Procreate

As a designer who tends to need software to draw out certain logos and images by hand (with an iPad and pen), I did like the fact that the software gave a wide range of brushes and even allowed you to create your own brushes. For the price, it has some good exporting features like animated gifs and downloadable replays of the image you were drawing as you were drawing it, which I thought was cool. Layers are easy to use, similar to Photoshop and Illustrator.

I did find that there was a bit of a learning curve with this software. There is a Procreate handbook but since I am familiar with Photoshop and Illustrator I figured I could skip the handbook and go straight to creating. I struggled with just a couple of things so you may need to take the time to reference the handbook, particularly if you're a novice.

What makes Procreate very valuable to me are the advanced design tools, resources, and price.

There are many tools available that make illustrating and photo editing easy, natural, and enjoyable. What impresses me about the design tools and features is the interface is simple, yet you can customize the tool's properties to a great extent.

Procreate has amassed a large community of designers and illustrators across social media that help others make the most out of the app. Many resources from these platforms have helped me with my workflow and improved my design and technical skills. The resources include free and paid courses, brush sets, design feedback, regular updates, and more!

The price for the app is a one-time $9.99! The fact that this app is a complete design system that costs around the same price as a whole meal at McDonald's is unreal to me. There are no ads, no subscriptions, and no tiered plans.

The few cons I would mention are the inability to render vector graphics (SVGs), the hidden secret shortcuts, the cropping of layers, and having no automatic edit history feature.

I wish you could create vectors in native Procreate. To make vectors from my Procreate designs, I encounter the tedious task of converting them in Illustrator.

I've been using Procreate for many years, yet I'm still unaware of some hidden shortcuts and gestures. I usually stumble on them going through social media. It can be frustrating because these shortcuts cannot be easily found or notified of through the app itself.

It can also be frustrating when you take a layer and move it to the side of the artboard, and the layer gets cut off.

Procreate lacks an interval editing history feature. I now make multiple copies, but sometimes I forget or realize I want to revisit a version I didn't duplicate.