What 2d Animation Software Should I Use?

If you are a graphic designer, digital artist or you know how to operate a computer, this is the best time to move on. There will be no better time to enter the world of animation. Yes, that’s right! you should step ahead and take your skills to the next level. Align yourself with the new design trends and animation is the new normal for the design world.

Have you ever noticed social media these days? you can see the beautiful animations everywhere. These animations are getting more attention than normal static videos. If you want to start learning animation then there nothing better than to start with 2D.

There are certain reasons for starting with 2D animation first. Number one is 2D animation is far easy to learn than 3D animation. The second reason is 2D animation requires fewer resources than 3D animation. The computer requirements are far less than 3D n terms of processor power, ram, and GPUs.

You can convey your message to your audience if you use characters in storytelling. Visual storytelling through characters is the most popular form of communication. It is also 100 times more effective than non-character based storytelling.

The question “What 2D animation software should I use” is the very first question that comes in mind. To be honest, this is not a simple question. The choice of software is your personal preference. Everyone is not comfortable in software I use most, and the same is the case with you. There are certain pros and cons of every software. Below are five industry-standard software that has its own benefits and shortcomings. Let’s discuss 5 most popular 2D animation software below:

1. Adobe After Effects

There are many tools these days which are available to produce characters. There are certain combinations of software you can use to produce a great animated movie. For example, Adobe After Effects and Adobe Illustrator is the most common combination. You can make vector characters, artworks for backgrounds in Illustrator.

Adobe After Effects has many capabilities that make it the industry-standard tool. Adobe After Effects used for compositing and animation. It’s very easy to learn After Effects, but, due to its huge options, you need more practice to master and remember.

2. Adobe Character Animator

You can import your Adobe Illustrator Characters artwork in Adobe After Effects. You can animate them, add voiceover and special effects here. There is a very great tool that is available for character animation. This tool makes your character animation and lip-syncing far easier.

This tool is Adobe Character Animator. It is very in learning and a very good tool for 2D character animation. You can then import Character Animator’s tools in Adobe After Effects special effects.

3. CrazyTalk Animator 4

CrazyTalk Animator 4 is also a great tool for 2D and 2.5D animations. You can add bone structures in your character to animate them in a natural way. Again you can import Adobe Illustrator character artwork inside CrazyTalk Animator. It’s very easy to use program with some very powerful capabilities.

You can make your complete scene artwork inside Photoshop. After completion, bring it in CrazyTalk Animator 4 for further animation. You can fix the bone structure inside Photoshop for characters.

4. Adobe Animator

Adobe animator is another good choice for 2D animations. It also provides a bone structure for rigging and lots of other useful tools. Adobe Animate (before Adobe Flash) is one of the pioneer 2D animation tools. It’s good to have the proper training for this software. You can subscribe to the software on Adobe’s website. This is not an expensive subscription and I will recommend this.

5. Toonboom Studio

Toonboom Studio is a good software for 2D animation. It also has lots of features that are available to make a great piece of animation. There is a 3D camera feature that is not common in 2D software. It helps to make your animation even more professional. This 2D animation program is good but at the same time, it’s very hard to learn, at least harder than its competitors.

So these are some industry-standard 2D animation software. You can start your animation journey by choosing your favorite program and jump into it.