As a graphic designer, you often have to alter the appearance of a photo to meet client standards. In the course of your work, you may find that you receive a request to change someone’s hair color while working in Affinity Photo.

Fortunately, changing hair color in Affinity Photo is totally possible, and can be accomplished through a variety of different strategies. Keep reading to learn more about how you can change how someone’s hair color looks while using Affinity Photo.

Changing Hair Color in Affinity Photo

Hair color is a fairly common thing that people may wish to change about their photo. While it may seem difficult to find a recoloring strategy that will not make hair look unnatural, there are several different options you can try.

The following sections will give a more in-depth look at recoloring hair in Affinity Photo.

Changing the Color

The first and most straightforward option is to recolor the hair manually using a variety of tools offered in the application.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Selection Brush Tool in the tool panel on the left hand side.
2. Use the selection brush to highlight the area that you would wish to recolor. In this case, it will be the hair.
3. Click on the HSL Adjustment. This will allow you to adjust luminosity, saturation, and hue in the photograph.
4. Start with Hue. Using the Hue slider, you will be able to manipulate the color of your selected area. Do not worry if it doesn’t look perfect at this point, the main thing is choosing the general color that you wish to use.
5. Adjust Saturation. Saturation will enable you to control how vivid the hair color looks.
6.  Adjust Luminosity. This tool lets you manipulate the brightness of the color. Luminosity and saturation together will help you achieve a more natural hue.
7. Continue adjusting these features as needed until the desired result is accomplished.
8. Sometimes you may have color spill over into other areas. When this happens, you can use the Mode to Subtract to carefully reduce any overflow.
9. Save your changes

Although it may take some patience, HSL Adjustment will be the easiest way to change the hair color. Just be sure that you are careful when using the Selection Brush Tool to only highlight the hair you wish to recolor.

The only downside to this method is it can lack precision if you are hoping to add highlights or advanced color manipulations.

Add a Layer Mask

Another potential option is to add a layer mask, which will allow you to adjust the overall luminosity or color of the given area.

To add a layer mask, follow these steps:

1. Access the Mask Layers option from the Layers Panel.
2. Select New Empty Mask Layer.
3. Go up a layer and set the new layer as a mask for the one below by using the button Mask to Below.

Once you have followed this procedure, you can then change certain aspects about the layer, such as the color and brightness.

Make Use of the Adjustment Bar

If you are looking for other troubleshooting options, the adjustment bar can be a great asset.

The following features can all further help you adjust hair color.

• Recolor: To recolor, you can go to the layers panel and select from the Adjustments bar. Recoloring is fairly simple, and allows you to use the hue slider and a blending feature to reach the desired color.
• Brightness and Contrast: This feature will allow you to alter tone and contrast, which can be a great asset for enhancing highlights in a photo.
• Curves: Using the curves graph is a bit more complicated, but this feature will allow you to fine tune the tonal range. If you find that a photo is not looking quite right, familiarizing yourself with the curves feature can be the trick you need.

In general, the adjustments bar can be the last step you take to make sure everything in the photo looks as it should. This is also a strong option if you have a photo where the hair color is faded and needs to be enhanced rather than completely recolored.

Conclusion

Hair is an important part of any person’s photo, and as a graphic designer it is crucial to know how to deal with hair color on Affinity Photo. Fortunately, there are several options that are fairly easy to use.

Affinity Photo is among the best photo editing software available online. Still, with so many features to choose from sometimes even the most basic ones can be tricky to figure out. One of those simple but tricky features is the ability to create, add and use presets. So how exactly do you add and use presets in Affinity Photo? 

If you’d like to learn more about adding and using presets in Affinity Photo, you’ve come to the right place. In our guide below, we will begin by answering whether there are presets for Affinity Photo in the first place. After that we will turn our attention to how you can both use and save new presets in the program. So, without further ado, come along and let’s dive right into it!

Are There Presets for Affinity Photo?

Before we jump into how you can use presets, we should first establish that they can be used in Affinity Photo in the first place. So, are there presets for Affinity Photo?

Affinity Photo does contain presets. Additionally, more presets can be made or imported to increase your number of options. The presets already loaded onto Affinity Photo can be found under the Adjustments Panel. 

You can add presets to Affinity Photo by opening the Adjustments Panel and selecting them. The Adjustments Panel can be found going to “view” at the top of the window, selecting “studio” and then clicking on “adjustment.” The Adjustments Panel should already have presets in it. 

How Do You Use Presets in Affinity Photo?

So now that we’ve established that presets do exist in Affinity Photo, it’s time to take a look at how exactly you go about using them. So, how do you use presets in Affinity Photo?

Follow the steps below to use the presets already in Affinity Photo:

1. Open the file you want the preset in: First things first, you need to open Affinity Photo and either prepare the photo you want the preset added to or load the file you already have it saved on. 
2. Open the Adjustments Panel: As we mentioned briefly, the presets already in Affinity Photo can be found under the Adjustments Panel. If the panel isn’t already open you will want to open it. You can open this panel by going to “view” at the top of the window then go to “studio” and click “adjustment.” 
3. Experiment with the presets: Now you should have all of Affinity’s presets ready to go in the adjustments panel. This is as far as we can take you without knowing exactly what you’re trying to do in your particular project. Now it’s up to you to experiment with presets like darken/lighten features or the coloration. 

Now that we have a grasp on how to find and use presets in Affinity Photo, let’s take a look at how we can add even more. In the next section we’ll breakdown importing new presets so you can get the ones perfect for your project. 

How Do You Add Presets to Affinity Photo?

When it comes to adding new presets you simply need to use the LUT files (.cube) provided. When you’re ready simply open the program and get started. 

Once the program is open, follow the steps below to add new presets to Affinity Photo:

1. Open the Adjustments Panel: Remember the Adjustments Panel can be found by going to “view”, “studio” then selecting “adjustments”.  
2. Scroll down and select LUT in the Adjustments Panel: The LUT presets should be below the ones you’ve already used.
3. Click on the LUT cogwheel then click import and find your presets: The cogwheel is just the symbol for the LUT presets. After the window opens up click import and find the location of your .cube files. 
4. Select your presets and import them: You can either select one by clicking on it or you can select multiple presets by holding down ctrl and selecting them all.

Once you have your presets imported you will be able to arrange them however you would like so they are convenient to use. 

So Really, How Do You Add Presets to Affinity Photo?

To add presets to an Affinity Photo project, you simply need to open the Adjustments Panel and select them. These presets are already loaded onto Affinity Photo and can be used as soon as the software is downloaded and installed. 

You can also import new presets by using the LUT feature in the Adjustments Panel and importing them. So which presets will you be using?

Ever see those cool graphics like shadows around text or images in print publications or online? Shadows, lines, and other designs may be subtle or bold, or somewhere in between. They give the work an aesthetically pleasing depth, and you may be wondering how to add drop shadows to the objects in your Affinity Photo file.

Adding drop shadows in Affinity Photo is a quick and easy way to elevate plain text or a simple image into an eye-catching part of your design. Let’s see how it’s done.

Adding Drop Shadows is a Simple Process in Affinity Photo

Drop shadows are just what the name implies: a shadow of the selected text or other object that helps to emphasize the original. The “drop” part of the name is somewhat misleading though. Shadows don’t have to always be situated down below the selected object. They can be moved to the left or right, up or below the item being shadowed.

Affinity Photo offers users the chance to create customized drop shadows for text, objects, and images. The process is the same for all three and is really quite simple with plenty of options to make the shadows uniquely your own.

We’re going to assume you’re familiar enough with Affinity Photo to create your document and add text, images, and other objects. Now you’re ready to add the drop shadows.

1. Select the Object to be Shadowed

Let’s say you’ve added some text and it’s positioned where you want it in the work area. Now you want to put in a drop shadow. The first thing you need to do is to select the text. When you click on the text, a blue box with dots at the corners and on the sides will appear overlaid on the text.

2. Enable the Drop Shadow Option

To get this fare, you’ve probably been working in the Layers tab. The next step is to navigate to the Effects tab on the toolbar. You’ll find it between the Layers tab and the Styles tab. Other tabs include the Adjustments and Stock tabs.

When you click on the Effect tab, you’ll see a drop-down menu of effects from which you can choose. Click on the Drop Shadow box, which then opens up another drop-down box that offers options to customize your drop shadow.

Here’s where the fun begins. Affinity Photo offers plenty of room for creative minds to design unique drop shadows. The possibilities are practically endless with the following options:

• Color
• Opacity
• Radius
• Offset

3. Choose the Shadow Offset

The first step in customizing your drop shadow is to establish its offset.

1. Click on the Offset Tool button in the preferences box.
2. Your mouse will now be an arrow followed by two offset boxes.
3. Click your mouse once and drag around the shadow that appears until it’s where you want it. Then release the mouse to position the shadow at the chosen spot.

The Offset tool is the easiest way to form a drop shadow, but there is another way to create and position a drop shadow. The Offset slider and Angle button reflect the movement that happens when you use the Offset tool, but you can also manipulate each of these independently to create and fine tune a drop shadow.

4. Select a Shadow Color

Using the Color option, which appears first in the preference box, you can change the color of the shadow to pretty much any color you want. Click on the box to bring up the available ways to alter the color, including RGB, CMYK, Hue, Saturation, and others. Depending on the needs of your final product, choose the best one for you.

For example, with the RGB option, you can use the red, green, and blue sliders to locate the color you want. Or you can click anywhere inside the rainbow box to get a particular color. There is also a color picker tool that allows you to grab a color from any image or other source and use it in your drop shadow.

5. Select the Opacity

Opacity refers to how transparent or dense the color is. Use the slider to adjust the drop shadow to the desired opacity. Sliding to the left makes color more transparent while sliding to the right makes it more rich and opaque.

6. Choose the Radius

The radius slider offers you the chance to round the edges of the drop shadow. The default shadow has a hard, square edge. Radius lets you soften the edges by moving the slider to the right.

Final Thoughts

Adding drop shadows to text, images, and other objects in Affinity Photo is simple to do and can add depth and style to any document. Use drop shadow to release your inner creativity and bring on the “wow” factor every designer craves.

Individuals interested in animation are constantly looking for the best software to help them create their projects. Whether it’s for a personal or professional use, the right software can make all the difference. Affinity Photo has quickly become a popular choice for photographers, digital artists, and graphic designers, but is this budget-friendly software with its array of tools and features suitable for animation?

Affinity Photo is not equipped for animation. Instead, animators should opt for Affinity Designer paired with Adobe Effects. Knowing the differences between these programs can help ensure you use each to its fullest potential.

In this article, we will discuss what Affinity Photo is best used for versus Affinity Design and then provide a quick tutorial on how you can create stunning animations using Affinity Design tools and features.

Affinity Photo Vs. Affinity Designer

Unfortunately, if you had your eyes set on Affinity Photo for animation purposes, you’ll be disappointed to hear that it isn’t the best fit for these types of tasks. Its predecessor, Affinity Design, is actually the capable option of all the Affinity software.

Before we delve into how you can use Affinity Designer for all your animation needs, we think it’s important to highlight the differences between these two Affinity software, so you know exactly when to use each.

The predominant differences between Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer are that Affinity Photo is as an alternative to comparable software like Photoshop, GIMP, and Pixelmator, and used primarily for image editing. Comparably, Affinity Designer is an alternative comparable to software like Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, or Corel, and used primarily for digital art, animation, and graphic design.

If you’re looking for a more extensive breakdown of what sets these two apart and when to use one versus the other, we recommend looking at the chart listed below.

Affinity Photo	Affinity Design
– RAW and PSD editing – Retouching and correction tools for skin – Photo background alterations – Raster graphics – Photo compositions and photo merges (layers, masks, effects) – Photo stitching	– Creating art from scratch – Digital painting – Panoramas HDR images – Preparing small items for print (ex. business cards) – Vector graphics such as logos, icons, branding items

There are several tasks you could complete efficiently in both software, especially since Affinity Photo allows vector and raster graphics, but it knowing each software’s individual strengths ensures you create stunning works in the most efficient and visually impactful way possible.

How to Animate in Affinity Designer

When it comes to animating with an Affinity software, the option that most people use is Affinity Designer, not Affinity Photo. That being said, the reality of using Affinity Designer is that it is not actually equipped with the tools to animate your graphics.

To create an animated piece using Affinity Designer, you’ll first create the subject you intend to animate in Affinity Designer using its extensive array of tools and features. Once the subject is complete, you’ll then save and export it to Adobe After Effects.

Adobe After Effects is a widely used program for creating animations of all kinds. With its many features and tools, it’s the perfect complement to Affinity Designer when it comes to animation. By exporting your file to Adobe After Effects, you’ll be able to add all the movement and effects that you want to bring your animation to life.

You can even pair Affinity Designer and Adobe After Effects with other programs, like Adobe Animate or Moho Pro for additional animation features, as well as Ableton SFX and Ableton Music if you want to add sound effects to your subjects and music to your overall animation.

Why Affinity Designer Over Affinity Photo for Animation?

You might be wondering why people use Affinity Designer over Affinity Photo for animation when, in reality, neither are equipped with animation tools.

If you have to export your work to a separate software entirely for animation, why not use Affinity Photo anyways?

The simplest answer is that people rarely create works in Affinity Photo that are meant for animation. As we mentioned previously, this software is typically used for photo editing and compositions using raster graphics. Affinity Designer, on the other hand, is much better equipped to help you create a subject for future animation using its numerous tools and vector graphics.

Using vector graphics over raster is crucial with animation because you will want to be able to manipulate the illustrations as much as possible without losing quality.

While you can make a subject using vector graphics in Affinity Photo, your tools and features are much more limited than Affinity Designer.

Can You Use Adobe After Effects Without Affinity Designer?

If you’re new to animation and digital art, in general, you might be wondering if you can skip the middleman entirely and create an entire animation from scratch in Adobe After Effects.

The short answer to this is, no. While you don’t have to use Affinity Designer exclusively, you will need to use a comparable software to create your animation subject. We recommend using one of the alternatives listed previously in our comparison, but realistically, you can use any software that allows you to save using a file format that is supported by After Effects. You can find those file types here.

Adobe After Effects is dedicated to animating uploaded/imported works. Therefore, you won’t be able to create and animate your work withing the same software.

As convenient as it would be to have one software that does it all, animating art is a two-step process that requires you to create your subject in one software and animate it in another.

Final Thoughts

Affinity Photo might not be the best option to pair with After Effects for animation, but if you want to stay within the Affinity family, then Affinity Designer is your best option. If these are not your preferred programs, you can create a stunning animation by pairing most graphics editing software with a digital visual effects and  motion graphics editor as long as you use the proper supported files.

Ever since software developer Serif released its dynamic duo of graphic design programs, Designer and Photo, they have been warmly received for their functionality and innovation. Affinity Publisher completes the creative software suite by providing document publishing capabilities. But are users limited to installing this vital output platform to just one computer?

All of the Affinity creative programs, including Publisher, are platform-specific, meaning that separate versions must be purchased for Mac and PC. Within the same PC or Mac operating system, however, users can install Publisher on as many computers as they own for their own non-commercial use.

Where Affinity Designer and Photo are primarily focused on the creative side of things, Publisher is a versatile program that is used to compose documents for print, display or posting online. It is, therefore, a vital link bridging the graphic design process and final publication. Keep reading to learn how Affinity Publisher can keep crucial workflow moving and ensure that projects meet their deadlines.

Can I Use Affinity Publisher on More Than One Computer

Document publishing programs like Affinity Publisher put enormous capabilities into the hands of users regardless of their skill or experience level. From glossy brochures to eye-catching web pages, Affinity Publisher, with its thoughtfully curated collection of tools and features, is the perfect platform for composing projects for publication, be that printed on paper, displayed on a screen, or posted online.

Much of the success of a graphic design project hinges on keeping the workflow moving at a productive pace. A key part of this equation is having the ability to put in the work whenever the opportunity presents itself, whether it is at work, at home, or in a neighborhood café.

Recognizing this important need, Affinity Publisher can be installed on multiple computers so long as they are on the same operating platform, i.e., Mac (macOS) or PC (Windows). It should be noted that Serif’s licensing policy differs for individual and commercial users.

Here is how Serif’s licensing policy works for Affinity Publisher:

Individual Users of Affinity Publisher

For individual users, each purchase entitles the buyer of the software to install Affinity Publisher on all computers that are owned or controlled by the purchaser. Thus, this program can be installed on multiple computers like laptops and desktops so long as they are based on the same operating platform and the same purchaser either owns or controls them.

It is important to remember that because this software is platform-specific, separate purchases must be made if this program is to be installed on both Mac computers and PCs (even by the same owner).

Commercial Users of Affinity Publisher

For commercial users of Affinity Publisher, Serif’s licensing policy works a little differently. Here is how this program may be installed by commercial users:

• An individual user may install Affinity Publisher on any Mac or PC (as the case may be) that he or she owns, controls, or uses
• Affinity Publisher may also be installed on a single Mac or PC owned or controlled by the commercial user that is a shared workstation (e.g., used by multiple people)

Whether it is used by an individual or commercial user, Serif’s Affinity Publisher is one of the most user-friendly document publishing programs around, not to mention the most affordable and accessible.

Volume Licensing for Affinity Publisher

With its wide-ranging functionality and innovative features, Affinity Publisher is not just a preferred document publishing platform among individual and commercial users; it is also an invaluable resource for larger organizations such as those in the corporate and academic realms.

For both scenarios, Serif offers scalable licensing solutions for group users.

Affinity Teams for Business

As a document publishing platform for corporations and business enterprises, Affinity Publisher has been embraced by countless companies as a cost-effective solution for producing highly polished visual content. Highlights of Serif’s Affinity Teams program for businesses include:

• Discounted license bundles are available for groups of 5 or more users
• Specially curated services help business clients to streamline the installation, onboarding, and training processes for their users
• Seamless integration of Affinity Publisher into any organization’s operations

Best of all, when combined with Serif’s Affinity Designer and Photo, Publisher provides a complete graphic design and publishing solution for business organizations of all sizes.

Affinity Education for Academic Institutions

Recognizing the need for professional-quality publishing tools in the academic world, Serif also offers its Affinity Education program, which addresses the unique needs of students and educators at schools and universities. Academic institutions that purchase group licenses of Affinity Publisher can expect their faculty and students to benefit in the following ways:

• Cost-effective user license bundles that can be scaled according to the needs of each institution
• Enhance the effectiveness of curricula and the delivery of educational materials through professional-quality presentations
• Students can elevate the impact of their assignments (and their grades) while streamlining the creative process

Academic endeavors can be just as demanding as professional ones and with Affinity Publisher,  students, educators, and administrators can fulfill their publishing needs with a comprehensive, cost-effective solution.

Risk-Free Trial Periods

For potential users who are unsure about whether Affinity Publisher is the right document publishing platform for their particular needs, a risk-free trial period provides an opportunity to install the software without any financial obligations (an email address is all that needs to be provided) and take it for a test drive so to speak.

In fact, all three programs in Serif’s creative suite of graphics software can be installed and used during a free trial period so not only can the features of each individual program be experienced firsthand, but the synergy between the three platforms can also be put through its paces to gain a true understanding of how Publisher, Designer, and Photo seamlessly work together as a complete media solution.

Conclusion

With Affinity Publisher, software developer Serif has not only reimagined the way that graphic design programs work but also how they are sold. Serif’s one-time purchase price versus the expensive subscriptions offered by competitors like Adobe has also lowered the barriers to accessibility.

Affinity Publisher puts powerful publishing tools into the hands of users from all walks of life with a purchase price of less than $60, flexible group licensing programs for corporate and academic users, and generous risk-free trials. Not to mention, this program can be installed on multiple computers to improve workflow on the go.

Affinity Designer has an abundancy of tools that make creating complex designs and digital art a breeze. However, if you are creating vector graphics from rasterized images, you may be wondering if the program as a live trace feature.

Affinity Designer does not have a live trace feature, or any similarly compatible tools built into the software. To create a vector outline of a raster image, the tracings will need to be done manually with the use of the Pen Tool.

Live tracing is considered an essential tool for many designers who work with vector graphics. Keep reading to find out more about Affinity Designers lack of a line trace tool, and what you can use instead.

Does Affinity Designer Have a Live Trace Feature?

Affinity apps have been gradually sweeping through the design industry. Though Adobe is still the industry standard, it is not uncommon to discover designers that favor Affinity over its competitors.

But how does that work when files for a project are transferred between team members or a client and designer? Does one have to change their preferred software, or are the files compatible across programs? In fact, Affinity Designer and Adobe Illustrator are presently two of the most powerful vector design programs.

However, despite the fact that they both work in essentially similar ways, they also have significant variances, including the tools they use. One of the most significant differences between the two programs is Affinity Designer’s lack of a live trace feature.

Unfortunately, Affinity Designer does not offer a tool for easy vector outlining. Instead, raster images must be traced by hand or other software needs to be used to get the job done. This can be a deal breaker for many designers since live tracing helps to speed up workflow and improve accuracy of tracing results.

What Is Live Trace?

If you haven’t used Adobe Illustrator CS5 or earlier, you may not be familiar with the Live Trace tool. This is also known as the Image Trace tool later versions of the application.

Essentially, Live Trace allows designers to create a new vector drawing from an existing artwork by tracing the outline of the image. Using the Live Trace command, users have complete control over the amount of detail in the trace and how it is filled. The trace is then saved as vector paths so it can be edited as used as a vector image.

With the Live Trace tool, Adobe users have a several options they can choose from for how they want the trace to look:

• Specify color mode
• Blur the image before tracing to smooth out jagged edges
• Create filled regions
• Create stroked paths
• Control path distance
• Specify how bitmap component will display
• Specify how vector tracing will display

However, this is an Adobe Illustrator feature and isn’t found in Affinity Designer.

How Do You Trace an Outline in Affinity Designer?

Though Affinity Designer doesn’t have a Live Trace feature, there are other ways for designers to trace the outline of a raster image. This is usually easier done with a drawing tablet or pen but can be done with a mouse as well.

To trace the outline of an image, grab the Pen Tool, then start tracing over the elements of your image, just as you would when tracing on paper. If you would like to add color, this can be done with the Color Picker Tool.

Keep in mind that this can be tedious, so this is only preferred for simple designs. If you’re image is more complex, you may be best choosing another option.

Other Options for Line Tracing

If you aren’t stuck using Affinity Designer, another solution is to switch to another program for the live tracing portion of your design.

One option is to use an open-source graphics editor like Inkscape. Inkscape as a Trace Bitmap feature that functions similar to Adobe’s Live Trace. However, this does require you to download another design application.

Your second option is to use an online vector tracing program. These convert your file from raster to vector with a similar upload. Some of the most popular are:

• Vector Magic
• Vectorizer
• Pixelied

Unfortunately, you won’t have the same customizable features that you would find in Illustrator or Inkscape, but you won’t have to download another program.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this article gave you a better understanding of live tracing in Affinity Designer. Though the application lacks its own version of a Live Trace tool, there are other options available for designers would need to trace the outline of an existing image.

Working with Affinity Photo is a wonderful way to make the perfect graphic designs or edit your favorite pictures. Affinity Photo works seamlessly with many different systems but you may find yourself wondering which is the best.

Affinity Photo is best used with a drawing tablet as you can use a pen instead of a mouse. Using a drawing tablet and pen gives me more precise control over what you are wanting to edit.

Whether you use the app on your computer, phone or your favorite drawing tablet Affinity Photo is a great software choice however a tablet will be your best bet. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about using Affinity Photo with your favorite drawing tablet.

What Drawing Tablet Is Best for Using Affinity Photo?

Drawing tablets and traditional tablets are the best choices when using Affinity Photo. Choosing the perfect tablet to use with the software is important. Wacom tablets are an excellent choice and one of the best drawing tablets you can use with the software.

Drawing tablets specifically Wacom tablets are designed to work well with all software. Affinity does not support certain tablets or work as well as it could therefore the best options are:

• Apple iPads
• Cintiq 16
• Series Intuos PRO
• Wacom Intuos Pro
• Wacom L
• XP-PEN

All of these tablets can be used by beginners up to a professional graphic designer. Some people have trouble with a Wacom tablet at first which makes the other tablets on the list an excellent choice. Wacom tablets will not have a visible screen as many drawing tablets do not and instead you will watch the computer screen as you draw or edit your images.

How to Use a Wacom Tablet With Affinity Photo?

To use most Wacom tablets with Affinity Photo you will need to hook your drawing tablet up to a computer. Most Wacom tablets do not have a screen that lights up as a traditional tablet would. Instead, there is a smooth surface that you can use the pen on while watching your computer screen.

It takes time to get used to a Wacom tablet and practicing is the best way to learn how to use the drawing tablet. It may take weeks to get used to watching a different screen while you draw. Over time it will become easier, and many people prefer Wacom tablets.

Will Affinity Photo Work on a Computer?

Affinity works on most computers as long as they are not outdated and meet the requirements for the software. There are minimum requirements needed but it’s advised to have well over the minimum. Affinity photo requires a computer to have:

• Windows based computer
• Mac
• DirectX 10-compatible graphics card
• 2GB Ram
• 934MB hard drive space
• 1280×768 display size

If your computer meets all of these requirements, you will easily be able to edit your photos. Many people use Affinity photos with their computers to edit photos professionally. It is a great software to use no matter what brand of computer you own as long as it will meet the minimum requirements for the software.

Does Affinity Photo Work on Surface Pro?

Affinity Photo works well with Surface Pro computers. Surfaces have many features that make them great for using the tablet as a drawing tablet. Not only do they have all of the features of a computer they also make wonderful drawing tablets.

Surface Pros pens allow you to seamlessly use the Affinity Photo software whether it is through a software download or using the app. Many artists enjoy using Surface Pros to create wonderful works of art along with editing pictures easily.

Surface Pros are lightweight and can be taken anymore. The only reason they are not the best choice to use with Affinity Photo is some people prefer different programs such as Mac or Apple products. That is why Wacom is a great universal choice.

Benefits of Using Affinity Over Other Editing Software

Affinity Photo software has many great benefits compared to other software on the market. No matter what type of device you choose you will have all of these great benefits that come with Affinity.

Speed Is Extremely Fast

With Affinity, you can pan and zoom at speeds of 60fps while viewing real-time effects and blending. Your drawing tablet will be able to keep up with your editing and drawing skills.

Long History

Unlike some software out there, Affinity allows you to undo and redo over 8,000 steps. You can also:

• Autosave
• Cycle features
• Save History to undo steps later
• Store snapshots

You will never lose your challenging work again with the autosave. The ability to back up so far in your steps is an excellent feature.

Improved Performance

If you are new to Affinity, you will love the features and if you have used it for years, you have noticed the great updates in performance.

Great Design Layout

Everyone loves the uncomplicated design of Affinity; you will not be overwhelmed by clutter or random unused buttons. Affinity was designed by people like you to make it extremely user-friendly you will also be able to make your shortcuts with your favorite features.

Customizable For Everyone’s Needs

Whether you like a dark/light interface or want to change your toolbar to meet your needs, you can easily customize every aspect of Affinity.

No Subscription Pricing

When paying for Affinity you will only pay a one-time fee giving you full access to the software. You will also get free updates as new versions come out. Affinity is also more affordable than other software out there.

Finding the Perfect Drawing Tablet to Use Affinity Photo

Any device that you choose to use Affinity Photo on will work as long it meets the minimum requirements. In the end, you need to choose the device that meets your needs and that has your favorite program.

In graphic design, it is common for designers to swap between different applications, especially when work is being done on a team. If you’re an avid Affinity user and you’ve just be sent a PSD file, you may be wondering if you can open it in Affinity Photo.

As a general rule, Affinity Photo is compatible with PSD files. However, not all features are supported, so there occasionally may be some issues when trying to do certain tasks.

Whether you’ve downloaded a stock image or were sent a project from a team member, the ability to open the file in the program you’re comfortable using is crucial for workflow. Below you’ll find out when you can open a PSD file in Affinity Photo, and what you can expect from the file.

Can Affinity Photo Open PSD Files?

Affinity applications have been slowly taking the design world by storm. Though Adobe is still the standard in the professional design world, it isn’t unusual to find designers who prefer programs like Affinity Photo over its competitor, Adobe Photoshop.

But how does that work when files for a project are transferred between team members or a client and designer? Does one have to change their preferred software, or are the files compatible across programs?

Luckily, Affinity has taken this into consideration. Affinity Photo is able to import and export PSD files without any apparently loss in image quality. The program can open PSB files as well, which are files that are too large to be saved as a standard PSD.

Can Affinity Software Open Adobe Files?

So, Affinity Photo can open PSD files, but what if you need to open files from another Adobe application? Can it be done?

Generally, PSD is going to be the preferred file to use with Affinity Photo. However, the program is also capable of opening AI, 10, MX, and PSB files.

However, PSD is the only Adobe file format the Affinity Photo is capable of exporting.

What is the Difference Between Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo?

With many similarities between the two programs, you might be wondering why someone would choose one over the other.

One of the main differences between Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo is the pricing plan. Affinity photo has a one-time fee for a license to use the program, whereas Photoshop uses an ongoing subscription model, making it significantly more expensive.

However, Adobe Photoshop does have more tools than Affinity Photo. This is why importing and exporting PSD files in Affinity Photo can cause an issue sometimes. This can include files with 3D image creating, video, AI-powered tools, and more.

Affinity Photo also doesn’t have as many options when saving files. Photoshop offers more file formats the Affinity Photo, which prefers its native file type, AFPHOTO. However, this has been rapidly increasing over the years.

What File Types Can Affinity Photo Open?

When Affinity Photo first started out, there weren’t very many file formats that were supported. However, over the years, with frequent updates, the useability has increased. Affinity Photo is now able to open a variety of raster and vector file types.

Some of the most popular file formats Affinity Photo can open include:

• PDF
• GIF
• TIFF
• JPEG
• SVG
• PNG
• RAW
• EPS

It’s important to mention that just because Affinity Photo can open these file types, that doesn’t mean they can be exported. For example, file types such as RAW and DNG cannot be exported from the program.

On the other hand, some file formats that can be exported may have some limitations typical for the file. Exports of PDF will have text rasterized and PNG and TIFF files support transparency, while other file types do not.

Can Affinity Photo Import Smart Objects from Photoshop?

If you’ve tried to open PSD files in the past and ran into an issue, it was most likely that the file contained smart objects. These are layers in a Photoshop document that include embedded data from other images. This allows nondestructive editing to be done to the image, while keeping the original features of the source material.

Some of the benefits of working with smart objects include:

• Using vector images in a raster graphics editor
• Performing nondestructive edits
• Editing and applying filters
• Trying out various designs with placeholder images
• Applying layer masks

In Photoshop, smart objects can be linked to reference external image files as well. This is typically used for mockups, where you may insert your own picture and then return to the parent page to examine your design from a finished perspective.

Expert Tip: Mockup generator programs like Placeit are a quick way to make mockups for those seeking ease-of-use.

Though Affinity Photo wasn’t able to open PSD files with smart objects in the past, this is no longer the case. With a recent update, Affinity Photo can now open PSD files with smart objects by transforming the layers into embedded documents. These can then be opened and edited in a new window by double clicking on the layer thumbnail.

Can Photoshop Open AFPHOTO Files?

If you’re working with Affinity Photo, you may often be saving your designs as a native Affinity Photo file. While this works for your own personal use, it’s important to understand if others with be able to open your file, especially if you’re going to be sharing the document.

Though Affinity Photo can open PSD files, this does not work the other way around. Photoshop users will not be capable of opening a AFPHOTO file.

Instead, the file will need to be exported as a PSD file prior to sharing.

Final Thoughts

You should now have a pretty good understand of how to open PSD files in Affinity Photo. Choosing between Affinity Photo and Adobe Photoshop usually comes down to price and personal preference. However, it’s important to understand how to open the files in alternate programs, especially for those who work on design teams. In the end, PSD files are generally a safe bet, regardless of which program you are using.

When working in graphic design programs like Affinity Photo, one of the most beneficial things you could do is invest in a drawing tablet like Wacom. However, before you make the purchase, it’s a good idea to double check that the tablet is compatible with your preferred editing software.

As a general rule, all Affinity programs support Wacom tablets. However, Affinity states that they do not officially support tablets outside of Wacom. Therefore, it is best to check tablets for compatibility before purchasing one for use with Affinity software.

As any graphic designer knows, a Wacom tablet can be a powerful tool when it comes to creating complex designs. Keep reading to find out if you can use a Wacom tablet with Affinity Photo, and other tablet options you may have.  

Can You Use a Wacom Tablet With Affinity Photo?

Pairing together a drawing tablet and an editing software is a great way to improve workflow and create beautiful complex designs. However, not every tablet and program are compatible. Luckily, this isn’t the case with Wacom and Affinity Photo.

Affinity Photo users have the ability to enhance their design experience by using a Wacom tablet. In fact, Wacom tablets are the only drawing tablet that receive Affinity’s official support.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that Wacom tablets, like many other drawing tablets, do require the connection to a computer to work. Therefore, you will need to make sure that both your computer and your tablet are able to work with Affinity Photo. The only exception here, is the Wacom Mobile Studio Pro and Wacom Cintiq tablets.

Does Affinity Work on Any Drawing Tablet?

When working in Affinity Photo, you want a device that can keep up with the application without lagging, freezing, or, worst of all, crashing in the middle of a design. While there are many different drawing tablets available, not all of them will are created equally. And, not all of them are compatible with Affinity Apps.

As a general rule, Affinity only officially supports Wacom tablets. All non-Wacom tablets have not been tested for use with the program and may not be up to par.

However, that doesn’t mean that Wacom is your only option. There are plenty of drawing tablets that have been used be designers who run Affinity programs. Some of these include:

• Deco Pro ($100)
• VEIKK A50 ($50)
• XP-Pen G430S ($25)

When choosing a drawing tablet, it’s a good idea to take battery life, pressure sensitivity, responsiveness, and size and weight into consideration. Many tablets cost well over a hundred dollars, so it’s best to do the research and pick one that will best meet your needs.

What is a Wacom Tablet Used For?

If you’ve spent some time designing without a drawing tablet, you may be wondering, “what’s the point of getting one?” Drawing tablets have the ability to enhance the natural drawing experience in design programs by giving the user the feel of using a conventional pen in the form of a stylus.

Some of the reason many designers prefer to use a Wacom tablet include:

• Drawing by hand—what you draw is what you see on screen
• Drawing on a larger screen
• Get the natural feel of drawing on paper without having to carry around equipment
• Able to connect to various types of design software
• Change color and brush size with the pen
• Define thickness of a stroke with how hard you press on the pen

For the most part, a Wacom tablet is used by digital artists and graphic designers to create art the same way they would with household art supplies such as colored pencils and paper, except with the use of a single digital pen and tablet. This allows many artist to have more control over their designs, instead of just using a mouse.

What is the Difference Between a Drawing Tablet and a Tablet?

Differentiating between digital tools can sometime be confusing, especially what the tools share a similar name. You may have seen some artists mentioning using Affinity Photo on their iPad. While this is a tablet, it’s not the same type of tablet as a Wacom tablet.

In a sense, a tablet is a compact version of a larger computer, or, even better, a larger version of a smartphone. These devices can access the internet, have their own screen and storage capacity, and sport their very own operating system.

Drawing tablets, on the other hand, generally don’t function well on their own. They usually require a connection to a desktop computer, as they don’t have their own screen or storage system. Instead, they act more as an extension of your desktop computer, replace the function of a computer mouse.

While there are many tablets that do have a drawing function, they lack the pressure sensitivity and accuracy of a drawing tablet. They also usually require the use of a special pen to make drawing possible. However, if you already have a tablet such as an iPad, you may benefit from the use of a Wacom Stylus instead of a Wacom tablet.

Are Wacom Styluses Compatible with Affinity Photo?

When it comes to styluses, compatibility is going to depend more on the device you are using than the software it is used with.

Generally, if you are using an iPad, it is safe to say that both Affinity Photo and a Wacom stylus will work on the device. Wacom styluses such as the Bamboo Sketch allow users to experience the feel of working with a drawing tablet, all on their iPad.

Final Thoughts

Using a Wacom tablet is a great way to level up your designing experience with the natural flow of putting pen to paper. Though not all design software programs and tablets are compatible, Wacom and Affinity Photo are fully supported with each other. However, always remember to check the specification on your desktop computer as well, so that you don’t run into any issues.

When you are working with graphic design, a common question is whether certain programs open files from other programs. While some different software work well together, opening a file in the wrong program can sometimes cause chaos or corrupt your file. 

Photoshop can open Affinity files with no issues while also bringing in certain features such as:

• Text Layers
• Layer Styles
• Layer Masks
• Layer Blend

Now, while you can open Affinity files in photoshop, you still have to be careful what type of file you save your project as and ensure it’s compatible with photoshop as well as certain parameters photoshop only works with. Given that Photoshop does open Affinity Files, these two software work almost seamlessly together, giving your graphic design an edge. 

Opening Affinity Files In Photoshop

You can open most Affinity files in photoshop or through photoshop as long as you understand the file types and sizes that photoshop can handle and open up. Certain sizes of files simply won’t open up in photoshop, and you won’t be able to work on those projects. 

PSD Files

When wanting to open an Affinity File in photoshop, you have to be aware of what photoshop is capable of. If you want to open a PSD file, you have to know that PSD files can not exceed 30,000 X 30,000 pixels or 2GB in size. 

If you need anything larger than 2GB, it would have to be a file type other than PSD, or you would need to use different editing software. 

You can also save PSD files from Affinity by following these steps:

1. Click on file >export
2. Click on the PSD tab
3. Choose your preferred settings and save

Once you go through this process, you should be able to open your PSD file in photoshop with no issues. 

Native File Format

Affinity files are natively saved as AFPHOTO but those can only be opened by Affinity itself. To use an AFPHOTO file in Photoshop, the file must be saved as a PSD before exporting from Affinity.

Affinity Vs. Photoshop

Many users of both software prefer to use both for their projects instead of only using one. Since the files can be opened between Affinity and Photoshop, this usually isn’t an issue, but there are some settings and options one has that the other doesn’t. 

Many users of photoshop are actually moving over to use Affinity photo instead of photoshop due to its ability to be used just like Photoshop with minimal issues. 

Useability

Now, when looking at tools and options for photoshop, such as:

• Layer tools
• Masking options
• 3D image creation
• Video support
• AI-Powered tools

Photoshop has the advantage over Affinity when you are solely looking at these tools and functionalities. However, Affinity still manages to keep up with photoshop, given its extensive ability to stack things while editing images.

Compatibility

When looking at both software and their compatibility with their native file format, Photoshop is more compatible with different software due to the native file format being PSD. Affinity has issues being compatible with anything other than photoshop since its native file format is .afphoto.

When you attempt to save files in Affinity, you only have one option: the native file format. If you want other file format options, you have to export your file. When you go to save in photoshop, you are presented with many “save as” options without having to export. 

Affinity Cons

When working with Affinity, there aren’t too many issues users have reported that lead them to believe photoshop is necessarily better than Affinity, but there are some issues that mean they have to use photoshop for some things. 

Affinity photo has certain issues such as:

• The crop tool is hard to use
• Backgrounds are not transparent by default
• Images are vectors by default
• “Save as” limited to Affinity file format
• You must export to get another file format option
• Randomly empties documents

Now, while these issues are frustrating, they haven’t been enough for users to move away from using Affinity completely. However, using only Affinity instead of Affinity and Photoshop isn’t easy. 

Affinity Pros

Affinity has several pros that allow it to be such a huge competitor against Photoshop and work well together with Photoshop. Some pros Affinity photo users have reported are:

• You own Affinity instead of renting
• For most projects, you only need to use Affinity for
• Usually starts up and runs faster than Photoshop
• Works offline
• You can work across multiple computers and devices
• Opens and handles PSD files formats perfectly

Many users have reported that since they don’t have to pay a monthly amount to use Affinity Photo, they would rather use it over photoshop because they own the software. This also allows them to work anywhere on Affinity without running into any restrictions over log-ins or device numbers. 

While photoshop can technically be used offline, you do have to connect to the internet quite often to ensure updates and software issues are fixed or installed from the server. Without regularly connecting to the internet, your photoshop software wouldn’t work after a while. 

Overall, those who are working in graphic design are slowly choosing to use Affinity Photo over photo shops due to its ease of use and lower price. This means if someone is being paid to do graphic designs, they have more of a profit when they are paying less for their software. 

Final Thoughts

Comparing Affinity Photo and Photoshop is a hot topic currently due to Affinity taking over a large amount of Photoshops dedicated users. However, Affinity still has a way to go before taking over completely. 

The fact that Photoshop can open Affinity files allows the two software to be used together almost seamlessly. This is a huge plus for those who like using two different software and their different tools.