Welcome to the official YouTube channel for Affinity Designer for iPad, a professional desktop-grade, graphic design app with everything you need to create stunning illustrations, branding, concept.
With the Affinity apps being available on iPad—plus a shared document format that means all the features from the desktop apps are supported—a number of portable and convenient workflow options open up for those who divide their time between desktop machines and portable devices.
- Affinity Designer for iPad features a rich set of tools for creating vector graphics Affinity Designer for iPad has a decent set of core tools for creating vector graphics. You can create and edit shapes, draw curves, edit brushes, create symbols, add gradients and more. It’s one of the most feature rich iPad drawing apps I’ve used.
- Affinity is compatible with iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, iPad 2018, iPad Pro 9.7-inch, 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch. Do you want to create surface designs for print on demand sites like Society 6? If yes, then you may need Affinity Designer if you want to be able to create images for all of their product sizes. 9000px x 6000px wall murals).
- ☛ Get Affinity Designer For Mac - how to get Affinity Designer on Mac. Affinity Designer for MacOS from the lin.
Getting your head around how the file ecosystems of desktop and iPad interact, however, is not always as straightforward as you would hope. We’ll tackle a sample workflow and address some common questions and issues when interworking between these two platforms.
Let’s look at the most efficient ways of interworking between the desktop and iPad versions of the Affinity apps.
In order to make the most of Affinity’s unified file format, which allows us to pick up our work on the iPad versions and perform some editing before passing it back to desktop (or vice versa), we need to understand how the iPad version’s file management works.
The iPad version effectively has two storage tiers: internal app storage and external common storage. Whenever you create a new document, import an existing document or develop from a RAW image, that information is stored within a private folder accessible only to the app it is saved in (e.g. Affinity Photo).
In order to make the documents accessible to other iPad apps and cloud storage, we must specifically save them to common storage—don’t worry though, it’s not that complex!
Let’s walk through a typical workflow example and we’ll examine different ways of importing the document and then saving it back out.
Example workflow
Here’s an image I’ve been working on with the desktop version of Affinity Photo. As you can see, there’s a reasonably complex layer stack so I’ve performed quite a bit of editing already. I now want to transfer this .afphoto document file to my iPad so I can continue working on the go.
If you’re running macOS, one quick option is to AirDrop your document to the iPad and it will automatically open in the appropriate Affinity app.
Another option is to save the document to cloud storage. As an example, I use Dropbox, so I have the Dropbox app installed on both my MacBook and the iPad (it’s available for Windows machines too). I just save my work to a directory on Dropbox and I can then choose to import it on iPad.
Before we go any further, let’s examine the distinction between importing and opening with the iPad apps. You’ll notice we have two options:
- Open From Cloud
- Import From Cloud
The way these two options differ is in how the file is saved externally when using the Save option on the document/welcome screen.
- If you have opened from cloud, the app will write back over that file in place. For example, if you opened an .afphoto document file on your iCloud Storage, it will overwrite that same file.
- If you have imported from cloud, the app will completely ignore that initial file on cloud storage. The edited document will be saved either to On my iPad or to iCloud Drive depending on your user setting.
For the purposes of the workflow, I’ll use Open From Cloud so that I can write back to the same document file on cloud storage.
Once I’ve got the document open on iPad with the layer structure intact, I might decide to do some further editing.
I’ll quickly add an HSL Adjustment Layer and increase the Saturation to around 45 percent. What I want to do here is apply this adjustment selectively to the bird on the feeder.
To do this, I’ll move across to the Channels studio, tap the three dots icon next to the HSL Shift Adjustment Alpha channel and choose Invert.
Now, with the Paint Brush Tool, I’ll reduce the Hardness to 0% and make sure my colour is set to a pure white (so we’re adding back to the mask).
Using an appropriate brush width, I’ll then paint the HSL effect back in over the bird.To finish off the image, I’ll apply a Levels Adjustment layer and give the image some more contrast. I’ll set the Black Level to 5% and the White Level to 85%.
Having made my edits, I then want to pass this file back to my desktop machine—perhaps to double check it or prepare it for print.
Closing the document down automatically saves it and returns to the welcome screen. We can now tap the menu icon next to the document and choose Save. This will overwrite the initial document we opened through Dropbox, so once it’s synced we’ll now be able to open it back on desktop:
This is just one example of interworking between the desktop and iPad apps. Here are some common techniques and suggestions for making the most of Affinity’s unified file format:
Techniques and suggestions
Choosing where to save
What if you don’t start editing on desktop? You may have created a new document on iPad, e.g. by importing a RAW file or editing an image straight from Apple’s Photos app. When you use the Save option on the welcome screen, this will either save your document out to On My iPad or iCloud Drive—you might want to save it straight to another location though.
To do this, you’ll need your document open. From the Document menu, choose Save a Copy. This will open a dialog where you can specify a filename and also choose whether to save the undo history with the document—a useful feature, but just be aware that it will increase the document’s file size.
Once you’ve (optionally) renamed the document, tap Save and you’ll be taken to a directory listing to choose where your file will be saved:
As we’ve seen with the main example, the saved document file can then be opened with the desktop version of the relevant Affinity app:
Exporting straight from iPad
If you finish editing your work on iPad, you don’t need to pass it back to the desktop version if you simply wish to share it as a common file format like JPEG, TIFF, PNG etc—you can export straight to these formats from the iPad apps.
Simply access the Document menu and choose Export. You’ll be presented with an export dialog where you can choose your file format. In this example, I want to save my image as a TIFF (which is lossless and avoids compromising on quality) so I can share it on image hosting and portfolio websites.
The only change I’ll make is to set ICC Profile to sRGB as the document is in a wider colour profile, and it needs to be converted to sRGB in order to avoid colour-based issues when uploading and sharing.
We can then tap OK and we’ll be presented with the same directory listing dialog seen previously, allowing us to choose where to export our TIFF file.
Working between iPad apps
The major benefit of a unified file format is that you can swap documents between the different Affinity apps. For example, you can open an .afphoto document in Affinity Designer and vice versa with an .afdesign document in Affinity Photo. If you work exclusively on iPad, you don’t need access to a desktop machine to achieve this.
Let’s say we want to take that Ladybird document I’ve been working on into Designer for iPad and add some vector work to it. I’m actually going to use the welcome screen Save feature to save the document out to either On My iPad or iCloud Drive. I’ve got my default save location set to iCloud Drive, so when I save the document it will be placed into an Affinity Photo directory within the iCloud Drive root directory.
With the document saved, we can then open Affinity Designer and choose Open From Cloud, then navigate to and open that Ladybird document.
Now the document is open in Designer, I’ll add a few vector curve strokes to the design, then close it down and Save it back out to its initial iCloud Drive location. I can now re-open it in Photo using Open From Cloud, or even open it on my desktop device which synchronises with iCloud Drive—with the below image, I’ve opened the document in the desktop version of Affinity Photo which supports all features from Designer including the vector curves.
Affinity Designer Ipad Masking
Which cloud storage apps?
A common query is which cloud storage app and storage plan to go with. If you’re Mac-based, you can already take advantage of iCloud Drive‘s seamless integration between macOS and iPad, and the storage plans are reasonably priced so you can easily upgrade when necessary.
If you’re using Windows, you can also download the iCloud Drive app which will allow you to sync between iPad and devices running Windows.
A good option that is OS-agnostic is Dropbox. You can download the app on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS and file syncing is snappy and reliable. The web interface version is also quite streamlined if you quickly need to view and download files from a web browser.
Other options that are useful if you don’t want to be tied to one platform or ecosystem include Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.
When investigating other cloud storage options, be sure to check if they integrate with the Files app on iOS—this will ensure you can save and open directly from the Affinity apps to cloud storage (and vice versa) and make the workflow as smooth as possible.
If you wish to swap files between desktop and iPad within the same network, looking at Network Attached Storage is also an option. There are a myriad of external hard drive options that can interface through WiFi and enable you to easily swap files between devices. Like with cloud storage apps, do make sure to research particular models and ensure they integrate well with the iOS Files app—sometimes you may be reliant on the manufacturer’s own file management app, which will complicate the workflow process and likely be more restrictive. Ideally, you’ll want to look for devices that simply add another option to the Locations entry in the Files app.
Further viewing
Hopefully this article has helped shed some light on the file management between iPad and desktop, and indeed even between separate apps within the iPad ecosystem on its own. I would also recommend viewing some of the video tutorials available on the Affinity website, particularly those relating to opening, saving and exporting, for a video-based guide of how to manage documents:
It’s been more than three decades since Adobe introduced us to Illustrator. All this time, Illustrator has been the go-to software for vector graphics design.
Ask any expert designer and they’ll tell you how they can’t even think of switching software. Illustrator is now part of their workflow and career. Adobe used this loyalty to their advantage, by converting their software licensing to a subscription plan.
You now have to pay a monthly price to keep using the software. For some people, it’ll still be a great deal. But for others, you’ll likely ask yourself if it’s still a good investment. That’s why you’re here, right?
Affinity Designer is everything that you want a graphic design software to be. Needless to say, it’s the best Illustrator alternative available today.
But, is it powerful enough to provide all the tools you need to do your work? Does it have all the essential features of Illustrator? To answer these questions, we compared Affinity Designer against Adobe Illustrator. Let’s find out which software is best.
What is Adobe Illustrator?
Since it’s initial launch in 1987, Adobe Illustrator came a long way to become the industry-leading software for vector graphics. It’s now used for all types of vector design work from logo design to stationery design, poster design, and much more.
The latest version of Illustrator CC packs quite a lot of amazing features and tools that make it powerful enough to serve all types of creatives from freelance designers to Hollywood movie poster designers and everyone in between.
Affinity Designer Free Trial Mac
What is Affinity Designer?
Affinity Designer, initially released in 2014 exclusively on Mac devices, arrived on the Windows platform in 2016 with a promise of a better alternative to Illustrator. It was quite a bold approach to compete with an industry leader such as Adobe with decades of experience. Somehow, Affinity made it possible.
Affinity Designer offers all the essentials you need for vector graphics design and possibly more. One of the reasons it became so successful is not just because of the affordable price, there are even free Illustrator alternatives out there, but because of the quality of the app.
Affinity Designer Vs Adobe Illustrator
Let’s take a closer look at the tools and features offered by both software.
Ease of Use
If you’ve ever gone to any sort of a design school or even learn graphic design online watching tutorials, you’ll notice that they all use Adobe software to teach you the ways of design. That’s mainly because everyone uses Adobe software. But also because of their ease of use.
Adobe Illustrator, on the other hand, has a very complicating user interface. It’s really difficult to find your way around the software without watching some tutorial videos.
The same goes for Affinity Designer. But, it has a simpler user interface than Illustrator. Probably because it lacks some of the more advanced tools offered in Illustrator, like the mesh tool, blend tool, knife tool, and the large collection of filters and effects. They are slated to be added in future updates. But of course, they are non-essential tools you can certainly learn to live without.
Unique Tools
Adobe had decades of research and development to fine-tune all its software, including Illustrator. It’s now a complete package that offers everything you need for any kind of design work. Especially the CC versions are much more advanced than it used to be.
Clearly you can’t expect that same level of tools and functionality with Affinity Designer, which is fairly new in the market. However, the software has a tool palette with all the necessary tools to make it a vector editor suitable for professionals. In a way, Affinity Designer is at a stage where Illustrator was at when the CS5 was released.
Artboards
Artboards quickly became an essential part of Illustrator. It’s especially a useful feature creative designers used to easily organize their work in one place. Illustrator has a dedicated tool for creating artboards on the fly and customizing them to your preference.
Affinity Designer falls short in this area. You have the option to enable artboards when creating a new document. However, the software doesn’t have a dedicated tool or options for better artboard management.
Drawing Pad (Tablet) Support
While vector editing apps aren’t the best option for drawing and artwork creations, many designers still use drawing tables to craft various graphic designs such as logos, typography, and hand-drawn icons.
If drawing pad support is essential for your work, Illustrator is the best choice. Adobe has made sure it supports all popular drawing tablets.
Drawing tablet support in Affinity Designer is still a work in progress. While it works well with popular tablets, many users have expressed their frustrations of tablet compatibility issues on popular forums such as Reddit.
File Types and Compatability
When it comes to supported file types, Affinity Designer is way ahead of Illustrator. Especially because of the shared file type used by Affinity Photo and Designer software. This allows you to easily edit and customize the same file on both software. In addition to all the other popular file formats, the software also supports Adobe Illustrator AI and Photoshop PSD file formats.
Affinity Designer also has a feature called Personas. Which lets you switch between vector and pixel designs. Like for working on shapes and images at the same time. It’s like having Photoshop and Illustrator in the same place.
Needless to say, Illustrator also supports all popular file types. However, having to keep both Photoshop and Illustrator opened at the same time to work on the same file can be frustrating at times.
Pricing Difference
The pricing difference is the main reason why many users lean towards Affinity Designer. It only costs a one-time price of $49. And you get to use the software for the rest of your life and get all future updates for free.
Adobe Illustrator comes as a part of Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. You have to pay $20,99 every month to use just the Illustrator software. It would cost over $250 to use Illustrator for a full year. If you want access to all Adobe software, you have to subscribe to the $52.99 per month plan.
Templates and Resources
You’ll find resources in abundance for Adobe Illustrator. There are thousands of templates, UI kits, icon packs, vector graphics available in various design marketplaces.
Affinity Designer assets and resources can also be found in abundance. But not as much as Illustrator. Since the community is still growing, we’ll surely see more support for the app. On the plus side, all Illustrator files are compatible with Affinity Designer. So you can still use those Illustrator templates in Affinity Designer as well.
Undo Mistakes
If you tend to make a lot of mistakes or prefer to have a backup plan in case something goes wrong, Affinity Designer will have you fully covered. It lets you undo your changes for up to 8,000 times. And it includes history snapshots as well.
Illustrator has a limited amount of Undo’s allowed by default. You can change this in settings.
Clearly, no one would be crazy enough to spend hours clicking the undo button for 8,000 times. But, it’s nice to know you have the option.
Which Vector Editor is Better?
Even though we absolutely love everything about Affinity Designer, we still have to award the crown to Adobe Illustrator as the best software in the vector design industry.
In terms of usability, tools, features, community support, development, and overall functionality, Illustrator is still way ahead of all other vector design apps. For professionals, it’s the best app to use and to build a career around it.
Affinity Designer Ipad Vs Mac
However, you can still use Affinity Designer without all those unique traits of Illustrator. It will take some time to get used to the new environment and shortcuts, but Affinity Designer is a great alternative that’s worth giving a try. Especially if you’re new to graphic design, you should get started with Affinity Designer instead of Illustrator.
A free trial is available with all Affinity software. Give them a try to see if it’s worth the investment. And be sure to read our Affinity Photo vs Photoshop comparison as well.
Affinity Designer Templates
We're covering the basics of Affinity Designer, helpful tutorials, comparisons with other apps, and the best templates and assets to use.