SrPx

That's why the "or even".... ( In Spanish you'd have caught it... ) . Indeed, in that sentence of mine, prices go from the cheapest (actually , Procreate is cheaper) to more expensive).That said, still 90 bucks ain't breaking the bank.... Both have imo a pair of serious probs, anyway.... Mostly they're GPU bound as far as I know... this or some other hardware matter forces the fact of not being able to work with large canvases....(and for one of them, the limit is really bad...) , it's even documented ! Larger canvases is an absolute need for someone wanting to send the work for print (you need a lot of pixels when printing at 300 dpi for an usual illustration size). Even if purchasing an expensive card (but I don't see myself putting 800 -1k in a g. card), the memory in those wont go past 8gbs or 12 in the best case (not necessarily related to the canvas size limit, but is one of the main probs I see when apps are very GPU focused) . So, with that limit in printing, this is bad for illustration, one of the main user targets, obviously. And most illustrators I know need the print output yet in 2018, even if not 90% of the work produced like it is my case, but in any case is a pretty relevant limitation. Similar reason why, even if I'd be comfortable with a 12.9 " screen (which I'm certainly not, not even for reading the news), 8k x 8k (or 10k in one of the sides) canvases of the iPad Pro do not cut it either for the task in hand. So, the super cool effects of traditional painting and other whistles addition forcing all that situation kindda defeats the purpose, the way I see it..... And this all only to explain that even in their very own focused purpose these specialized tools have issues....But it goes beyond that, if considering the usual needs of an illustrator or whatever graphic artist, which go way beyond that trad painting mimicking functionality. Last time I checked, one of them didn't even have a text tool, as they are not packages aiming to cover the functionality that PS or AP do ...but ....as an illustrator, sooner or later you need a text tool, and very advanced. Well, for actual illustration, and many other fields of creation, they are severely limited. I see many lacks for an every day job tool... I can se tho, how someone having all the gigs being ONLY traditional painting, and just that, could deal with it. Someone doing graphics in a more varied way, and not doing it for hobby... finds better help in something like PS or AP. (even CSP is better covered in all that than the new toys) So, while I wish a very solid brush system in its core basics, increasing performance and etc for AP, and specially better color picker, all those other listed features would be to embed an entire digital painter solution inside AP. I wouldn't complain, you know, but a lot are taken from GPU bound apps, or at least, very digital paint-only apps which do not have to care about much more in the UI. To be fair, I very much doubt is possible, although who knows. I wouldn't wish the going for those "nice to have" features tho before addressing some more core stuff for the actual act of painting... I mean, for the type of production a lot of freelancers do. For mimicking watercolor and stuff... they have surely no rival, very specially Rebelle 3 (it even simulates the movement of the canvas to make the water "paint" by itself).... But the fact is, for typical gigs, I don't even need that... is the nostalgic artist I have in me, as much. Meaning, those are digital painting tools, among the best around. But are not full work horses, like PS and AP. I choose the latter, any day, for freelancing work and for in-house work at a company, too. Even more, again not specifying which, one or two of those are tied to the machine used to purchase it. I hate that almost as much as subscription. If you buy another machine, you need to ask for another license. In some cases not even possible, is a tool purchased for that machine, and that's it... The GPU based stuff has its issues when all is so heavily depending on it....I prefer when it is merely a helper. Anyway, my main point is that is different a very dedicated digital painting tool where painting related stuff is the only thing that matters than a photography/image editor (very versatile, so, pretended or not, it serves pretty much in every field where PS does) which has quite more fields to cover. At the same time, I think it deserves a good basic painting system, because, that's what is mostly needed to make art, and hopefully, things like better brush system, brush performance, and better interactive color picking, seems to me that all this will help as well in photo retouch tasks (and etc).

That i7 mac with a SSD doesn't look bad to me... true that I'm the king of overuse old fashioned hardware.... Oh, I see, now... 2.2 / 2.3 GHz... that's slow (mine 2.8 turbo at 3.46 (overclock dunno, never do that) and is slow... but 2009 is first gen, too)...I can see you being eager of a new cpu, specially with big images and stuff. But... Now the price matter is better than ever before, at least in Windows.... One can get a Ryzen (intel is gone Dodo) PC machine first hand quite powerful for around 400 - 500 bucks, getting a great PC Win machine, highly performant. So, no biggy. Today you do all you want with either a mac or a PC, is just a matter related to your bank, IMO. Now, in some cases, 500 $ / euros is still a problem...I can understand it. And Mac prices are really climbing now...

Photo is not a digital painting software.... Also, check Paolo's brushes, http://www.daub-brushes.com they're pretty good. Affinity Photo 1.7.x beta is also including some trad. media brushes, and they work in combination with Paolo's efforts. I have noticed the customer beta 1.7 getting nice improvements in the brushes. Some of which I was really hoping for. But again, you are mostly listing digital painting apps, very, very specialized on that, lacking all general image editing features Photo has. If you are not staying in just using those ( Paintstorm is indeed particularly cheap, as it is Procreate, and you wouldn't be breaking the bank with Art rage or even Rebelle 3) is because, like a bunch of us, you need that other functionality as well for your work... My take: One can't have it all at same time, same place. I'm just fully happy with getting a fully reliable brush/picker system without all those features you mentioned (good ones, but IMO, not core (check my signature...), neither essential. I'd definitely address first the core stuff. Is definitely not key to get a screen record feature, or an external phone app to capture a texture, for example...).

Some people are trying the VM route, instead of Wine. Specially Virtualbox, as the other (VMware) I believe is restricted in its free option (still, I always liked more VMware, but truth to be told, I mostly handled full VMware versions at a company.... ). Problem is IMO no direct access to hardware can lead to less performance. One guy posted around June in one of the endless linux petition threads, that he's getting (in Linux Mint, with Virtual Box installed) good performance with Affinity doing so, tho. Need a Windows license !. But seems your issue is with the machine, needing to purchase one. I guess you might be able to install your old windows inside a VM machine running under a Linux distro. And inside that VM run Affinity. This person who seems to have it running nicely, I've posted to that thread just now that I really believe it depends on how successful you get in getting 3D acceleration inside your VM to be really used by the OS and the app at the VM, besides assigning a large bunch of RAM to that VM. Much more than usual (ie, 8gb). He also has a SDD, so there's that. IMO, one single case of having been able to get it to work well means it MIGHT be the way to go... But yeah, needs a purchased Windows. For many, this defeats the purpose, as they are willing to avoid the 140 euros. But for some is not about the money is the (dignity? ? ) matter of they disliking the privacy issues, and in a VM you control all, you can disable any outgoing or incoming stuff.(you can really do a lot of that in your router, hosts file, several parts of your WIn 8.x/10, etc, but that's another thing) The refurbished/second hand (I'd go for a large firm with 1 year warranty, not your average neighbor. IE, Amazon, MS, Dell oficial refurbished. Specially MS as the license will be at least functionally legit for sure. As one big advantage of these: You get the OS included... I have also close local shops part from a pair of local nation wide second hand companies in my country. That'd be my take, as I prefer to physically see the machine running before purchasing, even with all the warranty.) , this market is not a silly thing. Specially in over priced machines (no pointing necessarily to macs... or ...yep. Happens also with Wacom stuff). Specially when a bunch of these come with a legit Windows/etc. And you get it all in a simple manner (no emulation, just a pure Mac or Windows machine, for some bucks. In Windows, getting a 3rd -4rd gen i5/i7 would be already a nice fit! Dirty cheap), yet cheap enough. Wouldn't buy a laptop this way, tho. Battery kaput for sure, hinge most times in bad status, dead pixels, their screen tends to be cr4p for design anyway, often 5400 rpm disks, and these are things that get more shocks, as used on the move, bus, college, etc. Harder to repair, to, second hand or not. Plus, not ideal for very long hours. Usually, even second hand, u get more bang for the buck with a desktop. (first hand too...)

Ensuring that could go a long way. I also saw ensuring those things in VMware and Virtualbox change the thing entirely. But in some cases is impossible to get equally good performance as fully native (never tested with Affinity apps). Also, he used a full windows 8.1 in the VM. I guess win 7 could do, too. In my own general tests 8.1 performs quite better in performance, so that might get critical in a VM, I dunno. Under Win XP I guess would be impossible as per Affinity's requirements. Laptops in my experience, same specs, perform worse than same specs in desktop, but that's another matter.

You could install the free, open source Inkscape (it has also a nice bitmap to vector autotracer in it, and a great inking-brush experience) , is not an extra cost so, and allows opening and exporting in a bunch of formats. Right now I don't remember well, been a while since I was using it everyday, but I guess you could open those EPSs you purchased there, or future purchases, maybe assign to the file a basic sRGB or Adobe RGB or whatever profile, export the EPS from there. Or a PDF, or etc. Then open on Affinity Designer, do all your project work there. You can do, IMHO, a lot more in Affinity, but it will not hurt you to have Inskscape installed as a great companion for moments like this. There's no such thing as a perfect app in the entire commercial or open source worlds, so , is IMO a healthy habit. Meanwhile, at some point that's the sort of thing that I'd expect to get fixed, so, no big deal, IMO. Much more important is the vast difference in usability, ease of use, good UI, and features among the two(in favor of AD). Still being very good to have both installed. About it : https://inkscape.org/learn/faq/#what-formats-can-inkscape-importexport https://inkscape.org

What I find more painful, as someone who likes open source apps (not so much about a particular OS, even less a distro, and even less a desktop...That never ending fight between KDE and Gnome....GEEZ (btw, liked both). Or libraries (QT/GTK). And in the distros.. Never cared... Had Suse, Red Hat, Debian, Slackware, Ubuntu, Mint... ALL good. Even more, I enjoyed variety as I did as a kid with Christmas presents) is that jewels like Blender, Inkscape and Gimp ( really! check it out! Their pace has FINALLY changed, after decades. Much better now. Wouldn't change at all the great AP 1.7 beta for it, but YUP If I was yet a Linux fan, as I was. I know I could/can do pro stuff with it) are left alone and discarded by a vast portion of the community. Or maybe is not such a "community" anymore. And that'd TOTALLY go with the Linux Sucks (for ever) video that a dev posted here. I am seeing many more "users" that just want to stay away from Windows, and use Linux just to not use Windows, as the main or single motivation. Not because they believe in its philosophy and what they are willing to achieve since the beginning. Might be just the impression I get, but is becoming more established when I read posts here and complaints in a bunch of other forums, social media sites, comment sections in articles.... They don't care that they are using CLOSED source binaries with tons of restrictions, very far from open source principles. They, IMO, don't get that the advantage of linux is not just that it is zero cost and respectful with privacy. It's an effort for generosity with others, sharing is in its essence, and freedom of movement. Not depending any more on a few monopolizing top dog companies, which they will, if keep only depending on ported binaries of closed source commercial apps from other OSes. A lot of this spirit is IMO clearly lost with the "hey, lets pray/pester the closed source companies from OTHER platforms to get us what we had BEFORE when we were at those platforms". I see quite more authentic (and brave, and ethic, and free, and....) to go help the great guys at Gimp (and Inkscape, Scribus, Blender, Krita...), doing A TON of efforts now. Heck, I've talked to certain open source GREAT author of one of those (the main dev), and known from him what it is taking another guy, the main Synfig dev now to get all what is achieving. How much does he sacrifices to do all that what he is incredibly achieving....ALONE, almost zero help. These people deserve a ton more of everything (not just money, but definitely, money, as talk is cheap...) than what they are getting from their own Linux community (and from all of us....). I don't see anything TERRIBLE in using from time to time a binary ported from a Mac OS/Win (or both) based company, which graciously (or by charity) decides to have a branch coding a Linux binary port and deliver "as is", if in the mood and when in the mood. Now, depending totally on these things to happen (and getting, devastated/infuriated if getting a "no" for an answer, instead turning back to Gimp, etc), discarding fully the existence of Gimp/Inkscape/Scribus/Blender/Krita/Synfig, specially the clearly triumphant Blender (an example that perhaps will follow the others).... that's a very different thing. Bugging the commercial companies that have their own business model (and total freedom of choice to have done so!) because they are not getting from them what they want, in a different platform than is clearly stated as available in the company's site, while the actual entire model of GNU GPL and similar licenses do play by very different rules and principles... I mean, I don't get it. I quite more understand the line of old times users (I was one, somehow, but never a coder) like Solly, who posted something WAAAY more in the line that I would expect from someone that understands what's all about, in linux and the FOSS community, since the start.

Actually, (and hello from someone who started in color pencils, then went to pastels, then to oils, then to acrylic, to end up in doing the fast stages with acrylic, and finishing with oils (obviously never the opposite!) if you started so, you might know what is really important about color, which is definitely not these unnecessary overwhelming and non crucial technicalities. Your understanding of color, balance, harmony, contrast, rules of composition, all those apply, are just the same, and absolutely key for about any field. Ehm...is not more complicated than it seems... Simply, I work ALL in RGB these days, with some exceptions. Most of the times this has a stronger reason behind it. Like happening right now, the client does not know beforehand where is he gonna send the stuff to print (will hunt for bargains). And each print on demand -or whatever- company has its templates, bleed, margins, particular color profile, that they even require... etc. So, I do NOT limit my self with a generic CMYK profile, be it US web coated V2 ( a ton of ppl use it just because is the standard in Adobe apps, but many US print places use GRACoL instead), or the non US, Europe most common standard FOGRA (whatever the version), because I'd be limiting my self, AND the final CMYK profile, if such thing is required would mean a different gamma somehow. So, I just work in full RGB mode, and once the client has required all modifications, I've gone applying all, and is finally satisfied, and call it final, we agree on that, etc, then is when I convert to CMYK (IF needed). But only after he or she tells me which is the company for printing, I no longer ask them the profile and specs, most of the times that's a disaster, just the company name, and I myself dig in the site to find the specs. Much more productive, they also don't want/need to deal with that (part of the reason why they called you). With some brilliant exceptions. But you see, till that very moment at the end, when she/he knows where is the best bargain for printing, and in some cases the best quality or quality/price ratio, (or the best company to print in a whatever type of cloth, or whatever) which is often in the end (also as the prices in these companies,and the specs, DO CHANGE very fast, too) , they cannot even tell me the company till the very end, most of the cases. So, it'd be crazy to set it in CMYK from start, even more, a specific profile from the beginning, let alone knowing the paper type and etc. So, to summarize, I just work in RGB, but as most of my work is in raster, digital painting, textures, game sprites, book covers, etc, is not so much about flat colors one can replace more or less easily. Is that I'm painting or pixel pushing, and I kind of know what is out of range for printing. I had my set of bad choices when doing work for sci fi games that needed stuff printed, as there's quite some opportunities to wreck it all when trying to illustrate amazing laser rays that find no limits in light-screen based color only, while many of those tones are impossible outside pigment based color range, they are not actually printable. Of course, one could use very special paper, and very advanced-expensive print systems, and get very particular colors. Tends not to be the case in my usual project. Over all, beware the super saturated tones, also very bright, mostly any combination of the two values being high. You can always do proofs while in the process, or work in proof mode in some tools (now even open source tools are incorporating this ! ), there's many many ways to stay in range, and don't worry, am not a guru from a photo lab (easily noticed, lol...), or a 40 years worth of experience offset tech specialist, like I suspect there are a bunch around here, and yet I "kind of" already get a total feel of when I'm going out of range in a non printable tone. But if finding it hard, you can as well just convert from time to time to cmyk, see if sth is going very off. I wanted to clarify the "like a jpeg" in fewer words, but am known around here to be one of the most verbose chit-chatters, sorry. In the bright side, I hope, after reading all ppl posts, your view changed in not seeing it as some "impossible task" , as indeed, is quite a dumb thing, is not sth you should be loosing all your energy on. IMO focus on your art and ENJOY it. That's what gets MOST obvious in your portfolio. Do stuff you like. So, "enjoy" is the best "technical advice". That gets seen in the actual portfolio, if you enjoyed making it. IMO. Live the passion of making a portfolio. I don't give myself time to just build it anymore, always on the next gig, and that's a prob, as then, u can't show the other ppl's property, or, the gigs are very much in the idea of the client, NOT exactly what you would have done. So, yup, is KEY the portfolio building stage, no matter if you are a seasoned pro in other matters and are beginning in your 50s your painting or design (side business or hobby) career. Portfolio is still key, and an absolute JOY to make, nothing should throw a shadow of anxiety or worry over it, don't let that happen, IMO, as the technicalities are the less important, and you can learn them all as you go ! Another illustrator ! A "brother in arms".... ! :D I need more people crying for brush/picker improvements around here (joking ! ) , haha (they're so patient, aren't they, the devs...) . You know, there's overbooking of high end photographers around here... But that's good, too...I've realized they're people that put a lot of attention to detail and accuracy. That's good... The right approach, IMO. RGB, I guess ( or an app that I don't know...). In the past, I'd do that, just Fogra 27, and the 39... as these are more usual in Europe. In that matter, GRACoL gave me often a better result, BTW. Yep. Happens all the time. That's what I explained above.... Working directly in CMYK, specially in vectors with fully flat colors, not a bad idea as keep you more or less in track of what is printable. Still, you can as well work in RGB. Yet tho my workflow advice is mostly from someone who work more often in raster.... Because limits your gamma. And as you know from traditional ( and that knowledge is what really counts) , just random crazy colors lead you nowhere, and this can happen more often when there are no restrictions. You still can do a harmonized color scheme in RGB, and work in RGB, with proof setup if your apps allow it, or doing conversions from time to time to check. Once getting used, those conversions or working on proof mode are needed less frequently, IMO. But also depends totally on the type of work you are doing. Is miles away doing a logo with an specified pantone color that doing a digital painting for a book cover...For the former I would start with the exact colors and profile and everything, of course. Then, keep doing so. You know, all roads lead to Rome, sooner or later. Mostly, don't get overwhelmed. To my knowledge, PNG does not support CMYK model (neither other also print related info) . And JPEG (supports CMYK) is always a format that introduces losses in quality, I strongly dislike it for print, tho a lot of people, magazines, do print JPGs. At maximum quality of compression, can be done, but I dislike that is always a diminished artifact that affect clarity and color. It changes my pixels. I hate that.... I'd rather advice tiffs (layered or not)...You are not a photographer, you only have now 18 files... And anyway, as I was saying somewhere else, you can zip the stored past work tiffs in external hard disk drives. Anyway you're gonna need at least one external HD, these by USB ports... Are cheap like never where,these days... really worth it, those 40 - 50 euros. For a minimal safety of your work, and more importantly, your client's work. None of this formats (TIFF...) is how is done in vector work. Vector files, unless containing a crazy load of nodes (not usual) are pretty light in disk size, be it a vectors PDF, EPS, AI, etc. Which would be crazy would be to destroy all editing capability of a vector based work by storing as a JPEG or TIFF, but I suppose you are not really talking about doing that other that to provide a final fast conversion for a client who just wants a raster, or a web upload to your portfolio. If they are vectors, by all means, keep the vectors file, I don't care if they are RGB files. And all layers, font layers, gradients, etc. You could convert to CMYK as vectors, and yeah, if you went crazy with the tones, you will see differences, as a neon intense magenta-cyan-aqua surely wont print...But ideally should keep vectors-editable. No issue tho in keeping em as RGB vectors, do a bitmap export, and convert the bitmaps (raster files in RGB) to the whatever CMYK profile you would be required to to send to print, if that's easier/faster for you. Wouldn't be my fav workflow, but surely not a problem. A piece created in Adobe RGB or the like without any constraints can definitely look different (not if the tones weren't saturated/bright ,etc) once converted to CMYK, that can be expected... Well, I'm from your southern neighbor country, Spain... this is also my second language, despite the (broken English) verbosity. I got so used to it at some jobs that now I put almost all my apps in English, otherwise am slightly lost... Still after years working and talking to all my colleagues in several companies in English (despite living here!), and doing gigs, I still have this broken English, lol.... ( someone could argue that I have a broken Spanish as well, haha) Yup, I do that always that I am allowed. Is just that a bunch of print sites or just the client, would require a very specific other format, in a very specific CMYK (or RGB) color profile, even specifying the ink level, etc... But I rather prefer to export in PDF/X.

^^ Gotta love pixel art based avatars . +10 points for that ! [ * said the nostalgic pixel artist before running away * ]

That I thought years ago. It depends very heavily on your most usual target clients and workflows. Today, I work mostly as an illustrator (side projects in design, 3D, games, etc), directly in Adobe RGB or, very frequently, even sRGB. If needed, I'd convert to CMYK, last step. Also as I know quite well how to not get out of the usual spectrum in printing (yeah, harder to do in a sci fi project with lots of nebulae and laser rays, neon lights, lol....). Some projects are heavily tied to a particular CMYK color profile, ink amount, etc, etc. In those cases, depending on the style (flat shades, or realism, or even...pixel art! ) I might start with the CMYK exact profile and everything since the file creation. If the other side does its job, nothing gets as accurate as that once printed... I've seen that sometimes (edited, as had eaten that word, and it read as if these print companies always work better with sRGB, not the case) one gets worse results when delivering to POD printers in CMYK fully correct files, PDFs with their own specified color profile and everything, than the other option they give of just a sRGB based file... For web, you'd better off with sRGB, IMO. There's ways to have your browser see well color managed pics with Adobe RGB profile, not sure how is today's situation of the latest browsers, tho, Firefox used to rock at that...back in the day one had to set that ON, in advanced prefs, so, was a no-way for the average jane and joe, and so, a no-go. sRGB gives you a very wide spectrum of compatibility, ie, basically old iPhones were just that (now there's p3 and stuff, but I guess sRGB keeps being ultra safe). sRGB tends to be the standard in a ton of devices where there's a screen. Conversion from CMYK to sRGB should not make you see variance in color, would be rare. Typically is going from a smaller color space to a wider one, even if a small one to be an RGB color space (Adobe RGB has more intense greens and other tones not in the sRGB space). In vectors I often just go ahead directly in CMYK, and if specified, well, with specific pantones. Projects can be very different. IE, for an UI work for a website only, I'd go directly sRGB from start despite being vectors. EDIT: Maybe I'm wrong in doing so, but what I mean is that due to my workflows, lately what I do is treat CMYK like the JPG of the color space world. Like going to a reduced quality thingy. So, is in any case my last step, when work is finished, provided I've been careful with the color tones. (and only if I need a CMYK output ! ). Most apps also give you more editing features in RGB, and also, the processing is less destructive. For a similar reason, I'm more often illustrating in 16 bits RGB. EDIT: (Ouch, just read you said in Affinity Designer. I was mostly thinking in raster.... well, also valid for vectors, I spoke a bit about all...)

Tiff saved without compression marked (uncompressed) not only is more likely to have less probs in opening later, they do compress (often 10x...) really great as zip files, specially if using a good utility. But is a total pain to be opening zip files if that's gonna happen frequently to that file. If is for mere storage, might want to consider it (7zip is an example of an excellent compressor, just Windows only. Obviously you can open a zip from any OS without utilities) I see a good measure, the RAWs + Affinity native +.....Instead of a PNG (well, or besides it), maybe a layers flattened (single-layer file) TIFF (supports alpha channels, DPI data, and CMYK color model when needed, (among other things) PNG does not).

Yep, I don't know..... In every package I've handled in my life, linked images are a life savior when you are creating things like board/card games, and many types of publications or general designs, where an image is reused in the design (one design even calling many linked images) a lot, and you want to independently edit that image, have it always up to date without needing to re-embed it... But it's maybe just my usual workflows. In the other side, being able to embed is often important, too...

Last screen.... Could it be that it defaults to sRGB as in the default setting of that form field, but is not really reading the info from the file neither the file having lost its color profile info (wild guess, I have no idea. I'd cancel that window there, check then if the file is yet Adobe RGB or whatever it was/had to be.).

I'm not sure if I understood he meant that it'll apply that profile to non profiled EPS files. Maybe I am understanding it wrong, but maybe he is saying that the solution is applying in whatever was the original -or another- software, a color profile, instead of exporting without one, and then, importing into Affinity, the Aff app would respect the externally applied color profile ? Or I need that second coffee.

I handle a big number of apps, using both native formats and universal ones. This is what I've end up doing after many years both at jobs or freelancing: I save in working, NATIVE app (whichever it is) format in a project until is final. Once it is, I save a copy in a pair of universal formats ( together with the native final one, of course). Meaning, almost always a PNG for fast view and fast show to the project author/client or whoever (I hate JPGs, I know I shouldn't) , and often a TIFF with all fx and special native stuff flattened/rastered to each layer. (that is, mere pixels layers, and the alphas saved when possible). But not through the process. I prefer just use the very native format. Late months, to save memory, that final-only TIFF (or similar format) is often flattened.... Hoping the native files, I'll be able to open 'em. Reason why I typically keep the versions of each app installer which I have more often used, or that can open all file versions, and also several times backed up install disks of my OS(/es), so to at any point in time being able to open stuff. Of course, combined with a pair of external disks (one network based, one just USB) where I back up all essential. A photographer workflow wouldn't apply here, I guess. I have a quite smaller number of files ( and yet, a lot), just extremely hard worked each one, but is very, very rare that I need to go back and access one of those for editing. 1 out 50 times it happens (indeed, recently, but mostly 3D projects), tho (usually not forced to do so, is often an old client asking for another version or sth). Not photographer, but still, one of my current projects folders is right now 150 GBs (and is NOT Affinity's files... I make HUGE files no matter with what software, lol... )

Purchased ! My first Gumroad purchase, lol, there's always a first time for all... And...THANK YOU, Paolo, as, at this price, I consider it a gift.... (or...er.... a steal....84 brushes, for a total of 7 euros, once included VAT... It'd be even for just one of the above seen quality (that pic totally broke my resistance/laziness to purchase stuff or do the paypal thing...)... Tho I know is the rules of market. Yet so, one has to recon where there's an item of extreme value... (Affinity, these brushes....er...Blender.... (edit: thought I'd clarify, as has happened before that ppl would believe with this joke that Blender 3D costs sth.... is FREE )) BTW, the whole purchase thingy went very smooth here, no probs, used PAYPAL. Will try the brushes later, have some ppl at the flat now, can't focus well, lol....

Gonna buy. TODAY. No more delays. Geez.... the memories... Looking at that I almost smell the linseed oil over the wooden pallete.... (....aaaaand...am out of likes again (10:12 AM in the morning, that's a record... ! ) .... I guess am too compulsive hitting the like button, lol..... )

WOW. My years with the oils are back.

That's a sample of 66k people in a very niche (yet very well considered, but that's not the point) developers site? Global (average use in the world) usage charters are quite the opposite....if you check some of a less niche, or web/web apps development focused (typically Linux based) larger samples charts, the % of Linux users vs the Windows ones (in a quite smaller degree, to the OSX ones) is quite tiny... This matter has bounced back (after the many times they have answered "not having any plans" of making it) so many times, and considering or not an entire platform is such a huge decision, that I would fully expect that Serif collected enough data to decide... BTW, OT, but VMs, due to less direct hardware stuff access, might get you less performance on Affinity apps, unless you are not doing very demanding tasks (well, usually web graphics aren't (been there, done that)). Depends on the studied income predicted by the money people in a given company. As they themselves have stated, is not that they have a critical technical problem to port it (they're capable of it). Is more about if it is a good business for them (not just to release it, but maintain the version, etc) with the expected income. Which it seems by all the answers given to Linux users posting here (quite many times) about this, and what we can deduct, they consider it is not.

Definitely. But is not an exclusive parcel of Linux users.... I've known people (one I met long ago is doing this constantly...) writing outstanding scientific papers using Windows... and... Apple machines. Editing _well_ a photo is not that simple (unless we refer to make a meme to just "have a laugh" (+ "to run that inferior piece of spyware" ...er...about the disrespect matter...). And well, that's the type of software that seems to be one of the focuses of this company's suite... Affinity Photo, quite for photo editing... I'm not sure about which of the two type of users take themselves (and their OS) more seriously... Yep. More stable, no cost per seat, ideal for custom solutions where you have to freely access things quite at a low level, and you need flexibility, and ideal for networks and team work. For the average Joe in an office, or, a graphic design company, or stressful publicity agency...not necessarily that great (Affinity suite is more thought for these than for Pixar specialists, somehow). Until sees the light certain change of dealing with that other type of apps, and users, a change that I see happening already in each open source app (ie, Blender 2.8)...just slowly. And is because devs finally see that this is the way to get the wider audience, and this is by itself, key... I'm not really in the Windows or Linux side, fully. In improvement in both platforms, definitely. But, this is part of the issue, this debate always end up going to film industry, no matter what. The problem is far from being there. The interest on a suite like Affinity is not for people willing to work at Pixar (I'm a 3D guy, too, if anything I'd be dealing for that with way different software). These apps, Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, A. Publisher, are clearly in the photo editing (not necessarily just to have a laugh, but often to bring food to the plate), DTP publishing, graphic design for print and web. Which is a HUGE, huge market, BTW. In size, way bigger than most people imagine. I can model to full detail a high end 3D character. And so, what. I'm not into that anymore, but into the way more often seen jobs offered in my area, which the Affinity suite covers quite well. A professional field also not as restricted in access as film industry, which , in comparison, is way niche.And often only existing in certain particular areas and regions, whereas general graphic design, photo editing and publishing is pretty worldwide, easy to locally find a job (or my main interest, freelance gigs) for that almost wherever. Let alone if you added to the mix (of your professional abilities, done with other tools) capability for web coding and web design. Yeah, well... Hmmm...seen stuff on how quite recent films have their custom developments, but ok.... wont argue there. Then, about Unreal Engine, for projects that don't really make a big buck, and Renderman for non commercial . There's the problem already there.... And like those, there are a bunch. For competing, you often need to get the software that is at the top of the pyramid, not some free versions of restricted use. But that's not the point, this is a very specific matter, and a side argument (am guilty of getting into it, too), we could be all day going in a case per case of the things, ported binaries that are available or not for Linux from the commercial apps world...

Also, Linux films: A big portion of that (not all) is possible thanks to in-house made, custom software, often customized or made from scratch per film. (well, unrelated, but seen that done in a lot of game studios I worked at. Today is not so much of a tendency in games,tho) rather than already mainstream available (for every average pro user) software. A lot of those open source movies you mention after the other group, ie, Agent ("Entirely made in Blender"), Caminandes, Glass Half...were made -mostly- with Blender. Which is FULLY open source. Not a commercial app (well, actually it was, in dinosaurs times, and then open sourced, fully) ported to Linux as a binary only, and existence depending on internal politics and investors of each company. A brilliant exception of an app in open source graphic content creation software (and my tool for everything 3D). An example to follow, me hopes, as I was mentioning in the previous posts, but far from being the case with other community made open source apps.... (which IMO have a safer long term future...)

They are like the Eye Of Sauron. Always watching from the deepest Darkness. Every part of the Land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie, is under watch. Beware if daring to call The Nazgûls... PD: My bet for "pure" open source apps is not a fanatic/old skool one. Couldn't care less about "code must be free" stuff. Is a much more practical view. Commercial companies close business in a snap, and all of a sudden. And often, with it there goes their app, code, or even the stuck binaries. Let alone maintenance of the app. I got wasted of that, both for the time lost invested in learning, and very specially, money lost. As decades ago, no software of this level was 50 bucks, was always several thousands....

I'd find it easy to make using image editing/retouch techniques. Even very realistically. If I understood right, frames to set in your web portfolio to make them look like real frames. (not sure about the matte thing, language barrier, maybe). I haven't dug in doing this specifically with A. Photo, but done tons of works like this in Photoshop and others. Am positive is VERY doable, and without limits. One other way is doing them in 3D, do a very nice render, and use it as a graphic to add around the image. And/or 2D retouch over it, even.

I find the answer fully satisfactory. They are testing the feature's reliability before porting to other apps, makes a lot of sense.

For a bunch of years, I was literally surrounded by those. My entire group of friends happen to be total Linux geeks. Linux was it's air to breath. In every weekend, you could be in a restaurant, eating some burritos, you'd get this or that conversation about whatever Linux related (am a generic-whatever geek, so that wouldn't be too hard on me...). At the job, I worked at a company fully based on Linux (if anything, cross platform, but mostly Linux) .Not only almost all my tools were Linux related, the people contracted were in every case total Linux geeks/fans. This means, also there, every single conversation in breakfast, in every coffee machine break, in every company event or party, Linux was always the conversation theme. Almost a 99%. ALL of them had at home a Linux machine (in rare cases they'd have something from Apple, but that's it). Even some which I'd expected to be more mundane and practical oriented. It just goes with the the profile. I was kindda disrespected because I used mostly Windows, but also any system I had to. I've been in contact for more than a decade people who only used Linux, for everything. But even them do admit there's some stuff they had to say goodbye, to do so. They just tend to minimize that lack, even some fool themselves in doing that. BTW, Linux can be in a lot of IoT devices and stuff, and well, if you watched the Linux Sucks video, I totally agree on that part... that's linux based tech, more than desktops, and devices to do the professional things (Affinity is a professionals/serious hobby oriented line, if you even read their info in about sections and stuff) we're debating about.... Android is a very "perverted" form of the concept, even while is always used in these debates (very weird way to twist the reality)...And the desktop, which is how humans do more complex stuff, yeah, non AI based (AI is not gonna replace us in what is resolution of certain problems, at least I guess not for many many years...) ... for this desktop functionality, tends to be needed more human adapted OSes (there where OSX is king. In that aspect)... In the desktop, even today, so much better than before in Linux, still there's some gap to cover by Linux, is the point of many. Am not an average joe, so, as a pro, I don't care a lil bit about that, but yes in the lacks, HUGE ones, in real open source tools in Linux (not in closed source binaries that depend in whatever chairs decision, company life, change of CEO, etc, etc, etc. My reason to go Blender was having been left alone with ceased expensive 3D purchased software. So, this leaves out Maya, Houdini, Substance tools, etc... !!! ) , fully open source tools which have a long path to walk, and most worryingly, this not being recognized as an issue by a large percentage of the community (certain very smart people in the community do agree with this, btw...) among which, a large chunk of ppl posting here, sadly. From which, a high percentage are total new users (some not even having a minimal handle of the terminal), not ppl that was installing and using (like me, for example) Linux distros since the 90s. That's my main concern. Probably the only significant one (tho that a color hardware calibrator, one of the very main ones, the golden purchase, in 2018, yet does not count on a linux driver, and like it, a bunch of other pro devices, monitors, etc, YET, yesss, is a biggie, quite an issue. Still, I could somewhat see my way around this one finding and purchasing weird hardware that luckily had support. Or that barely worked with a generic driver. Or whatever. SOMEHOW. The apps problem, nope, that's the barrier.). But the apps problem and not recognizing its existence and mostly, its HUGE importance is very tied with this -kindda- new trend of expecting closed source companies to just do a linux version, instead of the proper way of building really solid graphic (and whatever) editing tools, but REAL open source, WITHIN the community. Is neither loyal to the huge effort of projects like Inskcape, Blender, etc. Kindda ungrateful, also. I'd agree it'd be a crazy goal if BLENDER hadn't happened to get today's level. It's a live and working demonstration of how possible it is, and is not that it counts on a huge funding. Pretty small compared with even average companies in the field of network, cloud, programming, etc... there the money (flies) and community efforts are HUGE. So, IMO, is a matter of changing minds, ways of thinking. WITHIN the community ! And... been some decades, so... About time that OPEN SOURCE graphics content creation tools receive the actual attention they deserve, also for the good of the entire platform and community. IMHO.