Linearity Curve: Free Professional Vector Design for iPad and Mac

Linearity Curve, formerly known as Vectornator, is one of the most capable and widely used free vector design applications available for Apple devices, offering a comprehensive set of professional vector illustration tools with an intuitive interface that makes vector design accessible to artists and designers who are new to the medium. Available for iPad, iPhone, and Mac, the application has built a large and devoted following among illustrators, graphic designers, and students who appreciate its professional-grade feature set and its completely free pricing.

The application was rebranded from Vectornator to Linearity Curve in 2023 as part of a broader expansion of the Linearity product family, which now includes Linearity Move for animation alongside Linearity Curve for vector design. The rebranding reflects the company's ambition to build a comprehensive creative suite for Apple devices, with Linearity Curve as the foundation of this ecosystem.

The Vector Drawing Tools

The vector drawing tools in Linearity Curve are among the most comprehensive available in any free vector design application, covering the full range of tools required for professional vector illustration work. The tools include the Pen tool for creating precise vector paths, the Pencil tool for freehand drawing that is automatically converted to smooth vector paths, and a range of shape tools for creating geometric forms.

The Pen tool is the most fundamental vector drawing tool, allowing artists to create precise vector paths by placing anchor points and adjusting the curve handles that control the shape of the path between them. Linearity Curve's Pen tool implementation is one of the most intuitive available in any vector application, with a simplified interaction model that makes it easier to create smooth, precise curves than the traditional Pen tool workflow.

The Pencil tool allows artists to draw freehand paths that are automatically converted to smooth vector paths, providing a more natural and intuitive drawing experience than the Pen tool for artists who are accustomed to freehand drawing. The Pencil tool's automatic path smoothing produces clean, professional vector paths from freehand input, making it particularly well-suited to artists who are transitioning from raster to vector drawing.

The Auto Trace feature converts raster images to vector paths automatically, allowing artists to trace photographs, sketches, and other raster images and convert them to editable vector artwork. The Auto Trace feature is particularly useful for artists who want to create vector versions of hand-drawn sketches, allowing them to draw in their natural medium and then convert the result to a scalable vector format.

The Typography Tools

The typography tools in Linearity Curve are more comprehensive than those available in most competing free vector applications, providing precise control over font selection, size, leading, tracking, and kerning. The typography tools support OpenType features including ligatures, alternate glyphs, and other typographic refinements that are important for professional design work.

The text on path feature allows artists to flow text along a curved path, creating the kind of circular and curved text arrangements that are common in logo design and other graphic design applications. The text on path feature is easy to use and produces professional results, making it a practical tool for designers who work on logo and branding projects.

The Colour Tools

The colour tools in Linearity Curve cover the full range of colour management features required for professional design work, including support for RGB, CMYK, and HSB colour models, a comprehensive colour picker, and the ability to create and save custom colour palettes. The colour tools also support gradients, including linear, radial, and angular gradients, and the ability to apply gradients to both fills and strokes.

The colour palette feature allows artists to create and save custom colour palettes for specific projects, ensuring colour consistency across all elements of a design. The colour palette feature is particularly valuable for brand design work, where maintaining consistent colour usage across all brand materials is essential.

The Apple Pencil Integration

The Apple Pencil integration is one of the most important aspects of Linearity Curve for iPad artists, with the application providing full support for Apple Pencil pressure and tilt sensitivity. The Apple Pencil support allows artists to draw with a natural, responsive feel that is similar to drawing with a real pen or pencil, making the application well-suited to artists who want to use their iPad as a professional drawing tool.

The pressure sensitivity allows artists to create lines with variable width that responds to the pressure applied to the Apple Pencil, producing a natural, expressive line quality that is not possible with a mouse or trackpad. The pressure sensitivity is particularly valuable for illustrators who want to create expressive, hand-drawn-looking vector illustrations.

The Export Options

The export options in Linearity Curve cover the full range of formats required for professional design work, including SVG, PDF, AI (Adobe Illustrator), PNG, JPEG, and EPS. The ability to export to AI format is particularly important for professional designers who need to share their work with clients or collaborators who use Adobe Illustrator.

The SVG export is particularly valuable for web designers and developers who need vector graphics in a format that can be used directly in web applications. The SVG format is the standard vector format for the web, and Linearity Curve's SVG export produces clean, well-structured SVG files that are suitable for professional web use.

The Free Pricing Model

The completely free pricing of Linearity Curve is one of its most important and distinctive characteristics, making professional-grade vector design tools accessible to anyone with an Apple device. The free version provides access to the full feature set of the application, without the limitations that many free applications impose on their users.

The Linearity subscription provides access to additional features including cloud storage, collaboration tools, and other premium features that are useful for professional teams. The subscription is optional, and the free version is sufficient for most individual artists and designers.

The Bottom Line

Linearity Curve is one of the most capable and widely used free vector design applications available for Apple devices, offering a comprehensive set of professional vector illustration tools with an intuitive interface that makes vector design accessible to artists and designers at every level. For iPad and Mac artists who want access to professional-grade vector design tools without the cost of Adobe Illustrator or other premium alternatives, Linearity Curve is one of the most compelling and accessible options available.