Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

HTML

Posted by Peter Rifkind
Peter Rifkind
Courses Plus Student 1,972 Points

Do I Absolutely Need Photoshop/Illustrator/Creative Suite

So, I am just getting through the "Flexible Images Part One" video, and it calls for Illustrator to convert the images to SVG. I don't have Illustrator.

How critical is it that I get Illustrator or Photoshop or CS6 to proceed? Do you utilize these tools in future segments? Are there free alternates that are populate in the community?

4 Answers

Mike Bronner
Mike Bronner
16,395 Points
Mike Bronner
Mike Bronner
16,395 Points

I use the following two programs (for Mac) as replacements for Photoshop and Illustrator:

  • Pixelmator
  • Sketch
Connor Kuehl
Connor Kuehl
4,393 Points
Connor Kuehl
Connor Kuehl
4,393 Points

There's a free program called Inkscape that I use for my vector and design. This program can handle and edit *.SVG and that's actually its native format.

The replacement you can use for Photoshop is called GIMP. GIMP can open up *.PSD files as well, and has a lot (if not the same functionality) of Photoshop.

Those are the free alternatives that I have used and have been very impressed with.

James Barnett
James Barnett
39,199 Points
James Barnett
James Barnett
39,199 Points

If you want to convert an image you've got into an SVG for use in responsive web design, check out

http://image.online-convert.com/convert-to-svg

Spen Taylor
Spen Taylor
13,027 Points
Spen Taylor
Spen Taylor
13,027 Points

Just remember creating images is just a case of arranging pixels, or vectors. It doesn't have to be a particular software package. So long as the software can do what you need, that'll do! As Connor Kuehl mentions, GIMP is a good alternative, I can't speak for the others although I'm sure they're worth a look!

James Barnett
James Barnett
39,199 Points

So long as the software can do what you need, that'll do! As Connor Kuehl mentions, GIMP is a good alternative

One thing to note about GIMP, it doesn't do vector graphics, it does raster graphics, for vector stuff you want Inkscape, the other program that Connor Kuehl mentioned.