Bad_Wolf

Hi Return, Thank you for your reply, which I appreciate. I also starting to think that it is a bug by Designer. I put slightly more bleed into my drawing and it is fine now. Kind Regards, Chris

Hi everyone, Please, can you help me with the following problem. I want to use a canvas of size 48 inch by 32 inch for printing on Printify. My Affinity Designer document is 48 inch by 32 inc. Because I am printing to the edge, I have set a bleed of 0,5 inch, which should be enough. I had another design of 14 inch by 11 inch and the print area/bleed was perfect with these settings. Please note that the red area is the bleed in Affinity Designer and the grey is the print area. However, with the size of 48 by 32, and the same bleed of 0,5 inch, the document is no longer fitting. You can see in the attached screen capture how the 48 by 32 document looks (this is a different document than the 14 by 11). It seems that the inches in Designer are different than at Printify. Can you tell me what is going wrong? Thank you in advance for your help which I do appreciate. Kind Regards, Chris Design 48 by 32.afdesign

@kaffeeundsalz, I agree with you that you made a very bold statement there. I see many users here for the first time so that I can think the same about them not? However, if you see how high emotions are running, do you think it is not possible for people to feel the need to raise their concerns and opinions? I find it a very risky assumption you made. Let's be fair and respect each other's opinion even when we completely disagree. Canva is not so bad as many people think, in fact it is quiet good in what it is doing. The only thing is that many times, its results has to be edited. That is it! Canva is excellent but it is the one who is using the tools, which determine the final result. Because Canva is targetting the non-designers, it is in that segment you see the crappy results. However, we work with people using Canva for their products and I can tell you, they are very high quality otherwise we do not work with them. What the future will bring, I do not know, Serif do not know and Canva does not know. But when this union succeed, we will all benefit from it. More powerful Affinity applications integrated with the cloud. Canva is a paradise for ready made graphics, slideshows, documents, which will come to Affinity too. The only risk is Adobe, taking over Canva. If that happens, I agree, Canva/Affinity is dead! I was once a very satisfied user of Aldus Freehand but Adobe killed in favour of its lesser Illustrator. Let us hope that Adobe never get its hand on Canva/Affinity, that is the real danger for us. I wish you all a long a pleasurable future with Canva/Affinity!

Thank you Ash and Patrick O'Connor for taking the time to explain. This is much appreciated. I am a satisfied Serif user since around 2009 because Serif apps let me do what I like to do. They never failed me, and will not fail me in the future. From the very first moment I saw this announcement, I was positive about the new union. I use both Affinity and Canva Pro and both complement each other. Canva has a huge library of images and drawings, the Affinity suite has the professional tools to modify them. Canva lacks the tools Affinity has. So the combination can only be positive. In many circumstances, subscriptions are needed to cover the costs. I use Softmaker Office, WPS Office, Cyberlink and others. If chosing a perpetual licence, there is no AI feature. AI features come with all three programs with a subscription. So a user has to decide if the AI feature is worth the subscription. I can testify that none of the companies with which I have a subscription, are abusing their power. They are all an important part of our daily operations. To be honest, something I criticise is the update model of Serif. I paid in 2016 for my Designer and Photo licences and it was up until november 2022 that I had to pay again for V2. I asked myself several times during those 6 years free updates, how can they survive? In my opinion, they should make at least the .5 and .0 updates paid. In that way, they should have a more stable cash flow. I am surely willing to pay for a 1.1, 1.2,1.3,... update if that secure the future of the Affinity apps. For our company, it is not the cost of the application which is important but also how secure its future is. We put a lot of our eggs in the Affinity basket, so it is important that the basket keeps full. The communication of Serif, assures my partner and myself that the future of Serif/Affinity is secure and stable. We never lost trust in Serif/Affinity and will will remain loyal Serif users. I can understand that many users are pessimistic and that your opinion will be different than ours. We have to respect that. However, also respect the fact that as professional users, we make our own decisions, which are in favour of Serif/Canva. Thank you for your understanding. Chris

More bug fixes, more features, faster updates, what can we ask for more? Let us wait and see what the future brings. Speculation will only bring more concern, emotions and anger. Wait and see what happens over the next months. I remember the release of the V2 version, emotions and disappointments were running high. After a few weeks the storm was silenced and development continued. Give this union a chance, I believe we will see new opportunities coming our way. Blending, image tracing, all features we want so much, are now coming this year. Let's look positive to the future and in the meantime, let us do what we like to do... drawing and designing.

Besides using all three Serif apps, I have a Canva Pro subscription which also benefit the Serif apps. I use Canva mainly to convert WEBp files coming from Dall-E (AI) into png. Subscription for Canva Pro is 11 euro/monthly, which is not too bad for the services which are delivered. The advantage for this union is that Serif will have more funding to develop faster, implement more functionality and be serious competition for Adobe.I use all three Serif apps, and I have a Canva Pro subscription that also benefits the Serif apps. I use Canva mainly to convert WEBp files coming from Dall-E (AI) into PNG. The Canva Pro subscription is 11 euro/monthly, which is not too bad for the services. Even eventually the Affinity suite will go into a subscription model, I am sure the price will be affordable. You don't need a subscription to use Canva, you can do a lot without the pro functions. So lets look forward to the future and just enjoy our Affinity Applications. I am sure over a few years, many Affinity users will still be satisfied users! Don't give up! Don't miss the boat of the future! Chris

I agree with Alfred; it is a bad idea to include the bleed in your page dimensions. A better way is to in Document Setup, put the actual page dimensions and in the Bleed section, set the bleed for all sides. Chris

Hi all, I found my error. I placed the image directly into Publisher without Image Frame. Now I placed an image frame which covers the bleed area and the image covers the bleed area as expected. I learned something new today. I wish you all a lovely weekend. Chris

Hi all, Please, can you help me with a problem I have in importing an image created in Designer? Both in Designer and Publisher there is a bleed of 0.125 inch on all sides. In the dimensions of the image, the bleed is included. The dimensions of the page are 8.5 x 11 inch. So the image itself is 8.75 x 11.25 inch. In Designer the image covers the bleed area. However, when I export that image as PNG to Publisher, it seems that the dimensions are again 8.5 x 11 inch. When opening that image again in PhotoZoom, it is 8.75 x 11.25 inch. Can you please tell me why Publisher is cutting off the bleed? In page setup the bleed is set to 0.125 inch. Thank you for your help which I appreciate. Chris

Welcome Dyoung, You can also update by opening the "Help" menu and selecting "Check for Updates". I hope this helps.

@GarryP, @MarkW, and @Firstdefence, Thank you all for your replies. I apologize for this late reply but yesterday evening I had no Internet. I made an image with 300 dpi in Affinity Designer. Then I exported it as PNG without compression. Then I opened the PNG file in PhotoZoom Pro and the resolution was still 300 dpi. So it is not related to Affinity Designer itself. The tutorial Firstdefence linked to, explain the possible reason, the resolution dropped. Probably my image was too small and Printful resized it to a bigger size with the consequence of the resolution dropped below the 150 dpi. I will research the Printful website again for the necessary dimensions and upload a new design. Thank you all for your input, I really do appreciate it. Chris

Hi everybody, Can you please advise me on Printing On Demand with Affinity Designer 2 on Windows? I am puzzled by the drop in resolution. I create a design for a mug (for example) and the resolution in Designer is 300 dpi, which I thought is enough. When I upload that design to Printful, it warns me that the resolution is too low. The resolution seems to drop from 300 dpi to around 150 dpi. I try to find the reason for this strange behaviour and how to prevent it, but I am unsuccessful. I asked ChatGTP the following question: ???????????????????????????????????????????????? When I create a design in Affinity Designer v2, in 300 dpi resolution, when I import it in Printful for printing on demand on t-shirts and mugs, Printful warns me that the resolution is too low. When I checked, the resolution dropped from 300 dpi to 192 dpi. Can you please tell me what is happening and how I can adjust my designs so the resolutions are high enough? Thank you. I appreciate your help. ???????????????????????????????????????????????? And received the following answer: ####################################### When you're experiencing a drop in resolution from 300 dpi to 192 dpi upon importing your designs from Affinity Designer v2 to Printful, it could be due to a few reasons. Here are some potential causes and solutions to ensure your designs maintain high enough resolution for printing: Export Settings: Ensure that you are exporting your design from Affinity Designer with the correct settings. When you export, choose the highest quality settings and make sure that the DPI is set to 300. Sometimes, software might reset or default to another DPI setting, so it's crucial to double-check this every time you export. File Format: The file format you choose can affect the resolution. For printing purposes, TIFF, PNG, and high-quality JPEG formats are generally preferred. Each of these formats supports high resolution, but ensure you're not using any compression options that might reduce the DPI. Canvas Size: The physical size of the canvas in Affinity Designer should match or exceed the size of the product you want to print on in Printful. If the canvas size is too small, even at 300 DPI, the image might not have enough pixels to meet Printful's requirements for a large print area. Make sure your canvas size is large enough for the print size you need. Scaling in Printful: When you upload your design to Printful, ensure that you're not scaling it up to fit the print area, as this can reduce the effective resolution. If the design needs to be scaled up significantly, it's better to go back to Affinity Designer and increase the canvas size and the design elements accordingly, maintaining the 300 DPI resolution. Printful's Requirements: Check Printful's specific file and resolution requirements for different products. Each product might have different resolution needs based on the printing technique and the material it's being printed on. Ensure your design meets these specific requirements. To adjust your designs to maintain high resolution: Review and adjust your export settings in Affinity Designer, ensuring the DPI is set to 300 and you're using a file format that supports high resolution without compression. Consider the final print size and ensure your canvas size in Affinity Designer is large enough, with the design elements created at the size they'll be printed. Avoid scaling up the design in Printful's interface to prevent any reduction in resolution. Regularly consult Printful's guidelines for each product to ensure your designs meet their specific requirements. If you've checked all these aspects and the issue persists, it might be helpful to contact Printful's support for insights into why the resolution is being downgraded upon import, as there could be platform-specific reasons or settings affecting your uploads. ####################################### I export as PNG uncompressed. It is possible for me to raise the resolution to 600 or even 1200 dpi if necessary without quality loss. But can you tell me what I am doing wrong and how I can fix it. I want to print on mug, t-shirt an canvasses. Thank you for your help which I much appreciate. Chris

If I remember correctly, there were also download version for the Plus range. There is a very high chance a moderator will close this thread. I found a website where you can download old Serif software but I do not trust it. I think it is better to contact Serif and ask if you can download the software. Nevertheless, I advice you to use the programs of the Affinity Suite. They are so much better than the old Plus range and you don't have to be afraid a Windows update will break your workflow. Remember, a warned man/woman is worth two! I hope this helps. Chris

Hello R C-R, Thank you for your reply. We are a startup company, so maybe it is a good idea to submit puzzles to the NYT. Despite the chance of being accepted will be very small, if it succeed, this can be good publicity for us. The one who's not trying will not win! I wish you all the best! Chris

Hi R C-R, Thank you for this interesting information. I didn't know that other newspapers can use the NYT crossword puzzles. I thought that the NYT had their own people to make those puzzles. You can learn every day something new. Have a great day! Chris

Hello Firstdefence and R C-R, Thank you for your replies. Error checking can be a difficult process and you already gave the reason. As authors, we see what we want to see. We can read 3, 4, 5 times or more and still overlook an error. That is the reason that it is good practice to let a masterpiece read by someone else. Despite the fact, I do not read the New York Times, I knew you were mentioning that newspaper, just because of the different weekend editions of the puzzle. It is possible to create all kind of puzzles in Construct C3 (a game development engine), but it is not the same as solving puzzles on physical media. For me there is one exception: Escape Rooms. This is better done in such game development environments than in a physical book. Have a nice day. Chris

Hello R C-R, Thank you for your reply. Indeed, readers of puzzle books prefer solving the puzzle rather than a cool layout but contains errors. Many people create puzzle books because of fast income. However, creating a good puzzle book takes time of which the error checking takes more than half the efforts. That is what many newspapers do. In the weekend they publish bigger puzzles than during the week. 15x15 is indeed the standard size for a puzzle. I wish you all the best and much puzzle fun. Chris

Hi Thomaso, Walt Farrell, GarryP, and Firstdefence, Thank you all for your opinions and advice. You all gave me more than I expected, of which I am very gratefull. The main reason for my questions was indeed, do I break the consistency and have different cell sizes between smaller and greater puzzles or not. I indeed do agree with filler objects and colour. If used, it needs to be sparingly and thoughtfully. Readers of puzzle books are interested in the puzzles and not in filler objects. I was not intending to use colour in my puzzle book. When used correctly, you can say a lot with black/white and grey shades. So I already decided that all individual cells will have the same dimensions unesteemed the size of the puzzle. I will make each individual cell 9 mm by 9 mm. The font size for the main letters (in the solution) Arial regular 18 pt and the index numbers (if any) Calibri regular 9 pt. This makes everything readable, also for people with reduced eye sight. Thank you all again for the time spent and sharing your knowledge. This is truly appreciated. I wish you all a nice day and all the best! Chris

Hi Thomaso, Thank you for your reply. For example for a square puzzle, which has 15 by 15 cells, the individual cell will be a square of 9 mm. But for the square puzzle consisting of 23 by 23 cells, the individual cell will be 7 mm to put the puzzle onto the page. These puzzle books are physical books, not ebooks because it is almost impossible to create. In an ebook reader you cannot fill in the individual cells. This is kind of aesthetical question. I do appreciate your input. Chris

Hi all, Please, can you give me advice about the size of individual cells in crossword, scramble, wordsearch, and other type of puzzles? Let us take the word search puzzle for example. I have two sizes in mind: 15 by 15 cells and 23 by 23 cells, both sizes in the same book. To place the 23 by 23 puzzle on the page, I have to reduce its size, so the individual cells will be smaller. So when on one page there is a 15 by 15 puzzle and on the other there is a 23 by 23 puzzle, the reader will notice a difference in individual cell dimensions. My question is, is this difference acceptable considering layout? I will appreciate your advice very much. I wish you all a nice day. Chris

Hi Thomas, and welcome to the forum, "Affinity Revolution" has many exciting courses for beginners and experts about the Affinity applications. They also release many YouTube tutorials. These courses and tutorials are genuinely excellent! I hope you find your creativity again.

Thank you, Lacerto and Bures, I tried forcing anti-aliasing, even forcing it on, but it had no positive effect. The result remains the same. Even an SVG export, which should be vector, is pixelated. Even with a document and export resolution of 300 dpi, the result is terrible. I tried it on another laptop, but the result was poor. The zoom factor is 100%, so it is not magnified. Even when I import it into C3, the pixels are visible. I did a little bit more research without mentioning Affinity Designer in the search string and found out that it is a Google Chrome bug. Because the images are too small (20 px), Google Chrome renders them poorly. In Firefox, those 20 px images render fine. Chrome requires a minimum of 24 px; otherwise, everything gets pixelated. Thank you all for your replies, which are highly appreciated. I wish you all a great day! Chris

Thank you so much for your reply, NotMyFault, I appreciate it. I checked the resolution, and it is 300 dpi. The graphics are for a game and have to be 20 pixels wide. I did not know you could check the export before really exporting. So, I learned something new. I raised the resolution to 400, 1200, but the image keeps pixelated. In fact, whatever I do, everything remains pixelated. I wish you a great day. Kind Regards, Chris

Hi Everyone, Can you please help me with pixelated export PNG/SVG images? I included the files here together with this post. These are graphics for import as sprites in Construct 3, a game development environment. On the screen in Designer (v2.2.1) for Windows, everything looks good. Once exported, the export is pixelated. I tried everything I knew of, but nothing worked. I can remember in the past, I posted the same question and received a result. However, I cannot find that post anymore. I would appreciate your help, and thank you in advance. Kind Regards, Chris PNG_Pixelated_Problem.afdesign

@walt.farrell Hello Walt, With "Container" layer, I mean "Group" layer. I use the "Add Layer" button in the attached image. This creates a layer where you can draw multiple objects on. I use this kind of layer a lot in my drawings. Thank you again for your reply. Chris