What software do I need?

[Huntsman]

I need to

1. Design some business cards
2. Make a banner for a website
3. Make an artwork for labels that will be used to seal a box
4. Be able to add watermarks onto JPEGS
5. Maybe add some text to jpegs.

Do I need Illustrator? Photoshop? Something else?

[bucksmanuk]

1. Design some business cards – Word, there are templates galore out there...
2. Make a banner for a website – Paint, Gimp
3. Make an artwork for labels that will be used to seal a box – as above
4. be able to add watermarks onto JPEGS – Irfanview – it’s free
5. Maybe add some text to jpegs. Irfanview and/or Paint

It depends upon what sort of effects you need.

[moustachebandit]

Photoshop / Illustrator will do all of that.

Equally there are a range of other graphics packages out there free & paid which will also let you do the same.

If you haven't used any of them before you will find it slow going. So you could consider using a service like Fivver (if you know what you want and can explain that to a creative).

Equally I am at a loose end, so would be willing to do it for an agreed sum (dependent on volume) if you are wanting to pay someone else to do it.

[Huntsman]

moustachebandit said:

Equally I am at a loose end

Likewise I am at a loose end and needing to not be at a loose end for too much longer!


Any suggest free editing software that might work? If I can do it without paying £30 a month then that's a help.

Its not very arty, mostly text based.

[dmahon]

Canva is really good for DIY design which looks good.

[Huntsman]

dmahon said:

Canva is really good for DIY design which looks good.

Thanks, I'll have a look, I'm looking at GIMP at the moment.

[quinny100]

Inkscape is a free alternative to Illustrator. Just make sure you save regularly, as it has a habit of crashing occasionally - although it hasn't done it to me for a while so may be fixed in the newer versions.

[MitchT]

dmahon said:

Canva is really good for DIY design which looks good.

+1

A professional designer would use Illustrator, Photoshop, etc. but trying to get to grips with those if you're not a designer would be an uphill struggle. You'd be far better off with Canva to get professional looking results, cheaply and without experience of design or design software... and I say this as a designer of more than two decades!

[Audicab]

I'd also recommend Canva.

[plasticpig]

I use Affinity Designer which does the basics very well. Not as many features as Illustrator but I only need to very basic stuff. it's a one off cost and is currently half price at £24. Well worth £24.

[khushy]

For what you have described ..... Illustrator = simplest solution

[underwhelmist]

Gimp.

That's a software recommendation, not an insult.

[Huntsman]

Thanks everyone.

I downloaded Gimp and had a look around. I'm way out of my depth.

Had a go on canva, managed to create a business card.

Needs a bit more effort on my part.

[dmahon]

Huntsman said:

Thanks everyone.

I downloaded Gimp and had a look around. I'm way out of my depth.

Had a go on canva, managed to create a business card.

Needs a bit more effort on my part.

You bought out the Gimp, so to speak?

[leemanning]

Alternatively just go on Fiverr. Pay someone £80 to design it all for you and crack on with the business

[RJD223]

Second recommendation for Fiverr - just give them a brief of what you want and get the images.

There should be loads of apps available for watermarking the JPG's. App Store on the Mac or the equivalent for the PC.

[CarPrintGuy]

Huntsman said:

I need to

1. Design some business cards
2. Make a banner for a website
3. Make an artwork for labels that will be used to seal a box
4. Be able to add watermarks onto JPEGS
5. Maybe add some text to jpegs.

Do I need Illustrator? Photoshop? Something else?

You could quite easily just use PowerPoint, underrated. I work in marketing and run an online store, and use PPT for pretty much everything like the above.

Obviously more complex stuff such as actual art I use PhotoShop.

[jammy-git]

leemanning said:

Alternatively just go on Fiverr. Pay someone £80 to design it all for you and crack on with the business

I was going to suggest this also.

Whatever you create is going to look pretty amateurish. If you're simply trying to save money on designers, Fiverr is an incredibly cost effective way of getting what you want done. Spend a bit of money and focus on something more productive.

[chrispmartha]

jammy-git said:

leemanning said:

Alternatively just go on Fiverr. Pay someone £80 to design it all for you and crack on with the business

I was going to suggest this also.

Whatever you create is going to look pretty amateurish. If you're simply trying to save money on designers, Fiverr is an incredibly cost effective way of getting what you want done. Spend a bit of money and focus on something more productive.

I wouldn't usuallyy say use these online designer websites but in this instance I would suggest that's the best way, either that or try engage a local Graphic Design freelancer who Im sure will do it a t a reasonable price.

Put it this way I don't know what the OP does but how much does he value his time at? because a professional will do them much quicker and at a much higher quality so doing it yourself can be a false economy.