The Ultimate List of Online Graphic Design Resources

Whether you’re a professional designer or business owner tackling DIY design, free graphic design resources always come in handy. Here’s a list of the best sites of resources for graphic designers.

Even the best designers sometimes resort to using templates or free graphic design resources. Of course, the key is to know how to adapt them and ensure consistency in graphic design.

There are many sites for free graphic design resources and those requiring some payment. Here are the 25 sites to find assets for any design project

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Image and video resources: Use them as basis for your design

Very few businesses have professional photography or recording equipment. So, high quality stock photos and videos can give that human touch to your designs, without breaking the bank.

Here are the best sites to find paid or free and open source images and videos!

Pexels

Pexels is among the best free stock images and video websites you can find. Lots of photographers and videographers who provide their work for free. So, you can download a wide range of high-quality images and modify them to fit your vision.

Unsplash

My favorite stand-out marketplace for free high-resolution images is Unsplash. This website has thousands of great free stock photos. Still, it’s very easy to use thanks to categories like Architecture, Fashion, 3D Renders, Wallpapers, Films, nature, etc.

Photo Creator

What differentiates this website from others is its diversity. It  provides a wide range of necessary graphic design elements like icons, photos, illustrations, even royalty-free music. The other thing is that it allows you to create your own unique image by combining different stock photos. 

Use a simple drag-and-drop tool to combine objects, people, backgrounds and add filters to create an image that no one else has.

You can use their services for free or subscribe to their paid plans for premium features.

Mixkit

This site offers free stock videos in 4K and HD. It’s also got a library of free icons, music and sound effects. Another great free graphic design resource you can find here are video templates. These can be used for various video projects on social media as well as videos on your site. 

Illustration resources: Use them to create branded graphics

Illustrations are a very popular alternative to stock photos for one convincing reason. It’s much easier to adapt them to your brand design, whether you need them for your website or social media graphics.

Here are some of the best graphic design websites that offer hand-drawn illustrations.

Vexels

You can find everything you need on this excellent page, from minimalistic design illustrations to complex masterpieces. The website features a rich library full of customizable vector graphics, from all categories, mainly focusing on t-shirts, book covers, and PPT presentations.

‍Pricing is low, starting from $21.99 per month for those just starting up.

Drawkit

Drawkit offers you many paid and free illustrations to download that you can customize according to your design vision. They come in two styles, and they are best to be used for infographics or explainer videos. To edit them, use Photoshop. 

You can even vote and request what illustrations you'd like created next. There are some basic free designs to use, and premium illustration packs start from $29.

Freepik

Freepik is an excellent source for premium, high-quality graphics at a low cost. They provide a comprehensive collection of work that includes some extraordinary free illustrations. However, without a paid subscription you’ll be limited to 3 downloads a day.

ManyPixels

How do we know how to pick the best graphic design resources and where to find them? Incidentally, we also have a vast library of graphic design freebies in our illustrations gallery.

There are thousands of unique designs to choose from, with new ones added regularly. You can find illustrations in 5 different styles to match your brand image and need - from fun outline designs to artsy monochromatic ones.

Best of all, you can even change the color of the illustrations right on our website and download them in ready-to-use PNG format. On the other hand, if you want to have a go at modifying them in a design editing software, there’s also the option to get a SVG file.

Icon resources: Create a visual language for everyone

Icons are undoubtedly one of the crucial elements of every digital design, especially when web design becomes more compact, responsive, and mobile. Also, since data visualization is a huge design trend, you can use icons to simplify the content and create powerpoints that convey your message with ease. 

However, creating an icon from scratch can be a daunting task, so why not simplify the process and check out these sources for free icon designs and use them instead? 

Animaticons

Animaticons is a noteworthy source for anyone who needs high-resolution animated GIF icons that can be customized according to their preferences. These icons are high-quality, small in size, and compatible with all major platforms, browsers, Windows, Mac OS, emails, smartphones, etc. 

We love this source because you don't need any plugins or libraries; as soon as you download the GIF icon, you can use it right away.

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This site offers over 2 million icons you can download for free! The interface is simple and well-organized, so you won't have a hard time finding just what you need. 

Pricing is free for basic icon downloads or a modest $39,99 per year for an unlimited individual subscription. Talk about affordability!

Flaticon

Flaticon features a beginner-friendly interface where you can find graphics, logos, and a wide variety of icon styles available in SVG, EPS, and PNG format. If none of the available illustration styles (flat, line, black, or color) suit your projects, Flaticon has a free image editing tool where you can choose a shape, size, and color and save up time on adjustments later.

Flaticon is available for free if you download icons in PNG format, and for all other formats, you will need to acquire the premium version.

Typography resources: Find the right font for your message

Typography is one of the most vital design elements in any project. So, knowing where to find free design resources like this is very useful.

Here are some of the websites where you can find amazing free fonts to download and customize, but some sources will charge you a small fee for their services. Let's take a quick look at your options:

Creative Fabrica

Are you searching for awesome-looking fonts? We've got the right resource for you. Not only does their web page look nice, but they also have an extensive collection of free fonts for commercial use. Here you can search fonts by classification, tags, family size, recently added, most popular, language, etc.

You can also use their Webfont generator to create or modify existing fonts to improve the rendering size of the file.

DaFont

If you are up for browsing through a tremendous selection of fonts, you are at the right place. Their fonts are for free, and the navigation is super easy; fonts are categorized by alphabetical listing, style, author, and popularity.

Color palette resources: Choose colors with intention

‍Picking the right color palette for your brand is a big decision. Luckily, there are many great online graphic design platforms that can help you make an informed decision, with a firm foundation in color theory. Here are some of them!

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This website started as a small personal project by Gal Shir. However, it quickly became a handy source of free color palettes for graphic designers worldwide. All you have to do is browse through the existing catalogs and find the color palette that will perfectly fit your brand's image. 

Happy hunting!

Web Gradients

The color gradient is a trend that is very versatile, bold, and here to stay. You can use gradients to add depth to a flat design, create an interesting texture to a dull background, or improve the overall mood of your image by adding some colors. 

You can find an extensive and free collection of 180 linear color gradients that you can use for any project. This website also features special packs for Sketch and Photoshop editing software.

Color Lisa

If you have a specific taste for colors and you prefer to use a color scheme that you've seen on a masterpiece created by some of the world's most famous artists, this tool is your go-to resource. This tool gathers all the colors from that particular piece in one place, so that you can download it for free.

Mockup resources: Use them to show off your work

A mockup tool is a specially designed tool or application used to produce a design model that can be used for promotion, teaching, and evaluating an idea that is still in the creation process. For example, website mockups help businesses fine-tune their professional sites before launching them online. Other mockups help showcase work that’s only a concept, or a snippet of a design project.

Every reputable graphic designer has an online portfolio that will convince potential clients why they should pick them among all others. Here is the list of free mockup tools that they use to present their work in the best light:

Shotsnapp

Promote your hard work by using free tools from Shotsnapp, and create your own device mockups in no time. The process is relatively simple: choose the desired device, add your design or screenshot, make a few changes if needed, and download your mockup image. Easy-peasy!

Pricing is free for basic functions, and for pro features, you will need to spend $36 per year.

Mockup World

Instantly turn a screenshot into a mockup without using any Photoshop templates by using the mockup generator. Mockup World is packed with free, fully layered, photorealistic mockups that are ready to use in your presentations. 

Create instant mockups for books, t-shirts, mugs, hats, social media, devices, packaging, or anything else you have in mind for free.

Pixeden

Pixeden is your one-stop-shop if you are looking for an extensive collection of high-quality mockup templates. You can choose between a free and premium account. Enhance your brand ideas with the fonts, backgrounds, texture, and objects provided here. 

Graphic design inspiration resources: Get your daily dose of inspiration

Creative work always involves a few roadblocks, and lack of inspiration is one of the biggest ones. 

Looking at and learning from others’ work is the best way to get out of a creative rut. You can browse online magazines, blogs, and social media. Of course, the best way to get graphic design inspiration is to visit some famous design platforms.

Behance

Behance is a part of the Adobe network. For a creative boost of all kinds, visit this online platform and spend some quality time scrolling through the latest design projects provided by design professionals from across the world. 

You can narrow your research by color, location, or creative field and get exactly what you've been looking for. This platform is free to use, so don't waste any more time and sign up immediately.

Dribbble

This online self-promotion community allows you to showcase your work and browse through competitor’s work to get inspired. It serves as a design portfolio platform and a job hunting and recruiting site. Gain inspiration, feedback, advice, and a community by creating an account now.

Online graphic design tools

Last, but certainly not least - the most useful free graphic design resources you can find are free tools. We have a much longer list of useful design platforms, but here are just a couple to give you an idea of the possibilities.

Canva

This is probably the most famous free graphic design tool in the world. Thanks to a simple drag-and-drop editor and thousands of free resources, Canva has everything you need to start designing.

If you want to do a simple design edit fast, there’s no better choice than Canva. However, for more advanced edits, there are a few better options.

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Fotor

This is another beginner-friendly tool you definitely want to bookmark. It offers a wide range of options, from removing a background to retouching and enhancing photos. It also has a great AI-image generator, with extensive features. However, this is an option you’ll need to pay for.

Pixlr

Pixlr is also a great online editing tool similar to Photoshop. So, it’s a great choice for either experienced designers or those looking to perfect graphic design skills quickly. Along with basic and advanced photo editing, AI image generating and editing, it also has a useful batch editor feature. You can use it to resize several images at once, or, for example, add a logo or watermark. 

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Visme

Visme is very similar to Canva - it has the same user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop editor, and an extensive library of design templates. Although Canva may have more creative free resources, Visme is a superior editing tool. It also syncs with various other apps, from Slack to Hubspot, so it’s a great affordable tool for startups and content creators.

Final word

This is by no means an exhaustive list of graphic design resources sites. However, it definitely includes some of the most versatile and affordable platforms to tackle your next design projects.

For more helpful information and resources, check out our list of AI illustration generator tools, this list of free commercial fonts, and these curated lists of website and landing page templates.