It used to be on my hard drive, accessible and on demand in a few seconds. Copyright © 2020 IDG Communications, Inc. InDesign and the programs listed below are page layout, design, and desktop publishing software. Check it out and see for yourself. Expressive painting with multiple brushes and layers. Photo editing software can now do almost anything that illustration programs can do. Some complain that vendors aren’t providing enough of the “new” features they promise, and most of the upgrades aren’t any better than the current model. You get lots of new presets for symbols, shapes, and lines; more options for custom gradients, textures, and styles; and unlimited layers, masks, and groups. The best alternatives to Procreate; Save. San Jose, CA 95110-2704, Adobe Acrobat Reader: PDF Viewer, Editor & Creator, Adobe Lightroom - Photo Editor & Pro Camera, Adobe Photoshop Mix - Cut-out, Combine, Create, Cookies help us deliver our services. Users can create drawings, colorful doodles and notes with unlimited document width. I especially like the Borders Sparkles, Reflections, and Gradient Flare effects; and the Whirl and Pinch features. Create vector illustrations and send to Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop. Familiar features include text wrap, drop caps, facing page spreads, tables, advanced typography, artistic text and text styles, plus an amazing set of tools. Adobe Illustrator - Illustrator used to only be available on the computer, but coming in 2020 is an app that you can take with you everywhere. Not only is Photoshop more expensive than most other editing … PCWorld helps you navigate the PC ecosystem to find the products you want and the advice you need to get the job done. I actually use them all—Adobe and the alternatives—because each program has unique features I can pick and choose for my projects. Adobe Sketch - You have a lot of drawing options when it comes to this app, along with loads of brush customizations. Read our, Learn more about PCWorld's Digital Editions, Subscription-based software: Pros and cons, Affiniity Designer’s most distinctive features. (iOS and Android), Flow by Moleskine - Built for creatives, this app offers the ability of creating on different “paper” types. Big plus: Scribus is a cross-platform application that runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Gnu/Linux systems. Inkscape is a free and intuitive vector graphics editor used to create and edit vector images. Popular Alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader DC for Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, iPhone and more. There are cheaper alternatives to some of the brand name tools such as Adobe, Microsoft, and others; but you’re often trading off functionality for cost.”. PCWorld |. Affinity Photo stands somewhere between PaintShop Pro and Photoshop in features and special effects. JD Sartain is a technology journalist from Boston. If you’re a non-subscription-based user, always get your software on a disk. There are no substitutions for this group unless you want to use Microsoft Word or another word processor, but those applications are not really equipped to function as a layout and design program. We also talk to experts about why software subscriptions are on the rise. Adobe Capture turns your Android phone/tablet into a creation machine. Even if you own both PaintShop and Photoshop, this little gem is more than worth the ticket. Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Drop shadows to blurs and freeform gradients, you’ll be able to use Illustrator for some digital lettering projects and a host of drawing and vector-based art. It's still in beta, but it's already a stunningly polished app. Explore 25+ apps like Adobe Acrobat Reader DC , all suggested … Inkspace’s best features include text (or line) to path; pattern fills; and pencil, pen, and calligraphy tools. There’s also an option to make your own drawing tools so you can really make projects your own. Now, I have to be connected to the Internet and “signed in” to read or create a simple PDF file; and it takes forever! (iOS and Android), Adobe Fresco - Adobe Fresco is another viable alternative to Procreate. It also integrates with Illustrator and Photoshop so you can do some of the actions Procreate offers within its system. tech journalist, Subscriptions change the dynamic between vendors and end users. But my all-time favorite feature is the Picture Tubes, similar to Photoshop’s custom brushes, but in full 16-bit color. For alternatives, check these out. Its highlight features include custom brush nibs called Nozzle tips, which modify the shape and size of your lines as you draw them. They’re the best, hands-down. Adobe . GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) offers 130-plus amazing filters and special effects. Photo Layers - This Android-enabled app doesn’t allow you to create digital letters, however you can take a lettering project you’ve created, load it into the app, remove the background and then overlay it on top of an image. Same effect, different process. You also get embedded bitmaps; a nice gradient editor; impressive color palettes and ramps; and standard object editing and manipulation tools, though scaled down a bit from its competition. I still say PageMaker was the all-time best desktop publishing program, but it’s no longer supported by Adobe or the operating systems.