Graphic designer stack
The base for identity, print, digital, mockups, typography, client files, approval, and invoicing.
- Selection
- 17 7 optional
- Target budget
- $112 per month
- Profile
- Optimization business stage
Which tool does what?
VectorielAdobe Illustrator
Logo, pictograms, shapes, print and source files.
RetoucheAdobe Photoshop
Images, mockups, cut-outs and photomontage.
Mise en pageAdobe InDesign
Brochures, packs, catalogues and print exports.
Digital systemIf neededFigma
Digital templates, components and fast approvals.
VariantsIf neededCanva
Social formats and simple collateral.Visuels rapidesIf needed
Adobe Express
Adobe variants without opening the whole chain.Gestion fontes
FontBase
Organising and activating fonts.Visual library
Eagle
References, mockups, images and textures.Adobe Acrobat Pro
Annotations, prepress and final PDF.
ProjetNotion
Brief, decisions, feedback and client follow-up.
FichiersGoogle Drive
Deliverables, sources and shared archives.Facturation
Indy
Quotes, invoices and follow-up.Plugin IllustratorIf needed
Astute Graphics
Speeds up advanced vector work and cleanup.
IA structureChatGPT
Angles, copy, presentations and emails.
IA imageIf neededAdobe Firefly
Generative retouching inside the Adobe flow.IA explorationIf needed
Midjourney
Visual worlds and moodboards.UpscaleIf needed
Topaz Gigapixel AI
Occasional image quality work.
Why these tools together?
Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign remain the core when the work touches print, vector, and polished documents. Figma helps with systems and digital. Eagle and FontBase prevent asset drift. Canva should handle quick variations, not the source of truth.
A good fit if…
Print and digital design, visual identity, campaigns, posters, social assets, and client decks.
Look elsewhere if…
You mainly do product UX or motion, where Figma or After Effects are more central.
Reliable production
Vector, image, layout and PDF all have to come out clean.
Assets in order
Fonts, mockups, visuals and references have to be findable.
Clear delivery
The client has to receive the right formats and the right version.
What should you budget?
- Adobe Illustrator$23
- Adobe InDesign$23
- Adobe Photoshop$20
- ChatGPT$20
- Notion$11
- Google Drive$2
- Figmaoptional$16
- Canvaoptional$11
- Adobe Fireflyoptional$10
The target budget is the recommended starting envelope. The list price adds up each core tool's first paid plan, excluding 1 tool without a fixed price. Optional tools are not included.
What to watch out for
Paying for a full suite and asset libraries without separating what truly produces client deliverables.
Canva as the source of truth
Canva is useful for variants, not for carrying a whole identity.
Scattered fonts
Without a manager, fonts get out of hand fast.
Unchecked PDFs
Acrobat still earns its place as soon as print genuinely matters.
Recurring volume
The stack pays for itself once you ship several projects or variants a month.
A more demanding client
The more deliverables a client signs off, the more feedback and documentation tools matter.
Questions to ask yourself
Can the client understand the project without another meeting?
If not, the presentation or the feedback loop is not structured enough.
Are source files, exports and decisions all in one place?
If not, Notion, Drive or Eagle should go back to being the source of truth.
Does every subscription map to something you actually invoice?
If not, the tool should drop to occasional testing, or be cut.
