Offer a Affinity PDF Reader as standalone?

[paristo]

 

The Affinity Designer and Affinity Publisher are coming nicely together for producing PDF files for publication, but I see now in the patch notes like in 1.9 release, that lots of features has been added to support more advanced PDF features for the import and export.

That gave an idea, how about if Affinity would offer a free (yes, a FREE) PDF reader? 

There is always the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (Acrobat Pro DC) that is marketing their other Adobe products. And now the Acrobat can as well sign, edit and of course view the PDF files. And this is something that Windows is still really lacking, a great lightweight simple PDF reader. So I have the wish that Affinity could offer their core PDF reader features as free reader, with very minimal user interface, support just some very minimal things like example filling the forms and signing the document digitally. But otherwise be a "stepping stone" for people to get aware about Affinity Publisher and Affinity Designer etc as suite.

I really see a market potential to have small, lightweight installer for "Affinity Reader" that would support better then the Affinity applications when needed to quickly find the proper PDF files etc. As the Affinity Publisher is already the "Create and Edit PDF's" but it is terrible PDF reader. And if the "Affinity Reader" could be even a standalone exe, that you can just copy with your files to be able present them elsewhere without other applications, it could be great feature. It could even actually be a "Affinity Viewer" that can read and show all the Affinity suite supported files, but no editing possibilities. 

But I would really like to see a PDF reader that is fast, lightweight and very simple. Something that not even a "Foxit Reader" can not offer anymore as those has become pretty complex.

 

[wonderings]

market potential for a free application? As you have said Acrobat Reader is free, and there are other options on top of that. I also do not think Affinity is big enough at the moment to need a reader to see Affinity files without editing them, not sure why you would even want that or what the purpose would be. 

[Catshill]

I am struggling to see the business case for this. If I want a non affinity user to see and comment on my work I recommend Foxit reader.

[Dazmondo77]

On 2/27/2021 at 12:42 PM, paristo said:

But I would really like to see a PDF reader that is fast, lightweight and very simple. Something that not even a "Foxit Reader" can not offer anymore as those has become pretty complex.

I disagree - there have got to be hundreds of these lightweight PDF apps knocking around that do all the same sort of thing

For those of us who work with Affinity apps that need to output PDFs destined for commercial print, we currently only have two choices  Acrobat Pro (I use Acrobat 9 that came with CS5) or PDF toolbox which is around £500, as these are the only apps that have the right tools that let you run essential checks using print production tools, before you send your job off to your print service provider. I also need to print reasonably accurate CMYK proofs to postscript printers - Acrobat again (although Acrobat reader also supports CMYK print) - but this is a massive hole for those of us that rely on these tools for our jobs - so wouldn't it make more sense for Serif to develop a PDF app that covers these essentials, which would be a massive compliment to the suite plus allow us to move away from Adobe, and also entice more pro's over to Affinity?

 

[paristo]

On 3/2/2021 at 11:07 AM, Dazmondo77 said:

I disagree - there have got to be hundreds of these lightweight PDF apps knocking around that do all the same sort of thing

Almost all of them don't have the basic features only and even when trying to offer more doesn't do it so well. As you have explained the options are very few.

On 3/2/2021 at 11:07 AM, Dazmondo77 said:

so wouldn't it make more sense for Serif to develop a PDF app that covers these essentials, which would be a massive compliment to the suite plus allow us to move away from Adobe, and also entice more pro's over to Affinity?

Idea is that Serif already needs to develop lot of things for the PDF support in all their products, especially the Publisher. I don't see need for any major PDF specific application as addition to Photo, Designer and Publisher to allow people work with the PDF files. Instead put all that effort to core elements in those three applications. So if someone needs to work a lot with printshops, then buy these primary three versions as required. 

 

But the simple PDF reader that can nicely show the files without requirement to load Affinity applications (and hence to own them) and this way get more marketing for their primary products when people would get use to simple lightweight PDF application to open files. This is as well reason why Adobe maintains their free reader as they want to get people custom to their products, then get them to monthly fee business etc. 

Majority of the work is already done by Serif for their other applications, question is more really about selecting good set of basic features and make a dedicated reader so one application less from others to have installed to read PDF files and to create them with other Affinity applications. 

[RNKLN]

Probably, the requirement is going to be 'lightweight, but offering exactly the features in Acrobat I love to use'. 

On Mac, Preview is a lightweight tool, but not good enough, I expect.

[garrettm30]

For me, Preview is good enough for something that is free. If I need something more, then it will be something worth paying for. I don't see why Serif would ever bother with the trouble of making a free reader.

[Petar Petrenko]

On 2/27/2021 at 1:42 PM, paristo said:

There is always the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (Acrobat Pro DC)

Acrobat Pro is not free.

[Old Bruce]

2 hours ago, Petar Petrenko said:

Acrobat Pro is not free.

I think the free one is "ADOBE ACROBAT READER DC" 

[Petar Petrenko]

11 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

I think the free one is "ADOBE ACROBAT READER DC" 

Just compare my quote and Paristo's post.

[paristo]

On 4/8/2021 at 9:01 AM, RNKLN said:

Probably, the requirement is going to be 'lightweight, but offering exactly the features in Acrobat I love to use'. 

No.... As "Acrobat I love to use" is for many not true. 

What most people need (they are not content creators etc) is very few things.

1) Open the PDF and have a proper layout/fonts and all that. This is where Serif production comes to play. You get proper viewing experience. Index system is a bonus.

2) If the PDF has forms, then you should be able to fill them. This is requirement on today digital world where you need to get even simple form filled and printed. People don't even anymore know how to use a pen as they are so custom to use keyboard. 

Those two are the main two basic things that needs to be there. 

What other "special features" does some people need?

3) Insert or Remove a pages from PDF file and resave it. 

4) Annotate/highlight the document text, pictures etc.

5) Sign the PDF file with digital signature (this is legal requirement, and not so critical really...)

 

On 4/8/2021 at 9:01 AM, RNKLN said:

On Mac, Preview is a lightweight tool, but not good enough, I expect.

Preview does the most common required things. That is why it exist there as Apple understands that this way they provide user the basics. You can fill the forms and save the document for later use. The preview even supports signature with touchpad or even digital one. You can write your signature on the piece of paper and Preview will use the webcam to capture it and you can add it properly to PDF signature field with automatic white background removal.

 

And this brings the main benefit of this, the publicity. The marketing effort. 

Affinity is pretty unknown among majority of the people. They become familiar with the Adobe with the Adobe Reader that they need to get. 

Microsoft strikes back with excellent PDF support in the Edge, so they can get more users from Chrome. 

 

Having a simple standalone and installable PDF reader from Serif would be beneficial to get people more aware of the Affinity Photo, Designer and Publisher (and up coming DAM).  Affinity already needs to produce all the PDF features, they have the code and all. 

[GarryP]

I really can’t see the point of something like this.

There are already so many things that let a user read a PDF – applications, web sites and web browsers – that yet another one is hardly going to make much difference to most people.
I certainly can’t see a good business case for Serif going to all of the trouble and expense of creating one and then giving it away for free.

Unless you have some good data that backs up what you are saying about any kind of return on investment then it’s just guesses and – I’m guessing – Serif don’t want to base their future success on mere speculation.

This sounds, to me, more a case of: “I want someone to make the PDF reader that I want rather than me having to learn how to use (and pay for) software that already exists but contains some functionality I don’t want.” It might not have been meant like that but that's how it sounds.

[wonderings]

1 minute ago, GarryP said:

I really can’t see the point of something like this.

There are already so many things that let a user read a PDF – applications, web sites and web browsers – that yet another one is hardly going to make much difference to most people.
I certainly can’t see a good business case for Serif going to all of the trouble and expense of creating one and then giving it away for free.

Unless you have some good data that backs up what you are saying about any kind of return on investment then it’s just guesses and – I’m guessing – Serif don’t want to base their future success on mere speculation.

This sounds, to me, more a case of: “I want someone to make the PDF reader that I want rather than me having to learn how to use (and pay for) software that already exists but contains some functionality I don’t want.” It might not have been meant like that but that's how it sounds.

My thoughts exactly. There are plenty of offerings both free and paid that can do a whole host of things.