Before I Begin...
All of the material and commentary regards these programs in the versions as current as the ones in the original date of this post (June 5, 2019).Vector Art Roundup
Vector art offers the advantage of being freely scalable to suit any number of resolutions and applications. Accomplishing this is done with any number of different vector graphics programs. What is seen as the popular standard is Adobe Illustrator (AI). Most people, unfortunately, either (1) don't want to pay a subscription to use the Adobe Creative Cloud or (2) do not like Adobe Illustrator at all. Your options may therefore be limited... or ARE they?
In trying to develop vector artwork, you do have a few options at your disposal outside of Adobe Illustrator or even CorelDRAW. I used three programs to try to learn vector art. The program I have used for the longest is the free InkScape. Recent times, though, I have tried to accustom myself to Gravit Designer and Affinity Designer. I felt the need to try to use these other programs to try to develop quality vector art. In no way am I an expert at this matter. Despite this, I want to educate others on these programs.
Usually, vector programs usually format to formats such as AI, EPS, and SVG. These are the most common formats for exporting vector art. There are also transparent PNG and PDF for vector graphics. Prior to export, though, take advantage of these vector formats before using them in any number of programs.
Other Vector Art Programs
This part of the post relates to the three programs I have used (or tried) for vector art. If you want insight on each program I am to feature, this is your part of this post. Click on the headings to visit the official sites of each program.
Inkscape.
Inkscape has been around the longest as a vector art designer. With a lot of patience and skill, you can produce any number of quality vector art. You can also make things like calendars, greeting cards, booklets, web sites, and more.Gravit Designer.
Gravit Designer is not only a free program, but it is also a program that can be used on mobile devices and also in a desktop browser. So no doubt this is a versatile browser to use at your disposal. It is also fairly simple to build vector art. Other kinds of print media and digital media can be created with Gravit Designer. For versatility's sake, Gravit Designer is a great option for vector art. It is capable of a whole lot. However, its biggest flaw to me is the lack of various export formats. You can even sign up for Gravit Designer Pro and have features like cloud storage for your work.Affinity Designer.
Affinity Designer is the only program in this blog post that is not free. The program does, however, come with a 10-day trial. It was developed by a British company called Serif. Affinity Designer can be thought of as the anti-Illustrator in the sense that you get a powerful vector art program that you get to keep and not have to pay for a subscription plan to keep the program. Affinity Designer has the unique ability of drawing with vectors or with pixels. So basically, Affinity Designer is for those of you who want quality vector artwork while not wanting to pay for Adobe's services. What convinced me to buy Affinity Designer was the many more popular formats for exporting vector art with. As of the time of this blog post, Affinity Designer sells for about $59.99 USD. You can even purchase packs to enhance the experience of Affinity Designer as well as gain some extra functionality.Now that I have talked about these three programs, which would I recommend? The next section tells all...
Inkscape vs. Gravit Designer vs. Affinity Designer
Which is the best vector program to use (granted you don't like Adobe Illustrator)? My inclination is to tell you that Inkscape will serve you well because it's free (as is Gravit Designer). However, just because something is free doesn't mean it is the best. I found Gravit Designer to be easier to use despite the fact it doesn't have as many export formats to export to like Inkscape. I also found Gravit Designer to be a bit weird to try to name groups with. I had to keep on clicking just to be able to rename something into a group. Even though Affinity Designer is the only featured vector art program that is not free, I found it a little more useful and powerful than both Gravit Designer and Inkscape.
I am more inclined to go with Gravit Designer over Inkscape. Gravit Designer is also a good choice if you prefer a solid vector art program that can be used across multiple platforms. For a more premium experience and having a quality program, give Affinity Designer some love. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Inkscape; just that Gravit Designer and Affinity Designer offer a lot more in terms of usability and exporting.
You can make a lot with all three of these programs. If I had to choose one of these three, I am afraid to say it doesn't hurt to pay the full price for Affinity Designer for the best overall experience in vector art. Second favorite is Gravit Designer, which is easier to use and more functional than Inkscape. You don't really need the Gravit Designer Pro unless you are okay with spending extra money with the experience. Inkscape is still the go-to vector art program for those who want a completely free experience. All in all, I just think the best vectoring experience can be had with Affinity Designer... unless you are okay with paying a subscription for Adobe Illustrator as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud.
Those are my thoughts, anyways. Maybe my thoughts helped sway your interest some. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
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