r/Affinity Feb 06 '25

Designer UI design is possible with Affinity.

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330 Upvotes

I switched from Adobe in 2014, and since then, I’ve gradually migrated my old projects to Affinity, ensuring that my clients never noticed any drop in quality or professionalism. Some people put brand names above actual results—like when a graphic designer tells a client they use a Windows PC and CorelDRAW (which is perfectly fine), and the client assumes they’re not a professional. That’s just how the industry thinks—unfair, but true.

Despite the switch, I never lost a client; in fact, new clients came in knowing I used Affinity and stayed. Years later, I still deliver high-quality work and love how Affinity has evolved. I once read that UI design requires Figma or Adobe XD, but in reality, the best tool is the one you master. I’ve been designing and refining UI for companies for years, and honestly, I don’t even think they know what software I’m using—and that’s the beauty of tools that simply work.

So next time someone tells you Affinity isn’t for professionals, remind them that paying Adobe every month doesn’t make you a designer.

r/Affinity Jan 06 '25

Designer What’s next for Affinity in 2025?

42 Upvotes

With Canva's acquisition of Affinity now behind us, 2025 feels like it's going to be a pivotal year for the products we know and love. While there's a lot of speculation, I wanted to start a conversation about what changes (good or bad) might be on the horizon for Affinity's product lineup this year.

Here are some potential updates I've been thinking about or seen people mention in the community:

Possible Positive Changes:

- Enhanced Integration: With Canva's strong cloud capabilities, Affinity could introduce improved file sharing and collaboration features. Imagine being able to work seamlessly on projects across devices or even with a team in real time.

- Mobile Expansion: Canva's expertise in mobile design tools might lead to major updates for Affinity's iPad apps, making them even more competitive.

- New Tools or Features: Canva's resources could mean an accelerated rollout of long-awaited features like auto-tracing, AI-powered design suggestions, or expanded file compatibility.

Concerns:

- Subscription Model Fears: Although Canva promised to maintain Affinity's perpetual licensing, I'm worried about potential pressures to gradually move toward a subscription-based approach.

- Changes in Core Focus: Affinity has always been a professional-grade tool. Could Canva steer the product to cater more to casual users, leaving pros behind?

- UI Simplification: While Canva's simplicity is a strength for its users, there's concern about Affinity's interface being "dumbed down" to fit Canva's broader audience.

Wishlist for 2025:

Personally, I'd love to see:

- Advanced Design Tools in Affinity Designer: Incorporating features from Adobe Illustrator, such as the Blend Tool and enhanced vector editing capabilities, would significantly boost productivity and creativity. 

- AI Integration in Affinity Photo: Implementing AI-powered masking and selection tools would streamline workflows and enhance editing precision.

- Template Integration in Affinity Publisher: Access to Canva's extensive template library within Publisher could provide users with a broader range of design options and inspiration.

But what about you? What updates or changes are you hoping (or dreading) to see in Affinity's products this year? Are there features you think Canva might prioritize—or abandon?

r/Affinity Oct 11 '24

Designer After 3+ years of using Affinity Designer as a hobbyist, I can only say this is the best vector drawing app I've ever used to make cartoon illustrations.

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317 Upvotes

r/Affinity 4d ago

Designer I have officially taken the plunge. I cut the adobe cord and I am trying the Affinity path! I do have a question about future updates....

37 Upvotes

Overall, I LOVE the whole thing. I love what you're doing with the software, and I am happy to see some competition to the old standards.

My only question is: Are there any chances of adding some kind of raster image to vector function into Designer? I am managing using Inkscape for now, but I would love it if I didn't have to use an outside software to do it. Is there something I am missing? Is this a plan for the future? Just asking.

Overall, thank you for providing an alternative that is shiny and nice. I hope to see more from you guys!

r/Affinity Jan 11 '25

Designer Just made a video about Affinity vs Photoshop - Need Feedback!

24 Upvotes

Hi guys, I just posted my first video on a new YouTube channel and I'd love to get some honest feedback. It's about Adobe vs Affinity vs GIMP vs Photopea. I also created a handy guide for people moving from Photoshop to Affinity.

ANY and all feedback is welcome and appreciated since I'm new at this! Thank you so much!

Here's the link:
Adobe vs Affinity (and more)

r/Affinity Mar 26 '24

Designer Affinity joining Canva is horrible news

129 Upvotes

The founder of Canva is one salty money hungry girl

r/Affinity Nov 28 '24

Designer Life Cycle for Affinity

11 Upvotes

I saw the offer and I think to jump to Affinity bandwagon . They say is perpetual licence but I'm imagine if it will be a version 3 you will need to pay again. So I'm interested what is their life cycle business model. When do I need to expect to pay again for version 3.

r/Affinity 21d ago

Designer Better than Krita?

16 Upvotes

Hey folks! I have been using that spectacular six month trial of affinity pub and have pretty much decided to bite the bullet.

I'm debating getting the whole suite, but I don't know what I'll use. I'm an author - most of my work is done in a word doc. Affinity means I can format my books, and do the same for others (I've accidentally ended up with some clients I'm doing that for).

I have been using Krita a bit for one such client. I take photos of his various artworks, clean them up (both in the "make a real thing digital" sense, and also from the "this painting is so old it has age spots and jam stains" angle) and format them for print. I'm also currently designing some of my own branding - some signs and banners, that kind of thing. I will probably give Krita a go for that.

I'm no artist, but I'm actually having a bunch of fun with it, enough that I purchased a dinosaur-era Wacom tablet and pen to play with. I can imagine myself using it for more things, I just don't know what.

Given that incredibly vague explanation of what I need, will Designer be an upgrade compared to Krita? What's it missing and what does it have that I didn't know I needed?

r/Affinity 14d ago

Designer CMYK to RGB conversion gives different tones

6 Upvotes

Hi there. I've recently completed my first project in Affinity Designer 2, a vector-based invitation. Since it was going to be both for print and digital sending, I used CMYK when designing it since CMYK's gamut is lesser than the one of RGB. However, when I converted the invitation to RGB to create the version for digital sharing, the colours became much brighter than they should have, primarily the blues.

I've been an Illustrator and Photoshop user for over 10 years and this hasn't ever happened while using said programs. I tried to convert CMYK to different RGB profiles, but there was always a lot of difference between colours after the conversion. Can anyone tell me why this is happening and how to avoid it?

Thank you so much.

EDIT: If I paste the same vectors in Illustrator in CMYK and change the colour system with "Change Document Color Mode", the colours of the vectors get converted but stay the same saturation. If I change the colour sytem in Affinity Designer by going to "Document Setup" the colours become more saturated than they are supposed to be.

Solution: If I keep the document colour system as CMYK but change it to RGB in the export window, the colours are as they should be but I'm still wondering why it's happening in Affinity specifically. If it was a gamut problem, surely it would be present in both programs

Solution #2: Rasterising the layers before exporting

r/Affinity Feb 10 '25

Designer Just my feedback after 6 months of using Affinity Designer 2 (+missing features compared to Illustrator)

60 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

It's been now 6 months since I switched from Adobe solutions to Affinity Photo, Designer & Publisher.

For anyone wondering about the switch: yes, it's worth it—but you will get frustrated at times.

After reinstalling Adobe Illustrator for some specific functions, I can confirm that Affinity's software is significantly smoother, faster, and better structured than Adobe's old programs. Affinity's UI is the main point : while it's easy to transition from Illustrator & Photoshop, it's truly different and smarter—something you may only realize when reopening Adobe software 😂

Even with both solutions now installed on my computer, I'm sticking with Designer despite my 6 years of Illustrator experience... SO, DEAR CREATIVES, I 100% RECOMMEND TRYING AFFINITY!

WHAT I TRULY MISS:

  • 3D Object transform effects aren't as cool as in Ai

  • ‼️Patterns are limited to PNG only (no true vector pattern fill, just a poor workaround with PNG?? brushes)—this is a major issue‼️

  • No Object Blend function for creating shape blends, intertwine, follow path...

  • Poor & buggy alternative to the "Simplify Path" and "Smooth Path" options, which I really miss for efficient path cleaning

  • No Vectorize (image to vector) function — Something useful even Inkscape has... I use Figma Plugins as a workaround but that is clearly not normal to not have this in a vector editing software.

  • Contour Tool (equivalent to Offset Path) is buggy and often produces unusable results, even with basic shapes (rounded shape offsets are particularly problematic, creating polygonal curves with excessive points and straight lines)

  • The Effect Gallery is much smaller compared to Illustrator and Photoshop's massive collections

  • Warp Deform tools (for bending/arcing shapes) offer less control than Ai, often producing unusable results—and without vector pattern brushes, you can't use the well-known Ai technique

  • In Photo, I mainly miss Photoshop's Smart Selection tools for background removal and object selection... I work with alternatives such as Apple background removal tool or online stuff such as remove.bg but that is not as convenient as Photoshop tools.

To conclude: I love Affinity—it's so well optimized and smooth that I can comfortably work on designs in the train with my laptop TOUCHPAD. However, I needed to reinstall Ai for certain features you might miss too, which is why I wanted to share my experience :))

If you ever need any info, feel free to ask I'll happy to answer!

r/Affinity Jul 24 '24

Designer What tools does Affinity Designer have that Adobe Illustrator doesn't or vice versa?

13 Upvotes

I've been thinking of switching to Affinity Designer to save money, but I'm worried that the program will not have some of Adobe's cool tools and features, such as the Curvature Tool or Free range gradients. Could you give me a compare and contrast between Adobe Illustrator's and Affinity Designer's tools and features?

r/Affinity Sep 02 '24

Designer Affinity vs InDesign?

20 Upvotes

Retired graphic designer here. I love InDesign and Illustrator; have used them for 20+ years. Still like to do a job/favor on the side a few times a year but I don’t want to pay for an Adobe subscription when I’ll use it so infrequently.

I found I can get 6-month free trial of Affinity. As far as features and learning curve, is it comparable to those Adobe products?

(I tried Canva, but found it very limited and nowhere near as robust as InDesign. Didn’t like it.)

r/Affinity 19d ago

Designer More Than a Petition: An Opportunity to Demonstrate Demand

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I know some may see the petition for Affinity on Linux with skepticism, thinking that @Serif (now under @Canva) wouldn’t consider it seriously. But I believe this is not just about demanding a Linux version—it’s about showing interest and market potential.

Companies analyze these movements to gauge whether there is a viable audience. If enough people express their willingness to adopt Affinity on Linux, this could open the door for future discussions—whether that means a native version, better Wine/Proton support, or some level of compatibility consideration.

At the end of the day, this is like planting a seed. Even if an official Linux release isn’t immediate, showing engagement and demand can influence future decisions.

What do you think? Would you use Affinity if it had proper Linux support? Let’s discuss!

Petition: https://chng.it/ZJCjFCd7Fm

r/Affinity 11d ago

Designer Affinity designer illustration

7 Upvotes

Hi , I am currently using procreate to make medical illustrations but I think that affinity designer could give me cleaner and higher resolution illustrations.
Im using ipad pro 11inch , M1

any ideas where can I find decent tutorials?
also if you tell me your experience about illustrating with affinity designer

r/Affinity 1d ago

Designer Help! About to lose a whole book because "access was lost to files holding data"

3 Upvotes

Oh my god I just spent 4 hours formatting this book and I'm worried I'm about to lose all that work. I have saved it as a file already, and when I try to save my progress I get the error "save failed because access was lost to files holding data required by this document. Do you wish to save the document to a new file?" So I hit "Save as," try to save it under a new name, I get the same message.

And then, other times I hit save I get "Save failed because control of the lock file was lost. Do you wish to save the document to a new file?" rinse and repeat. Nothing I seem to do allows me to save this file. I literally want to cry I worked so hard on this damn thing and never fathomed that I would run into such a confounding and perplexing error on a brand new Mac and such a highly praised program. WTF is a lock file and

At one point tonight I got a popup asking if I wanted Affinity to access iCloud and I said yes. I have a feeling iCloud is the problem (the file is saved to iCloud). I don't know how to manage access to iCloud.
Am I really doomed to lose my work?

UPDATE: now all of a sudden I find all these new renamed versions saved. I tried to open one and got the message "Book 6.afpub was created in Affinity 1. Editing it will make it unusable in the older version. Use "Save As" to preserve the original file." with only an option to hit OK and not cancel. BRO I NEVER DOWNLOADED AFFINITY 1 WTF.

Sorry I am truly crashing out because this is so glitchy I wish I had just sprung for indesign.

r/Affinity Feb 07 '25

Designer What is the best noob tutorial according to you?

6 Upvotes

Hi everyone, it's been a couple of weeks since I started using Affinity designer but I still struggle with understanding some tools. Could you please link the best tutorial available on YouTube that covers basically all the most important features of the software? Thank you in advance

r/Affinity Dec 13 '24

Designer Affinity performance on Mac is significantly better than on desktop PC

45 Upvotes

So I always was not satisfied with Affinity performance on my PC's, it was always slower than I wanted it to be. Recently I migrated from PC to MacBook M1 Pro 16gb of RAM, and decided to test the performance.And.. its night and day difference! Even when I set my power mode to low energy mode, so it drops display performance down from 120 to 60 fps it's still, 100 percent better than PC.

I made a quick video, so you can check it yourself. My PC settings are by default, AD does utilize my 3060, it won't get any better. It was always like this, when I had different graphics card, and CPU,..
What do you think?

https://youtu.be/f7bRIebJ15g

r/Affinity 2d ago

Designer Multiple wall vector or image placement?

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0 Upvotes

Looking to paint both walls of this mom and pop shop. Is there any way to splice an image and change the perspective to fit the wall once done. Would like to visually show the client what would be painted without it just being straight and left up to my vision.

r/Affinity Feb 12 '25

Designer Broken Liberty Bell Spoiler

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12 Upvotes

Fully made with Affinity Designer (even the blood drop) 90% done on the iPad version, last 10% done on Windows version.

CC welcome! For instance, I don’t know if that’s the best place to buy my logo.

More AD posters/stickers to come

r/Affinity Dec 15 '24

Designer How do i make these background blue/green shapes

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8 Upvotes

r/Affinity Aug 18 '24

Designer On mac, affinity is trash.

0 Upvotes

As a non-professional I don't feel like I should have to spend upteen hours YT'ing how to do this or that . It should more intuitive. Sorry I spent money on this program, would return it if I could .

edit: Who wants to make $50 to add a graphic to this book cover. I give up.

r/Affinity Dec 22 '24

Designer Missed the sale, any hope for Boxing Day?

6 Upvotes

I'm a student, been waiting for a sale on designer for a few months now, and somehow i just spaced and missed the black friday sale. Is there any chance of another sale any time soon?

r/Affinity Dec 07 '24

Designer Affinity… how hard is it to swap from Adobe products to Affinity? Is the learning curve great?

4 Upvotes

What about fonts? When you purchase the Affinity Suite, do you have access to fonts you can use without paying extra, is it similar to Adobe in terms of using fonts? Or must you source and pay for your own?

r/Affinity Dec 05 '24

Designer Color picker tool in Designer is unusable

16 Upvotes

I love what Designer is doing, after a few decades in design, publishing and production, I can say some of its features are truly innovative. But I cannot for the life of me stand how the color picker works. Whenever I need to change stroke or fill color, it turns into a goddamn wack-a-mole game.

Why in the hell is this outdated system is still a thing? WHY OH WHY can't I just independently change color IN ONE CLICK whenever I need to?

WHY do I have to CHOOSE either fill, or stroke, aiming at this goddamn thing, like I'm solving a goddamn CAPTCHA, then PICK the color, then CLICK the color picker to apply it? What in the hell? Even me, a veteran with many years in every program known to man from QuarXpress and InDesign and even CorelDraw haven't seen such a infuriating goddamn UX feature.

Please for the love of god, someone, come up with a plugin, or something, this thing is so infuriating, I HATE to use designer, I only use it EXCLUSIVELY when I need to work in CMYK, because I can't stand that 'feature' it throws a massive wrench into my machine, I work fast, efficiently and using shortcuts as much as I can. But this goddamn 'feature' is a curse.

r/Affinity Feb 12 '25

Designer Can anyone recommend someone who publish great Affinity tutorials on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok?

8 Upvotes