Use the comparison tool below to compare the top Pixel Art software on the market. You can filter results by user reviews, pricing, features, platform, region, support options, integrations, and more.
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Pixlr, the Online Photo Editor, lets you edit photos and create amazing designs right from your browser. You can experience next-level intuitive photo editing and graphic design using AI-powered tools that allow for fast yet professional edits. Our editor can open almost any image format, including PSD (Photoshop), PXD (Photoshop), JPEG (transparent), PNG (transparent), WebP and SVG. You can start with a blank canvas or choose one of our professionally designed templates. AI design tools will make editing fun and less tedious. It takes just one click to remove all background from photos and trim every hair. AI and Machine Learning will take your photo editing skills to the next level. Simpler steps yield equally stunning results. To edit your photos, toggle on or off and drag sliders left to right. Pixlr makes it easy to create unique photo effects.
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Krita is a free and open-source professional painting program. It was created by artists who want affordable art tools for everyone. A simple user interface that doesn't get in the way. You can move the panels and dockers to suit your workflow. Once you have set up your workspace, you can save it. You can also create shortcuts for common tools. There are over 100 professionally-made brushes that are preloaded. These brushes offer a wide range of effects, so you can see all that Krita has to provide. Do you have a weak hand? To smoothen your brush strokes, add a stabilizer. Krita offers three different ways to smoothen and stabilize your brush strokes. You can even add drag and mass to your brush strokes with the Dynamic Brush tool. You can create comic panels with the built-in vector tools. Drag a word bubble template you have downloaded from the vector library onto your canvas. You can change the anchor points to create new shapes and libraries.
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Paint.NET is an image and photo editing program for Windows-based PCs. It has an intuitive user interface that is easy to use, with the ability to add layers, undo unlimitedly, special effects, as well as a variety of powerful and useful tools. A growing online community offers tutorials, help, and plugins. It was developed as a senior college design project mentored and supported by Microsoft. Rick Brewster now maintains and develops it. It was originally intended to be a replacement for Microsoft Paint, but it has evolved into a powerful and simple image and photo editing tool. It has been compared with other digital photo editing software packages like Corel Paint Shop Pro®, Adobe® Photoshop®, Corel Paint Shop Pro®, Microsoft Photo Editor and The GIMP. Paint.NET is a cost-effective option to expensive commercial software.
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Pixie Engine
Pixie Engine
1 RatingPixie Engine is an online pixel art tool that is free. This online pixel editor is extremely simple. You can build on the work of others, share your creations or start from scratch and create something entirely new. -
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GIMP
GIMP
Free 13 RatingsThis is the official website for the GNU Image Manipulation Programme (GIMP). GIMP is a cross platform image editor that works on Windows, OS X and GNU/Linux. You can modify its source code and distribute your modifications. GIMP is a powerful tool for graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, scientists, and others. GIMP offers many customization options and third-party plugins that can help you increase your productivity. GIMP offers all the tools you need for high-quality image manipulation. GIMP allows you to create creative composites and retouch images. GIMP is used to create icons, graphical design elements, mockups, and art for user interface components. GIMP is a high-quality framework for scripted image manipulating, with multilingual support such as C++, C++, Python, Scheme and many more! -
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Adobe Photoshop
Adobe
$20.99 per month 24 RatingsThe world's most powerful imaging and graphic design software is at heart of almost every creative project. This includes photo editing and compositing, digital painting, animation and graphic design. You can now use the power of Photoshop on your iPad and desktop to create whatever you want. Our professional photography tools make it simple to edit everyday images or create complete image transformations on both desktop and iPad. You can crop, remove objects, retouch and combine photos. You can play with color and effects. Reimagine the art and beauty of photography. Photoshop is the perfect tool for all your design projects, including packaging, banners and websites. Combining photos and text can create new images. You can create unlimited layers and masks. Paint with brushes that you can control with a stylus or touch on the iPad. You can start on your iPad and finish on the desktop. Your work is automatically saved to cloud and your PSDs remain the same no matter where you're located. Adobe extends Photoshop to the web for sharing, reviewing, and light editing of Photoshop cloud documents (.psdc). Collaborators can open and view your work in the browser, provide feedback, and make basic edits without downloading the app. -
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Microsoft Paint
Microsoft
1 RatingClassic Microsoft Paint should be installed on your Windows PC. In the search box located next to Start, type paint. Then select Paint from the list. Open Paint 3D, which offers new 2D and 3D tools. It's easy to use and free. Paint is still part Windows. Paint can be opened by typing paint in the taskbar's search box. Then, select Paint from the list. Paint 3D is now available in Windows 10 Creators Update. You can also use many of the 2D features that Microsoft Paint offers, including the new 3D capabilities. Paint 3D is the latest version of classic Paint. It offers a variety of art tools that you can use to create 2D and 3D objects. Explore the tools and brushes in Paint 3D by visiting the Art tools menu. Select a color from the palette or use the eyedropper for a color already in your workspace. -
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Resprite
Fengeon
$1 per mon, $20 one-time payPixel art editor for iPad and iPhone. Solid alternative to Pixaki and Pixel Studio. Resprite is your mobile pixel artist studio, whether you're on the couch, camping in tents, lounging on the beach or waiting at the airport. You can manage complex projects with desktop-level animated timeline forms. Quick switching between animation paragraphs and efficient positioning of animation frames. To improve efficiency, reduce the distance between the panel and the finger. You can arrange colors as you wish and adapt to different working styles. It includes all the standard editing tools and an easy-to use dithering style tool. This allows for free transformation, shading, and dithering styles. -
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Outsprite
Outsprite
FreeOutsprite, an online editor, is a toolchain that allows artists and independent game developers to create retro pixel art assets, organize them, and export them. -
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Pixquare
Pixquare
$14.99 one-time paymentPixquare, a powerful iPad pixel art application, is available. Pixquare has a simple interface, a smooth workflow, and advanced pixel art features. Pixquare has many features, including: Apple Pencil Optimization, Timelapse Recording, Advanced Mode for Experienced Artists, and Smooth Sketching powered by Apple MetalKit. It has convenient features such as manual and automatic saving modes, keyboard shortcuts and quick sliders for size, opacity and integration with Lospec color palettes. Discover additional functionalities such as symmetry, reference pictures, and versatile file export/import options to create a seamless pixel-art experience. -
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Sumopixel
Sumo Apps
$9 per monthOnline editor for pixel art, GIF animations and GIF graphics. You can create your own brushes and use the symmetry tool to create amazing pixel art. Share your creations with the world. Start creating by choosing the grid size. Use our pastel palette to draw or use the color tool to select any color. Our symmetry tool allows you to create symmetric masterpieces using a variety of options. Make animations and export them as GIF. Upload your photo and make it funny. It can be shared with your friends and the community. Import images from your computer to create pixel art. You can combine images or chain them together to create animations. Art doesn't have to be realistic. You can simply draw some pixels using your artistic mind and share it with others. It can be used in a web browser, or as a desktop application. It works on any device, whether it is a computer, tablet, or mobile phone. It doesn't matter what operating system you use or browser. No plugins are required! Import images from your device, save them back to your device, or upload them to cloud. -
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Pixaki
Pixaki
$26.99 one-time paymentPixaki is the best iPad pixel art app. It packs a lot of features into a modern interface and works well with Apple Pencil. You can now create game sprites from the couch, animated backgrounds during your commute, and music videos in the park. Pixaki has many great tools for creating pixel art. The iPad with Apple Pencil is easy to use and feels natural. This is the best way to create pixel art. To automatically eliminate double pixels in line art, turn on pixel perfect mode. This will save you a lot of time. Pixaki also comes with round and square brushes. The matrix dither brush has 13 different dither patterns. It can also be used with an eraser. The line tool allows you to easily create straight lines. You can lock the tool to angles that are perfect for isometric art. -
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Pyxel Edit
Pyxel Edit
$9 one-time paymentPyxel Edit, a pixel art application that is specifically designed for working with tiles, is Pyxel Edit. You can place tiles to create a level, and then edit them to see how they work together. Then export your tileset with the level data and load it into your game. You can flip and rotate tiles while still being editable, and you can sync them. This feature is inspired from the amazing Pixothello, Cosmigo Pro Motion, and taken one step further. It supports animations and can export them as animated GIFs or sprite sheets. Pyxel Edit was initially a free program. The free version is still available. The developers spent a lot of time developing the program to make it more robust and feature-rich. Therefore, the next major update will be charged. To support development, there will initially be a discounted beta version. Beta buyers will receive the regular priced later versions at no additional cost. -
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Aseprite
Aseprite
$19.99 one-time paymentAseprite allows you to create 2D animations in video games. You can create sprites, pixel-art, retro-style graphics and anything else you want about the 8-bit or 16-bit eras. It also has a color mode that tells you how many colors it can handle. The sprite contains only one mode. You cannot mix RGB images and Indexed images within the same sprite. It has a number of layers. These layers can be seen in the Timeline. The most important thing to remember is that transparent and opaque sprites have two types of layers. A sprite may only contain one background layer, but can have multiple transparent layers. It also contains animation frames. Each frame has a duration. How many milliseconds must each frame be visible on the screen when the animation is being displayed. -
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Pro Motion NG
cosmigo
$39 one-time paymentPro Motion NG is a drawing program that creates pixel-perfect images, animations and tiles. It is perfect for artists who need to create detailed graphics for mobile devices like smartphones or handheld gaming consoles such as the Nintendo DS and Sony PS Vita. It can also be used to create lightweight graphics for the web, or web-based applications and games. Animation and image layers stack with effects, blend modes flattening, lock, flattening, lock. -
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Pixen
Pixen Project
$10Pixen is a professional pixel art editor designed for working with low-resolution raster art, such as those 8-bit sprites found in old-school video games. Take advantage of Pixen's wide array of tools when composing pixel art such as Pencil, Eraser, Brightness, Text, Eyedropper, Zoom, Rectangular Selection, Magic Wand, Lasso, Move, Fill, Line, Rectangle, and Ellipse. Compose your artwork with layers, taking advantage of the flexibility layers provide when working with complex pixel art. Change opacity, blending modes, and more to compose creative effects. Use filters to adjust colors, create effects, and post-process your artwork. With Pixen, you can add and organize commonly-used colors into palettes. Create and arrange image frames in the filmstrip view to piece together animations. Pixen can import animations from animated GIFs, animated PNGs, and even sprite sheets! It can also export animations as animated GIFs, animated PNGs, movies, and sprite sheets. Take advantage of Pixen's grid tools to guide you in placing pixels just where you want them. Define custom patterns to use while drawing with the Pencil, Line, or Eraser tool (instead of a single pixel). -
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PixelChain
PixelChain
FreeToday, CryptoArtworks and NFTs share the same problem: the images are stored off-chain. The graphic information of the artwork is most likely to be lost if the project where it is stored dies. This problem can be solved by storing all metadata and artwork information on the chain. You can now create and store 100% of your art on a chain that will last forever. Our innovator smart contract will encode all image data, compress it, and send it to blockchain. It also stores its name and author information. This data can later be accessed directly from the blockchain and decompressed by our open-source decoder to reconstruct the original image created by the artist. This is our MVP solution to store Art 100% on-chain. The same principle will be applied to other types of artwork, such as Music and Voxels. -
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Pixly
Pixly
FreePixly is an Android-based pixel art and animation editor that focuses on game development. Pixly is now available and free. Pixly is now available. Anyone can download it free from the Play Store to get started pixeling immediately. It is free and there are no ads. There will never be a paywall. While some interfaces work well when you have a keyboard for shortcuts, it is not as good when you are using a touchscreen. Pixly was designed for touch screens. You can quickly access important features using gestures that feel natural. You can pick colors by simply dragging from the color picker to the artboard, even though it is available. Do you find it difficult to switch between two tools at once? First, use a brush, then a eraser. Then, use a brush to erase the eraser. It's not difficult to do this without a keyboard. You can undo any change made through the memento system. It is perfect for batch operations. -
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Pixel-Art.ai
Pixel-Art.ai
$5 per monthExport your work in PNG. Create images with pixel perfect precision. Copy/paste layers, brushes and more. Blend AI art and your personal touch. Select the area that you want to modify, type a prompt in and let AI do the rest. Apply your favorite result on the canvas. Create vibrant pixel art online for free. -
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Lospec Pixel Editor
Lospec
Lospec Pixel editor is a free program that allows you to create pixel art right from your web browser. Our goal was to create a simple, intuitive, and unobtrusive application for pixel art that you can use wherever you are. This tool can be used to create assets for games or 8-bit art. Although this application doesn't have all the features of a more advanced desktop editor, we will continue to add more. It currently includes a pencil and eraser, fill, pan (eyedropper), fill, pan, fill, and zoom tools. You can also adjust any color in your palette. -
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GrafX2
GrafX2
GrafX2 is an Amiga program that allows you to create bitmaps. It was inspired by Brilliance and Deluxe Paint. It is a 256-color drawing program that includes many tools and effects. This makes it ideal for creating pixel art, game graphics, or any other detailed graphics using a mouse. Although the program is primarily developed on Haiku, Linux, and Windows, it can also be used on other platforms. -
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Pixilart
Pixilart
Pixilart is an online platform for creative minds to create pixel art and games. Pixel art is essential for understanding digital art, games and programming. You can upload unlimited frames. However, large gifs may take longer to load. You can edit frames by clicking on the preview image. You can move frames by using the left and right icons. You can change the time of each frame by selecting the ms. -
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JS Paint
JS Paint
JS Paint, an online free paint tool based upon MS Paint, is JS Paint. This online paint tool and pixel editor is simple to use. It was designed to be a browser-based replacement for Microsoft Paint. -
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Snowpixel
Snowpixel
$10 for 50 CreditsText can be converted into images, audio and video. Upload your own data for custom models. Upload images to train your personal custom model. Text descriptions can be used to generate videos and animations. Choose from creative, structured anime, or photorealistic designs. Most advanced pixel-art generative algorithm. -
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Mega Voxels
Mega Voxels
Mega Voxels, an easy to use voxel and pixel editor, allows you to create 3D pixel artwork. You can share your creations via photos and videos. Connect with your friends and share the 3D pixels you create. Explore the community of pixel and voxel artist from all levels to share anything you imagine. Designers and creators use voxels to create all kinds of 3D objects, such as houses, cars and castles. Each voxel, like a 2D pixels, has a 3D coordinate that defines where it is placed within a grid. In addition to their position, each voxel is assigned a color which is displayed when it's added to a matrix. All voxels have the same size which makes it easy to create complex models. Voxel art is created when voxels combine to create 3D models.
Pixel Art Software Overview
Pixel art software is a type of computer graphics editor used to create and edit pixel-based digital images. Pixel art is characterized by its blocky, low-resolution style, which is created using individual pixels or small blocks of color. It’s often seen in retro video games, animated GIFs, and 8-bit and 16-bit computer graphics.
Pixel art software has become popular in recent years due to its simplistic interface and ease of use. This type of software allows users to quickly construct detailed 2D images with a limited number of colors. Unlike 3D modeling programs which require extensive knowledge of the subject and more complex tools, pixel art software can be used by beginners with almost no prior experience.
The most common feature among pixel art software is the ability to create sprites (or small images) for game characters or other objects within the program itself. Usually it comes equipped with drawing tools such as pencils, erasers and line tool for adding details to your artwork. Some programs also include color palettes that allow you to easily select from different shades and tints for your artwork. Additionally, many pixel art programs allow users to zoom in on their artwork so they can get into the nitty gritty details of each individual pixel if needed.
Animations are another feature that most pixel art software possess; however some may have more advanced features than others allowing users to add motion effects or frame-by-frame animations that can be previewed before exported as an animated GIF file format or exported directly into game development engines like Unity or GameMaker Studio For even greater flexibility some pixel art programs come with layering capabilities so that elements can be moved around separately before being merged together again when complete.
In conclusion, there are many great pieces of pixel art software out there today made specifically for creating digital artwork with a limited number of colors at a low resolution style. They are user friendly making them great for both beginners and experienced artists alike who want to try their hand at creating unique works.
What Are Some Reasons To Use Pixel Art Software?
- Pixel art software allows artists to create pixel images quickly and accurately. Artists can use this software to create highly-detailed and intricate graphics, which can be used for game design, digital artwork, and other creative projects.
- Pixel art software is easy to use and requires minimal instruction or technical expertise for most users. It has a user-friendly interface that makes it simple to edit existing images or create new ones from scratch with a variety of tools and options.
- Pixel art software provides a wide range of features that enable users to alter the size, shape, color, texture, lighting effects and other aspects of their artwork with ease. This helps users save time while creating high-quality artwork without needing to resort to more complicated programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.
- Most pixel art software is available at very low cost or even free of charge versus commercial alternatives like Adobe Creative Suite products. This makes it ideal for those on a budget who still want to make great art but don’t have the funds for expensive programs like Photoshop or Illustrator.
- Many different pixel art applications are available online so finding one that meets your needs should be relatively easy.
The Importance of Pixel Art Software
Pixel art software is an important tool for many digital creators. Not only does it allow them to create vibrant and imaginative works of art, but it also provides a cost-effective way to produce artwork that can be used in various media formats.
First and foremost, pixel art software allows users to express their creativity in an accessible way. Pixel art requires no prior knowledge or experience with traditional drawing or painting techniques; instead, it relies on the user’s ability to manipulate individual pixels with precision and imagination. This makes it ideal for people who are relatively new to graphic design, as they can quickly learn how to use the tools they need while still producing stunning visuals. Furthermore, experienced designers can find new ways of expressing themselves through pixel art by combining simple shapes and colors into intricate compositions.
Pixel art software is also highly affordable when compared to more professional graphics programs like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. Since pixel art doesn’t require any advanced editing tools or effects, users don’t have to invest in expensive software packages that come with more features than they need. This allows individuals who may not have large budgets access to creating high-quality digital artwork without breaking the bank.
Ultimately, pixel art software brings out both the creative side of its users while providing an economical solution for artists looking to produce beautiful digital artwork on a budget. With its simple yet powerful features, anyone can create stunning visuals regardless of their skill level or financial means.
Features of Pixel Art Software
- Drawing Tools: Pixel art software usually offers a variety of drawing tools for creating pixelated images, such as pencils, erasers, brushes and shapes. Pencils allow users to draw precise lines and create fine details, while erasers make it easy to correct mistakes or remove elements from an image. Brushes provide a way to quickly add elements such as patterns or backgrounds. Finally, shapes can be used to create areas of color on the canvas.
- Palette Editor: A palette editor allows users to customize the colors used in their artwork by selecting hues from a list of available shades and manipulating them with adjustment sliders. This feature makes it easier for artists to stick to a specific color scheme and maintain consistency throughout their work.
- Animation Tools: Many pixel art software packages also offer animation tools which allow users to create movement within their artwork using frame-by-frame techniques. These tools typically include options like onion skinning (which provides an overlay of previous frames) and easing controls (which let users adjust timing between each frame).
- Export Options: The ability to export images is a vital part of any pixel art software package; this allows users to save their work in various file formats so that they can share it with others, upload it online or use it for other projects (such as video game development).
Types of Users That Can Benefit From Pixel Art Software
- Hobbyists: Pixel art software can be used by anyone who wants to create digital art as a hobby. The user-friendly tools and variety of functions make this type of software great for creating fun, visually appealing artwork.
- Professional Digital Artists: Professionals may use pixel art software to create high-quality designs for web projects, games and more. Professional artists take their craft seriously and are accustomed to working with precise tools which pixel art software offer.
- Animators: Animators use pixel art software to help them visualize the motion graphics they’re looking to create. The software's grid structure makes it easy for animators to map out the movement of characters and objects in their animation scenes.
- Students & Teachers: Students and teachers alike benefit from using pixel art software as part of their learning activities or curriculum. By familiarizing themselves with the grids, layers and color palettes needed in digital artwork, students are able to hone their skills while gaining valuable experience that may eventually be beneficial in their professional lives one day. Teachers can also introduce students to different elements of graphic design through the lessons taught with pixel art technology.
- Game Developers: Pixel art is often used by game developers when creating 8-bit style games and animations due its resemblance to the older video gaming consoles from days gone by. With its versatile range of tools, much time can be saved when creating game assets such as character sprites, tilesets, backgrounds etc; ultimately allowing them more time for other aspects of development - making sure all parts contribute evenly towards a successful finished product.
How Much Does Pixel Art Software Cost?
Pixel art software can range in cost from free all the way up to hundreds of dollars, depending on what features and capabilities you need. Free options are usually quite basic with limited tools and customization, while more expensive software provides a greater range of features such as layers, animation tools and brushes. Platforms like Steam offer a wide variety of pixel art software at different price points depending on your needs. Many of these programs cater to professional creators looking for advanced features, while others appeal to hobbyists who want an easy-to-use program just starting out in or dabbling with pixel art. Additionally, many platforms have subscription models that allow access to multiple programs at once so you don’t have to buy each program individually if you find yourself needing a variety of tools for different projects. Ultimately, the cost of pixel art software will depend largely on your own preferences and needs as a creator.
Risks To Be Aware of Regarding Pixel Art Software
- Malware/Virus Infection: Installing and using an unverified pixel art software can result in malicious programs being installed on your computer, allowing hackers access to your system.
- Data Loss: Poorly coded or unstable pixel art software can cause data loss when saving or loading images.
- IP Infringement: Copying and using artwork created by someone else without permission may lead to copyright infringement and legal repercussions.
- Incompatible Formats: Saving files in certain formats may not be compatible with other image editing software, leading to lost work or unusable images.
- Poor Image Quality: Low-resolution images or incorrectly calibrated monitors may cause pixel art software to produce poor quality photos.
Pixel Art Software Integrations
Pixel art software can integrate with a variety of different types of software, such as animation programs, game development engines, or even web design applications. Animation programs enable users to add movement and visual effects to artwork created with pixel art software. Game development engines allow users to bring the artwork they create in pixel art software into their gaming projects. Web design applications offer an ideal outlet for displaying and formatting the artwork according to the user's creative vision.
What Are Some Questions To Ask When Considering Pixel Art Software?
- What is the software's user interface like? Is it intuitive and easy to follow, or complicated?
- Does the software have a library of custom shapes, colors, brushes, and other tools for drawing pixel art?
- How many layers can be used when designing creations in the software?
- Can animations be created using this software? If so, what type of animation can users create and how long do they take to render?
- Are there any editing limitations or restrictions on size or quality when creating pixel art with this software?
- Does the software automatically add dithering effects to enhance color depth and/or resolution while maintaining small file sizes?
- Does this program run smoothly on both desktop computers and mobile devices (if applicable)?
- Are there tutorials available that explain all features of the program clearly and concisely in order to help new users get up-to-speed quickly with designing their artwork accurately and efficiently?