I Built a Professional Creative Stack Without Subscriptions - The Roll Out (Deep Dive)

Jan 08, 2026 Comments Roland Taylor (RolandiXor) The Roll Out

This edition is a behind-the-scenes look at how I do professional creative work on Linux with an open-source first pipeline.

Not as a flex, and not as a theoretical “you should”. It is just my real workflow, and it might help if you’ve ever wondered whether open tools can hold up in real client work.

Here’s what you’ll get in this post:

  • the simple flow I follow from idea to delivery
  • the tools I use at each stage, and why they sit where they sit
  • the formats and habits that keep the whole thing portable

If you find it useful, feel free to drop me a comment when you're done reading.

I do all of my client work on Linux, design, writing, photo and video, documents, exports, the lot, without touching my Windows install.

Let's get into it:

Creative Insight: My professional Linux and open-source pipeline

Before the tools, it helps to see the workflow as a system. Each tool reduces friction at one stage so I can spend more energy where it actually matters: thinking, creating, and refining.

A simple diagram of my workflow, from idea → creation → edits → export and delivery.

Most creative work follows the same loop: build, revise, export, deliver. The difference is whether your pipeline is fragile or resilient.

With more people trying to escape the Windows ecosystem and the push toward subscriptions, it's a good time to question two myths at once: that Linux and open-source can't be used for professional work, and that "industry standard" always means "what's most popular" (best-marketed).

One quick note though: this is a pipeline, but it is not a conveyor belt. I move between tools when I need to, but I also use each app on its own merits. Sometimes I’m in one tool for hours and the project is still “in motion”. The pipeline just describes how the pieces connect when I need to hand work off, preserve it, and deliver it cleanly.

The tools in my foundry

A screenshot showing some of my core apps on Linux (Inkscape, Pinta, and Gradia).

Everything here is open-source, and together it covers the lanes I actually need, from vector design to photo work, then into motion, documents, and delivery.

In real life, I typically work from start to finish in Inkscape, then make any raster tweaks I need in GIMP or Pinta. Longer documents happen in LibreOffice, with graphics still built in Inkscape. For photo-heavy work, Darktable is often its own little world.

Vector graphics and illustration

This is where most visual projects begin for me, because working in vector lets me keep the work clean, structured, and scalable.

  • Inkscape: Branding, icons, layouts, diagrams, and vector illustration. Inkscape stays at the centre because SVG is a robust, versatile format, well-supported across platforms, and a true, W3C-backed industry standard.

Raster editing and photo work

Vectors handle structure, but raster tools handle texture, correction, and the messy human parts. These tools come in handy, depending on what kind of edit I’m doing:

  • Darktable: RAW photo editing.
  • GIMP: Heavier edits and compositing.
  • Pinta: Quick adjustments and effects.

Outside of photo work, GIMP and Pinta also come in handy for quick touchups, abstract backdrops, and digital painting when I want a more freeform look.

Video editing and motion

When my visual work needs to be paired with motion, clarity, precision, and pacing matter as much as aesthetic polish.

  • Kdenlive: Video editing and simple motion work.
  • Glaxnimate: Motion graphics that integrates well with Kdenlive.
  • Friction: Motion graphics and animations.
  • Constrict: Compression for specific constraints.

A screenshot showing Darktable and GIMP in action.

3D Graphics

When I need depth, mockups, or props, this is where it comes in.

  • Blender: Stills, previews, and props to composite in other applications.

Screen capture and live streaming

When the work needs to be documented, taught, or recorded, this is the lane.

  • Gradia: Screenshots for tutorials and documentation.
  • OBS Studio: Screen recording, streaming, and live mixing.

Audio

Audio is life, often the difference between “good enough” and “actually watchable”.

Writing and office work

Writing takes equal precedence in my work, whether it's professional documents, guides, decks, invoices, or exports clients can actually use.

Web and design coding

When the deliverable is a site or a build, this is where it lives. Often, more than 90% of my work is done here, in pure web-related code.

Fonts and typography

Type decisions shape everything, so I keep this part simple and reliable.

Backups and collaboration

None of this matters if projects cannot stay organised, survive life's ups and downs, or let me time travel when I need it. Nextcloud does all of these, and a whole lot more, which I'll probably touch on in a future post.

  • Nextcloud: Backup and sync across devices.

  • Fun fact: Our team redesigned the Pinta website using open-source tools. See how we did it here: Pinta Case Study

How do I make this work?

A small graphic showing some of the file formats I rely on

Tools are only half the story. The other half is how you preserve the work, keep it portable, and avoid locking your future self into one vendor or one ecosystem.

My rule is simple: build in open formats, export at the end, and keep the “source” files reusable.

Here are some of the formats that keep my workflow resilient:

  • ODF (ODT/ODS/ODP): documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
  • PDF: delivery and print output that preserves layout.
  • SVG: the backbone of my design assets.
  • PNG: clean exports with transparency.
  • ORA (OpenRaster): layered raster projects.
  • OGG / FLAC: audio editing and archiving.
  • MKV / WebM: recording and web-friendly video.
  • MP4 / MP3: common delivery formats when compatibility matters.

Practical takeaways from my workflow:

This is the distilled version of what makes the whole pipeline hold together.

I centre my work around a single format where possible, eg: SVG for design, ODT for docs. I keep intermediate work flexible, then export deliverables at the end (PDF, PNG, MP4).

My stack stands on my principles

I’ve learned (the hard way) that most creative pain isn’t caused by missing features, but by missing stability:

  • files that only open properly in one app
  • exports you can no longer use
  • projects that fail because you can't afford the software
  • “industry standard” formats that lock you into one ecosystem

Open standards don’t solve every problem, but they prevent a lot of avoidable ones. When your workflow is portable, your work outlives your tools.

I built my stack on the true "industry standards"

A "standard" that requires one company’s paid software for full participation is not a standard, it’s a trap.

So instead of asking “what’s the one best app?”, I built a toolkit where each app is strong in its lane, but they all speak a shared language. The point isn’t purity, it’s resilience.

A website mockup for a site called "BuildUP".

Practical tip: Make your workflow portable

This is the easiest way to start applying the idea, without replacing everything at once.

Whether you’re curious about switching platforms or you're comfortable where you are, you don't have to replace everything at once.

Instead:

  • Pick one creative domain and rebuild that lane first.
  • Choose one or two “default formats” you’ll commit to (example: SVG + PNG, or ODF + PDF).
  • Build a “handoff habit”: export something you could send to a client today.

Confidence comes from repetition. If you keep building in this direction, you can steadily make your workflow more portable and resilient over time.

Around the web

It’s FOSS

If you want to stay in this lane

Working with us

At RolandiXor Media Inc., we blend design and open-source thinking for our clients.

→ rolandixor.pro/services

Elsewhere

Support this work

If this writing has been useful and you’d like to help sustain it:

→ https://ko-fi.com/rolandixor

Thanks for reading.
Catch you in the next Roll Out!
Roland L. Taylor
Roland Taylor (RolandiXor)

Roland Taylor (RolandiXor)

Bringing the human touch to open-source, design, and creative storytelling, with insights and helpful lessons along the way.

Tags:
Share

Comments

Comments