PR professionals aren’t just storytellers anymore; we’re expected to produce the high impact visuals that bring those stories to life. In fact, learning how PR pros create high-impact graphics is becoming an essential part of the job. That’s kind of a tall order and a bit more than we’ve had to do in the past. But PR is evolving, and the profession evolves with it.
So, to kick off our first week of Tool School, we’re putting a spotlight on some genuinely helpful tools and resources PR pros can turn to when they need design impactful visuals; especially when they aren’t really designers themselves.
PRToolFinder’s Graphic Design / Image Libraries category is full of easy-to-use design tools and image resources that meet you where you are whether you need something quick and scrappy or polished and press-ready. In this post, we’ll highlight a few standouts and give you a feel for what’s possible. (And yes, there are more waiting for you in the database.)
The Reality PR Teams Are Working In
From media kits to social posts to pitch decks, the demand is constant:
- Create something polished
- Make it fast
- Keep it on brand
And most of the time? There’s no designer involved.
If that feels familiar, you’re not alone.
In the day-to-day, it often looks like this:
- Spending way too long tweaking slides or layouts
- Reusing visuals you know are a little outdated
- Or skipping graphics altogether—even when you know they’d strengthen your pitch
Yeah, we’ve all been there.
The good news is, this is exactly the gap modern PR tech is starting to fill.
Why This Category Matters More Than Ever
Graphic design tools and image libraries aren’t just “nice to have” anymore—they’ve become part of the core PR toolkit.
They help solve three very real challenges:
Speed — You can go from idea to something usable in minutes—not hours.
Consistency — Templates and brand kits take the guesswork out of staying on brand (especially across teams), and
Credibility — Strong visuals don’t just look better—they help your content land better, whether that’s with media, stakeholders, or your audience.
If you’ve ever felt like your ideas were strong but your visuals didn’t quite match—that’s exactly what these tools help fix.
A Few Things to Look for Before You Choose a Tool
Not all tools are created equal, and you don’t need all of them.
A few things that tend to matter most for PR teams:
- Ease of use (you shouldn’t have to “figure it out” every time)
- Templates that actually look good (this is where the time savings come from)
- Access to images (built-in or integrated libraries are a huge win)
- Brand controls (so everything doesn’t start to drift)
- Clear licensing (especially important for anything going to media)
Think of these as your shortcuts—not just for speed, but for peace of mind.
3 Design Tools PR Pros Are Using Right Now
🟣 Canva (with Pexels & Pixabay)
If you’ve done any DIY design in the last few years, you’ve probably touched Canva. Canva acquired the professional creative suite Affinity in 2024 and made the full suite (Photo, Designer, Publisher) free for users in late 2025 as part of a mission to democratize design tools.
Canva AI is a cloud-based, automated tool aimed at speed and ease of use for non-designers, while Affinity is a professional-grade, locally-hosted creative suite that now integrates Canva’s AI features for advanced design workflows. While Canva owns Affinity and offers it for free, to leverage Canva’s advanced AI features requires a Canva Pro/Business subscription.
What Canva AI does:
An all-in-one design platform that makes it easy to create polished visuals without a design background.
Where it really helps:
Social graphics, press materials, event promotions, branded templates
What’s changed:
With its integration of Pexels & Pixabay image libraries, you can now source images and design in one place—which removes a lot of friction.
Why PR teams keep coming back to it:
It’s fast, intuitive, and gets you from “idea” to “done” without overthinking it.
🟠 Piktochart
This is where things get a bit more strategic.
What it does:
A visual communication tool built for turning information into clear, compelling graphics — think reports, infographics, and data storytelling. A great resource for easily developing powerful visuals with data for media pitching.
Where it shines:
- Thought leadership content
- Research summaries
- Internal or stakeholder reports
- Data-backed media pitches
What makes it different:
It’s less about quick social posts and more about helping you explain something clearly visually.
Why it matters:
PR isn’t just about getting attention—it’s about communicating ideas. When you need to show data, trends, or insights, this is the kind of tool that elevates your work from “informational” to “impactful.”
🔵 Snappa
Snappa is all about speed.
What it does:
A lightweight tool built for quick-turn content.
Best use case:
Social posts, quick graphics, anything you need now
Why people like it:
It removes a lot of the complexity you don’t need. Sometimes that’s exactly the point.
Where Image Libraries Come In
Design tools help you build the asset—but the image itself still matters. A lot.
That’s where image libraries come in. They’re what elevate something from “good enough” to something that actually feels credible and intentional.
Here are a few image resources that span the market and that PR pros tend to rely on:
iStock / Getty Images
- Premium, editorial-quality imagery
- Widely used (and trusted) by media outlets
Best for: Press materials, campaigns, anything high-visibility
Why it matters:
When the stakes are higher, this is where people go for images that hold up.
Freepik
- Graphics, vectors, templates
- More flexibility if you want to customize
Best for: Building something a little more tailored
Why it matters:
It’s a nice middle ground between stock imagery and full custom design.
Unsplash
- Free, high-quality photography
- A more natural, less staged feel
Best for: Blogs, social, thought leadership
Why it matters:
Audiences are pretty good at spotting overly “stocky” images. Unsplash tends to feel more real.
How to Think About Using These Together
You don’t have to overcomplicate this.
- Use design tools when you need to create something quickly and keep it on brand
- Use image libraries when the visual itself needs to carry more weight
- Combine the two when you want the strongest result (which is most of the time)
The Bigger Picture
This is one of those areas where the expectations have quietly shifted.
PR professionals who can:
- Pull together a strong visual quickly
- Support their pitch with the right image
- Keep everything consistent across channels
…aren’t just moving faster—they’re showing up more strategically.
And that’s really the point of all of this.
Not to turn PR people into designers—but to give you the tools that help your work land the way it should.
Check out our new video which dropped this morning to see these tools in action!