extra whitespace into the mountain portion of the design. Adobe Specific interpreted that as extra whitespace, typically, relatively than within the mountain part itself. Lengthy story brief, that didn’t work out as I envisioned, so I ditched that portion of the immediate.
I’ll say that with one thing like this (private work), it’s typically in regards to the journey as a lot because the vacation spot. And although it took mere seconds to supply, it wasn’t as enjoyable to create this digitally as it could’ve been by utilizing conventional printing and even with biro and drawing ink.
What I like: Adobe Firefly, which powers Adobe Specific, first piqued my curiosity in 2023 when Sarah Rogers, a Contributing Artist at Cricut, posted in regards to the instrument on LinkedIn.
Greatest for: Adobe Specific is finest for particular person graphic designers, design groups, college students, college students and lecturers. And anybody trying to enhance their design expertise utilizing a accountable AI instrument.
Pricing: Get began totally free.
I’d adopted Sarah’s considerate LinkedIn posts about AI for some time. And we each appeared to have an analogous mindset concerning its use inside artistic endeavors. I don’t need to converse for Sarah, however as for me, right here’s my mindset:
- Sure, you would possibly have the ability to velocity up your artistic course of with AI — if you know the way to make use of it.
- No, you shouldn’t hearth your entire artistic staff and exchange them with AI.
- And sure, it’s best to hold a wholesome degree of skepticism concerning the appliance of AI inside your online business. (A wholesome degree of skepticism, particularly in regards to the output of the instruments, authorized points like licensing, and the way the fashions are skilled.)
So, what caught my eye probably the most about Sarah’s endorsement of Adobe Firefly was that Adobe is, seemingly no less than, appearing responsibly on this area.
They’re arguably the most accountable people within the design instrument world concerning AI. That makes me really feel extra assured about any potential licensing points and that “no creatives have been harmed” in coaching the fashions.
2. Canva
Canva is a free on-line graphic design instrument. You should utilize it to create a spread of designs, akin to social media posts, logos, and shows.
Canva has built-in AI into its platform in a number of alternative ways, together with Magic Design, a text-to-image generator, and Magic Studio, which incorporates AI-driven photograph enhancing options and text-to-video era.
Nowadays, I largely use Canva to make (some would possibly say, hilarious) memes for my LinkedIn.
Nevertheless, I used the instrument quite a bit once I supplied social media advertising companies, so I wished to make use of Magic Studio to create a social media picture.
I began with a time-saving social media template — an Instagram submit particularly.
I selected Cream Minimalist New Assortment Instagram Publish by Kinley Artistic.
I wished to customise the picture, so I uploaded an image of a few of my very own paintings.
I additionally wished to add a font I’d lately downloaded from Kind Colony. (That is TC Kuareen if you happen to’re .)
To add the font, I clicked on the “new assortment” templated textual content, chosen the font drop-down menu, and clicked “Add a font.”
As soon as I’d come this far, I noticed I’d not used any AI options. So my subsequent process was to attempt to discover some. However, strive as I’d, I might solely discover two noticeable AI options throughout the picture editor.
One among them was “Magic Write.” I might see that being useful for designers or enterprise homeowners who need assistance writing copy. That stated, if you happen to don’t know the best way to use AI nicely, it’s no alternative for working with a skilled copywriter. After all, the identical goes for design.
The opposite AI function was “Translate.” As soon as once more, I might see this being useful. Nevertheless, like copy and design, AI translation is not any alternative for having an precise translator to safeguard in opposition to translation mishaps.
This might be my misunderstanding of the instrument, however I discovered it arduous to see a selected AI use case for social media graphic creation.
However I feel the instrument might be actually helpful for AI picture enhancing. For instance, the “Magic Eraser” edit function eliminates undesirable design components, and “Magic Edit” provides to, replaces, or edits a picture in just a few clicks.
What I like: Canva is actually user-friendly. I really feel like individuals with various ranges of design information, and even these with little expertise utilizing design instruments might use it.
I additionally like that the platform has launched an “industry-leading assortment of strong belief, security, and privateness instruments” by means of Canva Protect.
It looks as if Canva can also be safeguarding in opposition to mental property claims for Enterprise clients. Plus, they’re compensating Canva creatives for his or her work by means of an AI royalty program.
Greatest for: Particular person graphic designers, design groups, and small to enterprise companies.
Pricing: Get began totally free.
3. Designs.ai
Designs.ai is an built-in Company-as-a-Service platform powered by AI know-how. It’s a one-stop store for all the pieces from brand design to social media and picture era.
You’ll be able to even convert textual content to speech for voice-over content material.
I attempted making a social media picture to see how Designs.ai compares to Canva, primarily as a result of I wished to know if the AI elements of this instrument have been extra distinguished.
My first thought was that if you happen to’ve used Canva earlier than, it received’t take you lengthy to familiarize yourself with the format for this part of the instrument. However even if you happen to haven’t, the Designs.ai platform is easy and intuitive. I can see most individuals with the ability to decide up this instrument and run with it to some extent.
At first look, the social media part is similar to Canva when it comes to choosing templates to customise based mostly on the channel (Fb, Instagram, and so on.). So, it’s fairly commonplace stuff, actually. The “Wizard” possibility, nonetheless, caught my eye.
The default format is “Enterprise Card,” however you’ll be able to select from totally different choices, akin to “Quotes,” “Product Listings,” and “YouTube Thumbnail.” I picked “Instagram Publish” to check the outcomes to Canva.
Along with the totally different design format choices, you may as well select from predetermined classes like “Occasions & Celebrations,” “Enterprise, Authorized & Finance,” and “Animal & Pet.” I chosen “Artwork, Design & Inspiration.”
As a facet observe, I had to enroll/register to add my very own title picture. However I did all the pieces till that time through the web site with out signing up for the platform.
After inputting the design variables, I hit Generate. The choices the instrument spat out weren’t standout designs, however they have been higher than I anticipated — a nice shock!
Subsequent, I chosen one of many urged designs to see what the picture editor was like. As with a lot of Designs.ai, the format is just like Canva.
For the sake of continuity, I might’ve missed one thing, however not like Canva, so far as I’m conscious, you’ll be able to’t add your personal fonts to Designs.ai.
General, I discovered the platform simple to navigate and use. That stated, I don’t suppose this is able to serve your wants if you happen to wished to create advanced designs.
I additionally couldn’t discover any details about how Designs.ai skilled its fashions, so I’m cautious of that side.
There’s details about licensing, although. Typically, “completed initiatives made with our artistic AI instruments might be distributed to advertise and promote your online business.” Nonetheless, there are particular Do’s and Don’ts segmented by every side of the instrument (Emblem, Social Media, Video, and so on.) that you simply would possibly need to take note of.
What I like: By way of AI, Designs.ai goes a step past Canva. I may see the “Bulk Edit” operate coming in helpful if you wish to automate mass edits.
Greatest for: Small companies initially of their journey who don’t have the finances for a designer. Particular person graphic designers or design groups specializing in holistic advertising.
Pricing: Get began totally free.
4. AutoDraw
AutoDraw is an AI instrument that mixes machine studying and drawings from artists. You should utilize the instrument to “draw stuff quick.” By way of graphic design use circumstances, you can use AutoDraw to make studying supplies and customized graphics.
And for any design that requires a fast define, I can see Autodraw dashing up the method.
A warning: I don’t have my graphics pill arrange. So all the pieces you’re about to witness — hilarious although it could be — was completed with only a mouse. I’m guessing the instrument’s capabilities are far better with a pill or a stylus at hand.
Nevertheless, with out giving an excessive amount of away, it proves which you can enter a horrible drawing into AutoDraw and get one thing higher again.
I made a decision to maintain issues easy with an excellent previous smiley face. First, I used the “Form” instrument to create a circle define, after which I used “AutoDraw” for the eyes and nostril. As you’ll be able to see, the AutoDraw components inputted by me are … missing finesse, let’s assume.
However that’s not an issue. The “Do you imply” part on the highest toolbar offers numerous choices to finesse your drawing. So even when your try to attract a smiley face with only a mouse didn’t prove so nicely, one click on on a smiley face up prime, and also you’re golden.
As you’ll be able to see the smiley face is now rather less insufferable to behold. Subsequent I used Choose to pick out after which delete the preliminary circle form I added. (It turned out to be pointless.) Et voila! A shiny blissful clipart type individual laughing … or one thing.
Concerning coaching the fashions, Google used“the identical know-how to guess what you’re making an attempt to attract,” as Fast, Draw!, which relied upon “artists, designers, illustrators, and associates of Google” so as to add drawings to the doodling knowledge set.
I doubt the artists have been compensated for his or her work. Nonetheless, no less than they shared designs willingly relatively than having them scraped by AI with out their consent.
What I like: I actually like that the instrument is straightforward to make use of, free, and, let’s be sincere, enjoyable! Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be supreme for advanced design work. That stated, if you happen to don’t have loads of time and want to visualise an concept shortly, AutoDraw might help.
Greatest for: Anybody who must convey concepts and ideas at velocity.
Pricing: Get began totally free.
5. Khroma
Khroma is an AI graphic design instrument that helps you match your favourite colours right into a collection of palettes. The instrument additionally blocks the colours you don’t like, in order that they’ll by no means discover their manner into your palettes.
I like that this instrument is so specialised for a selected goal. And I can see this being an enormous time saver if you happen to battle with coloration pairing like me.
For context, I can decide just a few colours that I like, no drawback. However I’m not all the time assured they go collectively and may get misplaced in evaluation paralysis. Because of this, I have a tendency to purchase pre-made coloration palettes for my go-to illustrative instrument, Procreate.
After I clicked Generate, I used to be prompted to decide on 50 colours “to coach a coloration generator algorithm” customized to me. I dove proper in and picked the colours that stood out to me at a look.
As I picked the colours, the “likes to go” part counted what number of colours I nonetheless had to decide on. The colour bar additionally began filling up with those I’d chosen thus far.
After choosing my 50 colours, I hit Begin Coaching.
Then, the outcomes got here in. The format for the colour pairings is gorgeous, and I see loads of potential on this instrument.
One other attention-grabbing component of Khroma is which you can visualize your coloration pairings in several methods, together with “Kind” (the view above) and “Gradient” (the view beneath). You may also see how your coloration selections look as posters, photos, and inside broader coloration palettes.
Since Khroma helps you pair colours already in existence, I can’t see it being exploitative to creators or needing particular licenses for industrial use. However I can’t say that for sure, so do your due diligence.
What I like: If you click on the data icon in opposition to every coloration pairing, Khroma gives you with the colour codes. That might be such a time saver if you wish to coloration match in one other design instrument.
Greatest for: Particular person designers and design groups trying to save time on coloration choice and pairing.
Pricing: Get began totally free.
6. Looka
Looka is a platform particularly for brand and model design. It makes use of synthetic intelligence and machine studying to create designs based mostly in your enter.
I began my take a look at by getting into an instance firm title and clicking Get began. From then on, Looka took me by means of a collection of steps to assist me create a brand.
Step one was to choose my {industry}. As you’ll be able to see, there’s a vary of sectors to select from.
I used to be then prompted to pick out some logos I appreciated, adopted by some colours.
The next steps have been so as to add an organization title (once more, for some cause?) accompanied by a slogan after which to decide on some image sorts.
An remark: I appreciated that Looka gave me notes about my firm title and slogan selections as I inputted them. This might be helpful recommendation for novices. Plus, you may as well decide your personal symbols if you wish to be extra hands-on with the design.
After that, Looka generated just a few totally different logos for me. Whereas they have been competent logos, they have been too “out of the field” for me and lacked the artistic aptitude wanted for model differentiation. That stated, I didn’t go too deep into customizing the emblem.
This instrument shines extra within the presentation of the designs than within the designs themselves. For instance, I like that Looka gives design mock-ups so you’ll be able to see how your brand will look on a enterprise card, web site, social media, and extra.
I couldn’t discover any specifics about how Looka skilled its AI fashions, however they no less than tackle the potential unfavourable influence on human designers right here:
By way of licensing and copyright, Looka says:
“It’s possible you’ll not use any of Looka’s Finish Merchandise exterior of the Website, whether or not for industrial or private use, with out paying all relevant and respective Charges prematurely. This contains each digital and bodily use of the Finish Merchandise.”
What I like: General, the platform is intuitive and straightforward to make use of. I like that Looka doesn’t use templates; relatively, it generates every design based mostly in your particular enter. There’s additionally a variety of font, format, and coloration choices.
Greatest for: New companies with out the finances to work with a designer. Particular person designers and design groups working particularly in branding.
Pricing: Get began totally free.
Trying to pair your designs with AI-powered textual content? Get began with HubSpot AI at this time.
7. Kittl
Kittl is a free, easy-to-use on-line design platform that allows you to create high-quality designs with out the steep studying curve of conventional graphic design software program.
As a result of it is web-based, Kittl is ideal for designers on the go or these in search of a easy design answer with out the effort of installations, updates, and space for storing.
One among Kittl’s most notable qualities is its emphasis on “fast and straightforward creation {of professional} designs,” which makes it particularly well liked by customers who have to shortly and simply create visually interesting social media photos, typography, and logos.
However do not be fooled by its simplicity — Kittl gives refined customization choices that let you regulate each format component with precision.
Kittl presents a number of AI-based instruments akin to an AI brand generator, AI vectorizer, AI product background generator, and extra. To have a greater sense of the platform, I made a decision to particularly examine their AI Picture Generator.
Whereas selecting what to create, I found tons of free templates for particular initiatives akin to T-shirt designs, enterprise playing cards, POD merchandise, and extra. I settled on designing a brand and aimed to create a contemporary but pure look utilizing a pre-made template, an AI picture, and Kittl’s intensive assortment of fonts.
After logging in to Kittl, I began a New Venture, navigated to templates, and chosen a pre-made brand design from a fairly hefty template library. This added a brand new artboard to my undertaking with a customizable design.
With my template chosen, I wanted to create my AI picture. The Picture Generator was very simple and even if you happen to don’t have a lot expertise utilizing AI design instruments, it’s best to have the ability to navigate the options with ease.
The idea for my brand design was, “a smooth, nature-inspired brand in muted earth tones, with elegant typography.” The immediate I entered into the picture generator was “a dreamy desert oasis.”
I used to be pleasantly shocked that I might select from a wide range of kinds akin to “cartoon,” and even “synthwave.” I settled on the “watercolor” type.
Utilizing the AI Background Remover, I removed the ensuing picture’s white background with a click on – and viola! I used to be left with the picture beneath…which is fairly superior.
Picture SupplyI didn’t suppose the brilliant picture matched the pure look I wished so I attempted one other AI instrument: the AI Vectorizer. This was surprisingly simple to make use of and I used to be in a position to decide on what number of colours would stay within the vector picture.
From right here I tweaked some issues, just like the artboard coloration, textual content coloration, and font. The quantity of distinctive fonts Kittl has made it tough to decide on! I even duplicated the artboard to experiment with different model colours.
After I completed the graphic I went to the mockup part and selected the sticker mockup how actual does that look? The textual content wraps across the contours of the picture!
Picture SupplyAll in all, making a customized brand on Kittl was tremendous simple. What stood out with Kittl was simply the convenience of navigation and use. It was extremely simple to regulate every side with precision in just some clicks.
What I like: If we’re considering of AI instruments, then I like how Kittl strikes a mixture between ease of use and superior capabilities. As a result of the design instruments are easy to make use of, I might discover and make changes with none trouble.
Greatest for: Newbie or expert-level graphic designers, design groups, and POD creators. Kitt’s significantly good for people wanting skilled high quality designs with out the steep studying curve of different design software program.
Pricing: Get began totally free.
The Backside Line on AI Instruments for Graphic Design
Let’s be sincere: A instrument is just pretty much as good because the individual wielding it. So, if you happen to don’t know a lot about graphic design ideas to start with, it’s unlikely you’ll create a brand-differentiating finish product.
Nevertheless, if your manner round your colours, typography, alignment, visible hierarchy, steadiness, and the remaining, AI can velocity up your artistic course of.
Personally, I beloved testing out Adobe Firefly. The tip output exceeded that sterile “out of the field” template, which feels widespread with different instruments. I additionally appreciated that you can create one thing painterly in type.
Plus, I like Adobe’s moral strategy to utilizing AI. They’re working with creatives to coach their fashions responsibly and defending product customers in opposition to potential licensing and authorized points.
