Want to produce cool motion graphics and animated videos for your business? Using motion graphics software, you can apply animation design to any platform and create different types of eye-catching animations for video presentations, ads, tutorials, social media posts, etc.
In this article, you’ll find a guide to the best motion graphic software that you can use to create more engaging content for your audience.
Essential Motion Graphics Programs You Should Know
There are a lot of motion graphics programs available on the market, so if you are new to animation, it’s not easy to determine which of them are worth your attention. We have created a short list of the best motion graphics software that professionals love using, although you should keep in mind that each animator can have their own preferences.
Let’s start with essential motion graphics applications that are also good for beginners. Adobe Creative Cloud offers many programs that can help you create motion graphics elements.
Photoshop
Photoshop is a versatile program that comes with an intuitive user interface and allows beginners to experiment with different methods and design tools for web and mobile apps. Although it’s mostly known as a good tool for photo editing, it can be used for animation as well. You can use Photoshop to edit textures in designs, create matte paintings, stitch images together, and more.
Illustrator
It’s a vector editing software that can be used to create logos, objects, and backgrounds that can be used in a motion graphics workflow. You can also export the designs you’ve created in this tool to Adobe After Effects and work on animations there without losing quality.
Premiere Pro
This software is very popular and can be used to add animated graphics and special effects to videos. You can also use it to edit video and sound together. You can choose from motion graphics templates and customize them for your project. The platform also has basic 3d capability.
After Effects
After Effects is considered the motion designer’s staple. Many people consider it the best program for motion graphics because it is powerful enough to be used as a standalone tool. It’s a good choice for everyone who is comfortable with the Adobe environment. This program can be used to design and animate in 2D and 3D. It can be integrated with other 3D apps, and its functionality can be expanded with built-in and third-party plugins to create special effects.
Now you know the motion design software you should definitely learn at the beginning of your journey as a motion designer. The next step is to get acquainted with video graphics software for 3D animation.
3D Motion Graphics Software
3D is also known as CGI, which means computer-generated imagery. This type of animation is popular for creating feature films and video games. Here, you’ll find the best 3D motion graphics animation software
Maya
Maya is one of the best 3d motion graphics software, and it is used by film studios across the world. Of course, with its hugely complex toolset, it’s not a beginner-friendly option, but it offers a ton of features for modeling, rigging, and visual effects, as well as optimization. Besides, it has an intuitive video editor and many informational resources. This program is good for character setup and complex animation.
Cinema 4D
It’s a 3D modeling app you should definitely have in your motion graphic design toolkit. With its easy-to-navigate user interface and the easiest learning curve, the program makes a good choice for beginners. And if you have experience in using After Effects, you can easily learn how to use this program for 3D modeling, simulation, and motion graphics. There are inexpensive plugins that you can use to add more functionality. Cinema 4D is pricey, but there is a 42-day free trial.
Houdini
It’s one of the oldest programs. This flexible software is powerful in creating realistic visual effects like particles, shadows, and lightning. It is used by multimedia artists to create incredible VFX effects for TV, films, commercials, and virtual reality. The program is rather complex as it has a non-standard workflow, and it is best-suited for experienced animators with a good technical background.
Simple Tools to Animate Graphics
Animation and motion design are great ways to stand out online. Even if you use a lot of visual content on your website and social media pages, animating graphics will help you increase engagement and communicate complex, detailed, and abstract topics. There are different tools that allow you to create videos and animate graphics for private and business use for free or at low prices, for example, Synfig, Moovly, Animaker, Bryce, DAZ Studio, Blender, just to name a few. Combined with other marketing tools, they will help you implement effective marketing strategies to increase engagement and conversion.
They are intuitive and simple to use, and even beginners can easily create bold and colorful animations that stand out. But if you want to become a pro, there are a lot of online motion design courses and tutorials that cover a wide variety of aspects of modern motion design. Anyone can take them to learn how to use motion graphic tools and create visually stunning animated content for social media, blogs, and ads. And if you need more tips on creating a private website, read the article on our blog.
We hope this guide will help you find the right tools and get started with animation and motion graphics. And if you are interested in creating podcasts, check out this Buzzsprout review.