Which software for startup graphic design business

[-JMG-]

Hello,

I'm wanting to start a graphic design business. I'm 17 and I want to start off just doing small jobs for local businesses.

I am wondering if anyone knows what graphic design software I could use to start off with? I don't want to spend thousand or hundreds and hundreds as of yet because I'm only wanting to start off the business small.

Thank you for your time!

JMG

 

[ryedale]

Gimp is free or you can rent Photoshop for £15 or so a month

 

[Dot Design]

Your best bet is Adobe Creative Cloud, since Adobe moved all their software into the cloud the prices have gone from £1,000's to a more stretched out monthly fee starting from £15 per month if you are a student, up to £70 and beyond a month depending on what you want.

Adobe Creative Cloud contains design industry standard software that most top agencies and designers use, eg: illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop and many more..Here's a link to their site > http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/creativecloud/buying-guide-at-a-glance.html

 

[10032012]

Hello,

I'm wanting to start a graphic design business. I'm 17 and I want to start off just doing small jobs for local businesses.

I am wondering if anyone knows what graphic design software I could use to start off with? I don't want to spend thousand or hundreds and hundreds as of yet because I'm only wanting to start off the business small.

Thank you for your time!

JMG

what software have you used before?

 

[webgeek]

gimp and inkscape are great cross-platform programs and priced quite well

If you're just planning on doing mock-ups, slicing graphics into pieces for websites as .png, etc, ethen those two can do so much more than people realise, and definitely enough to run a small agency. It's not the tool that will limit, it's the ability of the person using it.

If, however, you're planning on delivering files to clients, other agencies, printers, then it's hard not to go down the Photoshop route. People look at you with contempt if you mention SVG's!

 

[Dot Design]

Does also depend on what type of design you are going to be undertaking..

Logo / identity Design - Adobe Illustrator or other vector software needed.

Multi page Brochure layout for print - Adobe In Design needed.

Website design - Photoshop, though increasingly vector based software is needed.

Horses for courses really.

 

[14Steve14]

You really should use software that you are comfortable with. The adobe suites are great, but take a long time to learn. Lite versions are available of photoshop. Gimp is free and again takes a while to learn. As you are into graphics, what software have you used before. Why could you not use that again until you know your business is going to work.

 

[Nuno]

If you are going to do it professionally I think it really has to be the Adobe suite.
For instance: CMYK comes fully integrated as part of the package rather than as a limited third party plugin as it does on Gimp.
Adobe, as Dot said, is industry standard, and it is industry standard for a reason: it's the best.
One or two designers use and swear by Corel kit, and it is an alternative you might look at.

 

[10032012]

My concern with @-JMG- (not so much the age - the younger - the easier it is to learn) ... even if you went to a graphic designer who were transparent about their age, you would assume whizz kid, then disappointed that the person was then going to take 3 months to get to grips with a design package.

This is why I asked if the OP had used similar software before (i.e. is he unsure about the right professional package to use as a business OR is he not sure how to do the business he wants to go into)

 

[Deleted member 59730]

Software does not make you a graphic designer in the same way that a sharp knife and a needle and thread do not make me a brain surgeon.

It usually takes a graphic designer 3 years of study and then 5 years of experience before they know how to do it.

 

[-JMG-]

Software I've been using is serif draw plus x6!

 

[10032012]

Software I've been using is serif draw plus x6!

talk about multi tasking!! why do you need 6? lol

 

[Vectis]

They were giving away older versions of Illustrator free. Can't remember if there were any restrictions (there's a serial number on the download page).

http://www.techspot.com/downloads/5724-adobe-illustrator-cs2-free.html