Jump to content
You must now use your email address to sign in [click for more info] ×

Quarian

Members
  • Posts

    153
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Washington DC Metro Area

Recent Profile Visitors

1,517 profile views
  1. "However, there are not as many installed Ptone pallets." Precisely. I should have been more clear. I stand corrected, sir, and tip my hat to you.
  2. "How does VivaDesigner compare to Affinity & InDesign? If it's closer to them than Scribus, I'll have to give it a whirl." http://www.viva.us/en/products/desktop-publishing/vivadesigner-desktop-version As someone who tried out VivaDesigner soon after the arrival of the cloud...yes, THAT PARTICULAR cloud (before the arrival of Affinity Publisher)...I can say that--albeit using the free version--it is most impressive. The typographic tools are QUITE good (which SHOULD be expected from a software that was once sold by Linotype). The free version doesn't offer a facility for the full range of features included in the importation of graphic files, but--if one reads the web site--VivaDesigner is the single most impressive COMMERCIAL layout software ever devised for use under Mac, Windows, AND Linux. For starters, it is the ONLY package that imports AND exports files in .IDML format, imports PDF as native objects, AND imports .INDD files. I am planning to buy a copy of VivaDesigner to run beside Affinity Publisher to use it as a conversion tool. Having said all that--and having used both of them--Affinity Publisher leaves VD in the dust in six areas. 1) Price: VivaDesigner is not sold on subscription but is about $399.00 USD from the straight buy ($299 if you're able to do a "crossgrade" from certain Layout packages) AND THAT IS FOR A SINGLE LICENSE with NO second computer being considered (at the time of purchase, Viva offers a second license for roughly $30-50 USD additionally). 2) UI: Affinity Publisher has a MUCH more inviting UI than VivaDesigner. Don't believe me? Download the free version of VD and use the stylesheets. 3) StudioLink: " 'Nuff said." 4) Support for Pantone. 5) Supported on the Linux platform 6) As mentioned before, it is the only layout package that will--independent of an InDesign installation--import .INDD files and export .IDML files. I plan to buy it because--in addition to running Windows and Mac--I run Linux as a production environment (Blender, BlackMagic Fusion, Enve...). By the way, for those of you running AD on Windows, you should try running Enve on Windows and importing your SVG files exported from AD and animating them. Enve is an open source, 2D animation software that runs on Linux and Windows... https://maurycyliebner.github.io/. Enve has a feel that reminds me of old school Macromedia Flash.
  3. Question: am on Mojave/10.14.6 with MAS versions of Designer and Photo installed. Upon opening 1.8.4 two days ago, I was greeted by a window that informed me that updates were available from the MAS, but--when I clicked the button to download--the MAS indicated that it could not download the updates. Not a problem for me. I'd bought the Mac versions of all three Affinity softwares a while ago (never bought Publisher from the MAS, only directly from the Affinity Store) from the Affinity store in anticipation that this might happen someday, so I deleted the MAS versions and downloaded the Mac .dmg files from the Affinity store. Back up and running. My question is this: did the MAS versions stop working on Mojave (and possibly below Mojave) when they were upgraded for Apple Silicon and Big Sur?
  4. Question: am on Mojave/10.14.6 with MAS versions of Designer and Photo installed. Upon opening 1.8.4 two days ago, I was greeted by a window that informed me that updates were available from the MAS, but--when I clicked the button to download--the MAS indicated that it could not download the updates. Not a problem for me. I'd bought the Mac versions of all three Affinity softwares a while ago  from the Affinity store in anticipation that this might happen someday, so I deleted the MAS versions and downloaded the Mac .dmg files from the Affinity store. My question is this: did the MAS versions stop working on Mojave (and possibly below Mojave) when they were upgraded for Apple Silicon and Big Sur?

  5. "Added the “Resource Manager” functionality from Publisher for managing image placement. - Added ability to open package files from Designer and Publisher." COOL!!! Y'all never disappoint...
  6. "Added 'Save as package' feature for easy delivery of a complete project" MattP....bless you, my son...ANYONE who used to use Ill*str*t*r and had to shell out extra bucks for a software like "Art Files" to package up all of the fonts and assets on an intricate poster or piece of artwork has felt my pain.
  7. Don't know if this helps, but here is a free utility (Mac/Win) that can help with organization of your files before starting work in APub. I have found that should I have to relink my assets, it helps to have a consistent folder hierarchy to work with. https://www.digitalrebellion.com/posthaste/ It is customizable and you can make your own templates to generate a folder hierarchy before you even open up APub for storage of your supporting assets. The below is an example for one I created for my publication layout and design work: ProjectName/ (Your main layout files go here. I usually name mine with a date and a numerical designation to indicate which draft it is. For example: "ProjectName_25Feb20_001.afpub") ProjectName/Assets: ProjectName/Assets/3D ("Models" and "Renders" folders go within) ProjectName/Assets/Fonts (Any fonts I use in the piece are saved in this folder) ProjectName/Assets/Illustrations ("Raster" and "Vector" go within; APhoto compositions go here--original photography used in a digital photocompostion goes below) ProjectName/Assets/Photos ("Original" and "Working" go within; I'm old school, so all photography not supplied by the customer goes into "Original" (see below for reason why). All altered images (converted from CMYK to RGB and otherwise altered to include additional retouching but NOT digital compositing go into "Working.") -------------------- ProjectName/CSR ("CSR" stands for "Customer/Client-Supplied Resources"): ProjectName/CSR/Copy (any copy and/or text files that the client has supplied to you for inclusion in their layout. RTF, DOC, DOCX, or TXT files, for example) ProjectName/CSR/Documents (Meeting Notes, recordings, emails with pertinent information saved to either PDF or text files should be saved here) ProjectName/CSR/Graphics (any vector files, PowerPoint files--yes, I have had the occasion--and/or high-resolution PDFs that the client has supplied to you for inclusion in their layout. Bear in mind that if any of these files require conversion into a different format best handled further in AD or AP--the converted documents are best saved in the "Assets/Illustrations" folder under either "Raster" or "Vector," as appropriate. ) ProjectName/CSR/Images (any photos and/or raster imagery that the client has supplied to you for inclusion in their layout. Bear in mind that original photographic images given by the client should be stored here; any of these images that have processes such as RGB to CMYK conversion--for example--subsequently done should have THAT version of the file saved in the "ProjectName/Assets/Photos/Working" folder.) ProjectName/CSR/Spreadsheets (any spreadsheet files that the client has supplied to you for inclusion of tables or data in their layout. XLS, XLSX, or CSV files, for example) ______________ ProjectName/Drafts (This is where your PDF proofs are saved for emailing to the client. This way--until the job is done--there is a visual record of changes from one draft to the next. If your client is enlightened enough to make changes to your PDF via notes and comments, store those files in "../CSR/Documents" and keep them separate from your original draft files) As always, hope this helps.
  8. Was waiting for some of the Quark users to chime in...I use both BUT when I started using Quark--unlike most of the experienced designers on this board--I was ALREADY knee-deep in InDesign. Was working for a corporate client who was a government contractor and refused to take anything we were doing unless it was in Quark for the Mac. No big deal...we were already on Macs, but we were using PM at first and, later, ID. Point is, I remember the first time painfully importing a Word document into Quark...and it would always drop the last line of text. Finally found out that the way to defeat this was to convert the document to either rtf (which didn't work all of the time) or .txt (which did work all of the time). Later found out that Quark did this under the guise of best practices because of all of the extra garbage in the Word files. I know it's not ideal but, unless there's a control in the import to strip/convert the Word styles and whatever else is in there, I've found over time that it is indeed better to strip out the garbage from the beginning and start fresh. Now, there ARE/WILL BE jobs wherein it will be preferable to import the Word document as is. This is something that should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, IMHO.
  9. Just read Johannes comment above about using Freehand. Makes me think. Any chance that one could (later--when the personae are turned on) be able to import a multipage Freehand file and open it as a multipage Publisher document? Or would the PDF-to-publisher workflow still be the preferred way to go with it? The impending integration piece between AD and APub made me think about that. I have known a couple of people who were using Freehand as their principal multipage layout software (especially after master pages were implemented in either FH9 or 10). Just a thought.
  10. Pulled down the APub Beta last night...moving right now so I probably won't get to really testing it until next week. Spent until 1AM here watching/rewatching the tutorials you posted. Just wanted to come up here and thank the devs and everyone else who worked on getting this one out on time. Thought for a minute we'd be looking at September, but you guys pulled together and got it out. Didn't expect you to release BOTH Windows AND Mac versions in Beta at the same time. No WONDER you were struggling. Hope your boss at least gave you pizza and a four-day weekend (I'm in the states...don't really know if labor day is celebrated over there), you deserve it!!! If I may, a suggestion to my fellow forum readers: if presently you have no projects to properly test on APub, go to Project Gutenburg's website, https://www.gutenberg.org/, and pull down some public domain text from a classic book, and use that to practice laying out some text in APub. This is how I test the typographic capabilities of "new-to-me" layout packages. As it's unformatted text, you can use your imagination on how you'd like to see it formatted. Pick a topic/title, if possible, that you like so you can have some "buy-in" to your overall publication design. That said, I DO understand that it's a beta and we might not be able to do everything we want...yet. My one suggestion to the devs is this: IDML import. IDML is an open specification and both S*****s and the big Q now have it. That said, thank you for the PDF import. I haven't yet used it, but have been seeing GLOWING reviews about it online. My one suggestion to the marketing team--assuming they're the ones who make the tutorial videos (great job, by the way, ladies and gentlemen)--do one on how to import text info for tables. The current table video only shows how to create a table INSIDE the program without external input. Most of us are bringing tables in from outside. If that is a forthcoming feature, then I apologize for jumping the gun and will wait for you to implement it and put the tutorial up. Great job, guys. The interface is very inviting. Some software packages you open and it's stiff city. Interfaces are so intimidating that you're not sure where to start, APub ain't one of those. Hopefully, I'll be sending you a sample or two once I get settled in my new place. Kick back and have a beer and a brat...you've earned it.
  11. "I use InDesign and QuarkXPress nearly every day. I use Viva Designer once a month or so. I use Ventura still and that is about once a month. (And to make it clear, by "once a month" I do not mean for an hour, or even a full day. I mean until the work is done.)" Hear, hear! I'm waiting for APub to come along so I may begin, wherever possible, the long, arduous task of dropping InDesign from my workflow. I say "wherever possible" because InDesign is capable of doing things out-of-the-box that Quark can't do without plug-ins (Data Merge from CSV files and XML import immediately come to mind) and, so, it will be a while before I can completely hang up IDCS6. Does this mean that I'm not eagerly awaiting the arrival of APub? Of course not. It's just that I recognize that it will take a while to properly leverage it's strengths for my workflow.
  12. Thanks MikeW, didn't know about JoLetter. Will look into it. Can see that I also need to look into the tagged text option.
  13. Haven't been up here a lot lately (Hi Jens!)...but am still loving Designer and Photo. Working them into my Fusion, Natron and Blender workflows. Been trying of late to get more of my Motion Graphics on (Btw, if you save your Designer/Photo files out as layered PSD, Blackmagic Fusion will import them and you can animate the separate layers...just a tip ). Saw this thread and decided to jump in because sadly I bit the bullet and bought Quark a couple of months ago when QX2017 came out. Like many Affinity users, I understand that Serif is taking their time to get it right for version 1.0 (or even for a public beta, at this point) but could realistically see the likelihood increasing with the passage of time as it's been four years that I would either have to sell my soul and subscribe to *nD*s*gn's cloud version (right now, I'm still on CS6 for which a perpetual license was purchased), keep Freehand MX on life support for multipage layout, or purchase a perpetual license of Quark while waiting for APub. I love Freehand but--all things being equal--I can't use Freehand on my Macs without having to partition the drive for Snow Leopard and the current Pantone and OpenType support on FHMX, due again to the passage of time, are nonexistant. I do have licensed copies of the last two versions of PagePlus (X8 and X9), but neither of those will install natively on my Macs (they ARE kept around on my PC though, as Quark--without the purchase of some pricey plug-ins--will not do data/mail merges from CSV files as *nD*s*gn or PagePlus will. MikeW also mentioned Viva Designer...tried out their free version...from what I can tell, also a solid choice in terms of features and functionality. I say that "sadly I bit the bullet" because I really wanted to wait for APub, but there are some things going on behind the scenes here where I may quickly need something with the most stability that can be had at the moment without selling my soul. I'm using AD and APhoto alongside Quark at least until APub arrives and/or shakes out the bugs. Sorry guys, I tried.
  14. After so long of waiting for publisher, I have quietly resigned myself to "it gets here, when it gets here...as long as it's done right when it gets here." In the meantime...I'm learning Quark. I will still support Affinity through AD and APh (I've got both versions for Mac and Windows) and will buy Publisher when it comes out couldn't wait any longer as I need something I could work with on a project and couldn't see myself going back and forth betwixt PC and Mac all day (there are some Mac-only workflows unfortunately tied up in this from the client's end). Bought a copy of quark 2015 with my tax refund and am waiting for it to arrive. Got my $50 ready for publisher, too, whenever it's ready. This is not said in any way to badmouth APub. It's just going to take as long as it takes, and we need to recognize that and move on...until it's ready.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Guidelines | We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.