8 Free and Handy Android Apps for Designers

Key Takeaways

• Android users have access to a variety of free and handy apps for designers that close the gap between Apple and Android. These apps offer features like photo editing, color management, business management, design and color, productivity management, font/typography, drawing and color.
• Apps like Designs Pro: Photo Studio Free, Color Reference, Toolwiz Photos, Invoice and Estimates on the Go, MediBang Paint, Timesheet, Font Studio, and Sketch offer features that range from photo editing to color palette creation, time tracking, invoice management, sketching, and typography editing.
• These apps are user-friendly, offer a wealth of resources and tools, and many offer social sharing options for easy sharing of creations. Some apps also offer in-app purchases for added features.

Not all apps are created equal which unfortunately means for those of us on Android devices can – at times – be left out in the cold when a new app is released. It’s like finding out that hot new game you read about is an Xbox One exclusive when you own a PS4 (or vice-versa).

Thankfully there are plenty of diligent developers out there working hard to close the gap between Apple and Android. This means if you are an Android user who wanted to try an Apple only app, it’s usually only a matter of time before an Android developer offers an alternative.

Today we celebrate the Android ecosystem by presenting eight handy Android apps for designers. Best of all, they’re all free (do note that some free apps do have in-app purchases for added features).

1. Designs Pro: Photo Studio Free

Your Android device undoubtedly came with a stock photo editor but Designs Pro is much more than the average editor where you might crop your image and throw on a filter. Designs Pro is all about giving your photos as much creative freedom as possible while remaining user-friendly and simple to use even for the youngest of users.

With thousands of resource files provided, you can add everything from filters to stickers to frames and even overlay text to your final image.

Of course, a photo editor wouldn’t be complete without easy social sharing options and you won’t be disappointed. Upload your creation to your social media including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Hangout, Tango, and Line.

• Download
• Category: Photography
• Price: Free

2. Color Reference

If you are familiar with the Kuler app, you will certainly be a fan of D9d9’s Color Reference, an on the go color palette creator. CR’s goal is to help you make the best of your designs by providing inspiration and allowing you to discover new color schemes so that you can improve your CSS designs.

Though CR is rather new compared to some other color palette creators it now features some additions you might not get with other palette creators – including an attractive Material Design UI.

Of course, it sports the usual assets that you have come to expect from a color manager including the ability to select colors from existing images, automatic palette generations and of course the ability to share. Color Reference is definitely a tool you should try out.

• Download
• Category: Color Management
• Price: Free

3. Toolwiz Photos

As good as Designs Pro is, it’s rare that a tool covers everything you need – sometimes you’ll need a fallback. Enter Toolwiz Photos, the app that is attempting to offer a free version of Photoshop’s toolkit, featuring a range of one-tap effects for fast designing.

From image processing, multiple filters, special effects, the ability to paint and doodle it is an amazing that Toolwiz is completely free with no ads or in-app purchases. Regardless, it is top of the class with the fast browsing, social sharing, smart storage saving and much more. This pro tool surely deserves a place on your android device even if it is only for a test run.

• Download
• Category: Photography
• Price: Free

4. Invoice and Estimates on the Go

Any working designer needs to be able to manage their invoices, bill their clients and, of course, get an estimate of what the job is going to cost them. Thankfully, Invoice Simple literally makes things simple for the designing freelancer by offering their invoice and estimates app for free.

Though the app is free, you will be limited to the number invoices you can send until you upgrade in-app. However, this may not be a deal breaker if you don’t need to send a lot of invoices or don’t mind paying a small fee.

• Download
• Category: Business Management
• Price: Free

5. MediBang Paint

Ever needed to make a quick sketch or doodle but didn’t have a sketch pad handy? Scribble on coffee-stained napkins no more thanks to MediBang Paint, a free, lightweight drawing app that allows you to draw, paint and create anywhere while still having access to all the features of the desktop version.

With many different creative tools on hand, this is a great app for the average illustrator or aspiring comic book artist. Preloaded with 60 free brushes, free comic book fonts, pre-made backgrounds, textures and tones it is easy to create something wow-worthy with MediBang.

You can even collaborate between devices with fellow artists thanks to the sharing tool. Plus you can share with not only your social media channels but also the MediBang Community.

• Download
• Category: Design and Color
• Price: Free

6. Timesheet

Though it might not be the favorite part of our job, every designer needs an easy way to track the time they spend on a given project. With Timesheet you can not only track the time you’re spending but you can also make logs of any breaks you take, track your expenses during the time and you can even add notes. What’s really cool about Timesheet is that you can assign a specific Wi-Fi spot to your project so the minute you leave or enter the access point Timesheet will automatically stop or start without you needing to do anything. As you can create and manage projects you can also export your timesheets to XLS or CVS so you can import them to Excel. Not only that but Timesheet allows for easy backup to either an SD card or to your Dropbox which really makes this app handy

• Download
• Category: Productivity Management
• Price: Free

7. Font Studio

You can accomplish a lot with text on an image – as many of the great album covers attest. The people at RC PLATFORM know this which is why they created Font Studio, a font editor that allows you to spice to your photos offering over 120 available beautiful hand-picked fonts.

Font Studio isn’t just for pretty typography either. You can add artwork, stickers, frames and filters to accompany your chosen fonts as well as do some basic editing when it comes to your text. As Font Studio is all for making your photography beautiful you can also tweak your images by adjusting brightness, contrast, saturation blur as well as add filters.

• Download
• Category: Font/Typography
• Price: Free

8. Sketch

The official drawing app from Sony, Sketch is the mobile illustrator’s dream, letting them leave the desktop behind while putting a full-featured toolkit at their fingertips – including unique pencils, brushes and magic markers.

Sketch also offers collaboration with your friends and colleagues and a Sketch community where you can browse other user’s works and even post your own new creations.

• Download
• Category: Drawing and Color
• Price: Free

That wraps things up for me. I hope you found something to add to your mobile design repertoire. And let me know if there’s a design-oriented android app I’ve missed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Android Apps for Designers