Fixx

I would make a copy of background layer and mask it with text object.

Sharpness – 8-bit images will be halftoned, 1-bit images do not. I just hate seeing halftoned b&w comics in our n:o 1 newspaper. Text and all.

https://www.misterretro.com/filters/machine-wash-deluxe It will probably not work with Affinity Photo, but it is untested AFAIK.

Sounds like OP would like to use a plugin like mr retro machine wash filter.

Do you have the original notation font installed? PDFs are opened/imported as editable and all document fonts should be installed.

Automatic picture frames would make sense as layout apps go. No brainer actually. It is the Photo/Designer connection here which makes this matter complicated. Though I think it would not matter if Publisher images would carry picture frame masks with them to Photo.

Context Toolbar?

Well, CAD apps are great for design but AD is needed for presentation and making press ready documents. Scale function would be nice as it would take away one headache... when I have a rectangle 83 mm wide it would be in 1:50 scale.... ummm what...? It is not difficult but I always have to check I am not doing 1:200 scale instead... and repeat that with every object..

Now there are 3 different contexts and 3 different answers :-D Please phrase your questions accurately :-D

Certes I can also drag import area, but aim is to place import object as it is, not scaled. All other layout software use upper left corner as reference point (ID even has a reference point selection in control bar but it still uses upper left corner anyway). Sure, you can use it the old way. Prepare sections as different files and combine the PDFs (or not as many press houses can take PDFS as section files too). Book function is requested (combine publication from separate files intelligently) and I would think it will come, but maybe not in first release version.

You can import afpubs like any graphic. Though I don't know how to make it handle multipage documents. But maybe you meant something like "import pages" which function is not available in APub. Edit: Question of my own: How do you you make imported item to position from upper left corner? My imports place from centre?

I do not know if you can rotate crop tool numerically but at least you can press CMD (or select straighten from Context toolbar) and rotate manually while checking the angle in info palette.

Have you selected "Rasterise:" > "Nothing" in export options?

Why do you need to set object bounds to document size? The are different things. When you export to delivery format only document bounds matter.

While dynamic effect view is approximation it should look quite accurate when zoomed. There is something else happening here.