Technology means “science of craft”, and it is what this category is all about. Here you will find articles covering technological advances, innovations, and solutions based on science, computers and systems, engineering, etc…
Artificial intelligence (AI) can elevate your development workflow to the next level. The technology can perform complex and simple tasks – saving you time and increasing your earning power.
Nowhere is that more evident than in AI’s ability to write code. You tell your favorite tool what to do, and it generates the code. This is a boon to WordPress developers as you can create custom plugins with less effort. It’s like having an expert at your side.
That all sounds wonderful. But how does AI help developers in real-world scenarios? Is it capable of generating a decent solution without too much trouble? Let’s find out!
We’ll attempt to build a simple related posts plugin to give you a taste of what’s possible. We don’t expect it to compete with a commercial product. However, we hope to generate a functional piece of code; one that can be enhanced as needed.
What Do We Want Our Plugin to Do?
AI is powerful – but it can’t read our minds just yet. Thus, we should think about what we want to build beforehand. A well-defined prompt will produce better results.
Like any development project, it’s better to start with the basics. With that in mind, let’s consider the core functions of a related posts plugin. It should:
Scan the current post’s metadata, including categories and tags;
Search the site’s database for other posts with similar metadata;
Display links to a specified number of related posts at the bottom of the current post;
The idea is to build a plugin that performs these tasks – and nothing else. Once that is established, you can add more bells and whistles.
Let’s Get To Work
It’s time to see how much effort it takes for AI to produce our plugin. We’ll use ChatGPT for this exercise, but you can use the tool you like best.
We’ll test our plugin on a local site with a selection of Speckyboy posts we’ve imported. The content spans several WordPress taxonomies (categories and tags). It should show us how well the plugin connects the dots (or doesn’t).
Step 1: Write a Prompt
Here’s our prompt to ChatGPT that covers the basics outlined above:
Create a WordPress plugin that displays posts related to the current one. It should do the following:
- Check the categories and tags assigned to the current post;
- Search the site's database for other posts with similar metadata;
- Display links to 4 related posts at the bottom of the current one;
Within a couple of minutes, ChatGPT generates a related posts plugin. Here’s what it tells us about the code:
Here's a WordPress plugin that displays related posts based on shared categories and tags. It retrieves up to four related posts and displays them at the bottom of the current post. The plugin uses `WP_Query` to fetch related posts efficiently.
This plugin fetches and displays related posts by:
1. Checking the current post's categories and tags.
2. Querying the database for other posts with matching categories or tags.
3. Displaying up to four related posts at the bottom of the content.
Step 2: Review the Code
Now, let’s do a quick review of the plugin’s code. That allows us to see what it does and spot any potential issues.
Note that we made a few adjustments to the plugin header to match the desired name and author info. In retrospect, we could have asked ChatGPT to add this. Thankfully, the changes are minimal.
Regardless, here’s our code. We’ll highlight a few items of interest below.
A Bit of Security: The first thing we’ll highlight is a line dedicated to security:
if (!defined('ABSPATH')) exit; // Exit if accessed directly
This code prevents someone from directly accessing the plugin file. It’s a bit of obfuscation that helps protect your website.
Here are the arguments for our WordPress post query. This snippet tells our plugin to look in the 'post' post type and choose four related posts. It uses the post_not_in argument to ensure the current post isn’t included in the query. The orderby argument is set to 'rand' to select related posts randomly.
The plugin will output an unordered list of related posts. Each post’s link and title will be displayed. Notice the use of esc_html() to sanitize the title. That prevents any potentially dangerous code from executing.
Lastly, this snippet ensures the related post list displays at the bottom of the current post via the_content filter.
Step 3: Install and Activate the Plugin
Everything looks good so far. Next, we’ll copy the code generated by ChatGPT and place it in a file called speckyboy-related-posts.php. We’ll upload the file to the /wp-content/plugins/ folder on the test site. Finally, we’ll activate the plugin.
The plugin doesn’t produce any PHP errors, and our site didn’t break. We’ll consider that a victory!
Does Our Related Posts Plugin Work?
OK, we generated a plugin and installed it on our test site. It’s time to see if it works as intended.
To check, we’ll navigate to a blog post and hope a related posts list displays at the bottom:
Success! The plugin works well at first glance. There’s an unordered list of four related posts in the correct spot. Clicking each post reveals it shares a category and/or tag with the current post.
And the good news keeps on coming. Checking subsequent posts shows positive results. One or more taxonomies consistently match the current post. It may not be fancy, but it does the job!
We did notice an unintended side effect. Remember, our plugin chooses related posts randomly. Thus, refreshing the current post loads a fresh list at the bottom. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It might benefit content-heavy sites, as it always gives readers something unique.
Finding the unexpected is part of the testing process. It’s an opportunity to refine and improve our plugin.
Taking Our Plugin to the Next Level
Our plugin works as expected and provides a solid foundation. But development doesn’t have to stop there. We can always add more features and advanced functionality.
We have a few ideas that could take this little related posts plugin to the next level:
Narrow the Scope of Related Posts
The current iteration looks for related posts that match a category and/or tag of the current one. That might be too broad for some use cases. Narrowing the scope of the search makes sense in this case.
We could limit matches to tags or even try to match keywords in the current post’s title. That could produce more relevant results. The downside? A more complicated search might mean a performance hit.
Improve Layout and Styling
The unordered list displayed by our base plugin is simple and accessible. There’s room for improvement, though.
For one, we could ask ChatGPT to create a card layout. That would look nice and neat on just about every site. In addition, we could add more post metadata such as featured images, publication dates, and excerpts.
A little CSS could also go a long way toward making the output look more professional. Hover effects would add some polish to the presentation.
Add a Settings Page
Our plugin has no settings. Adding a settings page could make it more flexible, though. A user might want to tweak several aspects of the plugin, including:
The number of related posts retrieved;
The post type(s) that should display related posts;
The criteria for related posts (taxonomies, keywords, etc.);
Posts or taxonomies to exclude;
It would be nice to have. However, plugin settings would also add a layer of complexity. Options must be saved to and retrieved from the site’s database. Plus, allowing user input comes with extra security responsibilities. That may not be desirable in every situation.
It’s a reminder to think about the consequences of each feature we add. Just because AI can do it, doesn’t mean we should ask!
AI Makes Building Plugins Easier Than Ever
It’s amazing to think about the speed at which AI produced our plugin. We went from a concept to a working prototype in about 10 minutes. It demonstrates the technology’s power and its level of improvement. Earlier versions of ChatGPT may not have been this efficient and accurate.
Granted, we weren’t trying to build the next WooCommerce. That’s still a bridge too far – especially when considering future maintenance and security needs.
Still, AI is adept at producing a simple plugin. Once you have that in hand, you can tweak it to your heart’s content. Adding features or making changes is a matter of writing a few prompts (or coding by hand, if you haven’t forgotten it yet).
Best of all, you can use these tools to your advantage. They’ll help you get projects done faster while expanding your development capabilities. It looks like the future is here!
Choosing a WordPress host is one of the biggest decisions a blogger can make. The right choice depends on what you, as a blogger, need. Publishing new content and pricing are very important, but so are speed, storage, support, and security, so they need to be considered.
Every host in this collection meets the needs of WordPress bloggers. They all offer managed WordPress hosting, built-in caching, daily backups, strong security, and easy-to-use dashboards.
Each provider answered a series of blogger-related questions (see the questions at the bottom of this page) that cover performance, pricing, migrations, uptime, user-friendliness, and many more features. So, this isn’t a review of personal experiences, as each host is ranked based on their answers and the needs of WordPress bloggers.
Pricing changes over time, so picking a host should start with features, not price. Some plans cost less but limit traffic or storage, while others charge more but include unlimited traffic or premium support. Bloggers should assess their needs first and then compare costs.
Whether running a small personal blog or a growing content site, the right host makes managing WordPress easier, keeps visitors coming back, and gives you the peace of mind to write your content without worrying about your WordPress installation.
A well-designed website isn’t just about words and visuals. It’s about efficiency, responsiveness, and seamless user experience. Without these elements, even the best content can fall flat.
Today’s designers must juggle creativity, functionality, and performance while keeping up with evolving tools and technologies. AI-powered and professional-grade tools can simplify this process, helping you work smarter and deliver high-quality results – without unnecessary friction.
The challenge? The sheer number of design tools available is overwhelming, making it difficult to pinpoint the ones that genuinely enhance your workflow. That’s why we’ve done the heavy lifting for you.
In this guide, we highlight 14 top-tier AI and professional tools that will streamline your design process, boost efficiency, and unlock new creative possibilities in 2025.
From Brizy AI and Mobirise AI for fast website generation to Slider Revolution for stunning animations and WoodMart for high-performance eCommerce, these tools cover a wide spectrum of web design essentials.
Explore the Tools That Match Your Workflow
If you’re curious about AI-powered design, try an AI website builder. Not as a replacement for your creativity, but as a way to speed up ideation and prototyping.
If you manage bookings or client scheduling, automation tools like Trafft and Amelia can eliminate repetitive tasks.
And if you want to take your visuals to the next level, LayerSlider and Essential Grid provide the advanced customization and interactivity you need.
What These Tools Bring to Your Design Workflow
AI-Driven Efficiency: Builders like Brizy AI and Mobirise AI generate site structures instantly, offering customizable templates at lightning speed.
Time-Saving Automation:Trafft and Amelia automate appointment bookings, while WhatFontis quickly identifies fonts, saving designers hours of searching.
Responsive & Scalable Design:Betheme, wpDataTables, and Blocksy ensure designs look flawless across all devices and screen sizes.
Customization Without Limits: Whether you need drag-and-drop flexibility (like in Slider Revolution) or advanced WooCommerce integrations (WoodMart), these tools let you tailor every detail to fit your vision.
Seamless Integration: These tools work smoothly alongside your existing stack, ensuring compatibility with WordPress, WooCommerce, and other major platforms.
Start Exploring
Browse through the descriptions of these AI and professional tools below. Or, jump straight to the ones that match your design and development needs.
However you work, these carefully selected tools will help boost your productivity, creativity, and efficiency in 2025 and beyond.
In Short: In seconds, Brizy AI can deliver a polished website that’s ready to be customized, drastically reducing design time in the process.
Click anywhere on the video to see this builder live.
You can get a website design off to a good start in 60 seconds or less when you have Brizy AI’s Powered website generation capability at your fingertips. Feed Brizy AI with basic information about your proposed design, and a few prompts later, you should have a website design that’s ready to customize.
Wondering what to do next? Demos such as Work Collaboration can give you some good ideas.
• Update Frequency: New demos are released monthly.
• Popular Brizy AI Features Include:
AI-Powered Regeneration: regenerate entire pages or individual elements – design and copy – with AI.
Google My Business Integration: Makes it easy for users to connect their Google profile to their website.
Seamless Integration: AI features are integrated into the website builder, a natural extension of the design process.
White Label AI Builder: A powerful service where developers can offer clients top-tier, fully branded technology.
• Rating: 4.1 out of 5 on Trustpilot, 4.5 out of 5 on G2, 4.6 out of 5 on Capterra.
• Client Feedback: “I love how simple Brizy is to use. I’ve used various platforms and web builders in the past, and Brizy gives a sense of ‘powerful customization with ease!’ It feels like a basic web builder with outstanding results.” – G2 review.
In Short: Trafft’s White Label option allows users to fully customize the platform with their own logo, brand colors, and domain name, ensuring a seamless and consistent brand experience for their clients.
Click anywhere on the video to see this booking software live.
Trafft provides both clients and customers with a smooth booking experience by automating an entire appointment booking process. Trafft’s booking software helps businesses save time and reduce administrative tasks. Trafft users can download the Barbershop demo for some great ideas on how to create attractive customer-friendly booking pages.
• Specific Trafft Features Include:
White Label Option: With white labeling, the Trafft brand remains completely invisible, making it appear as if the booking solution is an in-house, custom-built tool.
Multi-location/ Multi-service support: Users can manage appointments and schedules at multiple locations from a single platform.
Chatbox: Trafft’s AI Chatbot actively interacts with customers, automates booking requests, rescheduling, and cancellations, and provides instant answers to common inquiries – 24/7.
• Rating: 4.9 out of 5 on Capterra.
• Client Feedback: “Trafft has their trip together. The company regularly updates and expands their offer. Support answers questions via chat or email – quite a luxury these days. Four stars because it took me some time to understand the internal logic of the app: which options are where. It is mainly meant for companies who have employees, but as a solopreneur I have found my way.”
In Short: Mobirise AI is noted for its simplicity, multiple templates and website blocks to choose among, its ease of use, and its free use.
Click anywhere on the video to see this website builder live.
In addition to providing you with the ability to significantly speed up your web design workflows through the use of AI technology the selection of Mobirise AI demos, like the very interesting AI Marketing Assistant, offers some useful hints on how to build a better website.
The quickest way to learn more about Mobirise AI is to visit the website. You won’t encounter a list of features, not even an “About Us” page. Instead, you are invited to give a very brief description of a proposed website. Stand back and see the results!
• Mobirise AI can create entire pages or multi-page examples using prompts, for example:
Try “Choosing the Right Tools for Designing a Quality Website.”
Hit “Prompt”.
Enter your email when prompted to receive a password to open a free Mobirise AI account.
Receive several pages of content that provide an outline of possible subject matter.
Following the final page, you’ll receive more information on building an AI-generated website.
Multiple website blocks and templates to choose to make Mobirise AI exceptionally easy to work with.
In Short: Amelia offers customers a streamlined and convenient booking experience that enables businesses to bundle multiple services into cohesive packages while tailoring the software to their specific needs.
Click anywhere on the video to see this booking plugin live.
Automate your appointment booking and scheduling operation with Amelia and you will immediately notice a significant reduction in administrative tasks. Not long after that, the many benefits of providing all parties concerned with a smooth and friendly booking experience will become apparent. Amelia’s Scott Stevens Photography Portfolio demo shows what an engaging booking or signup page could look like.
Amelia is ideal for services-oriented businesses and agencies.
• Special Features Include:
A friendly UX: ensures quick system navigation for setting schedules and making and managing appointments.
Automated appointment and event booking that pleases clients and reduces the administrative burden on staff by managing appointments efficiently.
Customizing tools and options that allow businesses to tailor notifications to fit their brand.
• Rating: 4.9 out of 5 on Capterra.
• Client Feedback: “I am currently launching a new website which required an online booking system. After lots of research I decided to go with Amelia. I’m finding it really good and fairly easy to use. During the configuration stage, I have submitted lots of tickets to which all have been responded to. I have given it 4/5 as I think it has all the functionality I need.”
In Short: MapSVG has an advanced map editing feature with options that make it an ideal choice for any project requiring high-quality, informative maps.
Click anywhere on the video to see this map editing plugin live.
MapSVG’s customizable templates are flawlessly integrated with its embedded database and its variety of map types. These customizable templates, working in concert with the database and MapSVG’s advanced map editor with its many options, allow users to create information windows of whatever complexity they deem necessary to meet their requirements.
• Specific Features Include:
Enriched data visualization: MapSVG users can create multi-colored maps that use different colors to represent specific values in different areas in the map.
Store locator map: A business that has multiple stores throughout a given area or around the world can locate them on a map.
Land plot maps: Real estate agencies can gain an advantage when they have the ability to quickly and easily display land plots on a map.
AI Assisted Live Chat: Users can benefit from MapSVG’s Live Chat feature. The chat has an AI assistant that can answer all the basic questions. Live Chat is available 24/7.
In Short: Betheme is known for its more than 70 website-building tools, including BeBuilder, and its selection of 700+ responsive and customizable pre-built websites.
Click anywhere on the video to see this template live.
With Be Builder, WooBuilder, or one of Betheme’s pre-built websites, you can quickly build virtually any type of website for any niche. You can also create websites from scratch without coding since Betheme has the features you need to make that possible.
Most users like to get started with a customizable and responsive pre-built website. If you want color, animation, and counting in your website pages Betheme’s Be Lottie example with its Be’s Lottie Animation feature will help you get off to a great start.
Betheme is well known for its impressive selection of website building tools, aids, and options that include:
Be Builder: Be Builder has been completely rewritten and is faster and more efficient than ever.
Layouts configurator: For portfolio, blog, and shop pages. Build custom layouts and assign them easily for specific pages.
Parallax effect: Create stunning & modern pages with a smooth parallax effect that everyone will love.
WooBuilder: The WooBuilder, together with 40+ WooCommerce demos makes creating an online store fast and easy.
Elementor ready: Betheme is fully compatible with Elementor with over 30 unique elements and 120+ dedicated pre-built websites.
• Update Frequency: New demos are released monthly.
In Short: Upload any font image (including a Google font), wait >10 seconds, and the font will be identified with 90% accuracy.
Click anywhere on the video to see this font identifier live.
WhatFontis is used by designers who are paid for their work and creative types and others who work for fun. In addition to having a huge 50,000 daily users, WhatFontis is also the world’s largest free and commercial font identifier.
• Working with WhatFontis involves:
Font Identification: From its database containing roughly one million fonts, WhatFontis is capable of identifying free and commercial fonts and identifying fonts across all foundries, including Google fonts. Note that WhatFontis identifies fonts, it does not offer or provide them.
Extreme user-friendliness: With a Chrome extension, it is simply a matter of right-clicking on a text image and uploading it for font identification.
Fast response: A list identifying 60 of the closest matching fonts will be provided in 10 seconds or less. The system can even list 10 similar free fonts for every commercial font.
Accuracy: More than 90% of submitted fonts are accurately identified. The WhatFontis community can often help to identify some of the remaining 10%.
AI: AI ensures that the system is quickly able to identify a font.
• Update Frequency: New fonts are incorporated for identification regularly.
In Short: LayerSlider empowers its users to design anything and everything from sleek sliders and captivating slideshows to interactive popups and dynamic, animated web content.
Click anywhere on the video to see this plugin live.
Not all that long ago, LayerSlider became the best known premier slider plugin. LayerSlider has since transformed itself into a creative tool for WordPress, the ultimate creative tool according to many. With LayerSlider, you can turn a design idea into a stunning, visitor-engaging work of art.
LayerSlider’s extensive template library showcases the endless creative possibilities at your fingertips. The Sculptor demo, for example, features an impressive combination of smooth scrolling effects, dynamic layering, and visually captivating animations.
• Key LayerSlider Features Include:
Project Editor: With real-time live preview, intuitive drag-and-drop editing, advanced layer animations, and seamless access to online services, the Project Editor provides a complete toolkit for visual content creation.
Advanced Add-Ons: LayerSlider’s selection of advanced add-ons enhances its user’s ability to meet diverse project needs. Custom 404 pages & Maintenance Mode are particularly popular.
Marketing Popups & Banners: It is easy to create animated popups and banner content for marketing purposes in mere minutes.
• Update Frequency: Yes, typically every two weeks.
• Client Feedback: “I’m no coder, but LayerSlider made it so easy to create professional-looking animations. My website looks 10x better now!”
In Short: wpDataTables is perfect for those tasked with managing large amounts of complex data from diverse sources and presenting the findings in informative tables and/or charts.
Click anywhere on the video to see this data management plugin live.
The integration of WooCommerce into wpDataTables enables users to create easily customizable product tables. This top feature provides tools needed to manage product listings, display variable product options, filter and sort products, and apply frequently used customer-centric actions.
Demos reflecting these capabilities are a popular addition to the wpDataTables user toolkit. Cycle Shop is one example of the usefulness these demos can be to web designers.
A list of the most important wpDataTables features could take up an entire page. Those that become readily apparent to wpDataTables users for the first time include:
Robust Filtering, Sorting, & Search Options: These options make it easy for users to explore and analyze data.
Multiple Database Connections: This feature enables users to aggregate, manage, and display data from diverse sources.
Large Dataset Handling: wpDataTables easily manages thousands or millions of rows of data with ease.
• Rating: 4.6 out of 5 on WordPress
• Client Feedback: “wpDataTables is an amazing plugin. I am constantly using this plugin on my site. The features allow me to quickly create attractive tables, including from central data sources. I have hundreds of data tables, many of which are linked to Google Sheets.”
In Short: With Blocksy you’ll find an extensive number of features, a large number indeed, for a free version, making it easy to determine if it’s the right version for you.
Click anywhere on the video to see this template live.
With its speed, lightweight design, and extensive customization options, Blocksy could be exactly what you need to create your online store. Because of Blocksy’s deep integration with WooCommerce, you won’t be loaded down with plugins to achieve the functionality you are looking for, and demos like the e-Bike starter site available to Blocksy Pro subscribers, can get your site-building project off to a rapid start.
• Update Frequency: New demos are released monthly.
• Key features include:
The Content Blocks feature: a powerful feature that lets you insert content anywhere in your website at any time.
The Header and Footer Builder: Each header element in Blocksy is meticulously designed to offer a wide range of customization options.
Client Specific features: include hooks, actions, and filters for developers, popup builders for marketers, and custom templates for designers.
WooCommerce General Menu: helps users find options for customizing online store accounts, checkout and cart pages, and Shop Extra extensions.
• Rating: 5 out of 5 (based on 847 reviews).
• Client Feedback: “The plugin has everything I need for a publishing website. It is highly adaptable and offers a multitude of solutions beyond what initially appears. The support provided was prompt, concise, and extremely helpful.”
In Short: Slider Revolution’s fully customizable visual effects and animations allow beginners and professionals to create website designs that range from quite attractive to absolutely mind-blowing.
Click anywhere on the video to see this plugin live.
Slider Revolution will be a welcome addition to your design toolkit, whether you are creating new websites or upgrading existing ones. The plugin’s combination of full customizability of visual effects and animations enables professional designers to create mind-blowing visual effects. First-time users will also do just fine, perhaps with a little help from a demo like the Electronic Deals Extravaganza.
• Clients Love These Specific Features:
Developers: Developers are offered motivating approaches to content creation.
Marketers: Slider Revolution gives Marketers full control over their marketing content.
Web Designers: Designers can create new and innovative designs that stand out from the pack.
Developers: Developers are provided with exciting approaches to content creation.
• Update Frequency: Monthly.
• Client Feedback: “I remember Slider Revolution stood out straight away as being one of the coolest plugins visually. But obviously, there was a fee. So, I went down the route of looking at some cheaper or free ones. But putting our visuals together with them didn’t look great. I remember it looked good in the plugin, but when it went live, I was like, ‘Oh, that looks a bit cheap’. So, I went back to Slider Revolution at that point.”
In Short: Essential Grid saves you time while helping you create any responsive gallery layout you envision.
Click anywhere on the video to see this plugin live.
Essential Grid’s top feature is its collection of 50+ customizable templates. You are likely to find exactly what you need in this selection, but if not, you can put Essential Grid’s visual skin editor to good use to create the layout you have in mind.
Essential grid is a great destination for designers of blogs, portfolios, and galleries. A well-chosen layout with special effects can produce results like those shown in Essential Grids Grant Fuhr blog grid for WordPress demo, to results that can be absolutely mind blowing.
• Special features include:
A Drag and Drop Builder: when you are tasked with building a gallery in minutes.
Coding: For those (most of you) who are not in the business of building things from scratch, you can create any gallery design you have in mind without writing any code.
Grid Layouts: Impressive, even masonry and cobble layouts are available and typically suffice, but you can always design your own.
• Rating: 4.85 out of 5 on Trustpilot
• Client Feedback: “Rashid is the reason! He did an amazing job keeping me informed as to the progress of my ticket issue. He also was successful in fixing the problem quickly!”
In Short: Hongo is a Shopify AI-powered theme that is ideal for any type of business that features a product line or services.
Click anywhere on the video to see this template live.
Hongo’s most popular features are its customization options, although users will tell you that the theme’s overall design quality is quite impressive. Although Hongo lacks AI-specific features, its integration with Shopify gives it access to multiple Shopify AI features. This Hongo Shopify demo is an example of what Hongo can offer its users.
• Update Frequency: 2 or 3 times a year.
• Users Find the Following Features to be of Particular Value:
Product Listings: A multiplicity of creative and user-friendly product listings and product details are available to choose from and implement.
Mobile Bottom Navigation: This feature makes access to search, shop, and cart easily accessible.
• Client feedback: “I recently purchased this theme, and I am really happy with it. It is really a good investment for the price. There are a lot of customization options, features that are not found on other themes and allows you to have a really professional online store. The few problems I had were resolved quickly by the support who responds quickly. It is the best theme I have been able to use so far.”
In Short: WoodMart users love the selection of high-quality demo websites and well-structured design options to work with.
Click anywhere on the video to see this template live.
There’s a Woodmart demo that can help you with any website niche you plan to design. The WoodMart Landing Gadget demo’s appealing yet straightforward layout can be customized to display any product group. All that’s required of you is to have your own content ready, and away you go!
WoodMart excels in projects involving smaller stores, multi-vendor marketplaces, high-volume stores, and creating innovative storefronts. Since it is a WooCommerce theme, you won’t need to search for plugins to help you create your store.
Update Frequency: Monthly
• Key features include:
Custom Shop Layout Builder: This builder is loaded with client-specific and customer-centric shop features.
Performance optimization: settings are located in the easy-to-navigate Theme Settings feature.
Support: The Woodmart team is ready and willing to go to great lengths to give you whatever assistance you may need.
White Label: There is a White Label option for developers.
After exploring this curated list of top AI-driven and professional website-building tools, did you find one (or more) that could elevate your work in 2025?
Striking the perfect balance between creativity and functionality is no small feat – especially with an overwhelming number of tools available. That’s why we’ve narrowed it down to 14 standout options, each carefully selected to help you design and build with greater efficiency and impact.
Why These Tools Matter:
Innovation: AI-driven tools leverage smart prompts to streamline website creation and enhance workflows.
Responsive Design: Build layouts effortlessly optimized for mobile, tablet, and desktop experiences.
Efficiency Boosters: Automate tedious tasks, speed up production, and reduce costs.
Seamless Integrations: Enjoy smooth compatibility between themes, plugins, and design systems.
Limitless Customization: Tailor every detail to align with brand identity and project goals.
Take the next step – dive deeper into the tools that caught your eye, explore their capabilities, and see firsthand how they can refine your design process. Whether you’re looking for automation, flexibility, or cutting-edge AI assistance, these tools are here to push your creative potential further than ever.
Pattern packs are collections of designs you can use to add textures and distinct styles to your projects in Photoshop. They come in the form of .PAT files and allows for quick and easy application of complex patterns and textures to your digital art or graphic design.
The designs in these pattern packs vary, including everything from intricate geometric shapes and elegant floral designs to natural textures like wood grain or fabric. The variety ensures that you can find something to suit your project’s needs. Using pattern packs not only saves you time but will also help improve the finest details of your design, helping you create more engaging and professional-looking work.
In this collection, we share the best free Photoshop pattern packs available for designers and digital artists. They will all be powerful additions to your digital toolkit!
Fabric Pattern Packs for Photoshop
These pattern packs offer a variety of different textiles, such as silk, denim, and cotton. Each pattern will add a realistic effect to your digital art, adding depth and the appearance of actual fabric textures.
Geometric Pattern for Photoshop
These Photoshop pattern packs include everything from basic grids to intricate mosaics. They are perfect for projects that need a structured and contemporary aesthetic.
Paper Pattern Packs for Photoshop
Ranging from smooth, high-quality stationery to rough, recycled paper, these Photoshop pattern packs are ideal for subtle digital art effects and background use.
Retro Pattern Packs for Photoshop
Influences range from the 1960s to the 1980s, these Photoshop packs feature colorful patterns that are ideal for designs or digital art that want those vibrant design styles from recent decades.
Wood Pattern Packs for Photoshop
From polished to weathered appearances, these wood Photoshop patterns offer a natural, earthy backdrop that can warm any design and introduce an element of nature.
Subtle Pattern Packs for Photoshop
These Photoshop patterns are light and understated, perfect for adding a fine texture without dominating other design elements. They are best suited for digital art where a hint of detail is necessary without being overpowering.
Flora Pattern Packs for Photoshop
These Photoshop pattern packs include realistic floral designs and stylized interpretations. They are ideal for projects looking for a gentle, natural, or romantic touch.
Grungy Pattern Packs for Photoshop
Offering a rugged, worn look, these Photoshop patterns will add an aged look and feel to your projects. With their faded and rough textures, they are perfect for creating a strong, vintage impression.
Vintage Pattern Packs for Photoshop
These patterns bring the elegance of old-fashioned designs reminiscent of past textiles and artworks. They are excellent for projects that need a historical or classic touch.
Stripes Pattern Packs for Photoshop
From wide, bold bands to narrow lines, these striped Photoshop patterns can create a sense of order and rhythm, making them useful in many different design or digital art contexts.
When it comes to Photoshop, there is no shortage of free, high-quality resources. Brushes, patterns and actions are some of the most popular resources for Photoshop.
However, patterns, actions, and brushes are not the only resources available for Photoshop. There are also custom shapes.
Although not as popular as brushes, custom shapes deserve a spot among the must-have resources in your design library. The benefit of using custom shapes is that you can scale them to large sizes without any loss of quality. On top of that, custom shapes allow you to edit their color or layer style, making them more versatile than brushes.
You can also easily create your own custom shapes and save them for later use. However, creating custom shapes from scratch is time-consuming, especially when you have a design deadline looming. That’s when using pre-designed custom shapes for Photoshop comes into play.
We’ve rounded up the best free custom shapes for Photoshop here. You’ll find custom shapes for silhouettes, martial arts, flowers, and more. The best part? They are all free to use in your design projects.
So, without further ado, check out the custom shapes below and get ready to upgrade your design library with some quality resources.
100 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 12 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 25 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 200 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 9 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 100 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 7 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 20 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 11 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 12 Photoshop CSH Shapes
50 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 45 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 9 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 55 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 4 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 46 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 10 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 15 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 12 Photoshop CSH Shapes
60 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 35 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 8 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 19 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 64 Photoshop CSH Shapes
(Free, 7 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 6 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 29 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 12 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 21 Photoshop CSH Shapes
Free to Download, 77 Photoshop CSH Shapes
How to Import Custom Patterns into Photoshop
Here’s a quick tutorial on how to import patterns into Photoshop.
Download and unzip the Photoshop pattern you want to use
Launch Photoshop and go to Edit > Presets > Export/Import Presets.
Locate the folder with your Photoshop pattern and click Open.
Double-click the file pattern you wish to import and then press the Import Presets
Once the process is finished, your patterns will be ready to use
WordPress theme development has evolved. There are now two distinct paths for building your perfect theme.
So-called “classic” themes continue to thrive. They’re the same blend of CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and PHP we’ve used for years. The market is still saturated with and dominated by these old standbys.
Block themes are the new-ish kid on the scene. They aim to facilitate design in the browser without using code. Their structure is different, and they use a theme.json file to define styling.
What hasn’t changed is the desire to build full-featured themes quickly. Thankfully, tools and frameworks exist to help us in this quest – no matter which type of theme you want to develop. They provide a boost in one or more facets of the process.
Let’s look at some of the top open-source WordPress theme development tools and frameworks on the market. You’re sure to find one that fits your needs.
Block themes move design and development into the browser. Thus, it makes sense that Create Block Theme is a plugin for building custom block themes inside WordPress.
You can build a theme from scratch, create a theme based on your site’s active theme, create a child of your site’s active theme, or create a style variation. From there, you can export your theme for use elsewhere. The plugin is efficient and intuitive. Be sure to check out our tutorial for more info.
TypeRocket saves you time by including advanced features into its framework. Create post types and taxonomies without additional plugins. Add data to posts and pages using the included custom fields.
A page builder and templating system help you get the perfect look. The pro version includes Twig templating, additional custom fields, and more powerful development tools.
Gantry’s unique calling card is compatibility with multiple content management systems (CMS). Use it to build themes for WordPress, Joomla, and Grav. WordPress users will install the framework’s plugin and one of its default themes, then work with Gantry’s visual layout builder.
The tool provides fine-grained control over the look and layout of your site. It uses Twig-based templating and supports YAML configuration. There are plenty of features for developers, but you don’t need to be one to use the framework.
Unyson is a popular WordPress theme framework that has stood the test of time (10+ years). It offers a drag-and-drop page builder and extensions for adding custom features. They let you add sidebars, mega menus, breadcrumbs, sliders, and more.
There are also extensions for adding events and portfolio post types. There’s also an API for building custom theme option pages. It’s easy to see why this one continues to be a developer favorite.
You can use Redux to speed up the development of WordPress themes and custom plugins. This framework is built on the WordPress Settings API and helps you build full-featured settings panels. For theme developers, this means you can let users change fonts, colors, and other design features within WordPress (it also supports the WordPress Customizer).
Available extensions include color schemes, Google Maps integration, metaboxes, repeaters, and more. It’s another well-established choice that several commercial theme shops use.
Kirki is a plugin that helps theme developers build complex settings panels in the WordPress Customizer. It features a set of custom setting controls for items such as backgrounds, custom code, color palettes, images, hyperlinks, and typography.
The idea is to speed up the development of classic themes by making it easier to set up options. Kirki encourages developers to go the extra mile in customization.
Get a Faster Start On Your Theme Project
The idea of what a theme framework should do is changing. Perhaps that’s why we’re seeing a lot of longtime entries going away. It seems like the ones that survive are predicated on minimizing the use of custom code.
Developers are expecting more visual tools these days. Drag-and-drop is quickly replacing hacking away at a template with PHP. We see it happening with a few of the options in this article.
Writing custom code still has a place and will continue to be a viable option. But some frameworks are now catering to non-developers. That opens up a new world of possibilities for aspiring themers.
If your goal is to speed up theme development, then any of the above will do the trick. Choose the one that fits your workflow and enjoy the benefits of a framework!
WordPress Development Framework FAQs
What Are WordPress Development Frameworks?
They are a set of pre-built code structures and tools used for developing WordPress themes. They offer a foundational base to work from that will help to streamline the theme creation process.
Who Should Use WordPress Frameworks?
These frameworks are ideal for WordPress developers, both beginners and experienced, who want a simple, reliable, and efficient starting point for creating custom themes.
How Do Open-Source Frameworks Simplify WordPress Theme Creation?
They offer a structured, well-tested base, reducing the amount of code you need to write from scratch, which will lead to quicker development and fewer errors.
Are Open-Source Frameworks Suitable for Building Advanced WordPress Themes?
Yes, they are robust enough to support the development of highly advanced and feature-rich WordPress themes.
Do Open-Source Frameworks Offer Support and Community Input?
Being open-source, these frameworks often have active communities behind them. You can access community support, documentation, and collaborative input.
Glow effects are a staple of design. They add to the aesthetic and create a mood. Everything from a buzzing neon sign to a sci-fi thriller movie comes to mind.
The web is a perfect medium to take advantage of them. We can use them to enhance large presentations. Glow effects are also at home on small micro-interactions like hovering on a button. They’re incredibly versatile.
Crafting these effects can be as simple as using CSS. Want to kick things up a notch? JavaScript libraries like GSAP will get you there. Either way, the possibilities are immense.
Speaking of possibilities, let’s explore a collection of radiant glow effects. Each snippet has something unique to offer. They also run the gamut of use cases. Let’s get started!
Neuro Noise Animated Background with GLSL Shader
Created by Ksenia Kondrashova
Talk about creating a spooky vibe! This animated background looks like it came straight out of the X-Files. The presentation is also interactive. Move your pointing device and watch the green glow shift.
Card layouts are endlessly flexible. Here, glow effects are the star of the show. GSAP is used to apply a new color to each card as you scroll. The light and shading make things both mysterious and legible.
A beautiful cobalt glow perfectly compliments a digital clock. Notice how the characters within the shadow change along with the hours, minutes, and seconds. It’s a powerful way to display the time.
Here’s a more practical example of glow effects in action. Choose between a half-dozen different hover effects on this glowing button. Its border progressively lights up with the chosen pattern. It’s a surefire way to get a user’s attention.
Who wants something bubbly to drink? This smooth-scrolling example adds luminescence to the mix. Each virtual smoothie has a color identity of its own. Gradients help give them a glow, while the navigation also sports a hover effect.
Check out the mesmerizing details of this virtual ticket. The lighting-bolt icon features a color-changing effect that looks prismatic. A glass-like style ties the entire presentation together.
This animation offers a haunting retro look. The pulsing gray glow gives a sense of moving through space at high speeds. We’re not sure where this spaceship is going. But it looks like we’ll get there quickly.
Here’s an example of how glow effects can dress up a page. Soft colors appear behind the hero text and buttons. They’re little details that add personality to otherwise generic elements.
Glow effects are the perfect finishing touch to a component. They make even small elements stand out. We can also use them to improve the user experience (UX).
CSS has come a long way in making these effects easy to implement. Plus, adding a bit of JavaScript can help you create something immersive.
The examples above demonstrate the possibilities. Hopefully, they inspire you to use glow effects in new ways!
If you want to see even more glow effect snippets, check out our CodePen collection.
WordPress and social media are a powerful combination. And there are plenty of ways to integrate platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, or TikTok into your website. You can display social content on your site, allow users to share your content, or add functionality like social logins.
The social platform landscape is also changing. The Fediverse makes it easier to integrate with services like Mastodon or Bluesky. It allows you to publish in multiple places via a unified protocol. The WordPress ecosystem has embraced this model.
Social media’s importance is evident in the number of available plugins. You’ll find options for top platforms that offer a variety of functions. There’s something available for every niche.
With that in mind, let’s look at some top social media plugins for WordPress!
ActivityPub turns your WordPress website into a federated profile. It publishes your content to multiple platforms that support the Fediverse (Mastodon, among others). Followers will then see your blog posts in their feeds. The neat aspect is that your profile name is consistent across federated platforms.
Users follow you on the service of their choice and enjoy your content. It’s a great way to nurture an online community.
This plugin solves a longstanding problem for those posting to multiple social networks. It combines your Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter/X profiles into an attractive grid layout embedded on your site. It creates better awareness of your profiles and ensures users won’t miss anything.
AddToAny is a longtime favorite that makes it easy for visitors to share your content. It works with every social platform you can imagine – there’s also an option to share via email. In addition, you can customize the design and location of the plugin’s sharing UI. This plugin is perfect for taking full control of social sharing.
Open Graph is a protocol for sharing rich content on social platforms like Facebook and Twitter/X. This plugin allows you to customize the Open Graph tags generated by your content.
Thus, content looks how you want when embedded into social media. The plugin works with all WordPress content and integrates with WooCommerce, Yoast SEO, and others.
Posting links to your content across multiple platforms is a pain. Blog2Social makes it easier by automating the process.
The free version works with Bluesky, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and more. There’s also an add-on that works with Twitter/X and a premium version with advanced features. It turns a tedious task into a piece of cake.
WP Social is a suite of tools for adding social media to your WordPress website. First, you’ll find sharing buttons that work with a selection of social platforms. You can customize the layout and services displayed.
A social counter shows how many times your content was shared on a particular service. Lastly, a social login/registration function lets users create an account using one of nine compatible services (Facebook, GitHub, Google, etc.). It may be the only social plugin you need.
You can use Jetpack Social to automate content sharing and increase engagement. Share posts and WooCommerce products automatically and use the included scheduling tools to choose the perfect timing.
The plugin integrates with multiple services and adds helpful tools to the Block Editor. If you have a Jetpack Social plan, you’ll have access to the social image generator feature.
Here’s a plugin that helps spread the word about your WooCommerce products. It adds a custom set of social sharing icons to individual product pages.
Here are options for icon placement, shape, and order. There’s also a handy “copy to clipboard” option so users can grab your product’s URL. The pro version includes a “floating” icon bar, tooltips, and more.
Video creators will love Feeds for YouTube. It’s a tool for easily embedding a YouTube channel into your WordPress website. You can customize the look of your feed and even display multiple feeds.
The plugin will check for new videos hourly (or choose a custom interval), so your site will always show the latest content. The Pro version adds compatibility with live broadcasts via the YouTube Live API.
Use AdTribes to expand the reach of your WooCommerce store. The plugin creates product feeds that integrate with services like Facebook and Google. Filtering options let you choose which products and what product data is included in your feed. Now, customers can view your products right from their social feeds.
Seamlessly Add Social Media to WordPress
Integrating social media into your website has real benefits. For example, embedding a feed adds dynamic content and builds awareness. Even better is that feeds are relatively simple to set up. From there, it’s smooth sailing.
The other big benefit is the opportunity to add functionality. Social logins make it easier for users to register for your site. And product feeds entice users to visit your online shop.
The idea is to reach people where they are. The options above (and the untold number of other social plugins) help you do so. The possibilities are almost limitless.
Social Media WordPress Plugin FAQs
What Are Social Media Plugins for WordPress?
They’re plugins that allow you to connect your WordPress site with various social media platforms. They offer sharing buttons, auto-posting to social media, and allowing you to display your social feeds on your site.
Who Should Use Social Media Plugins?
They’re perfect for website owners who want to improve their social media presence, like bloggers, businesses, and online retailers, or anyone looking to increase their site’s engagement through social media.
Can Social Media Plugins Help in Growing My Site’s Audience?
Yes, by making sharing effortless and displaying your social activity, these plugins can attract more visitors and encourage them to interact with your content.
If you want to add unique elements to your illustrations or take your digital art to a higher level, Illustrator brushes are what you need. Despite the popularity of Illustrator, finding the perfect brush pack can be time-consuming, especially when compared to the multitude of brushes available for Photoshop.
Illustrator brushes can add creative elements to your artwork that would be difficult to achieve manually. They allow you to quickly add textures, patterns, shapes, and lines to improve your designs and make your projects stand out.
We’ve curated this collection of the best high-resolution brush packs for Illustrator to save you time and effort. Within this collection, you’ll find a diverse range of free Illustrator brushes in various styles, including brush, stipple, grunge, vintage, doodles, and many more.
Free to Download, 19 Illustrator Brushes
This free set consists of ten hand-drawn Illustrator brushes that will add a vintage touch to your illustrations. Perfect for retro-inspired posters, website banners, and social media graphics.
330 Illustrator Brushes
This pack is a must-have for any project. This huge collection of Illustrator brushes contains over 330 strokes, speech bubbles, swooshes, splashes, and tons of other high-resolution drawings and paintings.
Free to Download, 29 Illustrator Brushes
With the Preppy Art Illustrator Brushes Kit, you can add a touch of elegance to your work. This free set includes 24 high-quality brushes, each with a preppy, sophisticated look and feel. These brushes are perfect for adding delicate details and subtle textures.
42 Illustrator Brushes
This set of Illustrator brushes includes 42 watercolor brushes and a bonus set of 42 black pattern brushes. You can easily use them to create mandalas, wreaths, or borders.
Free to Download, 40 Illustrator Brushes
If you’re looking to add a naive charm to your designs, then look no further than this free chunky texture brush set. There are a total of 40 wax crayon brushes in the free pack. You can also use this brush pack in Affinity Designer.
50 Illustrator Brushes
As well as including 50 Illustrator brushes, this pack also comes with seamless patterns. With this Illustrator brush pack, you can make simple illustrations look beautiful.
Free to Download, 12 Illustrator Brushes
This free set has 12 high-quality Illustrator brushes that will add a realistic spray paint effect to your designs. Perfect for creating edgy artwork such as graffiti-style posters, punk rock album covers, and urban landscapes.
44 Illustrator Brushes
This set of 44 Illustrator brushes is perfect for any primitive-looking artwork or childlike drawings. You’ll find various elements that are easy to apply and edit to suit the needs of your project.
Free to Download, 20 Illustrator Brushes
This free Illustrator texture package includes ten spray and ten hatch brushes. These brushes allow you to create volume and shadowing, highlight details, and point out composition elements.
Free to Download, 35 Illustrator Brushes
Are you working on a design project for a chemistry lab? This set includes scatter shader brushes, textured and clear line brushes, grain and stipple brushes, and, as a bonus, retro texture brushes for Photoshop.
Free to Download, 25 Illustrator Brushes
This brush pack features a lovely collection of floral pattern brushes for Illustrator. You’ll find 25 pattern brushes and 25 individual illustrations for your projects.
Free to Download, 5 Illustrator Brushes
Consider this free pack for Illustrator if you need a unique vector brush for a fashion or beauty project. The pack contains five individual brushes and is free for personal and commercial use.
56 Illustrator Brushes
This pack includes a set of 56 various Illustrator brushes, including stipple brushes, chalk and pastel, ink, flourish, patterns, and more. The download also contains four distressed stipple seamless vector swatches.
Free to Download, 5 Illustrator Brushes
This brush pack includes a hand-drawn rope brush that’s perfect for any design. You can easily adjust the width of the rope and change its color. The brush set is free for personal and commercial projects.
30 Illustrator Brushes
This brush pack is a perfect choice if you need to give your illustrations a real-life hand-drawn feel. The free pack contains 30 brushes with infinite lengths.
Free to Download, 10 Illustrator Brushes
These ten free texture brushes will allow you to add depth to your illustrations. They’re perfect for adding realism to your work.
Free to Download, 38 Illustrator Brushes
Try this floral watercolor brush pack if you’re working on a wedding project. These brushes can create unique backgrounds or trims for wedding invitations. The free package contains 38 brushes, and they can be used in personal and commercial projects.
Free to Download, 4 Illustrator Brushes
With the help of this doodle brush pack, you’ll be able to create unique wreaths and borders. The package contains four different brushes, and you can easily change the colors to match the project you’re working on.
Free to Download, 5 Illustrator Brushes
Consider this brush pack of halftone vector brushes to add a grungy feel to your digital art. The package includes five brushes, and can be used in both your personal and commercial projects.
Free to Download, 4 Illustrator Brushes
If you’re trying to achieve a printed look for your design project, then this brush pack is the perfect choice. The package contains four brushes that give your artwork a “jagged edge” printed look.
Free to Download, 140 Illustrator Brushes
Finding high-quality gradients for Illustrator can be challenging. With this set, you will no longer find yourself lacking. The pack comes with 140 free brushes.
Free to Download, 64 Illustrator Brushes
This set contains 64 high-quality brushes of marker pen strokes and scribbles. You can use them in both personal and commercial projects, and attribution is not required.
Free to Download, 16 Illustrator Brushes
This is another excellent set for adding a hand-drawn feel to your designs. You’ll find various doodle lines and can freely use them in any personal project.
Free to Download, 8 Illustrator Brushes
This set of 8 furry brushes is perfect for any design project featuring pets and animals. The brushes are free for personal use and work best when applied gradually in different tones.
Free to Download, 10 Illustrator Brushes
Add a unique touch to your designs with this free urban square brush pack. These brushes can be used in personal and commercial projects, with attribution appreciated but not required.
Free to Download, 30 Illustrator Brushes
If you want to add an etched or vintage look to your designs, check out this shading brush pack for Illustrator. It contains 30 different free brushes that can be easily applied using the brush, pencil, or line tool.
Free to Download, 8 Illustrator Brushes
These grunge brushes are perfect for adding a grungy aesthetic to your artwork. The pack contains various brushes for personal and commercial projects.
How to Install Brushes in Illustrator
Installing Illustrator brushes is a straightforward process, here’s how to do it:
Download Brushes: Download one (or all) of the brush sets from this collection, or you can create your own. Brushes often come in AI, EPS, or ABR file formats.
Locate Brushes Folder: Open Illustrator and go to the Brushes panel (Window > Brushes). Select Open Brush Library in the panel menu and then choose Other Library.
Import Brushes: Navigate to the downloaded file and select the corresponding brush. Click Open to import the brushes.
Organize Brushes: After importing, the brushes will appear in the Brushes panel. You can now create new brush libraries and organize brushes into categories for easier access.
How to Use Brushes in Illustrator
Illustrator brushes offer many creative possibilities and can add depth and texture to your illustrations, designs, and artwork. Here’s how to use them:
Select Brush Tool: Choose the Brush Tool from the Tools panel on the left.
Select Brush: In the Brushes panel, select the brush you want to use. You can preview the brush strokes by hovering over the brushes.
Adjust Brush Settings: Customize the brush settings using the Brush Options panel (Window > Brush Settings) to control the size, opacity, color, and more.
Start Drawing: Click and drag on the artboard to create brush strokes. Experiment with pressure, speed, and direction for different effects.
Change Stroke Color: You can change the stroke color of the brush by selecting the stroke and using the Color panel.
Modify Strokes: After creating a brush stroke, you can modify its appearance using the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke) to adjust stroke weight, style, and more.
Expand Appearance (Optional): If you want to convert the brush strokes into editable paths, you can select the strokes and go to Object > Expand Appearance.
How to Create Your Own Illustrator Brushes
Creating your own Illustrator brushes allows you to add unique textures, patterns, and strokes to your designs. Here’s how to create custom brushes in Adobe Illustrator:
Design Your Element: Create the design, shape, or pattern that you want to turn into a brush. This could be a line, texture, scatter of objects, or even calligraphy.
Select and Define: Select the artwork you want to turn into a brush and open the Brushes panel (Window > Brushes).
New Brush: In the Brushes panel menu, choose New Brush. A dialog box will appear with different brush types: Scatter, Art, Pattern, or Calligraphic.
Choose Brush Type: Select the brush type that matches your artwork. Each type has unique properties for applying the brush stroke.
Brush Options: Customize the brush settings based on the brush type you selected. Adjust settings like size, spacing, angle, and scattering.
Preview and Name: Click OK to create the brush. You’ll see a preview of the brush stroke. Give your brush a descriptive or memorable name.
Save and Use: Click OK again to save the brush, and it will appear in the Brushes panel and be ready to use.
Mastering transition effects can take your videos to the next level. Whether creating an intro, a slideshow, or needing to add flair to your project, understanding and knowing the most popular transition effects is a hugely important area of the video creation process.
Transitions are a way to smoothly blend or animate between different elements, layers, or scenes in a video or motion graphics project. They help create a seamless flow between scenes, making the video visually appealing and engaging.
This article explores and shares After Effects tutorials of the most popular transition effects, including wipe, dissolve, mask, zoom, and many more. Additionally, we’ll share some valuable tips for choosing and using these transition effects in your videos.
Wipe transitions offer a seamless way to transition from one scene to another. You can create professional transitions that capture your audience’s attention with options like linear, radial, or gradient wipes.
Linear wipes, as the name suggests, provide a smooth and linear movement, while radial wipes add a circular or elliptical motion. Gradient wipes offer a gradual blending of colors for a seamless transition.
This After Effects tutorial will show how to create simple wipe transitions in After Effects. You can also download the free project files and presets that accompany the video.
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Dissolve Transitions in After Effects
Dissolve transitions give you a smooth and gradual shift between scenes. By fading out one scene while simultaneously fading in the next, you can achieve a subtle transition that maintains the flow and continuity of your video.
This gradual blending creates a seamless connection between scenes, improving the overall viewing experience for your audience. With dissolve transitions, you can achieve a polished and professional look while providing a smooth transition from one moment to the next.
Dissolve Transition After Effects Tutorial
Learn how to create a smooth dissolve transition by keyframing the opacity property of two video clips. Download the free project files for reference, and follow along to master the dissolve transition effect.
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Mask Transitions in After Effects
Mask transitions offer a way to reveal or conceal parts of your video. Using shapes or custom masks, you can create intriguing transitions that draw the viewer’s attention to specific elements or objects within your scenes.
With mask transitions, you have the creative freedom to control the visibility of specific areas, adding a layer of interest and focus. Whether it’s a gradual or a sudden reveal, mask transitions offer a way to push the storytelling forward.
In this After Effects tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a ‘Walk By Transition’ using simple masks. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, this quick-start guide will teach you how to achieve smooth masking transitions in no time.
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Zoom Transitions in After Effects
Zoom transitions bring a sense of depth to your videos by zooming in or out of a particular area or subject. This transition effect allows you to emphasize details or smoothly transition between different perspectives.
Whether you want to draw attention to a specific element or provide a seamless transition between scenes, zoom transitions offer a versatile method for creating impact.
Learn to create a smooth zoom transition in After Effects in just under 2 minutes! With this tutorial, you’ll swiftly learn the concept of zoom transitions and be able to create and incorporate them into your own videos.
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Blur Transitions in After Effects
Blur transitions create a dreamy and cinematic look by applying a blur effect during scene transitions. This effect can add a touch of elegance to your video.
By temporarily blurring the visuals, blurs help soften cuts between scenes, creating a seamless transition. They serve as a bridge, guiding the viewer from one scene to the next with a subtle effect.
By following along with this After Effects tutorial, you’ll learn the techniques to achieve stunning results with zoom blur transitions.
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Glitch Transitions in After Effects
Glitch transitions can add an edgy feel to your videos, giving them technological intrigue and excitement. Using digital glitches, distortions, or VHS effects, you can create stunning transitions that will captivate the viewer.
These transitions mimic the aesthetic of technical malfunctions or digital artifacts, lending a unique and dynamic effect to your video. Glitch transitions are particularly effective when you want to create a futuristic or experimental feel or a sense of disruption or transformation within your video.
This AE tutorial teaches you how to create a custom glitch transition without plugins. With this short video tutorial, you can expand your editing capabilities and add an exciting element to your videos.
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Fade Transitions in After Effects
Fade transitions offer a smooth way to transition between video scenes. They add an elegant and cohesive touch to video projects, whether narrative, promotional, or music videos.
With a fade-in, the next scene gradually emerges as opacity increases, maintaining flow and coherence. A fade-out smoothly transitions the current scene out of view by reducing opacity.
In this tutorial, you’ll be taken through the simple steps of creating a fade effect (fade-in and fade-out) at the beginning and end of a video clip. You don’t need any prior knowledge of After Effects for this tutorial.
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Textured Transitions in After Effects
Textured transitions bring a unique and artistic touch to videos. By overlaying textures or patterns during transitions, you can create rich effects. Whether grunge, film grain, or abstract shapes, textures can add depth to your videos.
Timing and duration are key to ensuring a seamless transition. Experiment with blending modes, opacity, and layering techniques to achieve the desired impact.
Textured Transition After Effects Tutorial
This tutorial will show you how to create textured transitions, learning how to use texture and grit to improve the quality of your motion design videos.
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Push Transitions in After Effects
Push transitions give you a dynamic method to transition between scenes. By sliding or pushing the frames in a specific direction, this effect adds a sense of movement and energy to your videos.
The speed and direction of the push transition can add to the impact. A fast push creates a more dramatic effect, while a slower push offers a smoother transition.
Push Transition After Effects Tutorial
In this tutorial, learn how to create a stunning push wipe transition in After Effects. You will be able to master the technique in under 5 minutes!
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Ripple Transitions in After Effects
Ripple transitions can add a touch of magic to your videos by creating a ripple effect that expands or contracts across the screen, revealing the next scene.
The ripple effect can add a sense of wonder to your video, making it particularly suitable for fantasy, surrealist, or imaginative themes. With ripple transitions, you can add an extra layer of intrigue.
Ripple Transition After Effects Tutorial
This After Effects tutorial will show you how to create an initial ripple and then how to animate it for maximum impact. These techniques will teach you how to add depth, motion, and energy to your videos.
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Tear Transitions in After Effects
Tear transitions provide a dramatic effect by simulating the tearing or ripping of the screen to reveal the next scene. This transition adds a sense of intensity to your videos, making them a powerful choice for storytelling or dramatic sequences.
As the screen tears apart, it creates an attention-grabbing effect, heightening the impact of the transition. Tear transitions can convey moments of conflict, revelation, or transformation, pushing the narrative forward and potentially creating an emotional response from the audience.
With step-by-step instructions, this After Effects tutorial takes a straightforward approach to incorporating torn paper transitions effect into any video editing project.
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Tips for Choosing & Using Transition Effects
When selecting transition effects for your video, consider the tone and mood you want to convey. Choose transitions that align with your video’s overall style and theme, ensuring they complement the atmosphere.
While variety can be appealing, avoid using too many different transition effects within a single video. Maintaining consistency in your transitions is important for a polished and professional look. Stick to a select few that work well together and serve the purpose of your video.
Experimenting with the timing and duration of your transitions can impact your video’s pacing. Adjust the speed and length to create the desired impact, whether a quick transition or a slower, more gradual shift.
Don’t be afraid to combine multiple transition effects for added creativity. Layering different effects or using them in conjunction can at times produce stunning results. Experiment with blending transitions to create custom effects.
The right transition can create a more engaging and memorable experience for your viewers.
Transitions in After Effects FAQs
What are Transition Effects in After Effects?
They are dynamic animations that connect different scenes or clips.
Do I Need Any Special Plugins to Create Transitions in After Effects?
While After Effects has a robust set of built-in tools, some specific transition effects might require additional plugins.
What Should I Do If My Transition Effects Are Not Rendering Properly?
Check your render settings and ensure all layers and effects are set up correctly. Sometimes, simplifying the effect or pre-rendering parts of your composition can help.
Are There Any Trends in Transition Effects I Should Be Aware Of?
Transition trends often reflect current design styles. Recently, seamless, fluid transitions and those incorporating 3D elements have been popular.
How Important is the Duration of a Transition Effect?
The duration of a transition is crucial. It should match the pace of your video and the emotion you want to convey. Too quick might be jarring, and too slow might drag the pace.
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Learning Transitions in After Effects
Mastering these popular transition effects in After Effects is a valuable skill for video creators. Understanding and using them can significantly improve the quality and impact of your videos.
Remember to choose transition effects that align with your video’s theme, experiment with timing, and maintain consistency throughout. With these transition effects, you’ll be well on your way to creating captivating videos that will leave a lasting impression on your audience.
