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Here I have compiled all of the resources that I recommend to level up your graphic design skills! These are the tools that I have personally used, and still use, and can confidently say that they have made a huge difference in my ability to create amazing graphics for print on demand, Amazon KDP, creating digital downloads and more.
CREATIVE FABRICA
I signed up for Creative Fabrica when they were having their $1 Black Friday sale and haven’t looked back. I absolutely love it!
There are tons of graphics and fonts to use for print on demand (you do need to filter the graphics that are POD friendly) and they have many other useful things that come with the subscription such as image presets for social media, patterns, mockups and more.
DRAWING TABLET
That’s me and my drawing tablet! I have an simple entry-level tablet that has made a world of difference in my graphic design abilities and has opened a lot of doors for me.
Check out the exact one that I have from Amazon here.
(I have also heard really good things about the Wacom brand, but have not tried it myself.)
CANVA
Canva is a really powerful tool for graphic designers at all levels. I use it for assembling print on demand designs, creating pins for Pinterest, and creating images for lyfepyle.com. I also occasionally use it for creating book covers for my low content books.
They have a free and paid version. I have the paid version, but the free version is all you need to get started and depending on your usage, you may never even need to upgrade.
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
I love Illustrator. I almost always have it open on my computer for quick and easy access.
I was using Inkscape for quite some time, but once I leveled up to Adobe Illustrator I was able to create much more complex and visually appealing art. I really can’t recommend it enough.
Illustrator is used for creating vector art which can be used to create print on demand products, printables, KDP books, and more.
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
I love photoshop for editing photos, of course, but also for digital painting with my drawing tablet (see below.)
I tried to use Gimp for a while before upgrading to Photoshop, but things didn’t really come together for me until I started using and learning Photoshop.
Photoshop can be used to create designs for print on demand, Amazon KDP book covers, art printables, and almost anything you can imagine!