Social media graphics are a great way to get your message out there in an eye-catching, shareable format. But creating them can be time-consuming, especially if you have a lot of messages and content to share.
We’ve done the work for you so that you can spend more time on other projects. Here are our top picks for apps that make it easy to create social media graphics in just a few simple steps.
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Best Apps For Social Media Graphics
Need some social media graphics to really make your Facebook shine? Use these graphics apps to crank out free online graphics for Instagram, Twitter, and more!
FORMAT TEAM
JANUARY 11, 2019
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You pretty much need social media graphics to make your social feeds really pop these days. But what do you do when you have zero design experience? Fear not! There’s plenty of social media graphics tools out there that are super-easy to use, allowing artists, creatives, and makers sans Photoshop savvy to whip up professional-looking (free!) social media graphics quickly and painlessly.
We’ve rounded up the top 11 social media post creators and social video makers that will help you make your own graphics for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and any other social media account you need free online graphics for.
We’ll also share our best tips for how to use these social media image makers to create your own graphics. Let’s dig in!
But Before You Get Started…
Once you start creating social media graphics and sharing them on your accounts, you’ll probably start enjoying more customer engagement—and that means more traffic to your website. This is why it’s crucial that your online portfolio website is in tip-top shape so that you’re prepared for any new customers coming to check out more of your work. There’s nothing worse than hooking a customer with your social media graphics, only for them to find an out-of-date website…or none at all!
Don’t have one yet? Just use a website builder to create one. Make sure to pick one with clean, modern templates that work with your brand identity, and a built-in online store, so you can sell your wares to any folks who come calling after enjoying your social media graphics.
Another cool feature to look out for is Instagram integration. This way, folks coming to you via your social media graphics on the ‘gram can see a consistent branding and people who know you more through your website can explore your cool social media graphics. Win-win!
Ready to build a portfolio website that captures clients’ attention? We’ve got you covered. Start your free trial with Format today!
Now that your portfolio is all set up, let’s learn about the best graphics apps.
Social Media Graphics Apps
Canva
Choose from over a million stock images, input your text and, just like that, you will have created your very own custom social media graphic. Fine-tune the details by adding frames, icons, or shapes, and play with transparency to get your desired look. You can also upload your own images if you wish. Canva’s interface is extremely intuitive and easy to use, so it’s a great social media post maker if you’re new to graphic design, or if you just don’t want to devote a ton of time to learning new software.
Befunky
Befunky is aces when it comes to creating images online. You can easily search for stock images related to a specific topic, or browse their featured images if you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for. Befunky also includes a collage-making feature, and digital art effects (where you can filter a photo to look like an oil painting)!
Desygner
This social media post creator is amazing for those without any experience in graphic design. (Not only can you create social media graphics, you can also use Desygner to create content like presentations or flyers.) If you prefer to work on on the go rather than on your desktop, Desygner’s mobile app is perfect for you. It allows you to create amazing social media graphics from your device without sacrificing the quality or design.
Pixlr
Pixlr is kind-of like mini Photoshop, but on your web browser. It uses layers and effects, which means it can create high-complexity images. It may be better suited to the more slightly more advanced designer looking to do a little image design online.
Pablo
When it comes to your social media presence, people want to see more than just self-promotion. Sharing a graphic with a cool quote can be a great way to drive engagement. The best thing about Pablo—along with its 600,000+ images—is that you can try it out without making an account, meaning you can create tons of free online graphics.
Stencil
Take your pick from over two million public-domain stock photos with this social media post generator—including high-quality nature photos. Share your social media graphic directly to several of your social media accounts, and schedule through Buffer.
Fotor
Not only does Fotor offer users the ability to quickly create collages, but this graphics app has tons of social media design templates to choose from for creating social media graphics.
PlaceIt
Using PlaceIt, you can easily put your product onto all manner of items, including t-shirts and the like. The coolest part, though, is that you can take a screenshot of your website (or any website) and put it on a computer or phone screen, so that it looks like someone is using their device to check out your page.
Social Media Video Makers
Biteable
Biteable provides you with complete video ads that are fully customizable. You select a video template, complete with music and background shots, as well as spaces to add your own text and images. Need a free social media video maker? Biteable’s free plan gives users access to five video projects per month.
Lumen5
This social media video maker starts you off inputting the text you want your video to feature, then Lumen5’s system will match your words to related photos, videos, and music. Their AI does the heavy lifting for you, so you can focus on fine-tuning the details.
Animaker
Animaker changes things up by offering the ability to create animated video without any animation experience. The free version is limited, but you can really make your social media content stand out using these features.
How to Create Images Online
Now that you have a bunch of cool social media post creators and social media video makers in hand, check out some of our best tips for creating attention-grabbing social media graphics.
Emphasize what’s most important by making your headline the largest element in your social media graphic.
Keep things simple by limiting the amount of data in your social media graphics; too much visual information will look cluttered.
It can be tempting to go all out with flowery fonts and bright colors. Don’t! A bunch of contrasting features will ultimately take away from the overall impact of your post. Instead, pick one feature to emphasize, and pair with some more low-key elements to keep things focused.
Bone up on color theory. If your font color and background color are contrasting shades—like green and red—the text and background will create a vibrating sensation, making it difficult for the reader to make out what is written. On the other hand, choosing two colors that are too similar to one another will cause the writing to blend with the background, making it equally hard to read. Make sure to play around with different color combinations and pay attention to how the colors affect your ability to make out the text in your social media graphics.
Don’t forget: certain colors evoke certain emotions. Cooler colors like blue are typically seen as calm, while warm colors like orange can indicate energy or passion. When it comes to your social media graphics, how do you want people to feel when they see them? Reflecting on this should lead you towards the types of colors you should use when creating images online.
Choose your fonts wisely. For example, if you specialize in creating whimsical, otherworldly paintings, a standard font like Times New Roman might not be the one to best express what you and your creative business are all about.
To really make the most of your time, use social media post creators to create evergreen content. Unlike social media graphics that relate to a specific time of year or temporary promotion, evergreen posts can be shared over and over again without losing any of their initial value. Why not take a little pressure off yourself wherever you can by making some social media graphics that you can recycle to your heart’s content? The social media graphics you create can even be repurposed and used on your blog.
Now that you’re all caught up on social media graphics generators, you’ll be designing your own graphics in no time!
apps to create images
In today’s world where selfies rule and videos are king among content, there’s no doubt killer visuals are important. But adding visual elements to your written content can feel like a major time-suck, especially when you don’t have any design skills to lean on.
Here are the best apps to create fast graphic designs.
- Klex
klex editing app
Want to create beautiful graphics at warp speed? Well, Klex has got you covered. This application is best used to customize visual assets with stock photos, vectors, and illustrations, and add in text, fonts, and backgrounds that meet your needs.
Add your own photography or use the stock photos they provide. What I like about Klex is this platform gives you some space to mess around with a whole host of effects. It’s also not hard to use.
Klex uses the same technology behind Gravit Designer, but the aim here is to give users something much easier to work with. The app includes templates for everything from properly sized social graphics to posters, cards, and blog graphics.
- Pixlr
Pixlr web photo editor
If you need to use photos in your social feed, your website, your articles, Pixlr allows you to play with a handful of effects, overlays, and borders, for free and on your device of choice.
Pixlr isn’t bloated with complicated features. It does what you expect a photo editor to do, fix red-eye, crop and resize your images.
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I will say this—Pixlr is not the tool for experimenting with different effects or creating something that transcends the original image. I use it to resize photos without the messing with the aspect ratio or adding a bit more saturation to a photo. Nothing game-changing, but convenient nonetheless.
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- Canva
canva social media example
Canva is an all-in-one tool for novice creators. It’s one of the best design apps to use when you’re on a budget. The web-based app comes with a template for everything from Facebook posts to wedding invites, resumes, and logos.
Where I think Canva really shines is in the realm of social media graphics. They have a ton of free templates you can customize with your own copy and images. Start with a template, then fill in the boxes to suit your needs.
While the tool is free to use, some templates, elements, and stock photos cost a dollar or two apiece. What’s nice about this pricing plan is, you can pay for “premium” graphics a la carte instead of committing to a monthly plan you don’t necessarily need.
Wondering how Canva compares with Adobe InDesign? We can help you find out.
- Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark easy design tool
Adobe Spark is a winning combination of simplicity and power. The app differs from other Adobe offerings like Photoshop and Illustrator in that there’s virtually no learning curve.
All you do is log in, and choose from a selection of Spark’s professional templates. They’ve got pre-sized social templates, posters, as well as web pages and video options. Once you select an option, you can customize by adding your own photos or one from Adobe’s royalty-free library.
Basic features are free, while the full lineup is available for $9.99 per month or as part of the $19.99/month Creative Cloud Subscription.
Adobe Spark brings something more to the table than some of the other items we’ve listed. With the video and web design tools, plus photo collages and social templates, non-designers finally have access to a creative suite that does more than add text to an image.
For a deeper dive, read our article on how to use Adobe Spark to create social media graphics.
- Desygner
Desygner Templates
Desygner is one of the best web-based apps for graphic design. The process is much more smooth than you’ll find with some of the other apps, such as Pixlr, which can feel a little clunky at times.
Where Desygner shines is in its mobile functionality. It’s perfect for social media users designing on the go, as Desygner has virtually eliminated the frustrating dragging and pinching process you’ll find in other tools.
We like that there’s a web app and a mobile version, as this potentially can save you a lot of time if you’re sick of wasting time on graphics when that’s not your main job, or it feels like a chore.
But as far as features go, this app is similar to Canva, but not as robust. Meaning, you do miss out on some features, but you also get a simplified experience where you can rearrange items, add layers, text, and customize photos with ease.
Desygner is free but offers a $6.95 monthly plan for access to more templates and features.
- Google Drawings
Google Drawing interface
Want to create a customized PNG image with a transparent background? All you need to get started is a Google account, and who doesn’t have one of those?
Now, Drawings isn’t the most sophisticated tool; you’re essentially working in a Google Doc. However, it’s quite convenient. All you need to do to get started is install the extension. From there you can edit photos and create little graphics just as easily as a Google Doc.
Still, adding little labels or designs on top of a photo or plain backdrop can be a great way to incorporate humor or helpful instructions into your visuals. And once you get the hang of the “drawing” aspect, you’ll realize just how incredibly intuitive this tool is.
- Snappa
Snappa customize template
Snappa is another “design made simple” solution for non-designers looking to bypass their artistic limitations.
Snappa’s free plan is somewhat limited. You’ll get five free downloads or shares per month, which should give you a feel for whether you’d like to pay the $10 a month for unlimited downloads.
Like Canva and Desygner, Snappa brings together royalty-free images, professional graphics, and a drag-and-drop design editor. We liked the simple interface and the intuitive feel of the platform, but the other apps might be a better buy.
- Visme
Visme infographics
Visme is an infographic maker that’s basically the Canva of the infographic scene.
Like Canva, you can essentially sit out the design part of the process and add in custom copy and change the font to put your own stamp on it.
Whether your goal is to create an eye-catching resume or break up that wall of text in your latest article, Visme is an excellent way to take the words you’ve already written and spit out something nice to look at.
- Enlight
Enlight mobile photo editing
Enlight earns a top spot here, due to some unique features included in the mix. The app, available on mobile and web alike can turn your basic snaps into a real work of art. And it’s a whole lot easier than trying to figure out how Photoshop’s layers work.
While it won’t take long to put together something stunning, you might find yourself hooked on Enlight, as there’s just so much to play around with. Mix two or more photos together, reshape specific elements, add gradients, and new backgrounds. The point is, the possibilities are endless.
Put Your Design Skills to the Test
Now that you’ve got a whole list of tools to take for a spin, it’s time to start filling your feed with top-notch visuals.
Still, all the apps in the world won’t make up for real-deal design know-how. Here, we’ve rounded up a list of the best online design course bundles built to get you up to speed fast.
Conclusion
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