Category
Graphic Design
Free resources to learn graphic design in English: design principles and visual thinking, Photoshop and GIMP for images, and Inkscape for vector graphics.
- Resources
- 6
- Formats
- 1
Library
Graphic Design resources
6 results
Design thinking
A free Open University course on seeing and solving design problems: everyday design, composition and the rule of thirds, and presenting complex information.
OpenLearn (The Open University)
GIMP Community Tutorials
Official GIMP tutorials on selections, layer masks, curves, luminosity masks, tone mapping and brushes, for free image editing and photo work.
GIMP
Inkscape Beginners' Guide
Free community guide to Inkscape 1.3: shapes, paths, the pen tool, colour, gradients, text, exporting, tracing, clipping and live path effects.
Inkscape
Graphic Design Basics
Learn how balance, contrast, color, typography and hierarchy support visual communication across print, digital products and brand design.
Envato Tuts+
Adobe Photoshop for Beginners
Build practical Photoshop skills with layers, color adjustments, type, selections, masks, smart objects, retouching and export exercises.
Envato Tuts+
Graphic Design / Visual and Graphic Design
Study visual communication through design history, composition, Gestalt, a four-stage process, accessibility, ethics and sustainability.
Alison
No resources matched those filters.
Principles and tools
| Need | Resources |
|---|---|
| Understand why designs work | Design thinking, Graphic Design Basics, Visual and Graphic Design |
| Edit photos and images | Adobe Photoshop for Beginners, GIMP Community Tutorials |
| Create logos and icons | Inkscape Beginners' Guide |
Paid or free software
Photoshop requires an Adobe subscription. GIMP and Inkscape are free and open source, and together cover most of the same ground: GIMP for pixel-based images and photo editing, Inkscape for vector graphics that scale without losing quality. Learners without a design budget can follow the whole category using only the free tools.
A suggested order
- Start with Graphic Design Basics or Design thinking to learn balance, contrast, hierarchy, and composition.
- Choose one image tool, Photoshop or GIMP, and practise masks, layers, and colour adjustments.
- Learn Inkscape for logos, icons, and illustrations.
- Apply everything to one real project, such as a poster, redesigning it after each new principle you learn.