While all businesses aim to reach sky-rocketing revenues, not all are equipped to do so. If you’re a small business or startup struggling to build a solid visual presence because of limited finances, this article is for you. Here are ten graphic design resources to help you elevate your designs without breaking the bank.
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1. Penji
Built precisely for small businesses and startups, Penji was created out of the need for an affordable and accessible design partner. Our unlimited graphic design service lets you get all your visual assets at a fixed monthly rate. There are no extra charges, no contract signing, and no hiring and vetting of designers.
Our professional designers and illustrators are some of the best in the industry. They specialize in a myriad of genres and styles, so you never have to look elsewhere for your visuals. Whether it’s a logo, book cover, or custom illustrations, we have the right designer for you at a fraction of the cost of traditional design agencies.
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2. Unsplash
If you need photographs for your design projects but lack the funds to hire a professional photographer, Unsplash is an excellent graphic design resource. It has a huge library of stunning photos and illustrations that are free to download and use. This platform boasts a massive collection of images in a wide array of styles and subjects.
You can use images from Unsplash for any project, whether personal or commercial, without having to credit the photographer. Plus, the platform’s community and curators emphasize a high standard for its accepted photos. This ensures that you’ll find professional, high-quality images.
3. Coverr
Now, if you require moving images, there’s Coverr. It has a vast library of professionally shot video clips that you can use for free. Its collection of videos covers a wide array of styles and scenes relevant to business. Aside from compelling videos, it also offers royalty-free stock music in case you have your own videos but lack the music for them.
Coverr was founded in 2015, and the videos for download were created by filmmakers and other talented contributors. You can be sure of the quality because they pay people for every beautifully crafted video they submit.
4. Free Music Archive (FMA)
Housing the works of talented musicians from across the globe, Free Music Archive (FMA) offers everyone access to free music. It lets you download original and royalty-free music anytime and use them for whatever purpose. With over 128,000 songs, you’re sure to find something for your projects.
In 2018, FMA was faced with closure due to a funding shortage. After someone purchased the archive, it is now alive and kicking, with the new owners committing to the platform being always free and open. While FMA, Unsplash, Coverr, and similar websites offer free assets, donations are always welcome.
5. GIMP
If you’re into crafting graphic designs yourself and you want a cost-effective alternative to Adobe, then GIMP is for you. An acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program, it is a free software you can use to edit images and craft designs. It offers a wide range of features comparable to those you find in software with hefty price tags.
With it, you can edit photos, create digital paintings and illustrations, and design any visual assets you may need for your business. While GIMP may require a higher learning curve than paid options, there are numerous tutorials, forums, and other resources to teach you how to use it.
6. Humaaans
If you find GIMP a bit time-consuming but still want to create graphics on your own, Humaaans is an excellent graphic design resource. Not only is it free, but it is also appealing, trendy, innovative, and stylish. It is a collection of human illustrations designed specifically for use in developing business or personal graphics.
It has pre-designed illustrations of people in different poses, clothing, styles, and ethnicities. All you need to do is mix and match them to create the exact designs you need. The designs are simple, clean, and versatile, allowing you to craft unique human illustrations for your business.
7. Ionicons
Icons are part and parcel of building a robust online presence, whether for communications, branding, or user experience purposes. If you’re looking for a website to get you access to unique icons for your brand, Ionicons is an excellent design option. It is free and open-source under the MIT license, which means you can download, use, and edit the icons for your projects without any restrictions.
Ionicons offers more than 1,300 icons covering a wide selection of categories. Its flexibility lets you customize them to suit your brand. You can change the colors or adjust their size to fit and complement your brand’s color palette.
8. Font Squirrel
Every business needs typography in many aspects of its operation, such as branding, communications, social media presence, and more. However, having a tailor-made font can be costly. Fortunately, there is a graphic design resource you can go to for free and beautiful fonts. Font Squirrel provides free and high-quality fonts for commercial use.
The platform curates the collection with diverse options that will suit any type of business or use. While some websites that carry free fonts have hidden charges, Font Squirrel is entirely free with a commercial use license that lets you use them without worries.
9. Figma
A web-based graphics editing and user interface design app, Figma lets you craft designs quickly and easily. Even without technical skills, it allows you to create websites, mobile app designs, and many other digital assets. It has an array of tools and features, such as vector graphics editing, layout, and prototyping.
Figma has a free plan suitable for startups and small businesses. It also has affordable paid plans with monthly subscription fees starting at $15.
10. Coolors
Choosing the right colors is crucial to any business, as it can make or break your brand. Colors evoke emotion and can influence how consumers buy. If you are finding it difficult to choose the right colors for your brand or projects, there’s Coolors. It is a color palette generator that lets you choose the right shades and explore color trends.
Coolors offers features related to finding the perfect brand colors. It can extract a color palette from an uploaded image, pick colors, check for color contrasts, and more.
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