Mastery of a craft is more easily shown with good tools. As a digital artist, this means you need the best software you can get, but "best" can mean several different things, depending on your work style and the projects you take on. If you find that travel is impeding your productivity, you may want to explore drawing tools that allow you to move away from the traditional desktop workstation and create on the go.
There are several fundamental features for vector drawing apps, but some developers have gone above and beyond with their offerings. To figure out which features are essential for you, it may help to review your workflow for a typical project and make a checklist of things you use, so you can be sure that you're getting everything you need. Below are several features to consider. They may vary by price tier in your app of choice.
With so many apps available for vector art today, it may be hard to form an opinion on which product should become part of your toolkit. These criteria will help you narrow the field.
The most important thing to consider is how the tool fits into your current workflow. If you have other tools that only accept certain file types or sizes, be sure that your app is compatible with them. It's easy to get carried away by a great feature list only to find that you can't use the tool in the first place. To avoid disappointment, be sure that your app is made for Apple devices. An unfortunately large number of widely-adopted or widely-promoted apps are Apple or Android exclusive. You should also check that the app can import or export any specific file formats you need.
Some products are available as a monthly subscription, while others will have you pay a one-time fee. If you don't have funds set aside for software and you need to start creating today, the pricing structure may be a consideration for you. While comparing apps, you may find that there are less expensive alternatives to the app you had in mind. Less expensive does not always mean less robust, but be sure that the app you choose has all the features you need. Keep in mind that if two apps have similar features, a difference in price may reflect the amount of support you receive.
If you find yourself choosing between a newer app and an older, better known one, you can either go for the better documented of the two or go for the one with the most active user community. With good documentation, you are less likely to encounter issues within the app because a repeatable process has been established. With an active user community, you can get help from users who have been using the app and have already solved the problems you may encounter.
The team at CorelDRAW knows that having the right tools for the job makes a world of difference. We offer an iPad vector drawing app in the Mac App Store, and both the desktop and tablet versions of CorelDRAW's graphic design software made PCMag's list for Best Graphic Design Software for 2021. Explore our product suite today and find out which option is the best for you.
Download a Free 15-Day Trial Now!