Friksel

[edit] moved this post to the suggestions forum

Actually: it doesn't matter in which of the three programs you open up an Affinity file: all three programs are in fundamentals basically the same: Photo: Can do both raster- and vectorwork and saves to an 'Affinity'-file. Designer: Can do both raster- and vectorwork and saves to an 'Affinity'-file. Publisher: Can do both raster- and vectorwork and saves to an 'Affinity'-file. BUT Photo: Acts like being a photo-editor ('like' Photoshop), so has all features enabled to do photo- and raster-editing as a focus and an interface that fits to that Designer: Acts like being a vector-editor ('like' Illustrator), so has all features enabled to do vector-graphics-work as a focus and an interface that fits to that Publisher: Acts like being a DTP editor ('like' Indesign), so has all features enabled to do DTP-work as a focus and an interface that fits to that But in fact they are all three the same program, just with different things switched on and off and having a different interface making it look and feel like a different program. That's the great thing about it; because their files are not only 100% exchangable, Publisher can therefore just as easily just open up the Photo-interface, or the Designer-interface in the same program. Affinity calls these 'interfaces' 'personas'. So it looks to us like Publisher switches to a different program (Photo or Designer), while in reality it just switches the way the interface looks and workflow works in the same program to a different state. Enabling a different set of tools for the job. Just do the test for yourself: open up Designer, create a file and save it to disc. Call the file myfile.afdesign. If you close designer now and open the file by clicking on it in your operating system, it opens automatically in Affinity Designer, because the extension is afdesign, and you see your design again in Designer, ready to edit. Now close Designer again and change the file-name of the same file to myfile.afphoto and now open that file by clicking on it in your Operating system... now the same file, that was made in Designer opens up in Photo and looks exactly the same, but now you see the Photo interface, so have the photo-tools to edit your file. The SAME file. No import or export was involved. You are working in the exact same file, just with a different interface and so different tools to use. Now close Photo and change the filename of the same file to myfile.afpub. Now on a click Publisher opens and again, you see the exact same file with everything in it, but now you're in the Publisher interface. Ready to edit the exact SAME file again. No import nor export involved, you're working in the same file, and basically even with a copy of the same tool, just with a different look and workflow; the Publisher look and workflow now. You can still edit your file, but now inside Publisher. And save it to whatever extension you like (*.afpub, *.afdesign, *.afphoto, they all work the same, because it's the exact same fileformat. The name only tells your OS in which Affinity program you'd like to open it). Hope this lets you understand and feel a little better there's actually just one mayor program and one fileformat. But three 'different tools' (in fact just one tool, but made in three tastes because they have a different interface/skin so looks different) to work with that same file. Now there is Publisher and this has three buttons on top: a Publisher persona, a Photo persona and a Designer persona. The thing these buttons do is just switch on and off panels and tools (and maybe some more things like settings now or in the future), which were already there in the first place, but just not for us to see. That's what makes this workflow so fast: working in publisher and using this 'StudioLink' means: you stay in the software, switch the interface (persona) and keep working in the same file. Don't even need to save, because you never leave the sofware nor import or export. Well, hope this makes it a little clearer. I might also help taking a look at the Affinity Keynote of yesterday: https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/live/ to see Publisher in action if you don't have it (yet). Good luck! Happy designing, photo editing, publishing

Because of missing my rights to 'like' and 'thanks' 'today' ... (to much positivity I guess ): I agree with you and this list. Also things like the chosen tools (and the order they are in and how many columns to toolspanel has) and file export-presets, per persona/interface would be nice to have shared between the 'real' program and its persona/interface inside Publisher. @Patrick Connor Nice to read you guys are already thinking about how to make it possible!

You are basically working in exact the same file. When you create a file in Publisher, in Publisher you can switch the interface inside Publisher between the Publisher interface, the Photo interface and the Designer interface. But you're still in the same application and still work in the same file. So there's no 'physical' switching applications, no export/import of files and no conversion involved. You don't even need to save your file to go from one persona/interface to the other. You stay in the same program: Publisher. If an image in your layout is a linked file in publisher, it's therefore also a linked file in Designer and also a linked file in Photo. Also when you open the publisher file (*.apub) in a different Affinity application. Because all three programs are build on the same codebase and work with the exact same fileformat. So actually we have three interfaces to work on the same layoutfile and with Publisher we only got to have one main-interface open to load all three interfaces (Publisher, Photo and Designer) in. So editing of images can be done on the spot with the same program and inside the same file. You just switch the interface to the one with the tools, menus and panels you need. So Photo for your raster-work, Designer for your vector-work and back to Publisher for the page layouts/DTP. That makes it a lot easier then for example Indesign where you need to link image files, just because Indesign doesn't have designtools build for creating images or do photo-editing. With Publisher you could still link files, but you don't need to anymore, because you could also do it in the same program by just switching the persona to Photo or Designer that do have these drawing/layouting tools we're already familiar with. Hope this helps

It's actually nice to see the comparisson. Where Serif today put the whole keynote in only one hour, where they show a lot of nice realtime great value new features quickly after each other because there are so many. While last times in the Adobe 'keynotes' on Photoshop or Illustrator there was not much to show and it was more like talking a loooooong time about some new keystroke that people asked for a thousand years and being able to do switch blendmode-previews at realtime, which Affinity had from day one. They have nothing fancy and talk a lot instead, while this keynote was really contentful and had a lot to offer for even only one product alone basically.

I believe Adobe will be shocked too if they see this. Just think about it, they need to fully redesign and -develop their apps from the ground up to accomplish this. It's actually unbelievable no other (graphics)software company thought of doing this before. They either chose to put everything in one package (which most of the time feels bloated and too big or just not right for the job) or keep everything seperated. This is really best of both worlds.

Yes indeed. It might help you see it in action if you didn't see the keynote today: https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/live/ cheers

If upgrading doesn't work: Try opening and closing Designer and Photo and than restart Publisher. It seems like that's nececary for Publisher to know they are there. I just had to open and close Photo because I had the same.

Wait 'till you see it. You will be impressed I think. For 150 euros for the three programs you have basically everything in one package. Best regards! [edit] Oh no, that's not right. Not everything in Designer is in the Designer persona inside Publisher. Like there's no export persona with watcher and all, which is pretty handy in Designer. Guess I have to take a closer look first and really work with it on a day to day basis to know the real worth. But still I'm pretty impressed. And we still have all three packages seperate anyway.

Yeah, 'Studiolink' is in fact the marketing term to have a name for this great feature.

You might like to watch the keynote of today to see it in action: https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/live/

Thanks, I was looking for an easy way to describe it. Well said. Great way to put it in one line.

Yes, it's called Publisher.

My guess is once you tried the combination with publisher and the links with Photo and Designer you will not look at Gravit anymore. Try it! It's great! Pages just like you like it: scrollable AND flippable and both pages and masterpages.

Wow, I have to say I'm pretty impressed by the new 'StudioLink'. When you wrote this I wouldn't expect it to be such a nice workflow and usable for this usecase, but now I'm very convinced and you were right. This is a great solution and it's already there! We can now both scroll AND flip pages in Designer when started from Publisher, which is pretty cleverly build and nice to be able to both! Makes it even better than I was looking for. Now we can both look at pages above each other as well as flip them on the same position! Love it! Really impressed! For me this speeds up my workflow enormously! No more wishes to add according to pages for me for sure! And we have all features of Photo, Designer AND Publisher at our disposal in one interface. Just briljant! Serif had a great vision!

You should watch the keynote to understand the StudioLink: it's actually pretty unique. You open the three software-programs in the same interface! So you don't need to switch programs or save your file first. Even the zoom level of your document stays the same while switching to the Photo or Designer persona, which is infact the same base interface, but with all settings, panels, menus and tools like in the Photo or Designer application. So you can use the three programs on the platform of your choice, but if you switch from platform to platform you don't use 'StudioLink'. It's not like working in Illustrator, copy a file to Photoshop or whatever, in Publisher you in fact work in the same file in all three applications without even need to save or export/import or whatever and don't even need to open up Photo nor Designer when in Publisher! Everything happens in just one place! Just buy it on Mac as well to have all three programs on the same machine. You won't regret it. This workflow is such a timesaver it will pay that 50 euros back in an hour.

Try opening and closing Designer and Photo and than restart Publisher. I believe these programs write something to disc on CLOSE for Publisher to know they are there. I had it too with Photo, but after closing Photo and restarting Publisher Publisher had the Photo persona too.

Yeah, but the difference here is: Serif created 47 free videos and a complete interactive help for Affinity Publisher alone. Also there are already a lot of youtube videos out there by '3rd parties'. All even available far before the launch of softwareversion 1. I think that's pretty great and I am surprised to see a dislike on the way Affinity explains the software, because they are doing a very great job I think. I'm also sure there will be a Publisher-book out soon. But in reality using software is not only reading a manual; it's also (intuitively) look for things, google stuff you need and practise practise practise.

Are you serious? Help-menu --> Affinity Publisher Help.

These are tools made with professionals in mind. They are no beginners and know what to search for and are used to a certain workflow other market leaders already have (and a lot of professionals learned at school or at work for example). Otherwise they would have used stuff like ms word or paint (no offense) and wouldn't start in a DTP tool like Publisher. The fact that the price of Affinity products is low is great, but it's still a product range with professionals in mind. That said; I'm not sure what you're missing in the official tutorial-videos. I think they are very well produced and contain a lot of great info to get you started.

Here you'll find a lot of official tutorial videos: https://affinity.serif.com/tutorials/publisher/desktop/ For example this one about the frame text tool: https://affinity.serif.com/tutorials/publisher/desktop/video/337299876 Thisone about Simple text: https://affinity.serif.com/tutorials/publisher/desktop/video/337299232 Linked text frames: https://affinity.serif.com/tutorials/publisher/desktop/video/337302558 and so on

Are you sure you're on the right forum? It seems like you're asking a question about MS Word here?!

For all the people I wished to thank and like comments from.... my likes are just done for today already on this forum. No more likes left. So with this: I like you all, love and peace. hahaha

My guess would be more like these were all people just downloaded the publisher beta to see it without having to wait. But impressive still for a product that didn't even launch yet. That says a lot about their market and the position of Adobe with Indesign I'd say. Yeah, that was nice. Also like the fact that they have 2 milion users now and still holding this keynote in their own building with a lot of people in the room working for Affinity They must be really proud btw. Next to this now Publisher is out I think and hope all three desktop-programs will be maintained together and get fixes and features together now, because all on the same base. So all three would benefit from the same changes. Like that idea! So looking forward to the upcoming releases too! It's refreshingly clever.

And actually this idea is actually a quite impressive business idea too. Because they could make more software on this same code-base for specialistic approaches using this same 'studiolink'. And everything uses the same core, so could be made faster, but we want to collect them all because otherwise we have these app-icons turned off in the top-left corner. And we want to have them all switched on to use So we will collect Affinity products by buying them all. That would be a great business model