If you’re contemplating starting a clothing business or you’re a long-time business owner looking for the best graphic design software for clothing business use, you’re at the right place. Innotex Transfers specialises in transfer paper printing and various transfer methods, so we’ve had our fair share working with multiple software.
This guide will cover the top design software available on the market, including the pricing and comparing the top features of the applications so that you can make an informed decision for your next investment.
What Type of Graphic Software Do You Need for the Garment Business?
Designing artwork for clothing specifically requires vector artwork. This is a form of art that works with lines as opposed to bitmap pixels. The reason for this is because vector artwork can be stretched to pretty much any scale without losing even an ounce of quality. This isn’t the case with bitmap software – resizing bitmap artwork results in loss of quality since the pixels do not adapt to the size change. Therefore, making an image larger will result in bigger pixels. Bigger pixels = lower resolution.
Can I Use Vector and Bitmap to Design Artwork?
In some cases, bitmap software and vector software can work hand in hand. By this, we mean that when you import a bitmap file into a vector file, you may be given the option to convert the bitmap image into a vector image. This is because bitmap software uses vector properties (for tools such as lines, shapes, etc.), which are compatible in vector files. An example of software that supports this is Adobe (more on this later).
Top Graphic Design Software on the Market
This section will start uncovering the best graphic design software for the clothing business and why.
As mentioned above, Adobe Illustrator has compatibility with bitmap files to an extent if the bitmap file has solely made use of the vector tools within the application. This in turn, puts Adobe Illustrator at an advantage because it’s featured to convert files into smart objects when placed in, giving it a bit more flexibility than other vector software. On top of this, the design capabilities are awe-inspiring.
Top Features of Adobe Illustrator
Cons of Adobe Illustrator
- It is compatible with Adobe Photoshop files
- The Adobe UI is simple to use
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
- A cloud system to store excessive files
- Monthly subscription of £49.95 – expensive
NOTE: The monthly subscription comes with all the Adobe Creative Cloud apps, so if you’ll be making use of the other applications, the subscription may be worth it. However, this is deemed expensive if you’re only using one app.
Read our blog: Why Choose The Pantone Matching System Over CMYK.
If you’ve made digital artwork and already used Photoshop for it, it can be used for clothing businesses. However, your best bet is to stick with the size of the artwork instead of resizing it. The reason being that if your image is of high quality and you retain the size it’s in, you can still get a high-quality finish. This is the bitmap version of Adobe Illustrator, and as stated above, the two are compatible. Adobe Photoshop can be used with ease, and sticking with vector tools in the application will allow for a smooth conversion into Adobe Illustrator, so it’s definitely worth a try!
Top Features of Adobe Photoshop
Cons of Adobe Photoshop
- Compatible with Adobe Illustrator files (turns vector into the bitmap)
- The Adobe UI is simple to use
- Mobile/tablet version available
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
- A cloud system to store excessive files
- Monthly subscription of £49.95 – expensive
NOTE: The monthly subscription comes with all the Adobe Creative Cloud apps, so if you’ll be making use of the other applications, the subscription may be worth it. However, this is deemed expensive if you’re only using one app.
CorelDRAW is also a good option if you’re working with vector artwork for clothing design. We can openly say it’s not as good as Adobe, but it’s a great alternative if you’re on a budget or not concerned with the ease of use. It can manipulate 2D images for artwork such as logos and allows for use on Windows and Mac. An upside to this is that it converts artwork into cdr files, which is compatible with Adobe. If you’re looking to work with multiple software, this is an excellent advantage.
Top Features of CorelDRAW
Cons of CorelDRAW
- 2D image manipulation
- Works well with other applications
- Mobile/tablets version available
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
- One time purchase is £509, the yearly purchase is £299 – expensive
- UI is not the best for beginners
Sketch is specific to Mac and allows sleek designs made for clothing and UI/UX interfaces. This software has multipurpose features which may come in handy even outside of designing t-shirts. Sketch also saves as you complete each step, allowing for data loss prevention. Moreover, its cloud usage is quite convenient, and the application itself is compatible with Adobe CC as it can import vector graphics into Adobe Illustrator! And Sketch is only £99 a year!
Top Features of Sketch
Cons of Sketch
- More so for UI/UX
- Data loss prevention
- Exclusive to Mac
- Not primarily made for clothing businesses
Inkscape is another application that works with vector graphics (essential for clothing businesses) that allows for ease of use! Inkscape contains flexible drawing tools that enable creative individuals to exceed their limits. Much like Procreate (a bitmap software) for iPad, Inkscape generally has similar capabilities, but it’s not the best software for businesses due to the need for creativity and time consumption. The application has several tools that are easy to learn, and the UI in itself is pretty decent. For a clothing business, it may not be the ideal application. However, a freelancer could make good use of this if you’re looking to hire someone to create vector graphics for your business.
Top Features of Inkscape
Cons of Inkscape
- Can draw freely
- Ease of use
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
- Free to use!
- Time-consuming
- Not the best for clothing businesses
- Sometimes it can be slow
Bonus Tip: Read our blog on ‘Everything You Need to Know About Copyright for T-shirt Design‘ to avoid getting in hot water.
What Is the Best Software for T-Shirt Designing?
Though there are further applications out on the market, they are not very suitable for clothing businesses that require prints for vector designs – other apps on the market work more so with UI/UX. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator outrank all the other softwares. Their sleek design, compatibility and suitability for your clothing business make it the best choice.
If you’re a business owner, you’ll surely make use of multiple Adobe CC applications, so the consideration to make an investment in the software should be taken. Alternatively, CorelDraw is a good option, however, our team at Innotex Transfers has had the best experience with Adobe to produce high-quality finishes for our customers – we can do the same for you! You can send in your artwork to us and we can produce ready-to-press heat transfers for your clothing business. Give us a ring on 020 3617 8710. Alternatively, you can fill in form and we will get back to you.
