Affinity Photo and Adobe Lightroom are powerful editing tools loved by many who use them. If you are a photographer or digital artist, then you know the editing process is just as important as snapping the picture. However, deciding which software you use can be a challenge. You might even be wondering if Affinity could be used to replace Lightroom, or vice versa.

In total, Affinity Photo and Lightroom are both powerful photo editing tools designed for different tasks. Affinity is a great for those looking for advanced photo retouching and complex compositions. On the other hand, professionals seeking fast image correction and batch editing will fair better with Lightroom.

If you can’t choose between Affinity Photo and Lightroom, it can be helpful to understand exactly what each program was designed to do. Below, you will find a quick comparison of both software programs, so you can decide if one can replace the other, and which one would work best for you.

Can Affinity Photo Be Used in Place of Lightroom?

While it’s not exactly ideal, Affinity Photo can be used to replace Lightroom as a photo editing tool in some circumstances. However, which tool you use is really going to boil down to what you plan to use them for.

Like all things, each program as its own strengths and weaknesses depending on what it was designed for. For example, you may edit photos in Lightroom, but then switch over to a promotional marketing tool like Placeit to make mockups and promotional materials.

To better understand which one would work best for you, we need to take a deeper look at each software.

What is the Difference Between Affinity Photo and Lightroom?

Affinity Photo and Adobe Lightroom may seem similar on the surface, but they are in fact vastly different. Not only do the programs come from two separate companies, but they were designed with different goals in mind.

What Is Affinity Photo?

Affinity Photo is a sophisticated photo editing software that has quickly become the tool of choice for photographers and artistic professionals. It has an excellent set of easy-to-use tools that enable users to do complex photo adjustments with speed and precision. Plus, it works on macOS, Windows, and iOS.

Some of the features that Affinity Photo is known for include:

• Precise photo cropping
• Remove red-eye
• Area select
• Correcting lens distortion
• Photo stitching
• Live filter layers
• Vector and text tools
• Custom brushes

These features, along with the ability to edit several files at one time and preview changes in real time have made Affinity Photo one of the top photo editing software programs trusted by professionals.

What is Adobe Lightroom?

Adobe Lightroom is a photo editor that allows you to create photos that look just the way you want, from wherever you are. With a digital photo catalogue and the ability to add your own presets, Lightroom is the ideal tool for batch editing and photo management.

Some of the features you can expect from Lightroom include:

• Color correction
• Adjust Exposure, brightness, and saturation
• Change tone curve
• Customize print settings
• Create photo albums
• Seamless integration with other Adobe programs

Lightroom has a comprehensive photo management system that makes it easy to view and organize all of the photos you need to edit. For this reason, the software has become a favorite among photographers who are handling hundreds or thousands of photos at a time.

Is Affinity Photo a Good Photo Editor Compared to Lightroom?

When it comes to choosing the best photo editor, Affinity Photo and Lightroom really don’t compare.

Affinity Photo is a software tool designed for anyone who needs to create digital artwork and breathtaking compositions. It offers an excellent range of post-processing capabilities, including live filter layers and a library full of tools and effects. This allows you to create complex image compositions and incorporate photos into your design.

Lightroom isn’t going to be able to handle some of the editing that is involved in creating digital artwork in the way the Affinity Photo can.  However, if you are strictly looking for pure photo editing, especially if you work with a lot of photos at one time, nothing compares to Adobe Lightroom.

In film photography, photos are developed in the dark room. Lightroom basically takes this process to the digital realm. The software’s management system provides photographers with a space to store, manage, and backup photos.

On top of that, the editing can be streamlined with custom made presets, so you are spending less time at the computer. Lightroom also uses non-destructive editing, so you can make changes to a photo while keeping the original file intact.

Using Affinity Photo and Lightroom Together

It’s not always a question of which tool to use, but of when to them.

Instead of using Affinity Photo as a replacement for Lightroom, you’d be better off pairing these to programs together. Much like you would use Lightroom and Photoshop together, Lightroom and Affinity can be integrated in the same way.

Lightroom shines when it comes to managing and processing photos on your devices. After you’ve determined which photographs would work and done the required edits, it’s time to transition to Affinity Photo. You will have more freedom here to perform more extensive edits that will help make your image flawless.

Can Affinity Photo Replace Photoshop?

If you’re looking to cut back on the number of programs you use, or save on subscription prices, then Affinity Photo could be a viable replacement for Adobe Photoshop. While Affinity Photo and Lightroom are vastly different, these two applications are similar in many ways—powerful digital editing programs with a library of tools that implement layers for more functionality.

Photoshop does have a one up on Affinity Photo in terms of how much it can do. However, while Photoshop offers wider range of tools and capabilities, the subscription payment structure is often a turn off for users. Affinity on the other hand, is an affordable one-time purchase, making it an appealing alternative.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this helped you decided whether Affinity Photo or Lightroom would work for you. If you can’t decide between Affinity Photo and Lightroom, keep in mind that these programs are designed to handle different tasks. In the end, you may benefit most from using them both together.

If you’re an avid Wacom user, then you’re probably well aware of the sheer number of pens the company sells for their numerous tablets. The tricky thing about these pens is knowing which tablets they’re compatible with when the time comes to upgrade or buy a replacement. A common question Wacom users have, in this regard, is whether their pens are backwards compatible, meaning if a new pen model will work on an old tablet.

Wacom pens aren’t backwards compatible. This is a common result of devices upgrading and featuring new and improved designs. It’s standard for most Wacom pens to be forward compatible, meaning they will work on newer tablet models, but they won’t operate on those older than their intended generation.

In this article, we will provide an in-depth guide of Wacom pen compatible. As you read, you’ll learn which models will work for which tablets, both regarding their model and type. This will allow you to purchase the right Wacom pens for whichever tablet you have or intend to purchase

Are All Wacom Pens Cross Compatible?

Another common question Wacom users will have regarding their Wacom pens is whether it is cross compatible with tablets from the same generation. By this we mean, can you use a Wacom pen intended for an Intuos tablet on a Cintiq Pro tablet (or one of their various associated models).

Yes, most Wacom pens are cross compatible as long as the pen is within its respective generation or being used for a newer tablet model. Remember that they are not typically backwards compatible, so won’t be ablet to use a newer Wacom pen on an older tablet regardless of the tablet type.

Of course, there are some outliers for this rule, such as the Pro Pen 2 which isn’t cross compatible for the Untuos 4 or 5 but will work for the Pro Cintiq and Intuos Pro (2017 models). There are also a handful of pens that only work exclusively with the tablet they were designed for, such as the Wacom One (DTC133) pen.

What Tablet(s) Is Your Wacom Pen is Compatible With?

Wacom has been a prevalent company creating graphics tablet and related products since its founding in 1983. As you can imagine, they have made a significant number of tablet and pen over the past nearly four decades, and with so many alterations in design, it has become harder and harder to determine which pens are compatible with which tablets. So, we’re here to help with that.

Those of you who are at a loss as to which Wacom pen is compatible with your tablet can typically follow the general rule that any Wacom pen from the same generation as your Wacom tablet or older should be compatible with your tablet, as this would follow the forward and cross-compatible rules.

Alternatively, purchasing a duplicate Wacom pen to the one that came with your tablet is always a safe bet. If you’re at a loss as to what Wacom tablet you even have, you can search the tablet’s exterior for a model name or search it’s labeled model number and serial number.

If all else fails, we recommend referring to the comprehensive compatibility list found here which includes all Wacom pen models and the Wacom tablets they can be used for. The list also details what you can generally expect to spend on purchasing each pen new if need be.

The list offered on this site here will also tell you which Wacom pens are compatible with which Wacom tablets, but the list is structured by tablet rather than pen. That way, you can find a list of pen options faster for those of you who want to know which ones are compatible with the specific tablet you already have.

Where Can I Find a Wacom Pen Compatible With My Tablet?

Another tricky obstacle with having Wacom tablets, especially older ones, is that it can be difficult to find compatible pens, especially since the newer models aren’t backwards compatible.

While most people would assume that Wacom’s official website would be the best place to purchase a replacement, that isn’t necessarily the case. Yes, you can buy new Wacom pens on their website, but the selection is usually limited to the newest models (currently these are the Bamboo Ink and Bamboo Ink Plus pens). If these pens work for your tablet, then great!

If not, then your best bet would be to purchase a replacement off Amazon or through a reliable electronics store, such as Best Buy. These sources will have a wider selection for affordable prices.

Final Thoughts

Determining which Wacom tablets pair with which pens is a common challenge Wacom users face, which is why many will stick with purchasing a replacement pen that is identical to the one they received when they purchased their tablet. While this is a tried-and-true method, you can use different pens on your tablet once you know your compatibility options by checking out the sources listed above and remember the forward and cross-compatibility rules.

Cricut is a manufacturer of cutting tools for design projects. They offer cutting machines, heating presses, lighting, and other materials you’ll need for everything from invitations to stationery and more. To make designing more streamlined with their products, they offer a free tool called Cricut Design Space, which includes a variety of fonts for free.

Most of the fonts in the Cricut Design Space are free for personal use only, so you will need a purchased license if you would like to use them commercially. Fonts are the intellectual property of their creators, and typically those creators want to be compensated if you use their work for profit.

Luckily, there are options for using fonts in Cricut Design Space. Let’s first look at the difference between a font that is free for personal use versus free-for-commercial use.

Personal Versus Commercial Use

There are countless websites on the internet boosting about offering free fonts. Some of those websites will tell you upfront how their fonts can be used, while others will leave terms in the fine print, which often gets overlooked. You must know the difference between personal and commercial use to protect yourself from having to permanently take down work from a platform or get sued for copyright infringement.

For Personal Use Only

Many sites on the internet offer free fonts. In fact, offering free fonts is how they lure users into clicking on their URL links. They don’t often mention outright that those fonts may be free to download but not free to use in any way that you want. The majority of the time, fonts are free for personal use only.

Personal use means that whichever way you choose to utilize the free font, whether for a fun meme or a comic illustration, it must be strictly for your own enjoyment or the enjoyment of friends. It can not be used for monetary gain in any way, shape, or form because that would be considered for commercial use.

For Personal and Commercial Use

The line between personal and commercial can often become blurred, treading in dangerous waters regarding copyright. The safest approach to using fonts is to always educate yourself on the licensing. If the font is free for personal use only, you would need to purchase the option to use it commercially.

Once you purchase that license, you can use the font for any design, illustration, or piece of merchandise regardless of profit and without fear of copyright, so long as you follow the terms of the license.

If a site is not clear on the licensing, there are plenty of external sources, like Placeit.net, with fonts that allow for personal and commercial use and offer peace of mind when it comes to the terms of use.

What Are the Options for Using Fonts in Cricut Design Space?

You have a Cricut cutting machine or heating press, and you would like to use their design tool because it’s free and because you like the idea of an end-to-end user experience. Just because the Cricut included fonts require licensing to use commercially, it doesn’t mean you have to forsake the tool altogether.

When it comes to using fonts in the Cricut Design Space, there are three options:

• Purchase the license for the Cricut fonts
• Find “free-for-commercial use” fonts from a different site to upload
• Retain the tool and included fonts for personal use only

Let’s delve deeper into how each option works for you and your design needs.

Purchase the License

The easiest option for using Cricut fonts commercially is to buy the license. The wonderful thing about the purchase is that once you have the license, it’s yours from that point on, and you can use that font for any number of projects. Cricut fonts are reasonably priced compared to some of their competitors. The majority of them are offered at $4.99.

This suggestion is based on the nature of your business with design. If this is a one-time project, parting with $4.99 is a reasonable expense, but if you are creating merchandise to sell and need a library of fonts, then the cost of fonts like this can add up. Fortunately, there are other options for your needs.

Upload Fonts From Other Sites

One of the most convenient elements of the Cricut Design Space is the ability to upload fonts you download from other sites to be used in the tool. Since there are so many websites that offer free fonts, you can most certainly find various fonts that are free-for-commercial use.

While you may not be paying for the right to use these fonts commercially with cash, you will be paying with your time. Finding sites that offer free fonts is fast. Combing through them individually to locate and read the terms of use will take some person-hours, but it may be worth the effort if you can save your hard-earned coin.

Use Tool and Fonts for Personal Projects

Since you’ve clicked on this article, the assumption is that you are looking for information on fonts to use commercially. Regardless, that doesn’t negate personal projects that a tool like this could be utilized for if you don’t want to pay for licensing or take time from your busy schedule to look for free commercial-use fonts.

You may have other design applications that already house a library of fonts ready to be used commercially, so you don’t need this free tool to conduct your business. It could be nice to have a design tool for personal ideas and projects separate from your business designs. You can even upload fonts you’ve already purchased for your other design application to be used in Cricut Design Space.

Conclusion

Now you’re educated on how you can use fonts, whether personally or commercially, and your options for finding fonts for those needs. Whether you invest money in licensing or time in finding free-for-commercial use fonts, you can have what you need for your designs.

Even the most experienced designers and illustrators can have difficulty keeping a steady hand when creating art, especially if they use a design program like photoshop. Relying on a stylus instead of a brush or pencil can be an adjustment, but some tools can help that transition. One, in particular, can prove very helpful, the brush smoothing tool.

The brush smoothing tool allows you to reduce the choppiness of your brush strokes, smoothing out jagged edges. This effect can save a piece of work, but what happens when you open Photoshop and the brushing smooth is greyed out? Keep reading for ways to fix this issue.

4 Fixes for Brush Smoothing Greyed Out in Photoshop

It can be frustrating when you’ve been using a design program like Photoshop for some time without issue, and then suddenly there are tools greyed out that you need to use. Luckily, simple fixes usually address the problem without going to extremes. Some are so easy; they may have you wondering why you hadn’t thought of them before.

1. Enable the Brush Smoothing Tool

Enabling the brush tool in your tool panel may seem like an obvious fix and one you didn’t consider because you’ve selected and used the tool before. Don’t be quick to dismiss this option. The brush smoothing tool could have been unchecked if you recently did an update to Photoshop. Even if you haven’t recently updated, it’s worth a check.

If you’ve never selected this tool before, go to Windows>Brush Settings. Under “Brushes” toward the bottom of the list, you will see “Smoothing,” select the box, so a checkmark appears, and hit “Ok.”

2. Refresh the Brush Smoothing Tool

Perhaps selecting the tool isn’t your issue, and you need an alternative fix. Before trying anything else, try refreshing the tool. Navigate to the brush tool in the tool panel and right-click. A pop-up will appear that will give you two options, “Reset Tool” or “Reset All Tools.” If you have other tools greyed out that need fixing as well, you can go with the second option. If not, reset the single tool and see if that fixes the issue.

For a bonus fix, you can reset your workspace in Photoshop. Go to Windows> Workspace> Reset Essentials. If you’re not using the default “Essentials” workspace, the workspace you’re currently using that is checked in the “Workspace” menu will have the option to reset.

3. Restart the Photoshop Program

If all else fails, restart Photoshop. Sometimes, an application has technical issues for no foreseeable reason and restarting it is the only thing that sets it right. Be sure to save your work before shutting down the program and restarting it. You can even restart your whole device if there are any issues with other applications going on simultaneously.

Once you restart Photoshop, before moving on to the next fix, try the previous ones first. See if the applications will allow you to reenable the brush smoothing tool in the brush settings or refresh the tool in the tool panel.

4. Uninstall and Reinstall Photoshop

Uninstalling Photoshop would hopefully be the last resort option. If you have tried all the other suggestions and nothing has worked, then uninstalling and reinstalling could be the key to getting your tools back online.

To uninstall, open up your Creative Cloud desktop app. On the “All Apps Page,” select the “More Options” icon next to Photoshop and hit “Uninstall.” If for any reason, the Creative Cloud desktop app fails to uninstall Photoshop correctly, you can always go to your control panel and uninstall the program there.

Creative Cloud is where you will reinstall Photoshop as well. You can either do it in the app or on the website. After installation, you should have access to all your tools in Photoshop.

Honorable Mentions

If Photoshop continues to give you issues with your tools, specifically your brush smoothing tool, it may be a bigger issue than the four fixes in this article. Sometimes it could have to do with a recent update to the application or a technical glitch that has yet to be addressed. If that is the case, you will need other solutions.

Here are a few honorable mention fixes to the greyed-out brush smoothing tool issue:

• Revert to a previous version of Photoshop if an update caused the issue.
• Contact Adobe Support for help. IT personnel will likely offer some of the same suggestions in this article, but once they know you’ve done them all, they dig a little deeper to assist you.
• Forgo Photoshop altogether and use another design application like Illustrator or InDesign. You can also use a design website like Placeit.net.

Conclusion

The likeness is that one of these solutions should work for you, and you can always refer back to these suggestions for future use. That way, you can spend less time fixing and more time designing.

Illustrator is great software, but it doesn’t play well with a lot of other software resulting in pixelated or jumbled files that require some time to fix and adjust. However, there are solutions and causes that can help you avoid the pixelation issue. 

If your Vector looks pixelated in illustrator, there are a few reasons why:

1. The original artboard size doesn’t match your export dimensions
2. Export settings caused a low-quality export
3. Your monitor has a lower pixel density
4. The artwork has low-resolution
5. Original software is incompatible with illustrator

Now, if these issues and solutions don’t apply to you, you may have to reach out to the customer support of whatever software you are using. Without their help, you would be stuck in the trial and error loop until something is fixed. 

Reasons Your Vector Looks Pixelated In Illustrator

With every reason your vector may look pixelated, there are a handful of solutions for you to try out. Even if you do everything right, your image may still end up looking pixelated because the software isn’t perfect. 

No matter the issue, there are solutions and ways you can prevent it in the future. 

1. The Original Artboard Size Doesn’t Match Your Export Dimensions

When you create any kind of digital artwork, you have to know your starting size can be imported or exported into any other software, or you won’t receive the same results after it’s moved. 

If your starting artboard is 192px by 1080px, then everything you export your work to also needs to be the same size or larger. If the artboard you are exporting to is smaller, your work will look pixelated and distorted. 

2. Export Settings Caused A Low-Quality Export

Your export settings are involved in everything from the artboard of the intended destination to what kind of file you are saving your export as. Your settings can take a great piece of art and turn it into a pixelated, distorted jumble of colors. 

You want to ensure a few settings are corrected before you fully export:

• Change your artboard setting if they are too big
• You want to use JPG 100 or PNG for export
• You want to ensure you choose 1x as your scale
• Your resolution needs to be 72dpi for screens or 300dpi for print

If you follow these settings, your vector shouldn’t end up pixelated when exporting into illustrator or any other software for that matter. 

3. Your Monitor Has Low Pixel Density

Every single screen is using pixels to view anything, without pixels you wouldn’t be able to see any images on your screen. However, some screens have a higher density than others and this can cause certain things to look more pixelated than others. 

The only real way to figure out if your vector is pixelated through the screen or due to something else is to find a better screen and test it out, or print it using the 300dpi settings. Now, pixels usually end up not being so choppy the further out your scale, so you could try viewing your document on a 50%-60% scale and see if it gets any better. 

If your vector ends up not pixelated when you try one of these options, it’s your monitor that is causing the pixelation look, not your file. 

4. The Artwork Has With Low-Resolution

If your artwork contains any images that are low-resolution or low-quality, chances are your vector will end up pixelated. This can be caused by low-quality cameras, photo editing software, or exporting the file incorrectly. 

You can try to attach the image again after letting it fully upload or changing the resolution in the settings, but if it’s an issue with the source image, it may have to be redone. 

5. Original Software Is Incompatible With Illustrator

Illustrator has quite a few great qualities, but one of its biggest downfalls is the inability to work well with several other software. If your software doesn’t work well with Illustrator, your image will not look great once it’s exported or imported to something new. 

Overall, your best bet is to start back in the original software and find something that works well with that. Illustrator has some settings you can try to change around such as resolution or DPI, but if the software isn’t reading the file well, it usually won’t work. 

Final Thoughts

For most issues with pixelation in Illustrator, you can find solutions for it that are pretty easy to walk through yourself, however, figuring out the issue is often the hardest part. Thankfully Illustrator has many forums and helps desk-type sites that can help you figure out your issue without wasting too much time. 

Etsy is extremely convenient for those looking to purchase or sell personal and custom products. Now, once your page is up and running, it takes minimal work to keep it working; however, fixing it up at the beginning can be difficult. 

Sometimes your profile picture won’t upload to Etsy and there can be a few reasons why, such as:

1. You aren’t uploading in shop edit mode
2. The picture is the wrong size
3. Your original image isn’t squared
4. You aren’t going through the correct steps
5. Your browser needs to be updated
6. Etsy is having issues or a glitch

No, no matter what the reason is for not being able to upload your profile picture, there is most likely a fix, how you find that fix is the bigger issue. Some things need to be done through trial and error while others can be fixed through Etsy support or a community forum, you just have to research a bit. 

Reasons Why Etsy Won’t Upload Your Profile Picture

Thankfully Etsy has been around long enough that many users have discovered solutions to a myriad of problems and some even before Etsy figured it out. The great thing is there usually aren’t too many problems now, they are most often the same handful of issues that people can walk themselves through. 

If none of these solutions fix your issue, you can always reach out to the Etsy support team for troubleshooting tips and tricks. 

1. You Aren’t Uploading In Shop Edit Mode

When editing or changing anything dealing with your Etsy shop, you have to work in the “Shop Edit Mode” or it will not save it and in some cases, won’t even let you change anything. While this may seem pretty self-explanatory, Etsy will let you change around a few things when you aren’t in edit mode so it can get confusing for others who aren’t aware of the need for Shop Edit Mode.

Simply opening Shop Edit Mode should allow you to edit and upload exactly what you need on your page. 

2. Your Picture Is The Wrong Size

Etsy requires all images to be of certain sizes before being uploaded or it won’t let them upload fully, or even at all in some cases. Your profile picture is required to be 500x500px for it to upload correctly and to completion. If your picture is larger than that you can open it in photo editing software and try to change the size. 

It’s worth noting that your picture must also be a certain type of file. The only files allowed for a profile picture by Etsy are:

• .jpg
• .gif
• .png

Once you fix this issue, you should have no issue uploading your profile picture. 

3. Your Original Image Isn’t Squared

Most of the time uploading an image isn’t an issue because the photos are usually square by default. However, if at any point your photo was edited and the shape was changed at all, your photos are not likely to upload, or if they do, they will be distorted. 

This is a pretty simple fix because you can open up your photo in editing software and change around the size and shape, allowing your photo to upload correctly. 

4. You Aren’t Going Through The Correct Steps

If you are new to Etsy, or even if you’ve been using it for a while and aren’t sure how to do certain things, this is okay. Etsy can take a while to learn, especially for those who didn’t grow up on computers. 

So, if you can’t get Esty to upload your profile picture, it’s always possible that you aren’t going through the correct steps to allow this to happen. To upload a profile picture you have to follow these steps:

• Go to “Your Account” on Etsy.com
• Click on Account Settings
• Go to your Public Profile
• Choose “Browse” or “Choose File” to select your picture
• Save your changes

From there Etsy should apply your selected photo to your profile picture. 

5. Your Browser Needs Updating

In some cases, Etsy or your pictures are not the issues. It is extremely common for users to have issues with their browser that Etsy itself can not fix. If none of the other fixes are working for you, it’s time to try another browser or see if your current one requires an update. 

Opening the settings on your current browser and searching for “Update” should take you to where you can search for an update and follow the prompts on the screen. If you have no updates, try using a different browser. 

While Etsy works with most browsers, sometimes certain browsers change things just enough so they don’t work well with certain sites for a few weeks.  

6. Etsy Is Having Issues Or A Glitch

Any site is prone to issues at some point and Etsy is no exception. There are seasons that servers and sites go through where changes or updates are made and this can cause issues with other parts of the site that are unknown to the IT department. 

One of these glitches is usually issues with uploading or changing pictures to your Etsy page. While Etsy isn’t quite sure why it happens, once they are made aware of the issue they can usually fix it within a day or two. So, if you have an issue, feel free to reach out to their support department so they can work on fixing the issue. 

Final Thoughts

Etsy is a widely popular selling site that helps many people manage and add to their finances. While Etsy is pretty user-friendly, there are some issues and glitches that pop up sometimes that end up causing frustration to its users. 

Most of the issues relating to uploading profile pictures have been solved, or have easy fixes figured out by other users. Thankfully Etsy has provided many community forums dedicated to users helping other users fix problems. 

PNG images are widely used for graphics, icons, logos, etc., which typically require versatility in how they are used. You may want to put your image on merchandise, a business card, or your company website. Whatever the platform or product, there are key characteristics of PNG that make it the ideal format for this— like its lossless compression style or its color depth or editability.

Your PNG has a checkered background because that grid signals that your image has a transparent background. It’s common to see a checkered background for a PNG image if you have it open in a design program like Photoshop.

Now that you’re aware that a checkered background signals transparency, what is next? If transparency isn’t what you intended, or perhaps the image was sent to you, and the checkered background is separate from the transparent background. Keep reading for ways to fix or adjust these issues.

How to Remove a Checkered Background Attached to Your PNG

Image files are exchanged all the time, especially in the design industry. When opening the file, you may notice some components or layers that are not needed. If that is the case and you receive a PNG image with a checkered background attached, there is a way to remove it.

There are two reasons you may see an attached checkered background. The file was saved as a screenshot, retaining the checkered background as part of the image, or the background may have been added to show what the image asset looks like for web purposes.

An attached checkered background is simple to remove in Photoshop with the following steps:

1. Select and unlock your image layer.
2. Click on “Windows” in the menu at the top of the screen, then select “Properties.”
3. At the bottom of the panel, under “Quick Actions,” choose “Remove Background.”
4. The “Remove Background” option will automatically select your image and remove the background via a layer mask.
5. Add a different background or export your PNG by clicking on File>Save A Copy.

If you export your image, ensure the format is set to PNG to preserve transparency. If you save in another format that does not support transparency, like JPEG, it will automatically place a white background around the image.

If you don’t use Photoshop, the steps to remove a checkered background attached to your PNG may be a little different. Each design program contains different menus and functions for performing tasks.

How to Add a Background to a Transparent PNG

The checkered background of a PNG simply shows that the image has a transparent background. You will only see this while the image is opened in a program like Photoshop. Once you export the image, the checkered background will no longer be present, and you can put your graphic or logo on any mockup or website with ease.

If you received a PNG with a transparent background and you would like to add one in Photoshop, use the following steps:

1. Click on “Layer” in the menu at the top of the screen.
2. Scroll down to “New Fill Layer” and select one of the following options: solid color, gradient, or pattern.
3. A dialogue box will appear that names the new layer; press “ok.”
4. Now you can select your background color, gradient, or pattern.
5. The new layer will automatically appear over the image layer. Click and drag the new layer to be below the image layer.
6. Save your image as a JPEG, PSD, or both.

Again, if you’re looking for a simple white background, the easiest way to accomplish this is by saving your image as a JPEG. If you want an image as your background, you can also add that as a new layer. Be sure to click and drag it below your transparent PNG.

If you don’t use Photoshop, the steps to add a background to your PNG may be a little different. Each design program contains different menus and functions for performing tasks. Check the instructions on the software website.

For example, on Placeit.net simply select the background color dropdown and choose the checkered box to make any design’s background transparent, or choose a color to change the background to a solid color.

Conclusion

Most likely, if you’re working with a PNG file, you want a transparent background, and now you know that the checkered background you see in a design application is exactly what you should be seeing. If not, now you have options on removing the checkered background if it doesn’t represent transparency or adding a background if the image requires one.

Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo are two popular choices for graphic designers, photographers, and anyone else who likes to create digital art. However, many people report a common issue: Affinity programs run incredibly slow on their computers.

Below, we’ll discuss five common reasons Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo are lagging, as well as some solutions that may solve the problem. Keep reading to learn more!

Why is Affinity Photo So Slow?

Creating graphics in Affinity Designer and editing photos in Affinity Photo should be simple. If the program is running slower than usual, it can significantly affect your workload and turnaround times.

A few reasons why Affinity Designer may be running slow include:

1. Outdated software
2. An installation error
3. The processors you’re using
4. The number of fonts installed
5. Your antivirus program’s settings

Now, let’s discuss these causes and some potential solutions.

1. Outdated Software

With any program, using an outdated software version can significantly impair performance. The Affinity 1.10 update, released in August 2021, improved the program’s speed up to 10x. If you haven’t updated your Affinity software in a while, check for updates and download the latest version.

2. An Installation Error

Sometimes, errors occur while you’re installing a program that affects the way it works on your computer. This is typically caused by another system process interrupting the installation. Try uninstalling and reinstalling the program, and see if this improves its performance. If your version is outdated, this is also a great time to update.

3. The Processors You’re Using

Most modern computers have at least two processors. However, some computers will only use one processor to run different programs. If Affinity Designer or Photo is lagging, change your settings to allow the program to use all the processors possible.

If you have a Windows computer, follow these steps to change your settings:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard to open Task Manager.
2. In the Task Manager window, select “Details.”
3. Scroll through the list of programs until you see Affinity Designer or Affinity Photo, whichever program you’re using at the moment.
4. Right-click on the program, then choose “processor affinity.”
5. Select “All processors,” or choose the ones you want to use to run the program.

Once you save your settings, the program should speed up. Keep in mind that your computer will automatically reset these settings when you turn it off, so you may have to repeat the process.

Fixing the Issue on Mac

If you have a Mac computer, follow these steps to increase Affinity’s memory allocation:

1. Open Affinity, then select the “File” menu at the top of your screen.
2. From the File menu, click “Get Info,” then select “Memory.”
3. In the memory information menu, increase the amount of memory you want to allocate to the program.

Since you’re directly changing the application’s settings, you shouldn’t have to repeat the process every time you open the program or restart your computer. However, check in periodically if you notice the program running slow again.

4. The Number of Fonts Installed

Most graphic designers install fonts they download from the internet. However, a large number of fonts is often the cause of performance issues with Affinity.

If you have a lot of fancy, designer fonts, try deleting any you no longer use to speed up performance. You could also transfer certain fonts to an external hard drive and keep only the system fonts on your computer.

Many people have luck using Fontbase to organize their fonts. You can tell the application to detect fonts in your external hard drive and plug it in whenever you want to use a font stored there. You can also use Fontbase to create a “favorites” folder for your fonts, then activate a setting that only allows those to load with the program.

5. Your Antivirus Program’s Settings

While antivirus programs no longer slow computers down nearly as much as they used to, it’s still a possibility that your antivirus software is affecting Affinity’s performance. This is typically due to a scan running in the background.

Open your software’s settings and change the frequency at which it runs background scans to speed up performance. In the future, avoid using Affinity whenever a background scan is occurring.

Final Thoughts

As a graphic designer or photographer, being able to complete your work on Affinity Designer or Affinity Photo quickly is essential. For this reason, having issues with performance or lagging can be not only frustrating, but financially detrimental as well.

If Affinity is running slowly on your computer, try employing the fixes listed above and seeing if they solve the problem. If all else fails, you may want to contact the Affinity support team.

One of the best aspects of Adobe’s software is that you can use them in conjunction with each other for even better results. One of the best combinations is to use their vector software, Illustrator, to create images for the videos you make in Premiere. Still, what do you do when those Illustrator files are pixelated after being imported into Premiere? 

An Illustrator file that looks pixelated in Premiere can be fixed by adjusting its size in Illustrator. That’s because most of the time when an Illustrator file ends up blurry in Premiere it is caused by the size change that happens when it is rasterized. 

If you’re having trouble seeing your Illustrator files clearly in Premiere, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In our guide below we will discuss whether Illustrator files were meant to be used in Premiere and why they might come up Pixelated. We’ll even provide a step by step guide on how you can fix the problem so your images come up clearly in the future. Let’s dive right in! 

Can You Use Illustrator Files in Premiere?

If your images are coming up pixelated in Premiere you may be wondering if they’re meant to be imported at all. So can you really use Illustrator files in Premiere?

Illustrator files can be used in Premiere, however, they will be rasterized first–meaning they will be converted from vector images to raster images. Due to this transition, they will never be quite as sharp and vivid as they are in Illustrator itself.

Though Illustrator files will never look as good in Premiere as they look in Illustrator, they don’t have to be super pixelated. If exported and imported properly, they won’t look quite as perfect as they do in Illustrator but they should still be crisp and clear. In the next section we’ll dive into why an Illustrator file might look more pixelated than it should.

Why is My Illustrator File Pixelated in Premiere?

Even though you’ll never get a perfect vector image by using an Illustrator file in Premiere, it shouldn’t look super pixelated. So why would an image come in blurry like that? 

Most of the time if your Illustrator file looks pixelated or blurry in Premiere, it’s because it is being exported at a size that is too small. When you blow it up so that you can see it, you therefore end up with a really fuzzy image. 

Fortunately, fixing this problem just requires a few simple steps. In our next section we will break down the process of fixing this issue so you can make the best video possible. 

How Do You Fix Illustrator File Pixelation in Premiere? 

Knowing why your image is pixelated is one thing, but knowing how to fix it is paramount. So how do you fix Illustrator images that look pixelated in Premiere?

Follow the steps below to fix the problem of Premiere pixelating your Illustrator image files:

1. Edit the image in Illustrator: Either open the file in Illustrator before you import it into Premiere or click to edit the file within Premiere. If you’ve already got the file in your video you can simply right-click on it in your libraries and select “edit.” This should open up Illustrator with the file ready to go. 
2. Adjust the file properties: Once in Illustrator, click on the “properties” tab of the panel on the right side of the screen. Click the “maintain width and height” button then change the width to 4,096 (4K) and hit enter. This should also adjust the height simultaneously. 
3. Import the image into your libraries: Now just click the “libraries” tab in the top right of the panel. Just drag your image into your libraries and it should be ready to use!  

Now when you import your image into your video it should no longer look pixelated and blurry because it is set up to look clear in 4K.  

So Really, How Do You Fix Pixelated Illustrator Files in Premiere?

When a file is taken from Illustrator and imported into Premiere, it has to be changed from a vector file to a raster file. In that transition some of the picture quality is inevitably lost. Still, if the image looks overly pixelated, chances are something went wrong. 

Most of the time, that something is that the file was exported at a smaller size. If it was a vector file, that size wouldn’t matter, but as a less dynamic raster file, it is a big deal. To fix it, you simply need to change the height and width of the image to 4,096 and then re-import it into your libraries. Now when you pull it up in Premiere, it should be in 4K. 

There are a huge number of fonts you can use to improve the legitimacy and attention-catching desire of your content. When you are choosing a font to use, you want it to reflect the purpose, importance, and value of your content. 

While some people think Impact is a good font to use to convey importance and legitimacy, however, the recent use of Impact in memes and its common use in the professional world for things deemed important has reduced Impact’s value and importance. 

Good Font for Headings

While Impact has its issues, using it for headings is one of its most common uses. Impact is great at catching people’s attention and making a point, or an impact. This font is best used when you have a large font or paper to fill. 

Most of the time, this font works well with flyers, posters, and billboards. However, even if you are using it for a heading or a title, if the space you have to put content on is small, Impact can make it look junky and too full. 

Most Commonly Used in Memes

Now, while Impact is a worthwhile and upstanding font for a lot of projects, a lot of people know the font from memes across the internet. While you can get away with using impact in a professional setting, those who know the font from memes may see it as slightly unprofessional. 

However, on the other hand, psychologically, using impact may end up bringing more attention to your work since memes usually cause serotonin boosts among this certain generations. While this isn’t proven, it doe sounds like it’s worth trying. 

Slightly Overused

While Impact has its place in the professional world, at this point, Impact has started to become widely overused for anything with a value of importance. This can cause issues with people not paying attention to the full value of importance because it is not a rarity anymore. 

In some ways, Impact has become somewhat like white noise in the professional world and is no longer seen as a font to use for something highly important. The font is as mainstream as anything else these days. 

The issue with using a mainstream font is it is not paid attention to as much as another font that looks important or catches the attention of others. If you were to use Impact to grab someone’s attention and convey importance, chances are they wouldn’t look at it with any more intention or urgency than anything else. Impact has totally lost its ability to capture importance and attention. 

Harder to Read

Now, when used in bigger sizes on a large space, Impact is not difficult to read at all. However, when used as a normal font on a smaller scale, it can get difficult to read and ends up being frustrating for those trying to read and understand the purpose of the message. 

 In some cases, depending on your fan base or your audience, it can cause larger groups of people to stop reading your content or visiting your sites at all. You may be able to still get away with using Impact for headings and titles, but using it for normal writing will cause issues with your follower count. 

Not Seen as Legitimate

Now, there are quite a large group of people who base legitimacy on how something looks. So, it’s been shown that the use of unprofessional or hard-to-read fonts can lower the legitimacy of something even if the data and information are accurate. 

People will be less inclined to believe things when written in Impact and they will be even less inclined to follow along to find out more information or support someone who uses fonts that aren’t mainstream professional. For your information and content to be seen as important and legitimate you need to use a font that doesn’t seem like you are trying too hard. 

Considered an Amateur Font

Most content creators that use fonts aren’t likely to use one such as Impact which tries to catch people’s attention and seems important. However, if someone is just starting out trying to write or create something, it’s common for someone new to the content world to use Impact thinking it will attract lots of views and attention. 

The issue is, Impact at this point is viewed as amateurish, which immediately gives away the newness of the content you are reading. While it’s important to find something to catch the attention of your viewers and readers, using a font that is viewed in a bad light isn’t good for views and follows. 

Can Be Used for Basic Flyers and Handouts

Now, there are a few cases where impact is perfectly fine to use and these are things such as:

• Neighborhood handouts
• Fun event flyers
• Yard sale flyers
• Homemade posters, flyers, and handouts
• Event flyers on smaller scales

If your event is small and not a professional style event, chances are you will be okay using Impact as your font and no issues will be had. This font on these particular items or projects can convey importance while also conveying a fun, laidback atmosphere and intention to convey information. 

However, the entire flyer or handout should not be done in all Impact. You should stick to the idea that Impact should be used for headings and large text, not small informational sections. The occasional flyer and handout will convey as much importance as needed, no matter what the font looks like. 

Final Thoughts

While Impact had been viewed as an important and widely used font for many years, it is now losing its professionalism and legitimacy in the mainstream professional and corporate world. Most corporate groups have entirely phased out the use of Impact altogether. 

Now, in very few cases, Impact is preferred over other fonts. When creating a handout or flyer for something casual or small, Impact is the perfect font for conveying importance and information.