Are free graphic design softwares a good solution?

Wednesday’s Production Idea for Graphic Designers

I was once a member of a subscription site aimed at designers. Specifically, freelance graphic designers.

One of the recommendations of the site owner was to use free, usually open-source, software. For example, using Gimp instead of Photoshop, or Scribus instead of InDesign.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great alternative in theory, if you don’t have much money to spend on software (and yes, it can get very expensive), and especially if you are just starting out. But, it’s just not a good idea.

Why using free open-source software may end up costing you in the end:

1. Printers won’t accept your files
2. It makes you look extremely unprofessional
3. Clients may want the actual files for the job to keep (and perhaps reuse down the road)
4. Incompatible file formats
5. No support for the software
6. You don’t know if they will be available for a long time (say a year or 2 from now)

T A K E A W A Y S :

Why take a chance with software that is not readily recognized as an industry standard?

It’s okay if you are designing strictly for yourself. Or, if you are not planning on providing native files ever to your clients. Or, if you will never have anything professionally printed. Or if you will only give out PDFs.

But honestly, if you plan on being a professional then you need to act like one. Bite the bullet and get the professionals’ tools!

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3. The making of a good graphic designer: getting beyond the software
4. What clients expect from graphic designers
5. Lessons from a graphic design master