Why I’m Still Obsessed with the Adobe Suite: A Designer’s Take on Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign

Hello design pals! 🐾

Whether you're just starting out or you've been riding the creative waves for years, chances are you've danced with the Adobe Suite at some point. As for me? I practically live in it. I'm Crafti Corgi—a freelance graphic designer based in Surrey—with a tail-wagging passion for pixels, vectors, and beautiful layouts.

Today, I want to share why I still lean so heavily on the classic trio: Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. They’ve been my creative toolkit for branding, editorial, digital graphics—you name it. Let’s dig into what makes each one so irreplaceable for any graphic designer in Surrey or beyond.

🖼️ Photoshop: The Image Magician

Photoshop was my first love—and like all first loves, it’s complicated. But in the best way.

As a freelance graphic designer, I use Photoshop for everything from photo retouching to digital ads to funky social content. It’s pixel-based, which means I can get ultra-detailed. And with tools like Content-Aware Fill, Layer Masks, and Smart Objects, I can make complex edits without permanently altering the original design.

Photoshop is where creativity feels limitless—perfect whether you’re working on local projects here in Surrey or campaigns that reach across the globe.

What I love:

  • Custom brushes and textures

  • Adjustment layers for mood-setting edits

  • Blending modes that make magic happen

If you're curious to try it yourself, check out Adobe Creative Cloud for access to Photoshop and more.

✏️ Illustrator: The Vector Virtuoso

Illustrator is the clean-cut, precision-loving sibling in the Adobe family. It’s all about vectors—which means crisp, scalable artwork that doesn’t lose quality.

When I'm designing logos, icons, or custom illustrations for clients around Surrey and beyond, Illustrator is my go-to. The Pen Tool is essential (and once you master it, it feels like a secret weapon), and features like the Pathfinder panel and Recolour Artwork make design tweaks a breeze.

As a freelance graphic designer in Surrey, I’ve used Illustrator for everything from branding small businesses to creating large-format signage—and it never lets me down.

What I love:

  • Infinite artboards for experimenting

  • Easy exporting for web, print, and social

  • Rock-solid vector precision

Want to level up your Illustrator skills? Here's a great page of Adobe tutorials.

📄 InDesign: The Layout Legend

InDesign is the MVP when it comes to multi-page documents. Whether it’s brochures, reports, or stylish magazines, InDesign is how I keep everything clean, consistent, and print-ready.

I rely on it heavily in my work as a graphic designer in Surrey, especially for clients who need print materials or long-form content. Master pages, text styles, and linked text frames help me build professional documents without spending hours on repetitive formatting.

What I love:

  • Master page layouts for consistency

  • Paragraph and character styles to streamline editing

  • Preflight checks to avoid last-minute print errors

🐾 Wrapping It Up

Each of these Adobe tools has its own role to play in the design process. Photoshop handles images, Illustrator masters vector graphics, and InDesign rules over layouts. Together? They're unstoppable.

Whether you're a business owner searching for a freelance graphic designer in Surrey, or just someone curious about the tools behind the scenes, this trio is the backbone of my creative work.

If you’re ever looking for a paws-on approach to branding, marketing materials, or visual storytelling, I’d love to help. After all, I’m Crafti Corgi—your friendly freelance graphic designer Surrey, always ready to bring a little extra flair (and fluff) to your next project.

Until next time, keep crafting—and don’t forget to wag your tail while you work. 🐶✨

– Crafti Corgi

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