So putting this out there. I have access to an image library and often the best image to use would be a vector image that just needs a bit of tweaking.
The problem is, I don't have a version of photoshop / illustrator and frankly am not in the position to pay for the subscription.
any suggestions?
I posted something similar years ago, but need some updated responses.
I use paint.net. It has similar functionality as photoshop and is free. I am still learning all of the bells and whistles but there are tons of tutorials on YouTube. Good luck!
Try loading them into PowerPoint. Many vector images are made up of lots of smaller sub-images, and in that case, you can often right-click the image in PowerPoint and choose Ungroup. That gives you easy access to tweaking (e.g., recoloring, repositioning, resizing, etc.) individual components. When you're done making changes, regroup, right-click, and choose Save as Picture. Use the format emf to save. Then insert the emf into Storyline.
Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer are great alternatives. They each cost $50 for Mac or Windows. You can also get them for iOS at $20 each. No subscription for any versions.
The iOS versions of Photo and Designer appear to have all the features of the desktop versions. I use them on my iPad. Since i work for an academic institution that uses MS Office 365 i have OneDrive on my iPad and saving work is as seamless as if i was using a desktop. It is actually a lot of fun using the Photo and Designer apps on the iPad with Pencil.
I use GIMP as an alternative to Photoshop. It's open source (free to use, I always suggest to contribute to the project) and robust enough to be recommended.
11 Replies
I use paint.net. It has similar functionality as photoshop and is free. I am still learning all of the bells and whistles but there are tons of tutorials on YouTube. Good luck!
will it read the layers of an existing eps file so I can modify text for example?
To be honest, I am not completely sure. I have not used it in that capacity but I am sure you could find out quickly on Google! :)
Hi Ari,
There are two free alternatives I've recently seen for Illustrator;
https://vectr.com/downloads/
https://gravit.io/
I saw them a few weeks ago, but didn't use them much. Hope they can help.
You could try Inkscape and GIMP Ari. I use Inkscape all the time for .ai files - it's easy to use. Gimp takes a little more effort to understand.
I also use PowerPoint for working with some .eps files. You can view a short video on this here.
I recommend trying Photopea. It works in a browser, so you can try it right away.
It can load PSD files (from Adobe Photoshop) and Sketch files (from Sketch App) and save them back as a PSD. There is even a lesson about creating and editing vector graphics inside PSD files. I used it to create logos and icons :)
I had been looking for a way to work on Sketch files, thank you so much @IK
Hi Ari, I reccomend Inkscape, it's super easy to learn and there are a lot of tutorials on youtube. Here's an article I wrote about how I use it to customize vectors: https://www.lilianacotoara.com/single-post/2017/04/21/How-to-easily-customize-graphics---a-cheat-sheet-for-non-designers
Try loading them into PowerPoint. Many vector images are made up of lots of smaller sub-images, and in that case, you can often right-click the image in PowerPoint and choose Ungroup. That gives you easy access to tweaking (e.g., recoloring, repositioning, resizing, etc.) individual components. When you're done making changes, regroup, right-click, and choose Save as Picture. Use the format emf to save. Then insert the emf into Storyline.
Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer are great alternatives. They each cost $50 for Mac or Windows. You can also get them for iOS at $20 each. No subscription for any versions.
The iOS versions of Photo and Designer appear to have all the features of the desktop versions. I use them on my iPad. Since i work for an academic institution that uses MS Office 365 i have OneDrive on my iPad and saving work is as seamless as if i was using a desktop. It is actually a lot of fun using the Photo and Designer apps on the iPad with Pencil.
I use GIMP as an alternative to Photoshop. It's open source (free to use, I always suggest to contribute to the project) and robust enough to be recommended.