You might underestimate your Chromebook's capability to provide quality apps. The main reason for this is its lower hardware specs. However, it offers many features and supports productivity, communication, graphic design, social, and many other applications.
For graphic designing tasks such as vector editing and drawing, Chromebook provides you with plenty of useful options. And as these apps are mostly lightweight, you can easily install them through the Chrome Web Store without worrying about storage and resources.
So, let’s explore some of the best vector editors and drawing apps available for your Chromebook that you can download and use for free.
1. Vectr
Vectr is an easy-to-use drawing app for creating and editing vector graphics. It is an app you can use with little to no prior technical knowledge. It lets you work with all major file formats, including SVG vector files. You also have the option to import local files from your device or load a file from a URL.
Vectr allows you to create an account that can be helpful in saving all your work online. You can view your past projects through the account history.
The app offers various drawing tools such as pen and freehand tools to draw shapes easily. It also lets you change the radius of shapes, group multiple layers, and tweak them to form unique designs. You can create icons, brochures, posters, and more with Vectr.
Download:Vectr (Free)
2. Boxy SVG
Whether you are a novice or a professional designer, Boxy SVG helps you easily edit your vector graphics. It has a clean interface that keeps your canvas minimal so that you can focus more on ideas and creativity.
To install the app, head over to the download link and click on Install Boxy SVG next to the Share icon in the address bar. Alternatively, you can also click on Install next to Settings in the top-right corner of the webpage.
Boxy SVG provides all the necessary tools to work on your vector graphics. You can draw using the freehand tool and add shapes such as squares, triangles, and circles. Each object is selectable, so you can drag it around and make custom art.
Boxy SVG has a similar interface as some famous vector editing apps like Adobe Illustrator. So, if you have experience working with those apps, it is easy to switch to Boxy SVG. The app is free. However, the sync and save to cloud feature is paid.
Download:Boxy SVG (Free, in-app purchases available)
3. Inker
Inker is a vector editor mainly used for drawing and sketching. You can easily create shapes and draw lines with this app.
Inker optimizes your drawing to make it smooth, and you can add multiple layers to your project and edit each one separately. It also has a path tool that is useful in sketching as it allows you to create multiple points and arrange them to create your art conveniently.
You can further embellish your work by adding shapes and text. It also has an auto trace feature that converts your images into editable vector graphics. In addition, the app lets you organize color palettes and assign a color to each object in your artwork using the Edit colors feature at the bottom.
Inker provides all the basic features for free. However, some options like exporting SVG and EPS, linear and radial gradients, and a few path tool functions are paid.
Download:Inker (Free, in-app purchases available)
4. Sketchpad
Sketchpad is a good tool for artists who want to draw on Chromebooks. You can use it to draw and edit vector graphics, and it also allows you to easily drag and drop objects to create innovative designs.
Sketchpad is a multipurpose app that you can use to create ads, posters, business cards, and more. It also allows you to use your artistic skills to create paintings.
The app has many different types of brushes to provide you with a physical canvas-like experience. It also has tons of fonts to choose from and use.
Sketchpad provides its primary features for free. However, there are some limitations with the free version requiring a premium subscription to unlock.
Download:Sketchpad (Free, subscription available)
5. Gravit Designer
Gravit Designer is a comprehensive and feature-rich vector editor and drawing app. If you are a professional, Gravit is a great option for you. However, you must first create an account to use the app.
Gravit allows you to create your graphics from scratch or use the available templates. You can create social media content such as posts, profile images, LinkedIn graphic content, and much more with this app.
Like some other apps on this list, Gravit lets you work with multiple layers and organize them according to your preference. You can also add images or draw them using the pen or freehand tool.
The app works online as well as offline, so you don’t have to be connected to the internet all the time. It also has a pro version that allows you to access all its features. The free version has limitations such as low cloud space, fewer graphic export formats, and others.
Download:Gravit Designer (Free, premium version available)
6. Inkscape
Inkscape is among the most popular graphic design software. You can create illustrations, posts, cards, drawings, and much more using this app.
This Chrome extension basically creates a Linux environment in your browser to open Inkscape on your Chromebook. You can launch it from within the Extensions (puzzle icon) next to Settings (three dots) in the top-right corner of your Chrome browser.
It is a feature-packed app that allows you to create objects using drawings and shapes. You can also add text to your art with its text tool and draw illustrations with the drawing tools.
Each object in your artwork is editable separately as it is based on layers. You can drag and drop these layers to make creative content. The app also allows you to export the file in various formats such as SVG, XML, PNG, and others.
Download:Inkscape (Free)
7. Your Graphic Designer
Your Graphic Designer is a simple drawing app that is quite useful for creating diagrams and navigational flows for presentations. It allows you to add various shapes such as squares, polygon triangles, and others to your artwork.
Installing and launching Your Graphic Designer extension is similar to how you’d launch Inkscape, as mentioned above.
You can draw on the screen using the freehand tool and work through layers to make your graphics more customized and easily editable. It also lets you merge and duplicate your layers.
Within the app, you can convert your shapes to a path which can help you in customization. In addition, you can use the color and gradient picker to streamline your color schemes for the design.
Using this app, you can create wireframes to present your work and can save your drawings in SVG format.
Download:Your Graphic Designer (Free)
Android and Linux Drawing Apps
As Chrome OS is a diverse operating system, you can also install Android and Linux drawing apps on it. Check out this list of great drawing apps available for Linux. And if you have Play Store on your Chromebook, you can try these Android drawing apps as well.
Draw Vector Art on Chromebooks With These Apps
The traditional vector editors and drawing apps are developed for professionals only. Most of those apps are paid and require prior technical knowledge to use.
Chromebooks allow you to use similar apps for free. They are available as extensions and web apps, so you can easily install them on your machine. The apps enlisted above will help you find the right tool for your drawing needs.
