Designing Pinterest pins doesn’t have to be hard. In fact it can be ridiculously easy if your have the right pin design tools. Many of the tools on this list are perfect for small business owners that are wearing the graphic design hat for their business. Further down the list are a few tools for how to design Pinterest pins. The learning curve is a bit steeper, but the rewards are great.
Learning how to create beautiful Pinterest pins is so critical to proper Pinterest marketing. Here is a helpful post on how to create the perfect Pinterest pin.
Note: Pin scheduler Traffic Wonker has sadly gone out of business, but owner and CEO Andy Fling has given me permission to share his useful Pinterest research and other information on my site. I jumped at the chance as Andy is the smartest guy I know when it comes to Pinterest!
Here are my BEST 10 Pin Design Tools
1) Quozio
Quozio makes designing easy. Enter your text in first box. Enter the author in the second box. Then press “Go.” Your quote or text is automatically formatted on a beautiful background image. If the background they chose doesn’t tickle you, try another one. When it’s perfect, you can share it to any one of several social networks.
2) Instagram
If pinnable image design is clearly not your forte, Instagram may be a solution for you. Just snap a picture and add a filter. It’s a nice way to “dress up” your photos and make them more appealing to your fellow pinners.
3) Canva
Canva has quickly become a favorite for Pinterest marketers, providing an easy-to-use tool to design pinnable images. Canva provides intuitive controls so creating and editing your image is almost a no-brainer. Just choose a template, or start with a blank canvas. Then select the “Layouts and Background” feature to figure out how you want to format your image. Finish with images and text. It has both a free and a paid option – it’s one of the easier pin design tools and it is well worth the expense.
4) PicMonkey
PicMonkey is as close to Photoshop as anything you’ll find online. You’ll find all the basic tools that you get with Photoshop, as well as a variety of tools that you can add as upgrades. Some of the features include basic editing like color adjustments, a crop tool, text, and comic bubbles. Then, if you like, you can finish your image off with a border or frame.
5) BeFunky
If you like what you get with Instagram, but want a few more tools, BeFunky may be your next favorite image editor. Choose between their online service or Android/iPad app, and get started. You’ll get eye-catching filter options like Pop-Art and Sketch. They also offer borders and frames. Many options are free.
6) Fotor
Fotor is a free online and Android/iPad app collage maker. This resource gives you all tools you’ll need for hundreds of possible collage combinations. Make it look like you’re one of the presidents on Mt. Rushmore with their photo montage tool. Try a fun collage – the kind you used to make with scissors and glue back in grade school, or stitch multiple photos together vertically or horizontally. Fotor provides you with lots of room for creativity. Fotor is also handy for work; you may test its background remover to produce profile shots and business usage images with a plain background
7) Recite
Recite gets high praise for ease of use. This tool lets you to transform a quote into a pinnable image in seconds. Type your quote, pick a design, and then post your pin directly to Pinterest from the Recite site.
8) Microsoft Office
Since most people know how to use word processing software Microsoft Office is another great tool for our list. This software, and software programs like it, allow you to format text, integrate shapes, and add images. When you’re all finished, take a screenshot of your masterpiece and crop it with your favorite image editor.
9) Photoshop Elements
Photoshop Elements is the affordable version of Adobe Photoshop. If you’re already familiar with image editing basics and text editors, this program might be a great choice. The learning curve is a bit steeper with this program, but with the challenge comes great flexibility and fantastic possibilities.
10) Adobe Illustrator
Okay, so maybe this tool isn’t ridiculously simple, but it is the choice of design professionals and my favorite tool. I designed this site and all of the Pinterest images with Adobe Illustrator. If you enjoy designing and really want to produce blowout images, Illustrator is the best choice by far. Start with basic shapes and text. You can download a trial version and learn that much in an hour. Then learn more as you go.
I hope you will enjoy these 10 fabulous pin design tools!
by Andy Fling
Founder and CEO of TrafficWonker.com
Here are some other posts from Andy that you might find helpful:
How to Make Your Pins Go Viral
Is Your Pinterest Account Leaking Massive Traffic?
Social Media Scheduling Tips
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