stefano.cecere

Hi All,

Below is the list of all new feature and improvements which are included in the 2.2 beta.
To learn more about these features please click on the link to go to each feature's dedicated post. To give feedback or report bugs against any of these features please reply to that same post (also check out bug reporting and feedback tips).
Features and improvements affecting all platforms
OCIO v2 Support (new in build 1931)
Custom text variables (new in build 1903)
Additional keyboard shortcuts for brush tools (new in build 1903)
Alt-click new layer automatically adds selection to that new layer (new in build 1903)
Cross References added to Affinity Publisher
Greyscale and no-FX view mode options added
Change guide colour
Long press tool shortcuts
Custom date formats available in Publisher
All supported image files now available from File->Open in Publisher
Find and replace includes scope and result count
Go to previously viewed spread
Create symbol option added to Layer Menu
Additional options when creating indexes
Windows and macOS features and improvements
Object creation data entry (new in build 1931)
Move data entry (new in build 1931)
Data merge allows fields to set URLs, File locations, emails and anchors (anchors new in build 1931)
Delete node added to right click menu
"Select All on Current Layer" option now available
Grid presets and favourite fonts now sync between apps on device
iPad features and improvements
Decimal place accuracy preferences added to iPad
"Prefer to keep selection" preference added


Getting the 2.2 beta
If you have not enrolled into the beta program yet and would like to take part, you can do so here. This will immediately give you access to the latest 2.2 beta builds to try for yourself.
If you are already enrolled in the beta program you have two options:
If you still have the 2.1 beta installed, you can now run up those beta versions and you will be prompted to update them to the 2.2 beta. If you have uninstalled the 2.1 beta, you will need to go back to Your Account -> Downloads and product keys and find your previous order for the Affinity Beta Software Program, and you can download the 2.2 beta from there. Thanks,
Ash

i've abandoned Affinity Photo for PixelmatorPro, just for WebP export feature.
it's sad because it's an easy feature, now a standard for all current and next web dev (images are 50% smaller than jpg and png!) and it wouldn't cost too much to say: sure it'll come with 1.11 be patient!
 

i've been working on a several hundred pages project (no, it wasn't a book, but a complex project with dozens of different chapters) in Publisher, and i really missed the possibility to name pages and sections.
woudl also be nice to see sections in the page list
 

I would like to be able to add my own name in the Pages panel to existing names Page 1, Page 2 ...
If we create a dozen or several dozen pages, it is easier to find logically signed pages, not just Page 1 or other.
This should be done exactly as you would now add your own names to objects in the Layers panel.

Hi
I would like to request that the new export formats be available in the Batch job Dialogue, specially the JPEG XL and WEBP. Theses formats are becoming more popular and having to export one by one it's time-consuming when you have more then 20 files.

thank you @MikeTO indeed i checked other macos Ventura apps and the arrows are now filled triangles, very like as in the keyboard...
 
 

Hi Stefano, I took some time to figure out this issue a month ago. Check out this post for more information. It's a bug in macOS.
 

Yeah, without an extended keyboard there's no normal way for us to type those keystrokes. Some applications just treat Cmd+Up Arrow as the same as Page Up but Affinity treats them as different characters. That could be useful to an extended keyboard user so I can't complain. And Affinity doesn't know what type of keyboard we have so it can't adapt automatically.
But Apple's bug with showing different characters for the same shortcut in the shortcut editor versus the menus is annoying. It would be interesting to know if it's present in Catalina and Big Sur, too. Perhaps somebody else will check and let us know. I'll file a bug report with Apple once we have more details but they're not quick at fixing these little bugs.

hi to the complete WebP export in v2.0
 
 
 

While I am all with Serif for the huge undertaking they have been carrying on since years, I have to share Kal's frustration. What I can start to see with V2 is this:
- Photo and Designer are strong competitors to the Adobe equivalents. They still miss things, but do so many things well. AI features don't compel me. All considered, I was already mostly happy with the first version.
- Integration with the Mac's UI is even worse than before. This may seem a little thing for our fellows using Windows, but it is extremely important for us Mac users. We chose the difficult way of living out of the crowd because we love the comfort and elegance of that UI. Programs interfering with our lifelong meditation can't find good reception.
- While adding some extraordinary features, like side notes, and continuing to have the older, like live preview of changes, Publisher is very far from being an InDesign replacement. It can already be fine for someone working in isolation, but not for people working in a team or with collaborators, due to the lack of any way to be integrated in a production flux. It still lacks some fundamental things for long projects, like cross-references. It can't deal with RTL and CJK languages, that are all part of my everyday job. And then, there is the same issue of the application frame breaking the usefulness of the clean, multi-window Mac environment.
I was sincerely hoping to be able to finally trash InDesign in the next few months. But at this point I fear it will be several years away from now. The only two solutions, in the meantime, are to either keep a machine (real or virtual) with a current Mac OS just to use InDesign CS6, or to switch to InDesign CC. This latter solution repels me, since it would mean making all the forthcoming documents hostage of Adobe and its aleatory price and plan policies.
Not a great situation, in the freelance/small shops publishing world.
How bad I feel? I'm considering alternatives to using page layout software, entirely.
Paolo
 

The one feature that has been confirmed as in development, without a date attached, is support for scripting which would be huge as it would enable others to fill some of the feature gaps.

now that v2 is here, with many new features, but many pros still needs some to really be comfortable with the Suite...
could we please have a minimal roadmap on what you are working on?
even something really generic like this Trello roadmap (for the Obsidian app).
we know, and you know, that we don't have many other options today.. or Adobe, or Affinity, unless we want to use separate apps for specific works..).. we want to support you, but we need to be kept engagend, and know where you are going!
for example: if you aren't goind to support ePub or external texts in Publish.. we aren't goind to use it for next books.
if you aren't supporting RTL before 3/5 years, we accept it and use something else from today.
if you plan automation in 2 years, we could use a temporary solution...
 
thank you!
 

now that v2 is here, with many new features, but many pros still needs some to really be comfortable with the Suite...
could we please have a minimal roadmap on what you are working on?
even something really generic like this Trello roadmap (for the Obsidian app).
we know, and you know, that we don't have many other options today.. or Adobe, or Affinity, unless we want to use separate apps for specific works..).. we want to support you, but we need to be kept engagend, and know where you are going!
for example: if you aren't goind to support ePub or external texts in Publish.. we aren't goind to use it for next books.
if you aren't supporting RTL before 3/5 years, we accept it and use something else from today.
if you plan automation in 2 years, we could use a temporary solution...
 
thank you!
 

now that v2 is here, with many new features, but many pros still needs some to really be comfortable with the Suite...
could we please have a minimal roadmap on what you are working on?
even something really generic like this Trello roadmap (for the Obsidian app).
we know, and you know, that we don't have many other options today.. or Adobe, or Affinity, unless we want to use separate apps for specific works..).. we want to support you, but we need to be kept engagend, and know where you are going!
for example: if you aren't goind to support ePub or external texts in Publish.. we aren't goind to use it for next books.
if you aren't supporting RTL before 3/5 years, we accept it and use something else from today.
if you plan automation in 2 years, we could use a temporary solution...
 
thank you!
 

now that v2 is here, with many new features, but many pros still needs some to really be comfortable with the Suite...
could we please have a minimal roadmap on what you are working on?
even something really generic like this Trello roadmap (for the Obsidian app).
we know, and you know, that we don't have many other options today.. or Adobe, or Affinity, unless we want to use separate apps for specific works..).. we want to support you, but we need to be kept engagend, and know where you are going!
for example: if you aren't goind to support ePub or external texts in Publish.. we aren't goind to use it for next books.
if you aren't supporting RTL before 3/5 years, we accept it and use something else from today.
if you plan automation in 2 years, we could use a temporary solution...
 
thank you!
 

now that v2 is here, with many new features, but many pros still needs some to really be comfortable with the Suite...
could we please have a minimal roadmap on what you are working on?
even something really generic like this Trello roadmap (for the Obsidian app).
we know, and you know, that we don't have many other options today.. or Adobe, or Affinity, unless we want to use separate apps for specific works..).. we want to support you, but we need to be kept engagend, and know where you are going!
for example: if you aren't goind to support ePub or external texts in Publish.. we aren't goind to use it for next books.
if you aren't supporting RTL before 3/5 years, we accept it and use something else from today.
if you plan automation in 2 years, we could use a temporary solution...
 
thank you!
 

now that v2 is here, with many new features, but many pros still needs some to really be comfortable with the Suite...
could we please have a minimal roadmap on what you are working on?
even something really generic like this Trello roadmap (for the Obsidian app).
we know, and you know, that we don't have many other options today.. or Adobe, or Affinity, unless we want to use separate apps for specific works..).. we want to support you, but we need to be kept engagend, and know where you are going!
for example: if you aren't goind to support ePub or external texts in Publish.. we aren't goind to use it for next books.
if you aren't supporting RTL before 3/5 years, we accept it and use something else from today.
if you plan automation in 2 years, we could use a temporary solution...
 
thank you!
 

now that v2 is here, with many new features, but many pros still needs some to really be comfortable with the Suite...
could we please have a minimal roadmap on what you are working on?
even something really generic like this Trello roadmap (for the Obsidian app).
we know, and you know, that we don't have many other options today.. or Adobe, or Affinity, unless we want to use separate apps for specific works..).. we want to support you, but we need to be kept engagend, and know where you are going!
for example: if you aren't goind to support ePub or external texts in Publish.. we aren't goind to use it for next books.
if you aren't supporting RTL before 3/5 years, we accept it and use something else from today.
if you plan automation in 2 years, we could use a temporary solution...
 
thank you!
 

now that v2 is here, with many new features, but many pros still needs some to really be comfortable with the Suite...
could we please have a minimal roadmap on what you are working on?
even something really generic like this Trello roadmap (for the Obsidian app).
we know, and you know, that we don't have many other options today.. or Adobe, or Affinity, unless we want to use separate apps for specific works..).. we want to support you, but we need to be kept engagend, and know where you are going!
for example: if you aren't goind to support ePub or external texts in Publish.. we aren't goind to use it for next books.
if you aren't supporting RTL before 3/5 years, we accept it and use something else from today.
if you plan automation in 2 years, we could use a temporary solution...
 
thank you!
 

hi to the complete WebP export in v2.0
 
 
 

hi to the complete WebP export in v2.0
 
 
 

This post is also available as a press release in: English Français Deutsch Italiano Español 中文 Português 日本語 Brand new products launched today, Affinity V2 Universal Licence ownership tier announced, and Affinity Publisher comes to iPad
 

Serif has today unveiled the long-awaited Version 2 of its award-winning Affinity creative suite. Available to buy now with generous launch discounts, Affinity V2 comprises reimagined versions of the three products which have taken the creative software world by storm, loaded with spectacular new features and a stunning new look.
               Affinity Photo 2 – ultra-powerful photo editing and raster painting Affinity Designer 2 – intuitive, imaginative vector graphic design and illustration Affinity Publisher 2 – nimble, no-nonsense page layout software boasting StudioLink, a unique way of using the editing tools from the two other Affinity products Designed and built to empower creatives and bring out the very best in their work, Affinity V2 integrates photo editing, graphic design, illustration and layout into a super-sleek workflow – delivering a holistic experience unlike that of any other creative suite.

Version 2 of all Affinity apps launches today
Ashley Hewson, Managing Director of Serif, says: 
“Setting new standards for creative software, Affinity V2 is by far the biggest, most exciting launch in the history of Serif. For the very first time we’re bringing the very latest, highest performing versions of all our products to the market at the same time, with some simply stunning features.
“At Serif, we know that we don’t work for ourselves – we work for the photo editors, the artists, the illustrators, the designers, all those people who rely on Affinity software as the engine to power their day.
“We have worked tirelessly to not only include many of the new features our customers have been asking for, but a whole host of usability and workflow improvements to make the apps more productive than ever. We think Affinity users both old and new are going to love it.”
Alongside the launch of Affinity V2 comes the eagerly awaited release of Affinity Publisher 2 for iPad, completing the core suite of apps available on macOS, Windows and iPadOS. Feature packed, intuitive and touch-friendly, it is the first time a truly professional, desktop-grade layout and page design app has made its way to the platform.

Affinity Publisher comes to iPad for the first time
“Our work to put full desktop-quality creative software onto iPad has led the world and set new industry standards for what users should expect from iPad apps. And now we’re the first to bring all the features you’d associate with desktop publishing to the iPad as well.
“There’s genuinely never been anything like this before. The power and portability of Affinity Publisher 2 for iPad allows you to take page design and layout out of the confines of the office and into whatever space brings you most inspiration.”
Affinity V2 Universal Licence has also been announced today giving customers an option to buy a package containing Affinity Photo 2, Affinity Designer 2 and Affinity Publisher 2 for use on Mac, PC and iPad – all for a single all-inclusive amount.

The Universal Licence will normally be available for £144.99 – a £155.92 saving on buying all the apps on all operating systems individually. However, Serif is currently offering a huge 40% launch discount making the whole V2 suite available for a remarkable £89.99 one-off cost with no subscription.
Ashley Hewson concludes: 
“The ability to buy for a one-off payment is something that makes Affinity the only viable option for many of the brilliant and inspiring creative people around the world, who would otherwise not have access to the highest-quality tools. There has been a lot of speculation about us moving to subscription recently, so I’m pleased to confirm that isn’t the case!
“For our existing customers we have also been very conscious that, considering many of our sales are generated via app stores, it’s not possible to provide upgrade pricing. That’s the main reason we have decided to offer such a large launch discount – to give users a chance to upgrade at an incredible price.”
Users who don’t require the full package will still be able to buy Affinity Photo 2, Affinity Designer 2 or Affinity Publisher 2 individually for Mac, PC or iPad with the same 40% launch discount. All apps, including the V2 Universal Licence, are also available as a 30-day free trial.

NEW FEATURES in Affinity Designer 2
These are some of the most important new features in Affinity Designer V2   Vector Warp This hugely powerful and highly requested addition allows you to apply a non-destructive warp over any vector artwork or text. Choose between a fully customisable mesh, or use presets including arcs, perspective, fisheye and twists. Editing a warp gives a super-fast live preview, even on complex illustrations, and gives a true vector end result.
   
  Shape Builder Tool Add and subtract shapes and segments in a much easier, more interactive way. Quickly create complex shapes by simply dragging between segments to combine or holding a modifier to subtract.
 
  Knife Tool Slice any shape, curve or text into component parts faster than ever. A stabiliser provides even greater precision and scissor functionality allows you to click on any node or segment of a curve and split it.
 
  Measure Tool and Area Tool Easily measure line lengths, segments, distances and areas of any objects to scale. The Measure Tool allows you to measure the distance between two points/objects, while the Area Tool allows you to determine the area, perimeter and any segment length of a closed shape.
 
  DWG/DXF Import Import and edit AutoCAD and DXF files quickly and accurately, maintaining the layer structure and scale of the original file.
With functions like Multi Layer Import, Colour Override and Auto-scale, import quality is second to none.
   
  X-Ray View A new view mode shows the makeup of your work, which is particularly useful for selecting a specific curve or object within a complex artwork.
 

NEW FEATURES in Affinity Photo 2
These are some of the most important new features in Affinity Photo V2   Non-destructive RAW Develop You can now develop RAW files non-destructively, which means you can go back to change your develop settings at anytime, even after adding additional layers or adjustments to your file. Choose to embed into a document file or link externally to reduce file size.
 
  Compound Masks Easily combine multiple mask layers together non-destructively using add, intersect, subtract and XOR operations. This means separate masks you have created can be maintained non-destructively while creating new masks based on those component parts.
 
  Live Mesh Warp Want an image or file to be distorted to match the surface of an underlying template? Now you can apply a non-destructive warp to make that happen, and go back to edit whenever you like. It is highly effective for mock-up work, where you might place document files and composite them onto surfaces such as book or magazine pages.
 
  Normals Adjustment Adjust lighting information baked into existing normal maps. Great as a standalone feature for texture artists, but also allows the editing of lighting layers generated from 3D render software.
 
  Live Masks Build lots of powerful, non-destructive workflows with new Live Masks which update automatically based on the properties of the underlying image.
Hue Range Create a mask based on a specific colour in your image, allowing you to apply adjustments, effects or just paint on the automatically generated mask for your chosen hue.
 
  Band-Pass Band-Pass creates a mask focused around edges within an image. This has wide uses for retouchers who work on different frequency layers, but also enables the creation of artistic effects.
 
  Luminosity Mask specific luminosity ranges, for example, specific ranges of highlights or shadows (or anything in between) to apply controlled adjustments to those areas.
 
  Saved Layer States A powerful feature that allows you to save different visibility states of your layer stack to quickly review different design options or versions of your work.
Either create a manual layer state to save your layer visibility as it currently is or smart layer states which let you specify whether you want to turn layers on or off based on one or more of the following filter criteria: layer colour tag, layer type, layer name and lock status.
 
  JPEG XL Import/Export Affinity Photo has been a leader in editing wide colour gamut and HDR images, with full support for full HDR displays. JPEG XL support now allows you to export to a format which is being more and more supported—particularly by web browsers—meaning what you see in Affinity Photo can now be consumed by others.
 

NEW FEATURES in Affinity Publisher 2
These are some of the most important new features in Affinity Publisher 2
 
Books Combine separate Publisher documents as chapters to create one long publication, automatically syncing page numbers, table of contents, indexes and styles throughout—an especially useful feature for collaboration, as contributors can work on their own sections individually before bringing it all together. Available in desktop version only.
 
  Footnotes, endnotes and sidenotes Easily add academic style notes or references to sections of text.
 
  Place Auto-flow Create a single layout that automatically repeats across your document until all desired images are accommodated. Plus, with the ability to choose a repeat count for images, you can set up advanced templates so that in the future you can instantly produce multiple variants in only a few clicks.
 
  Linked File Layer Visibility Override Turn any layers on or off from within placed files, including PSD, PDF, DWG, DXF and other Affinity documents without losing the integrity of the link. Even if the source file is changed, your layer visibility settings will be maintained.
 
  DWG/DXF Place Place DXF or DWG files into your Affinity Publisher publications.
Style Picker Tool Pick style of any object or text on your page and drop it onto any other objects or passages of text easily (desktop only).
Performance The handling of memory for large documents, particularly with lots of large placed files and images, has been reengineered, resulting in significant performance improvements.