Free Tools Every Beginner Designer Should Master Before Starting a Course in 2026

Published by Shikha Kumari on Dec 03, 2025

Beginner designers in 2026 can save both time and money by mastering a set of powerful free tools before enrolling in any design course. The most essential ones include Figma Community, Canva Pro Education, Blender 4.2, Penpot, and Photopea. These tools allow learners to create professional-level portfolios, 3D models, and brand visuals without investing in expensive software. Using them effectively can save more than INR 50,000 before joining paid programs like NID’s B.Des, Pearl Academy’s B.Des, or IIT Bombay’s M.Des in Product Design.

Figma Community: The #1 Free Tool for Designers in 2026

Figma Community remains the most important free tool for aspiring designers. It allows unlimited files, three editors, and real-time collaboration, features identical to the paid version. Recruiters expect at least 70% of design portfolios to include Figma-based projects. Beginners can start by creating five responsive screens using auto-layout and duplicate templates for e-commerce apps.

Figma helps commerce students design data dashboards, science students visualize research, and arts students build creative layouts. Mastering it before enrolling in design courses gives candidates a noticeable advantage in portfolio evaluation rounds.

Canva Pro Education: Free 1 TB Cloud Access for Students

Canva Pro Education offers a full premium experience at no cost for students with a verified school or college email address. It provides 1 TB of cloud storage, brand kits, and access to over 100 million premium templates and images. With its Magic Studio AI and background remover, beginners can design more than 20 social media posts in a single weekend.

This tool is ideal for students preparing to join design programs as it strengthens layout, color, and typography skills before paying high course fees.

Blender 4.2: Free 3D Software for Jewellery and Product Design

Blender 4.2 is a professional-grade 3D design tool that remains completely free. It is widely used by students preparing for jewellery and product design programs. Learners can model, texture, and render jewellery prototypes using the Cycles rendering engine. The famous “donut tutorial” helps beginners grasp the basics within a few hours.

By the time students apply for design programs, they can present a portfolio of multiple jewellery and product mockups created entirely with Blender — a strong alternative to paid software like Rhino.

Penpot: Open-Source Alternative for Collaborative Design

Penpot is an open-source design tool that offers features similar to Figma, including vector editing, auto layouts, and component libraries. It’s entirely browser-based, has no file limits, and supports unlimited collaborators, making it ideal for group design projects. Students can use it to co-create wireframes, export SVG files for further editing, and understand developer handoff processes.

Photopea: Free Photoshop Replacement for Image Editing

Photopea runs directly in the browser and replicates 95% of Adobe Photoshop’s functionality, including layers, masks, and smart objects. It allows exporting PSD files compatible with Adobe software. Students can edit product images, design posters, or retouch photos without purchasing an Adobe license.

This makes Photopea a must-have for those planning to pursue design programs, especially in graphic or communication design.

Excalidraw: Sketching and Wireframing Made Simple

Excalidraw helps students create hand-drawn style wireframes and quick UI sketches. It’s perfect for conceptual brainstorming before working on digital prototypes. Beginners can create ten wireframes in half an hour, export them as PNG or SVG, and include them in their portfolio. This tool is especially useful for early-stage product design thinking.

ColorHunt, Fontshare, Unsplash, and Pexels: Free Creative Assets

• ColorHunt offers daily color palettes for consistent design schemes.
  
• Fontshare provides free commercial fonts, including professional Indian typefaces.
  
• Unsplash and Pexels supply royalty-free, high-resolution images ideal for mockups, posters, and mood boards.
  Together, these resources give beginners access to professional-quality assets at zero cost, ensuring their projects meet industry standards.
  

Learn Through Free YouTube Design Channels

Students can combine these tools with free online learning through YouTube channels such as:

• The Futur – 20 videos on Figma and design principles.
  
• Flux – Blender tutorials for product and jewellery modeling.
  
• DesignCourse – Penpot and Photopea-based creative challenges.
  

These channels offer project-based lessons to strengthen hands-on experience before joining paid degree programs.

Integrating Free Tools with Design Courses After 12th

Students applying to design programs in 2026 can use these free tools to create their portfolios. Institutes like NID, Pearl Academy, and MIT Institute of Design accept digital portfolios built with Figma, Blender, and Canva. The skills gained through these tools prepare students for entrance exams like UCEED and NID DAT and help them showcase digital design capabilities.

Conclusion

Mastering free tools before enrolling in design courses provides a strong foundation for every aspiring designer in 2026. Figma, Canva Pro Education, Blender, Penpot, Photopea, Excalidraw, ColorHunt, and Unsplash help build professional-quality portfolios without any investment. These tools are recognized by top institutions like NID, IIT Bombay, and Pearl Academy, allowing students to demonstrate practical design skills during admission rounds. With these free resources, beginners can confidently start their design journey and save significantly before pursuing paid programs.

FAQs

Q1. What are the best free graphic design software for beginners?
A: The best free graphic design software for beginners in 2026 include Canva, Photopea, Krita, Gravit Designer, and Figma. Canva is perfect for social media graphics, Photopea is a free Photoshop alternative, and Figma helps with interface design and prototyping. Krita is great for digital art, while Gravit Designer offers vector-based tools for logo creation. These software programs are browser-based or lightweight, making them ideal for beginners who want to practice professional design skills without investing in expensive subscriptions.

Q2. Which free graphic design software work best on PC?
A: For PC users, the top free graphic design software are GIMP, Inkscape, Blender, Krita, and Canva Desktop App. GIMP is perfect for photo editing and digital art, while Inkscape handles vector illustrations like logos and infographics. Blender supports 3D design and rendering, and Krita is ideal for painting and sketching. Canva’s PC version works offline, allowing users to create posters and business cards easily. Together, these tools offer a complete free suite for PC-based graphic design projects.

Q3. How can I download free graphic design software?
A: You can download free graphic design software like GIMP, Inkscape, and Krita directly from their official websites. For instance, visit gimp.org, inkscape.org, or krita.org to access secure download links. Blender can be downloaded from blender.org, offering professional 3D design features at no cost. Always download from official sources to avoid malware. Once installed, beginners can explore tutorials on YouTube or use built-in guides to learn how to create digital artwork, social media posts, and product visuals.

Q4. What are the best web designing tools for beginners?
A: Beginners starting in web design should try tools like Figma, Wix, WordPress, Webflow, and Canva. Figma helps create website mockups and prototypes with collaborative features, while Wix and WordPress are ideal for building real websites without coding. Webflow offers advanced design control for visually rich projects, and Canva enables simple drag-and-drop website banners. These platforms combine accessibility with professional features, helping newcomers design visually appealing, responsive websites without needing prior technical knowledge.

Q5. What are the best free design tools for online use?
A: The best free online design tools in 2026 include Canva, Figma, Photopea, Crello (VistaCreate), and Pixlr. Canva and Figma are ideal for beginners learning layout and branding. Photopea works directly in the browser as a free Photoshop replacement. Crello offers animated templates, and Pixlr allows quick photo retouching and editing. These tools work entirely online, require no installation, and provide templates for posters, social media posts, websites, and portfolios—making them perfect for students and aspiring designers building their first projects.