Graphic Artist vs. Graphic Designer: What's the difference?

Graphic art vs. graphic design is a long-standing debate that still intrigues people. While some believe the two overlap, others say they are entirely different. 

So, what exactly is the difference between the two?

Simply put, graphic designers design creative visual solutions by strategically combining text, images, and graphic elements for effective visual communication. On the other hand, graphic artists create visuals that communicate emotions, stories, or ideas through illustrations, characters, cartoons, and more. 

Here, we will walk you through the significant differences and similarities between the two roles. Also, you’ll learn about the required qualifications, expected salary, and job market trends for both roles. 

What Exactly Does a Graphic Artist Do?

You must have encountered graphic illustrations, cartoon characters, and graphic arts pages on social media at some point. Sure, they look creative, attention-grabbing, and highly engaging, and that’s precisely what graphic artists do. 

According to the definition of graphic artist, they’re creative professionals or commercial artists who create fine art using artistic principles—whether abstract or novel. They may use various digital tools, software, and techniques like photography, painting, sketching, hand drawing, and more. These digital artworks could include:

• Illustrations

• Cartoons

• Characters

• Digital sketches

• Book covers

• Digital music album covers

• Storyboards

• Comic strips

• Art for commercial ads

Graphic artists may use unconventional design principles, and their artwork may include various dialogue, stylistic elements, or activities to engage viewers. They can create artwork manually on a computer or tablet and publish it in print or digital format. But the selection of devices and publishing mediums depends more on a graphic artist's personal preferences and experiences than viewers’ preferences.

What Are the Similarities Between a Graphic Designer & a Graphic Artist?

Both roles have many similarities that you can’t overlook when it comes to tools, skills, and principles. To begin with, both rely on visuals and start with the word ‘graphic.’ They also work with both print and digital formats. For a better understanding, we’ve broken down some prime similarities for you: 

What Are the Key Differences Between a Graphic Artist & Graphic Designer Role?

Now that we’ve established the similarities, let’s look at some key differences between graphic artists vs. graphic designers. 

One of the primary differences between the two roles is that a graphic artist focuses more on the artistic side of things. They use creativity and imagination to produce original artworks that express their vision or message.

On the contrary, a graphic designer is more focused on the functional side of things. Designers use their skills and knowledge to create designs that communicate a specific idea or purpose. 

To help you understand better, here’s a brief comparison of the differences in both roles:

What are The Qualifications Required to Become a Graphic Artist or Graphic Designer?

After learning about the difference in the roles, which of the two do you prefer as a career option? Whichever role you choose, you must know about the required qualifications to pursue it.

Graphic Artists

Graphic artists don’t necessarily need professional training. They’re independent learners and explore various art forms, techniques, and styling preferences at their own pace. However, if they want to specialize, they can opt to secure a bachelor’s degree in that particular area or fine arts. 

Many people choose to do graphic art as a part-time gig and don’t want to achieve a degree. In that case, they can take certification courses to stay competitive in the industry and keep up with the trends. It could be in any special art techniques like illustrations, character design, animation, and more.  

Graphic artists can take courses in:

• Drawing

• Sketching

• Digital Art

• Video Graphics

• Animation

• Visual Storytelling

• Game Design

• Interactive Digital Media Design

Graphic Designers

To become a graphic designer, having a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or other related courses is the best way to secure a job in the industry. A few degrees that you can pursue are:

• Visual Communication

• Web Design

• Animation

• Marketing and Advertising

But what if you don’t want to pursue graphic design as a full-time career or don’t have the time to complete a degree course? 

In that case, you can take certification courses.

In the digital era, you don’t have to worry about learning. Reputed institutions, like the IxDF, provide design programs that are accessible from anywhere and allow self-paced learning. Some of the popular online courses include:

• Design Principles

• Color Theory and Design Aesthetics

• UI Design

• UX Design

• Commercial Art and Graphics

• Printing Techniques

• Visual Design

• Copywriting

Learn more about design principles in the article | Design Principles by the IxDF

Graphic Artist & Graphic Designer Salaries

Although we’ve covered most of the vital information, one of the critical questions still remains. 

How much can you earn yearly as a graphic artist or graphic designer?

Note that various factors, including location, company, and seniority, influence your average earnings as a graphic artist or designer. However, to give you an idea, in the United States, a graphic artist can earn approximately $54,900 /yr, while a graphic designer earns around $49,450 /yr. As for junior and senior roles, here’s the breakdown:

Notably, graphic designers specializing in UX design earn the most, with an average annual salary of over $110k. If your interests align with the field, you can also consider transitioning from graphic design to other UX roles. Take a master class by Cory Lebson, Principal and Owner – Lebsontech LLC | How to Successfully Change Your Career to UX Design

Job Market Trends

Whether you decide to become a graphic artist or a graphic designer, a career in both disciplines is appealing. The job outlooks of graphic designers may grow five percent by 2026, with 24,800 projected graphic designer job openings in the US every year.

Both graphic artists and designers have plenty of employment options owing to a wide range of uses for design skills. 

However, expecting overnight success is unrealistic. You must keep upskilling yourself for better roles and better pay. As long as you remain motivated, disciplined, and willing to learn as much as possible, you can have a fulfilling career in design. 

Famous Graphic Artists

Both roles have some common ground, artists can be graphic design illustrators, and vice versa. For the same reason, sometimes they’re referred to as graphic design artists. It is not compulsory to have a background in art to be a graphic designer. However, having some artistic experience can help with the following:

• Understanding of color theory

• Understanding form and shape

• Artwork and ideation

You can take inspiration from the top graphic designers of all time to better understand what a graphic design artist is.

1. Chip Kidd

Famous for: Inventive book covers

Based in New York, Chip Kidd is one of the most renowned American graphic artists known for book jacket designs. He’s also famous for helping spawn a revolution in the art of American book packaging in the last ten years.

2. David Carson

Famous for: Pioneering magazine design and usage of experimental typography

Davis Carson is an American graphic designer and art director famous for his tremendous typographic experiments. He won 230 awards for his work in graphic design, photography, advertising, and branding. 

3. Milton Glaser

Famous for: Designing the logo of the century, I ♥ NY

Milton Glaser is a 20th-Century graphic designer renowned for logo designing. Some of his famous artworks include the bullet logo designed for DC Comics and a Bob Dylan poster. 

4. Neville Brody

Famous for: Self-made sans-serif typography, Pop Art, and Dadaism influence

Neville Brody is an English graphic design and art director well known for designing record covers for artists such as Cabaret Voltaire, The Bongos, and Depeche Mode. Also, he is idolized for his major contribution to FUSE, an influential publication on experimental typography.

5. Stefan Sagmeister

Famous for: Album covers of The Rolling Stones, David Byrne, Pat Metheny, and OK Go

Stefan Sagmeister is a renowned Austrian graphic designer and typographer. He is also the co-founder of the famous design firm Sagmeister & Walsh. He has worked as a typographer and graphic designer at advertising agencies and design studios. His inventive CD cover designs landed him 4 Grammy nominations and the National Design Award. Since then, Stefan Sagmeister has helped promote various brands and music. Also, he has worked with diverse clients like HBO, Time Warner, The Guggenheim Museum, and AIGA.

How to Become a Graphic Artist or Graphic Designer

Having learned about the major differences and similarities between graphic artists and designers, you can easily choose the right role based on your interests. With many specializations under the umbrella, the scope for both roles is high. 

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If you have a great eye for detail, creative imagination, or strategic visual communication skills, you can easily make a career in any of the two roles. But remember that the role of graphic design doesn’t end with graphics and visuals. Adding to your skill set is imperative to stay competitive in this highly dynamic industry. 

So, if you’re ready to dip your toe in this industry, apply for our design courses today and amplify your design skills.