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Graphic Design Software

You'll find all the latest design software at CNET Download.com, including animation software, 3D-modeling applications, and desktop-publishing software.Draw, paint, create animations, and publish from your desktop. See all 5,330 products in this category.

Most Popular

New Release

Editors' Picks

for the week of: June 16, 2013

TitleDownloads
  1. 1.
    PrimoPDF

    PDF Software

    44,528
  2. 2.
    Free DWG Viewer

    CAD Software

    10,433
  3. 3.
    Foxit Reader

    PDF Software

    8,496
  4. 4.
    doPDF Free PDF Converter

    PDF Software

    8,324
  6. 5.
    CorelDRAW Graphics Suite

    Illustration Software

    7,007
  7. 6.
    PDF Reader for Windows 7

    PDF Software

    6,991
  8. 7.
    SketchUp

    3D Modeling Software

    6,927
  10. 8.
    AutoCAD

    3D Modeling Software

    6,284
  11. 9.
    PDFill PDF Editor

    PDF Software

    5,842
  12. 10.
    Free PDF to Word Converter

    PDF Software

    5,695

See all most popular software

for the week of: June 16, 2013

Title Release date
  1. 1. Adept PDF Layout Changer Jun 19

    PDF Software

  2. 2. DataCAD Jun 19

    CAD Software

  3. 3. Free PDF To Powerpoint Converter Jun 19

    PDF Software

  4. 4. iClone 3DXchange Jun 19

    3D Modeling Software

  5. 5. Ailt PowerPoint to SWF Converter Jun 19

    Flash Software

  6. 6. Ailt Word Excel PowerPoint to SWF Conver Jun 19

    Flash Software

  7. 7. Ailt DOC XLS PPT to SWF Converter Jun 19

    Flash Software

  8. 8. Ailt PPT to SWF Converter Jun 19

    Flash Software

  9. 9. Dropbox Export Jun 19

    Photoshop Plugins & Filters

  10. 10. Costco Canada Jun 19

    Photoshop Plugins & Filters

See all new releases

for the week of: June 16, 2013

Title
  1. 1.
    Nitro Pro (32-bit)

    Create, edit, publish, and share industry standard PDF files.

  2. 2.
    Easy GIF Animator

    Create, edit, and add visual effects to animated GIF images.

  3. 3.
    Foxit Reader Portable

    View and read PDF files from your PC.

  4. 4.
    Blender

    Create, animate, and render 3D images on your PC.

  5. 5.
    The Print Shop Essentials

    Design and produce professional-quality brochures, cards, and presentations on your personal computer.

  6. 6.
    Abrosoft FantaMorph

    Create morphing images and animation sequences from still images.

  7. 7.
    DoubleCAD XT

    Create 2D CAD drawings with this free DWG AutoCAD LT work-alike.

  8. 8.
    FontCreator

    Create, modify, and convert TrueType, OpenType, and web fonts.

  9. 9.
    SWiSH Max

    Add Flash animation to your site by selecting from ready-to-use effects.

  10. 10.
    ArtRage

    ArtRage lets you create realistic paintings on your computer with easy to use, natural tools.

See all editor's picks

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An introduction to Graphic Design Software

Though the word design has many meanings, the software in the CNET Download.com Design Tools category is predominantly concerned with tasks and projects related to the graphic arts, including programs that let you publish your creations to Web sites or other outlets. Several popular design tools are available for no charge, and we've selected our favorite such freeware in our Best Free Design collection.

One of the more popular Web-design developments in recent years has been movies and applications built with Macromedia Flash. The products in the Flash Design Tools category let you create and convert Flash movies, as well as add precreated effects and scripts. One of the most popular programs, SWiSHmax, lets you build simple Flash movies in minutes.

For designing your own moving pictures or text from scratch, a wide array of software in the Animation category will help you construct animated GIFs, morphing sequences, or other cool effects. Adobe After Effects is a popular, high-end tool for adding animation and special effects to movies and multimedia projects. The programs in the Illustration section can be used to create components for animation or Flash movies or simply used to draw, paint, or sketch standalone elements. The top-rated Adobe Illustrator CS2 remains one of the best illustration tools available.

The font tools allow you to create your own typefaces, and the products in the Fonts category offer preexisting typefaces you can use in a variety of programs or projects.

Designers use the software in the 3D Modeling & CAD category to (TK). One of the most popular and easy-to-learn modeling tools is Google SketchUp, which was relaunched in 2006 as a free product.

After you've used the programs in the Design Tools category to construct your masterpiece, the software in Authoring Tools will let you produce your final product on CD, DVD, or another format. If you're looking to produce a full-fledged project for distribution, desktop-publishing software can help you create a professional-looking publication on a very small budget.