Exploring Graphic Design Features & Resources

Clip Studio Paint is graphic design software that excels at creating digital art. It is suitable for works that fuse illustration and design.
In this section, learn about key features of Clip Studio Paint, such as vector drawing, customizable brushes, rulers to use with brushes, and more.
We will also show you how to use the functions of Clip Studio Paint to work efficiently.

Vector layers that can be freely edited

A vector layer is a layer for vector drawing. Similar to paths in Adobe Illustrator, you can adjust the shape with anchor points after drawing a line.
You can draw uniform shapes such as Bezier curves, but Clip Studio Paint excels at vector line drawing that reflects pen pressure.
If you draw on a vector layer using a pen with pen pressure, depending on the tool, you can record not only the shape of the line but also the strength of the pen pressure on the line.
Since you can change the brush type after drawing a line, you can experiment with various styles. You can also change the line thickness after drawing.

Brushes that can express various styles

You can use brushes that can show various touches such as pen, pencil, watercolor, and oil paint. If you use a pen that supports pressure sensitivity, you can reflect the pressure in your strokes, further expanding your range of expression. Photoshop brushes can also be imported, so you can create a variety of expressions with just brushes. These brushes can also be used for vector drawing.
There are various customizable elements for brushes, and you can change them according to your pen pressure and style.

Materials that can be used for design

Clip Studio Paint's material site Clip Studio Assets allows you to select and download over 55,000 types of brush materials. Depending on how you customize the brush, there are brushes that can be drawn like stamps and ribbons. Draw repeating textures such as chains, accessories, textile patterns, and flowers with a single stroke.
If you find it hard to customize a brush, you can find a customized brush premade through these materials. Of course, you can also use these for vector drawing and adjust the strokes later.

3D supports accurate drawing

Clip Studio Paint can import 3D data. It can be used as a reference when drawing or placing objects. There is also a line and tone conversion feature that reads 3D data and converts it to vector line drawings. 3D data can be downloaded from Clip Studio Assets. General FBX format and LWO format files can also be read.

Layer management

When you are doing design production work you naturally will create more and more layers. Layer folders allow you to manage multiple layers at once. Also the software has a useful function to search for the layer you want to edit. Using the Search Layer palette, you can search for layers by entering the layer type and layer name. The Select layer sub tool allows you to select the layer where you click on the canvas.
Proper management of layers and using these tools can reduce your time spent searching for layers.

Workflow efficiency

Take advantage of the power of Clip Studio Paint to improve your graphic design workflow.
Shortcut keys, essential for improving work efficiency, can be customized and changed to your familiar keys. The Auto Action function can also help improve efficiency. By registering frequently used or repeated operations as auto actions, you can execute them with a single click. Shortcut keys can also be assigned for auto actions.
The app also features a Companion mode that allows you to use your smartphone as a one-handed companion device for your computer or tablet to streamline your workflow.

Efficient file management is essential in any design project. In this section, you'll learn about the design file types you can use with Clip Studio Paint and its compatibility with files from other design software.

File types

There are various design file types that can be exported with Clip Studio Paint, but if you are working exclusively in Clip Studio Paint, we recommend exporting using the Clip Studio Paint format (extension .clip).
You can preserve settings for vectors drawn on vector layers, text entered with the Text tool, and colors corrected using a tonal correction layer. You can continue these edits when you open the file in Clip Studio Paint again. It is also good in terms of layer management because you will be able to edit everything more easily.

Using Clip Studio Paint with graphic design software

Depending on your design workflow and client communication and management, it can be difficult to complete a design in Clip Studio Paint alone.
You can export in general formats such as PNG and JPEG for easy sharing. If you want to share files while maintaining the layer hierarchy, take advantage of importing and exporting in the Adobe Photoshop format (.PSD).
You can maintain layer hierarchy as well as layer settings between Clip Studio Paint and Photoshop if you are using compatible features. If you only want to exchange text information, you can also use this method. For vector line information you can export and import SVG format. Data can be opened with drawing software such as Adobe Illustrator.

Data backup

Clip Studio Paint has the ability to back up your data using its own cloud. Depending on the settings, backups can be performed simply by starting the portal application, Clip Studio. It also keeps a history of each time you back up your files. You can select and download files from your history up to the last 30 days.

With so many design software options out there, it can be difficult to decide which one to choose.
This section compares Clip Studio Paint with other popular design software and introduces the features and benefits of each.

The graphics software of choice for many professional designers is the Adobe Creative Suite. It can be used for various projects, such as Photoshop for photo processing, Illustrator for vector drawing, and InDesign for designing books and creating e-books. The catch is it costs US$54.99 per month. Photoshop alone is US$20.99.

If you want to keep the price of your graphic design software as low as possible, you can consider using freeware. The features of free graphic design software are often a lot less than that of paid graphic design software. An example of a free software would be open source graphic design software that allows user to add functionality, but they are for advanced users. Freeware usually has less information on how to use it than paid graphic design software and lacks support from the manufacturer.

If you're looking for an affordable graphic design software, Clip Studio Paint is the answer. The amount of user support and Tips (free tutorials) is substantial and the user community is active.

Clip Studio Paint is known as the software of choice for professional concept artists. The app features smooth brushes perfect for your illustrations, comics, cartoons, and animations. You can also create high-resolution data for printed materials, set crop marks, and export PSD with the color profile set to CMYK. As mentioned above, it supports vectors in its own format, and it is also possible to exchange some data in SVG format.

Clip Studio Paint comes in PRO or EX, with EX being the higher grade. EX allows you to create multi-page projects. In addition to printed matter, you can also export EPUB and PDF as e-books, and enjoy book design. It doesn't have as much text functionality as InDesign, but it's sufficient for personal publications. You can also preview your book in progress in 3D like below.

Clip Studio Paint has a free trial version and various purchase methods. Use the app according to your needs and budget.