Adobe Express vs. Clip Studio Paint

I needed to create quarterly safety training posters. In the past, I have used Canva. But in Canva's free version, your options are limited. So off to AE I went. I was able to find four templates to help me create my four posters. I found templates that looked like a movie poster, and the results were so professional looking. It was easy to add my own pictures from my computer to further personalize the posters. I loved them so much I made them into movie poster size printouts, sprayed some liquid glue on a styroboard, and hung them up around our offices. Our employees loved them too, and it drummed up more people to attend my sessions.

Incentivized

I cannot really imagine a situation other than creating custom 3D models in which Clip Studio Paint would ever be inappropriate; it offers tools for art such as: 2D, pixel/voxel work, vectors, painting/drawing, comics, animations and more. The only place that Clip Studio Paint does not shine is in the creation of 3D models, but I think that that is fair given that it's competitor, Photoshop, also cannot do this; this was never a tool meant for 3D model design or creation, but the fact that you can import models and that there is a library of free and paid posable models native to the app is rather impressive.

• Out-of-the-box templates save a lot of time and effort for designers and new users.
• Collaboration to share resources and monitor task status centrally.
• Great design elements bring a wow factor to digital content.
• Single design tool for all types of content design.

Incentivized

• Handles huge files with grace, and auto-saves back-ups while you draw.
• Can export into any other image file format, making for easy program transfers.
• Offers animation abilities, posable 3D models as references, mange/comic tools, and so many other options.

• Canva has a better interface, in my opinion... I like that this one is friendly to Adobe users, but I would likely recommend Canva to someone who's never used design software for a complete beginner.
• Removing the background from images doesn't always work well. I almost always need to switch to Photoshop for this.
• The touch screen interface could be better; graphics on mobile apps are tough in general but specifically, the iPad interface could use some improvement.

Incentivized

• The UI is absolutely not user friendly out of the box, and there are an overwhelming number of keybinds and options.
• Some huge files, while saveable, take about 3 minutes.
• Limited cloud space even though you pay for a license.

I use it daily for almost all my marketing needs. So far it is the program that has the most and best to offer for what I need and is the easiest to use

Incentivized

The overall usability of the software was strong. The application, especially relative to other Adobe services like Photoshop that can demand a lot of knowledge and skill, was highly easy to use. At the same time, that also speaks to the somewhat limited amount of customization opportunities that allow content designers to truly create content that is dynamic, engaging, and different than the standard stuff that floods our vision every day.

Incentivized

I think that once one gets the hang of how to navigate and use Clip Studio Paint, they will find that it has so much more to offer than one might expect when looking at it for the first time. There are hidden gems all throughout this program, and they are all there to make your creative experience all the more streamlined and natural.

Because adobe is so widespread the community support is amazing. I have never actually used adobe support short of their website, but I go to youtube a lot to get my questions answered. You can google any problem you have and not have any issues finding an answer. In my opinion, community support is much more meaningful and helpful than support directly from the company

Incentivized

For users already in the Adobe ecosystem, Adobe Express is a great tool to consider for it's modern, professional templates, impressive stock image library and the easy drag-and-drop tools. I mostly do most of my work on desktop, but I know Canva is generally better for mobile usability and its got more third-party integrations that may be important to some users.

Incentivized

I have used a handful of other free art programs, including MediBang Paint, and while they are all good, and I'm sure perfect in the hands of the right artist, I feel as though they simply do not offer the number of options necessary for my needs. They feel very limited and stale; customization is limited and their UI's are outdated. Clip Studio Paint is modern and sleek, highly customizable, and offers far more tools than the other options around it.

• It has allowed us to complete more demos and projects in less time by being so flexible.
• It has positively impacted our efficiency in delivering creatives such as YouTube thumbnails, event poster designs, Instagram story posts, etc to clients in a timely manner no matter where work takes us.
• I would say the ROI has been seeing more projects completed and invoiced per month. I would estimate overall a 20% increase in volume on deliverables.

Incentivized

• I think that the initial price was incredibly steep, but I managed to get it on discount. As a starting artist, this was a hard blow to take at the start, especially before these subscription options existed.
• After years of use I have more than paid off the cost I sunk into Clip Studio Paint EX.
• I see myself making marked profits by continuing to use the program, even with the new subscription service rather than a perpetual lisence.