Graphics/Design

Synfig Studio

Synfig Studio might not be the simplest software to master but once you get it up and running, you'll have a 2D animation software that rivals most of its contemporaries. The best part of all is that it's absolutely free. The program was created to serve as an alternative animation tool and features plenty of features essential to a 2D artists arsenal. Development of the program was spearheaded by Robert Quattlebaum, lead software engineer and founder of the now defunct, Voria Studios. Professionals and non-professional animators will benefit from having this program. It's a software that's packed with features to make work easier and more polished.

Image Tricks Lite

There are already countless image editing software available for free download online but like many things, there's always room for one more. Image Tricks is one of the new kids on the block. Like the new kid, it comes with tons of bling that he's eager to show around. The program was created by Belight Software, which also offers plenty of cool, free software that users can download. It uses the Mac OSX Core Image as well as the Quartz Composition for editing. This nifty program is packed with cool features that most image editors and beginners will find useful. Best of all, the program is offered absolutely free. Give it a try.

PicsnCaps

Sometimes, it's the little things that can make your life so much more easier. PicsnCaps is a sweet little program that lets you easily add captions to your images. With society's obsession of capturing and keeping memories through photographs, you can be sure that this little software will become quite useful in adding those special anecdotes to your captured moments. The program was created by Dare Software, a small company down under and headed by an "amateur sketcher." PicsnCaps showcases tons of useful features that its users can take advantage of. Plus, it's offered absolutely free of charge.

Awesome Duplicate Photo Finder

Trying to get rid of duplicate images in your hard drive can be a bit of a pain. Even regular individuals these days can amass hundreds of images in their systems. There are times when it's hard to prevent duplicates from showing up in your computer no matter how careful you are. Fortunately, using the Awesome Duplicate Photo Finder makes it easy to erase these duplicates without much trouble. The program is compatible with almost any Windows system including Windows 7 and is offered absolutely free. It's a small program that can do wonders in cleaning up your system.

JPatch

JPatch is a simple but powerful 3D animation and modeling tool that even beginners can use. It's already a few years old but it still does wonders especially if you're a beginner to 3D rendering. Mainly created to help animate and model organic objects such as human faces, aliens, animals and much more; the program is a versatile and easy-to-use tool for achieving your desired image. JPatch was created to suit both beginners as well as semi advanced users. Those starting out can take a look at the programs wiki page for a thorough overview of what it is capable of as well as the many features it has.

Computer Arts

Everywhere we look we are surrounded by design. It is in every website you visit, museum, street sign, product label, t-shirt, book, magazine, music album, even your makeup (if you wear one). Yes the world is getting creative and so can you. So whether you want to brush up on your skills, learn few new tricks, or start from the very beginning - the Internet is filled with great resources to help you out in your creative endeavors. With nearly 800 free tutorials, prepared by top professionals in the field, on everything ranging from 2D and 3D design, animation, web, and new media - Computer Arts website is one of such resources.

Diagram Designer (Meesoft)

Looking for a quick and simple way to create diagrams or a flowchart? Diagram Designer is a helpful and free program that will make your life much easier. Although not that many of us might need a flowchart every single time, the program is especially helpful for individuals in business, teachers or even students. Designed by Michael Vinther, the program was released just recently and made available as a free download. The program is ideal for business presentations or even organizing your ideas if you prefer to have a visual accompaniment to your notes. Give the program a quick download. It's free and runs on Windows.

Dusty

If you ever wondered how smoke behaves during any particular scenario, then you could definitely benefit from having Dusty in your computer. Now, I know you're probably scratching your head and asking yourself, "what do I need a smoke simulator for?" Well, for one, it's helpful if you're an animator, game developer or artist and you want to realistically portray how smoke would flow when a fire is lit up. The program is available for download on Windows but there's also a Mac version. The algorithm is based on the Stable Fluids Algorithm created by Jos Stam. If you're interested, you can hit the download link above the image to get this cool software.