29 of My Favorite Visual Content Creation Tools

Visible content material, be it video, infographics, photographs, or some secret fourth factor, is a must have in any advertising marketing campaign. However, if you happen to wrestle to edit visuals or coordinate parts like colours and fonts, creating visual content in your model can appear daunting.

If that‘s the case, I’ve been in your footwear earlier than. That can assist you create precious visuals in your model, here is an inventory of practically 30 on-line design instruments you should utilize, lots of that are free or have free trials.

However first, let’s rapidly soar into how to create visible content material.

Desk of Contents

Tips on how to Create Visible Content material

First issues first, it is advisable to know your viewers. Earlier than I create any graphic, I take into consideration the kind of content material my target market responds to and what platforms they frequent essentially the most.

For instance, throughout my time working at a tv information station, I discovered that our viewers responded properly to infographics and spent most of their time on Fb.

So, naturally, I would create infographics to interrupt down advanced information updates and distribute them on Fb.

As soon as you determine your format and distribution channel, you are prepared to begin working in your visible content material. I encourage you to be inventive, suppose exterior the field, and experiment with totally different approaches. That mentioned, you need to at all times use colours that pair properly collectively.

Unsure how one can coordinate colours? No worries! At any time when I am struggling to seek out the fitting colours to include right into a graphic, I seek the advice of Canvas color wheel, which additionally features a crash course in coloration principle and mixtures.

I additionally recommend utilizing your model’s colours in your visible content material wherever attainable. It provides your content material a cohesive and constant look and helps you model keep high of thoughts for shoppers.

Use constant, branded fonts if you happen to‘re capable of, and keep away from utilizing too many fonts. My rule of thumb is now greater than two totally different fonts in a single graphic. And don’t be afraid to experiment with instruments like HubSpot’s Clip Creator or any of those I will listing on this put up.

Even if you happen to do not use each instrument, its options and assets could encourage you for future tasks.

Visible Content material Examples

1. McDonald‘s “WcDonald’s Marketing campaign”

McDonald’s ran an advert marketing campaign known as WcDonalds that featured advertisements animated within the Japanese anime fashion. The thought coincides with the current recognition of anime in mainstream media and the way the franchise if usually referenced in anime and by followers alike.

I am an enormous anime nerd, so after all, I adored this marketing campaign. As a marketer, I liked the daring use of coloration, the high-quality animation, and the enjoyable storylines in every advert.

2. Airbnb’s Instagram

Airbnb depends closely on visible content material to draw clients to it‘s rental properties listed by Airbnb hosts. The holiday rental firm’s Instagram primarily consists of attractive photographs taken by Airbnb renters, influencers, and photographers.

The end result is a beautiful picture collage of picturesque leases, joyful households and pets having fun with the facilities, and real buyer opinions.

3. Nationwide Geographic

The oldsters at Nationwide Geogrpahic are professionals at utilizing visible content material like infographics to rely sophisticated data in a means that’s simply digestible. Within the instance under, NG makes use of an infographic to indicate readers how fires usually defend California’s big sequoia timber.

On-line Design Instruments for Creating Gorgeous Visible Content material for the Internet

After I initially began creating graphics for earlier jobs, I used to be fully misplaced. I didn‘t have a lot an eye fixed for coloration or font mixtures, I didn’t at all times know what photographs labored for the message I used to be making an attempt to convey, and I did not at all times know the place to seek out the content material I wanted.

And don‘t get me began on the perils of making visible content material on a restricted price range. Luckily, you don’t should wrestle like I did as a result of listed below are 29 on-line design instruments to make visible content material creation a lot simpler.

Font Instruments

1. Fontjoy

Want to seek out the proper font mixture in your subsequent mission? Fontjoy makes it simple for customers to seek out nice mixtures of fonts. It makes use of a neural internet to offer font strategies, displaying them in actual time that can assist you get a greater sense of how they give the impression of being paired collectively.

What I like: Fontjoy takes the guesswork out of pairing several types of fonts, one thing even I’ve struggled with.

2. Google Fonts

For those who’re searching for high quality typography in your subsequent design, try Google Fonts. This listing of net fonts makes it simple for customers so as to add a font to their web site in seconds or obtain it to their laptop to make use of later.

What I like: All the obtainable fonts are open supply, that means customers can customise, enhance, and share them as they see match.

3. WhatFont

Have you ever ever come throughout a font on a selected net web page and thought, “I want that?” With WhatFont, customers can rapidly and simply determine the names of the fonts used on any net web page with only one click on.

Accessible for obtain as a bookmarklet, Google Chrome Extension, or Safari Extension, you may by no means be left feeling stumped a few font title once more.

What I like: WhatFont is extremely simple to make use of and enjoyable to experiment with while you’re searching for font inspiration.

4. DaFont, 5. 1001 Free Fonts, and 6. Font Squirrel

In search of an additional particular font to assist your design stand out? Whereas there are a ton of free font assets on the market, we have narrowed down our favorites to DaFont, 1001 Free Fonts, and Font Squirrel.

What I like: These websites supply an in depth library of high-quality fonts which might be simple to obtain and clearly outlined when it comes to licensing.

Templates

7. HubSpot’s 15 Infographic Templates

Generally, you‘re simply quick on time and must make a graphic or graphics as rapidly as attainable. In these moments, you don’t want instruments; you want a template.

With this pack of free infographic templates, you may create professional-looking infographics and save hours of time within the course of. The very best half? You possibly can simply customise them to suit your firm’s branding.

What I like: These templates can function time savers or inspo. The selection is yours!

8. Canva

Canva and I am going collectively like peanut butter and jelly. I have been utilizing the instrument for each private {and professional} tasks for about 10 years now.

Whether or not I am seeking to create an e-book, infographic, enterprise card, or electronic mail header, Canva has a template to simplify my course of. The truth is, the free net design instrument provides skilled, easy-to-customize templates for nearly any design want you may consider.

What I like: Canva is constructed with non-designers in thoughts, making it simple to drag-and-drop objects and pictures till you want the best way it seems to be. Change the photographs, swap up the fonts, modify the colours, and voilà: You’ve got acquired your self a design you will be pleased with.

9. HubSpot’s 28 Customizable CTA Templates

If you wish to drive your web site guests to take an supposed motion, it is advisable to make it simple for them to take action. That is the place CTAs are available in.

However not simply any previous design will do. The truth is, elements like coloration, measurement, and form, all play a task within the efficiency of your button. So that can assist you encourage extra guests to grow to be leads, we have created 28 pre-designed CTA templates to make use of in your web site.

What I like: These templates are customizable, so I encourage you to check totally different colours and placements till you discover what works finest for you.

10. HubSpot’s 30 PowerPoint SlideShare Templates

Love the idea of SlideShare however do not have a number of expertise designing in PowerPoint? No downside.

With our free PowerPoint templates, you may create stunning SlideShare displays with out the heavy lifting. Easy plug in your content material, modify the colours to match your branding and swap out photographs as you see match.

What I like: These templates vary from clear and easy to a bit extra intricate, so you may haven’t any downside discovering one which fits your content material.

Coloration Instruments

11. Coolors

I am a agency believer that some of the vital parts of net design is the colour palette. You need to make sure that your photographs, graphics, and font colours convey your message and possibly even drive conversions.

However usually, it is onerous to seek out the fitting coloration mixture for a design, which is the place Coolors is available in. Press the spacebar to immediately get suggestions for colours to make use of, together with their respective HEX codes. Your coloration palettes won’t ever be uncoordinated once more.

What I like: Coolors could be very user-friendly and may also help content material entrepreneurs save loads time discovering the fitting colours for his or her visible media.

12. ColorZilla

ColorZilla is a superb instrument for all of your color-related wants, from essentially the most primary to essentially the most superior. Whether or not you are seeking to pull up the HEX code for a particular pixel on a web page, analyze DOM ingredient colours, or uncover ingredient data corresponding to tag title, class, id, and measurement, this instrument can deal with all of it.

What I like: ColorZilla is flexible, so mess around if you wish to discover different use circumstances in your graphics.

13. Canva Color Wheel

I like, love, love Canva‘s on-line coloration wheel! As I mentioned earlier, it’s a easy option to pair totally different colours in your visible content material, particularly if you happen to‘re like me and don’t know a lot about coloration principle.

What I like: The instrument is so enjoyable to mess around with, and I like that it provides you a fast run-through of coloration principle so you may be taught to use it to different tasks.

Annotation Instruments

14. Awesome Screenshot

Ever end up drowning in 20 totally different applications to crop, edit, and annotate screenshots? With Superior Screenshot, a browser extension for Firefox and Chrome, you may simply screenshot something on the net and edit it instantly inside your browser.

What I like: Superior Screenshot is straightforward to make use of and an enormous timesaver.

15. Filestage

How usually have you ever shared suggestions a few PDF or picture, just for it to be misinterpreted? Filestage is a suggestions instrument that makes it easy to depart in-context suggestions on nearly any file kind you may consider. Paperwork, PDFs, movies, graphics, and extra.

What I like: With a variety of annotation and proofing options, you may draw on high of your content material to deliver feedback to life. This makes it simple to align inside and exterior stakeholders in actual time. And better of all, your first two tasks are free.

Photograph Enhancing Instruments

16. PicMonkey

Okay, let‘s say you don’t have the price range for Photoshop and really feel considerably restricted by PowerPoint’s visible enhancing capabilities… what are you to do? If you wish to spruce up your photographs — re-color them, add borders, add textual content, and even insert graphics on high — all with out downloading one more program to your laptop, try PicMonkey.

What I like: The entire picture enhancing course of is intuitive, which implies you may spend extra time optimizing your weblog posts as an alternative of sprucing up its accompanying featured picture.

17. BeFunky

For those who love the look of cool, classic Instagram-esque picture filters, you may love BeFunky. This free picture editor boasts a ton of superior options, together with results, frames, graphics, and textures.

What I like: Whether or not you are a seasoned designer or simply getting began, the interface is tremendous easy and approachable. With only a few clicks, you may improve an bizarre picture or create a collage worthy of sharing in your social accounts.

18. Giphy

Giphy is a instrument for changing parts of video into looping GIFs. You may as well use different user-generated GIFs on the platform. This provides persona to displays, emails, and weblog posts.

What I like: Giphy is actually Google, however for GIFs. Simply kind within the present, film, emotion, or vibe you are searching for and see what enjoyable GIFs pop up.

19. Adobe Specific

Adobe Specific is a web based design instrument for creating and sharing graphics, net pages, and movies. It provides entry to hundreds of photographs and icons, in addition to branded templates, themes, fonts, and different design belongings.

What I like: Adobe Specific is nice for people who find themselves creating photographs on a price range and don‘t have the enhancing data you’d usually want for purposes like Photoshop.

20. VSCO

Simply think about: You‘re at an occasion. You’re laptop-less. And also you simply took an superior picture with [insert esteemed thought leader here] that you simply need to share on social media… nevertheless it’s a bit darkish. Bummer.

With a cellular picture enhancing app like VSCO, you may tweak your picture to perfection and share it on the fly. The app is free for iOS and Android and comes outfitted with spectacular, professional-looking filters and capabilities.

What I like: You edit movies from just about anyplace with VSCO, making it environment friendly and handy.

Inventory Photograph Sources

21. Vecteezy

For those who’re searching for a Artistic Commons picture however are discovering horrible choices via its native search engine, try Vecteezy. Whereas it usually surfaces related content material, Vecteezy has an algorithm that locations the attractive photographs proper on the high — reducing my image-hunting time down by a ton.

What I like: Vecteezy is straightforward to navigate and an enormous time saver.

22. Death to Stock

All it takes is an electronic mail tackle to begin receiving Loss of life to Inventory‘s high-quality pictures straight to your inbox each week. From workplace photographs to drool-inducing meals plates, this inventory picture service has a batch of photographs to fulfill nearly anybody’s wants.

These photographs can be utilized in your web site, social channels, mockups, and so on. To get conversant in their phrases of service, check out their licensing page.

What I like: Loss of life to Inventory always updates its assortment of media, so there are at all times new parts to select from.

23. Stock Photos From HubSpot

For those who‘re searching for inventory photographs to make use of in your subsequent design however don’t need to fear about all that attribution stuff, properly, look no additional. HubSpot provides a ton of free inventory photographs that you should utilize actually anyplace.

What I like: All it is advisable to do is obtain the batch after which be in your merry option to create partaking, visible content material. Severely… simply do it.

24. Unsplash

For those who’re searching for extra “do no matter you need” photographs with a surroundings or inanimate object tilt, try Unsplash.The images communicate for themselves — so go try the web site for extra.

What I like: Identical to our personal inventory photographs, no attribution is required.

Design Instruments for Infographics, Charts, and Mockups

25. Infogram

For those who’re seeking to make interactive infographics — not simply plain visuals — try this on-line design instrument. Simply add graphs, maps, textual content, and even playable movies with out diving deep right into a design program.

What I like: It additionally has social sharing instruments constructed proper into the infographic, so that you don‘t have to fret about making a customized Pin-It button. It’s a reasonably nifty instrument if you wish to create and ship an infographic — quick.

26. Venngage

Venngage is a free infographic maker that has the potential to provide charts, stories, and beautiful knowledge visualizations. You can begin with a template and simply customise the look to suit your model.

Underneath the free plan, you may be restricted to the variety of picture uploads and designs you are able to do, however there are extra superior plans with premium characteristic units.

What I like: With extremely customizable templates and AI-powered options, what’s to not love?

27. Visme

With Visme, you get an entire platform for creating digital content material with capabilities for displays, knowledge visualization, infographics, social posts, and even quick movies.

What I like: You possibly can have as much as 5 tasks and 100 MB of storage within the free model, plus entry to a library of free templates for tasks corresponding to ebooks, flyers, and logos.

28 Miro, 29. Marvel

Relying on the sophistication of your design wants, chances are you’ll end up in want of a prototyping app. This kind of software program can be utilized to show your concepts — whether or not or not it’s an app or an internet site that you’ve got cooked up in your head — right into a extra tangible actuality.

Whereas many free choices can be found, we have chosen two that basically ship when it comes to ease of use and performance: Miro and Marvel. Though each of those choices supply extra superior, paid plans, you will get began with a free plan.

Time to Content material Create

This listing reveals only a few prospects for instruments and templates that may assist you to create high-quality, partaking visible content material in your model. Now, you may go strive some out for your self.

Editor’s Notice: This put up was initially revealed in September 2013 and has been up to date to be contemporary, correct, and complete.