Affinity Designer for PC and Mac

Software Reviews and Criticism

• By Dr. Nostrand

  Affinity Designer does the job for me

  I have been using Adobe software since the early 1990s. Thus far, the Affinity suite pretty much replicates what I was using Adobe software for. I primarily use either for book cover design and similar tasks. Affinity Designer has almost all the features that I expect. Affinity Designer has the usual facilities for supporting layers, embedded fonts, graphics, photograph inclusion, and drawing. It also exports to a variety of formats. Although the printer specifies Illustrator, they have had no problems with PDFs generated by Affinity Designer instead. Affinity Design has a handy file export feature which facilitates this. Fonts are subsetted and included in PDF files by default. The user can select PDF standard and resolution for rasterized images in the export popup window. Affinity Designer also generates EPS and Photoshop PSD files along with a range of vector graphic file formats. Adobe Illustrator also uses PDF files as an exchange medium. As PDF files preserve layers, there is little need for cutting and pasting between the two applications. This is facilitated by the PDF for export option in Affinity Designer which also supresses rasterization. My three wishes at the moment are: support for 600 DPI B&W rasterization in Affinity Designer, a trace feature in Affinity Photo, and release of the hinted at alternative to inDesign.

  
  
• By cmykman

  It still needs some key features before it can replace Adobe

  It still needs some key features before it can replace Adobe -(1) it lacks the ability to replace fonts globaly in a file, so if you’re converting from Adobe, better take good care and look into every detail before sending to press. (2) cannot import EPS files properly - it rasterizes vectors without reason or ability to correct. (3) no “collection” ability for proper filing of your work with placed graphics and/or fonts used. - this is a necessity in the print design world. (4) Does not play nice with Font Suitcase, so if you had used a font and open the file later and that font is no longer loaded, it defaults, which goes back to the inability to replace globally. Baing able to handle fonts is a HUGE factor in the graphic design industry - and should be in the top 3 things that should be addressed before I can increase my stars opinion or even consider it a viable application against Illustrator in the slightest. To the apps defense, it does do a lot with several great features and is lightning fast, which set it apart from Adobe, making it well worth the price. I love the ability to export a PDF to a client or printer that auto flattens/outlines the fonts whereas it doesn't destruct the original working file. But, if you’re a power user as I am for print work, it needs better support for the print design side of things to fully replace Illustrator.

  
  
• By shanghai road

  Update to 5 stars

  Update: the issue is this... when you reset the width and height of the image as you export, example... from 3399 height and 5100 width to the size of 850 px height and 850 px width... when you enter the NEW dimensions, you must tab out of each field to set the new value, if you set the height and tab to the width field and set the width and don't tab out of the width field the new value will not be set for the width field... the height value is OK because you tab out of the height field to the width field, but because you submit and don't tab out of the width field the width field isn't set... I've been using for about 2 weeks... I purchased for 2 basic reasons... Price and Vector... I'm not adventours with how I use... NOW... main problem I have is I can't export an image at a reduced size consistently... an image that is 5100 px by 3300 px reduced to 850px by 850px (which is the optimum size for face book...)... when I export and change the width and height to 850 px, the resulting image is always either the default width or height by 850 px... so I've discovered that it is less time consuming to export at the default and use Capto to create the 850 px by 850 px image... so my basic reason for 3 stars is I can't export like I want to export....

  
  
• By crabtrem

  My go to apps.

  I have come to love the entire Affinity suite of tools, and can't imagine not having all three apps, since they compliment, and work so seemlessly together. It is where I go first to accomplish everything I want to. I had used Adobe, and Macromedia, and Corel, and Microsoft; but it wasn't until Affinity's structure, workflow and apps that I really got it. I used to struggle with concepts, and I had difficulty comprehending artistic flows in the digital and vector worlds. I seemed dependent upon Corel to do it for me automatically; but try and modify and use a Corel drawing traced automatically; what a nightmare. Affinity gives me the tools to accomplish everything, and really understand why and how I'm doing it. Photoshop tutorials used to just baffle me; why are you doing that, and what the heck are you talking about. Since I jumped in to the Affinity line of Designer, Photo, and Publisher I feel more confident that I can figure out a solution to any task that I can readily take with me and utilize in an unlimited number of variations and scopes. And not to have to be bound by a binding and limiting subscription fee that holds your work hostage from you. I love the Affinity apps, workflow, and empowerment. Thank you.

  
  
• By Tx_arcade

  Long time Adobe Ilustrator & Corel Draw User, but worth the switch

  I’ve been using Corel Draw and Adobe Illustrator for years for graphic design and in the sign business. When Corel in it’s infinte wisdom decided to dump support for the PC by telling customers to switch to Windows to upgrade, I in turn dumped Corel and focused exclusively on Adobe products. However after Adobe abandon their CSx version license model in favor of an overpriced “Cash Grab“ CC Subscription model, I was forced to limp along with previous versions of Adobe Creative Suite with little to no support from Adobe. After much frustration I decided to try Affinity Designer as the cost the of the program was roughly two months of subscription fees from Adobe. I must say after using the product for a few weeks I am very impressed with what it can do. The hardest part is unlearning to do things the archaic Adobe way. Once you get past that and learn this program, you’ll see it’s much more intutive to a modern OS and you find yourself asking why you didn’t do this sooner. Thus far the only thing I haven’t been able to do (but I assume there is a way in the program to it) is autotrace a JPG or other drawing format to create a rough vector drawing (aka digitizing). That in itself if the only thing I’ve seen I still need to load my older Adobe programs for, but again this program is great. My next step is to download and attempt to dump Adobe Photoshop in favor of Affinity Photo.

  
  

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