When you need to have a few photos retouched, whether it’s for personal or professional use, you may be wondering who to call. You know that graphic designers and photographers work with many of the same programs and skill sets, so you may be wondering if you can contact a graphic designer for photo editing services.

In general, graphic designers do not offer photo editing. While some may be able to edit your photos because they work with many of the same programs as photographers, a graphic designer should not be your first call. Instead, ask a photographer to retouch your photos.

Below, we will discuss more information regarding graphic designers and photo editing services. Keep reading to learn who to call!

Do Graphic Designers Edit Photos?

You may have taken some photos on your own or have some old family photos that you would like to have professionally edited. While you may be considering calling a graphic designer for this service, this is generally not your best bet.

Some graphic designers provide photo editing services on the side, but photo editing is generally not a part of graphic design. Photographers and graphic designers tend to work with similar programs, such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, but a graphic designer should not be the first person you go to if you need photo editing services.

Graphic designers are more likely to offer photo manipulation services than traditional photo editing services. Photo manipulation is a more creative process than photo editing. It may include combining multiple images into one, or adding new elements and advanced special effects. If this is more in line with what you’re looking for, ask your graphic designer if they can manipulate your photos instead of editing them.

Graphic design is a broad field in the digital art industry. It usually involves creating an image from scratch. Photo editing, on the other hand, is the process of taking existing photos and adjusting different aspects to give them a higher quality feel or look more appealing.

What Do Graphic Designers Do?

In general, graphic design covers a wide range of art created on a computer or tablet. This may include vector illustrations, digital artwork, or any other type of design created using a digital program. Some types of work that graphic designers do include:

• Logos
• Posters
• Banners
• Brochures
• Advertisements

Graphic designers create their designs from scratch, often using programs like Adobe Photoshop or CorelDRAW, and now even Placeit.net. They may work in print media, website design, or digital advertising. Some graphic designers work within a particular branch of their field, while others are open to all sorts of projects, depending on what a client needs.

Overall, the goals of a graphic designer include creating something visually-unique for digital use. Depending on the project, this may be for promotional, informative, or decorative purposes.

Who Deals with Photo Editing?

As we discussed above, some graphic designers will offer photo editing or photo manipulation services to clients. However, you probably will not have much luck contacting a graphic designer for these purposes. Instead, you should ask a photographer or professional photo retouching service to provide these services.

When you hire a professional photographer to take photos for you, they will typically provide light edits of their shots at no additional charge. If the photographer works with an assistant, the assistant may be the person who edits your photos instead.

Your photographer will probably adjust the photos’ contrast levels, saturation, exposure, and retouch blemishes for free. If you want more advanced edits, such as masks, filters, or certain objects removed from the image, the photographer will likely charge extra.

If you have older family photos that have seen a lot of wear and tear over the years, or if you want an existing photo retouched for personal or professional purposes, there are a few different people who you can ask to do so.

If you have older family photos that have seen a lot of wear and tear over the years, or if you want an existing photo retouched for personal or professional purposes, there are a few different people who you can ask to do so. Look online or ask friends or family members if they can recommend someone. Keep in mind that, although photographers will often edit photos they took for free, they will charge you a fee to edit older photos or photos they did not shoot.

The Difference Between Graphic Designers and Photo Editors

While the skill sets required for graphic designers and photo editors are similar, photo editing is generally not a part of a graphic designer’s job description. Some graphic designers may offer photo editing services, but they are not the first people you should contact when you need a few photos retouched. Instead, get in contact with a local photographer or look online for a photo editing specialist.