My favorite graphic design tool is Adobe Photoshop. It is the industry standard for digital imaging and provides a comprehensive suite of tools for creating, editing, and manipulating images.
Definitely a big fan of Photoshop. Have been usual it for decades and there is still nothing quite like it.
Unfortunately not the easiest tool to collaborate with though.
Shameless plug, but my favorite graphic design tool has to be the one I'm working on, Expressive Canvas for vector drawing and editing.
Also working on Expressive Animator for motion graphics.
Feel free to check my profile for the links if interested, the apps are currently in Beta and we're looking for real feedback.
Mojo, vids, canva.
For instagram posts, imo they are very generic. If you want to increase your reach and not just post (for the sake alone), you really need to entertain your audience. Just using a simple canva template won’t bring you to far in the long run. Just keep that in mind.
The question is: which of the channels (instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn,…) are you focusing on? You cannot cover all channels. Then really focus on the one channel and put your effort in this one.
Some great points there @matthias_strafinger and definitely agree that using stock standard Canva templates won't work for cut through long term, especially if you're using the same templates as everyone else.
That said, if you need something quick or need to collaborate, especially with users who may not be very digital design savy, it helps solve a need.
I personally do everything (both simple and sophisticated) in GIMP. It's short for GNU Image Manipulation Program and it's basically a free alternative to Adobe Photoshop.
@stevenbirchall I think it's holding up pretty well for a completely free piece of software.
It still lacks behind all of the professional tools, but it's a really good alternative for people who can't afford the top-tier stuff.
I absolutely adore working with Adobe Illustrator! One of the main reasons why I find it so enjoyable is because it allows me to freely create anything I can imagine using vectors. Whether it's designing logos, illustrations or any other type of graphic, Adobe Illustrator is my go-to tool for unleashing my creativity.
@elena_ivanovska1 Illustrator is a great tool, haven't personally found anything that is as powerful when it comes to Vector art, though I do feel like a novice using it.
@c99rahul in terms of time spent in the products, Canva & Figma definitely get the lion's share.
The collaboration features on the two is invaluable when working with teams and make it so easy to become part of your regular workflow.
Still have Photoshop though, and whilst I use it less and less, I do love how powerful it is.