I have a bunch of links here. They are for online writing, but many of the links apply to document design in general.



I.

Graphics Software

  • Scans.  You can make scans with a scanner or a printer scanner.  This is the best way to get printed material into your computer.
  • Screenshots
    1. Snipping Tool. Screen capture for Windows.  Search for "snipping" on your computer -- mine is located in c:\Windows\System32. 
    2. Grab.  A similar tool for Mac. 
    3. iPhone screenshot -- push the bottom center and top right buttons simultaneously.
  • Online images.  PhotoPin.  Search millions of Creative Commons photos and add them to your blog posts easily. Images you can use on your web site.
  • Photo Editors
    1. Photoshop -- The industry standard, but rather pricey.
    2. Gimp -- a free alternative to Photoshop that will do most of the stuff Photoshop will. It's the one I use even though I have both programs.
    3. Picasa -- Google freebie. Not as powerful as the first two, but it organizes your photos.  It also has a bunch of filters you can use to alter images as a whole.
    4. Background Burner -- Free online service.  Upload your photos & it will delete the background so you can use just the part you want. 
  • Logos.  Because if you want a real business, you need a real logo!  You can also use a regular photo editor to create a logo.
    1. Logomaker.  Free Logo Maker.
    2. Logomakr.  Online logo maker.
    3. Squarespace Logo.  Simple logos, mainly for a website.
    4. YouriDraw.  Online logo maker.
  • Infographics.  
    1. Easel.ly.  Create infographics online.  They have tutorials, templates, and examples you can use.
    2. Draw.io is an online application that allows users to create diagrams right from the browser. It provides functionality similar to that of a diagram drawing desktop application and even integrates with Dropbox and Google Drive to save all work.
  • Blender 3D open source image software.
  • Inkscape Draw Freely.  Free vector graphics editor.
  • Word can create basic figures.
  • Publisher is good for complex, graphics-intensive documents. 
  • Excel is a spreadsheet that will generate various kinds of graphs from your data.
  • Presentations
    1. Powerpoint is the standard presentation software.  Its presentations aren't really optimized for the Internet, but they are fine for in-person presentations.
    2. Prezi is a nice online service for making presentations optimized for the Internet.  It has a free option.
    3. Brainshark.  Online service that makes free video presentation.
    4. SlideRocket.  Build presentations online.  Has a free option.  You can add audio as well.