20 Best AI Tools For Graphic Design

We’ve been exploring the world of graphic design lately, and wow, AI is really shaking things up. It’s not just for tech wizards anymore; these tools are making it way easier for anyone to create cool visuals, especially for digital marketing efforts. We’ve tried out a bunch, and honestly, some of them are pretty amazing at speeding up our workflow and even sparking new ideas when we’re feeling stuck. So, we decided to round up some of the best AI tools we’ve found that can help you make your designs pop.

• AI tools can seriously speed up your design process, handling tasks like image generation and editing so you can focus on the bigger picture.
• For digital marketing, AI can help create consistent branding and generate a variety of visuals quickly for different platforms.
• While AI is powerful, it’s best used as a creative partner, with human designers refining the output to ensure originality and brand alignment.

Okay, so let’s talk about Adobe Firefly. If you’re in the graphic design world, you’ve probably heard of it, or maybe you’ve even played around with it. Adobe really went all-in with this one, making it their own generative AI model specifically for creating visuals. What’s cool is that they trained it using stuff from Adobe Stock, public domain images, and other openly licensed work. This means we can feel a bit more comfortable using the generated images for commercial stuff without worrying too much about copyright headaches.

Firefly isn’t just a standalone thing; it’s built to work with the Adobe Creative Cloud apps we already use, like Photoshop and Illustrator. This makes it super easy to just drop AI-generated elements right into our ongoing projects. They’ve got a few different AI features going on:

• Text to Image: You type a description, and it makes a picture. Pretty standard AI art stuff, but done well.
• Generative Fill: This is a game-changer for editing. You can select an area in an image and tell Firefly to add something, remove something, or change it, and it does a pretty convincing job.
• Text Effects: Want cool, stylized text? Firefly can generate different textures and looks for your words.
• Vector Generation: For those working with logos or illustrations, it can even create vector graphics from text prompts.

It’s also got this thing called Content Credentials, which is basically a way to see where the image came from and that it was made with AI. It’s a nice touch for transparency.

We found that Firefly is a solid choice when you need professional-looking results and want to keep things within the Adobe ecosystem. It feels built for designers, by designers, with AI as a helpful assistant rather than a replacement.

Okay, so we’ve all probably used Canva at some point, right? It’s been our go-to for making everything from birthday invites to social media posts without needing a design degree. Well, they’ve gone and added a whole bunch of AI smarts called Magic Studio, and it’s pretty wild.

Think of it as Canva getting a brain upgrade. It’s not just a bunch of separate AI tools anymore; it’s woven right into the fabric of the whole platform. This means you can do things like:

• Generate images from scratch just by typing what you want. Need a picture of a cat wearing a tiny hat riding a unicycle? Boom, Canva can try to make it.
• Edit existing images in ways that used to take ages. Got a photobomber in your pic? Magic Eraser can just zap them away.
• Rewrite text or even generate copy for your designs. Stuck on a tagline? Let the AI give you some ideas.
• Transform your designs into different formats instantly. Make that Instagram post into a presentation slide with a click.

What’s cool is that it doesn’t feel like you’re using some complicated new software. It’s all right there in the familiar Canva interface. We tried prompting it to create an anniversary post for a fictional thrift shop, and it actually came up with some decent options pretty quickly, complete with dogs, balloons, and cake like we asked.

They’ve also put a lot of thought into the ethical side of things, which is a big deal. They’re even compensating creators whose work helps train their AI models. Plus, they offer indemnity for business users, which is a nice safety net.

It’s not perfect, mind you. Sometimes the AI can be a bit literal, and you might need to tweak things. Also, figuring out which ‘Magic’ tool does exactly what you need can take a bit of experimenting. But for getting stuff done quickly and making designs look polished without a huge learning curve, Canva’s Magic Studio is a seriously strong contender.

Okay, so let’s talk about Midjourney. If you’ve been messing around with AI image generators, chances are you’ve bumped into this one. It’s pretty wild, honestly. We’ve been using it a lot for concept art and just seeing what crazy ideas we can bring to life visually. It’s like having a super-talented artist on call 24/7.

What’s cool is how it takes your text prompts and turns them into images that aren’t just pictures, but have actual mood and feeling. We’ve found it’s amazing for quickly visualizing stuff that would normally take ages to sketch out or photograph. It really helps us get a feel for the vibe of a project early on.

Midjourney runs through Discord, which is a bit different from other tools. You type your prompts in there, and you see what everyone else is making too. It’s kind of a community vibe, and you can learn a ton just by seeing what prompts other people are using and what results they get. It’s a neat way to speed up how you learn to get the images you want.

We’ve noticed it’s particularly good at understanding abstract stuff and emotional qualities. You can ask for specific lighting or styles, and it often nails it. This makes it super useful for mood boards or just exploring creative directions. It’s definitely one of the more sophisticated AI image systems out there, and we’ve seen it process billions of requests since it came out.

Here’s a quick look at what we think are its strengths:

• Artistic Quality: The images it produces are often stunning and have a unique artistic flair.
• Concept Visualization: Great for turning abstract ideas into visual concepts quickly.
• Community Learning: The Discord integration allows for shared learning and inspiration.
• Prompt Understanding: It’s pretty good at grasping nuanced descriptions.

We’ve found that the key to getting good results with Midjourney is really in the prompting. It takes some practice to figure out how to describe exactly what you’re imagining, but when you get it right, the output is seriously impressive. It’s a tool that rewards experimentation and learning.

If you’re looking to explore creative possibilities and need some seriously high-quality visual explorations, Midjourney is definitely worth checking out. It’s a powerful tool for creative directors and designers who want to push their visual ideas further.

Okay, so let’s talk about DALL·E 3. If you’ve been playing around with AI image generators, you’ve probably heard of this one, and for good reason. It’s from OpenAI, the same folks behind ChatGPT, and it’s seriously impressive.

What we really like about DALL·E 3 is how well it gets what you’re asking for. You can give it a really detailed description, like "a fluffy cat wearing a tiny wizard hat, sitting on a stack of old books, in the style of a vintage oil painting," and it actually produces something close to that. It’s way better at understanding complex prompts than some of the older AI tools we’ve tried. It feels like you can be more specific and get closer to your vision without having to guess what the AI might interpret.

Right now, you can find DALL·E 3 integrated into ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise. This makes it super convenient because you can just chat with it and ask for images. It’s not a standalone app you have to download or a separate website to remember, which is pretty neat.

Here’s a quick rundown of what makes it stand out:

• Super Prompt Grasp: It really nails those detailed text descriptions, giving you more accurate results.
• Realistic Images: The visuals it creates tend to be quite realistic and high-quality.
• Ethical Considerations: OpenAI has put thought into this, giving artists a way to opt out of having their work used for training data. That’s a big deal for creators.
• Easy Access: Being part of ChatGPT means it’s readily available if you’re already a subscriber.

It’s not perfect, of course. There isn’t a free version to just mess around with, and while it’s great at generating images, you don’t get a ton of tools for fine-tuning the image itself within DALL·E 3. You might still need other software for those last-minute tweaks. But for quickly generating unique visuals from scratch based on your ideas, it’s a solid choice.

Okay, so if you’re trying to whip up some app screens or website wireframes super fast, Uizard is a tool we’ve been messing around with that’s pretty neat. It’s basically designed to take your rough ideas, like scribbles on a napkin or a quick digital sketch, and turn them into actual, usable digital designs. We found it particularly helpful when we just needed to get a basic layout down for a client pitch without spending hours in a more complex design program.

What’s cool is you can literally upload a photo of a hand-drawn wireframe, and Uizard will digitize it. Or, you can just type in a description of what you want, like "an app for tracking plant watering schedules," and it’ll generate a bunch of screens for you. It really speeds up that initial phase of seeing your idea take shape. We even tried pasting in a website URL, and it pulled the brand colors and fonts to get a head start on matching our existing style. It’s not perfect, and sometimes the AI suggestions are a bit… out there, but for getting a starting point, it’s surprisingly effective.

Here’s a quick look at what we found:

• Sketch to Digital: Upload hand-drawn wireframes or even screenshots of existing apps to get editable mock-ups.
• Prompt-Based Generation: Describe your app or website idea, and Uizard will build out initial screens based on your text.
• Brand Style Matching: Input a website URL, and Uizard tries to match your existing brand’s colors and fonts.
• Editing Workspace: Once generated, you can tweak the designs in a familiar drag-and-drop interface.

We did notice that some of the fancier features, like the latest Autodesigner, are tucked away behind a paywall. So, if you’re just trying it out on the free plan, you get a decent amount of AI generations each month, but it’s limited. It can feel a little dense when you first open it up, especially if you’re not used to UI/UX tools, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a solid option for getting those early-stage digital designs done.

We found that Uizard really shines when you just need to visualize an app concept quickly. It’s not going to replace a seasoned designer for a final product, but for getting ideas out of your head and into a clickable format, it’s a game-changer.

So, we’ve been checking out Designs.ai, and honestly, it’s pretty neat if you’re looking to build out a whole brand identity. It’s not just about making a logo; it’s like a whole package deal. Launched back in 2019, it’s already helped a ton of businesses get their look together, from tiny startups to bigger companies wanting a refresh.

What really stands out is how it connects everything – the logo, the colors, marketing stuff, even social media posts. It all seems to work together thanks to their AI, keeping things consistent. They say the AI looks at what’s trending and what people like to help make designs that actually connect with the audience. It’s kind of cool that they’re trying to bake in things like brand psychology and marketing smarts into the design process.

It feels like a good option if you don’t have a big design team or maybe you’re just starting out and need a professional look without a huge headache. They’ve got a few different tools that work together:

• Logo Maker: Creates logos based on your input.
• Brand Kit: Helps you put together all your brand assets.
• Video Maker: For creating short promotional videos.
• AI Writer: Assists with generating text content.

Designs.ai aims to make professional branding accessible, even if you’re not a design expert. It’s about getting a cohesive brand look efficiently.

It’s definitely worth a look if you need to get a brand up and running quickly and want all the pieces to match.

So, you’ve got a business idea, maybe even a name, but the whole logo and branding thing feels like a mountain to climb? We get it. That’s where Looka comes in. It’s basically an AI buddy that helps you whip up a logo and branding that actually fits what you’re going for, even if you’ve never touched design software in your life.

You start by telling it your company name and then pick some stuff like logo styles, colors, and symbols that you like. Looka takes all that and spits out a bunch of custom logo ideas. You can then play around with them, see how they look in different colors or fonts, and even check out how they’d appear on things like t-shirts or business cards. It’s pretty neat for visualizing the whole package.

What we really like is that it doesn’t just stop at the logo. Looka can also help you create a whole brand identity, like social media graphics and business card designs. This way, everything looks consistent, which is super important when you’re trying to get your business noticed.

Looka is a lifesaver for anyone who needs a professional-looking brand without the huge cost or hassle of hiring a designer. It makes the whole process straightforward and surprisingly fun.

Here’s a quick rundown of what it offers:

• AI Logo Generator: Creates unique logos based on your input.
• Full Branding Kit: Generates social media templates, business cards, and brand guidelines.
• Customizable Edits: Lets you tweak colors, fonts, and layouts before you commit.
• Instant Marketing Assets: Get graphics ready for social media, websites, and print.

It’s a solid choice if you’re just starting out and need a quick, affordable way to get your brand looking sharp.

So, Freepik, you know, the place we all go for stock photos and graphics? They’ve jumped into the AI game too with their AI Image Generator. It’s pretty neat because it’s right there on the platform we’re already using. If you’re a designer or marketer who needs custom visuals but also wants them to fit in with a bunch of stock stuff, this could be your jam.

What’s cool is that Freepik seems to get that designers need stuff that’s ready for commercial use. They’re not just spitting out random images; they’re aiming for visuals that you can actually use in ads or on websites without a ton of extra work. It feels like they’ve built this thing with a good idea of what designers actually need, which is a nice change.

Here’s a quick rundown of what we found:

• Commercial Focus: The big selling point is that the images are made with commercial projects in mind. This means less worry about copyright headaches.
• Integration: It lives within the Freepik site, so you can generate images and then easily grab other assets you might need.
• Context Awareness: The AI tries to understand what you’re going for, which helps make the output more relevant to your project.

They’re really trying to make sure the AI-generated stuff feels like it belongs with their existing library of professional assets. It’s not just about making pretty pictures; it’s about making usable design elements.

It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re already a Freepik user or if you’re looking for AI images that come with a bit more peace of mind for business use.

Okay, so let’s talk about Khroma. If you’re anything like us, picking the right colors can sometimes feel like a shot in the dark, right? Khroma is basically an AI color palette generator that aims to fix that. It’s pretty neat because it learns what you like. You start by picking about 50 colors that catch your eye, and from that, it generates tons of different color combinations. It’s like having a personal color consultant that actually gets your style.

What’s cool is how it shows you these palettes. You can see them applied to things like typography, gradients, or even mock posters. This really helps you visualize how the colors will actually look in a design, which is super useful. Plus, it has this awesome feature called the ‘Never fail WCAG toggle’. If you’re worried about accessibility, this tool blocks any color combos that don’t meet contrast standards for web content. That’s a huge time-saver and means you don’t have to run your colors through a separate checker.

Khroma takes the guesswork out of color selection by learning your preferences and generating harmonious, accessible palettes. It’s a smart way to ensure your brand’s colors are not only beautiful but also functional.

Here’s a quick rundown of what we found helpful:

• Personalized Palettes: The AI really does learn your taste after you pick those initial 50 colors.
• Accessibility Check: The WCAG toggle is a game-changer for making sure your designs are usable by everyone.
• Real-World Previews: Seeing the colors on mockups makes them feel instantly usable.

It’s not perfect, though. We noticed that sometimes, if you use it too much, the suggestions can start to feel a little samey. Also, you can’t import palettes from other tools, which would be a nice addition. But for generating fresh, accessible color ideas, Khroma is definitely worth checking out, especially since it’s free to use.

So, we’ve all been there, right? You’ve got this brilliant idea in your head, but when you try to sketch it out, it looks more like a toddler’s finger painting than a professional design. That’s where Autodraw comes in, and honestly, it’s pretty neat. Developed by Google’s Creative Lab, this free web tool is like having a super-smart assistant who knows how to clean up your messy drawings.

Instead of typing in a prompt like some other AI tools, you actually draw something. It could be a wonky circle, a few squiggly lines – whatever. Autodraw’s AI looks at what you’re doing in real-time and then suggests polished, professional-looking versions of what it thinks you’re trying to create. It’s kind of like autocorrect, but for your doodles. It’s learned from millions of drawings, so it’s pretty good at guessing.

Here’s how we found it works best:

• Just start sketching whatever comes to mind.
• Look at the suggestions that pop up at the top.
• Pick the one that’s closest to your idea.
• You can then color it in or add text.

The best part is how easy it is to use; no downloads, no sign-ups, just pure drawing fun. It’s perfect for educators, students, or anyone who needs to get a visual idea across quickly without needing actual art skills. You can even export your finished doodle as a PNG file, which is handy for presentations or just sharing online.

Autodraw really shines when you need to communicate a concept fast. It bridges that gap between what you imagine and what your drawing skills can actually produce, making visual ideas understandable for everyone.

Want to make your own cool drawings easily? Check out Autodraw, a neat tool that helps you sketch anything you can imagine. It’s super simple to use, even if you’re not an artist. Give it a try and see what you can create!

Alright, so we’ve looked at a bunch of these AI design tools. It’s pretty wild how much they can do now, right? From whipping up logos in minutes to making images from just a few words, it feels like we’ve got some serious new helpers in our design toolkit. We’re not saying these AI things are going to replace us designers – far from it. But they can definitely take care of some of the more tedious stuff, giving us more time to actually be creative and come up with cool ideas. It’s all about finding the right ones that fit how we work and making them work for us. Give a few a try, see what sticks, and get ready to make some awesome stuff!

Totally! AI tools can whip up awesome visuals, from logos to social media posts, super fast. They’re like having a design buddy who’s really good at making things look good, helping us create stuff we might not have thought of on our own.

Not always! Many of these tools have free versions that are great for starting out. Some have paid plans that unlock more features, but we found lots of them offer a good deal for what you get, helping us save money while still making great designs.

Nah, we don’t think so. AI is more like a super helpful assistant. It can handle the boring, repetitive stuff, freeing us up to be more creative and focus on the big picture. It helps us work smarter, not just harder, and lets us make even cooler stuff.