Importing/working with PSD files in Affinity (new user)

[Teja]

Apologies if this question has been asked prior. I did check through the FAQs and Patrick Connor's lengthy list of links in the 'A Guide to Learning Affinity Software post.' Not wanting a tutorial here, just the most-specific link(s) will be fine - I'll do my homework.

I'm on a 10-year-old iMac 27" desktop running Sierra. I just bought Affinity this week. I opened and listened to a few of the well-done Basics tutorials. 
I have been using Photoshop CS5 Extended (also 10 years old) to make fairly basic flyers for classes I offer. Most are made up of nothing more than a nice full-page background image with a few thumbnail photo layers and various-size/font text layers arranged on top. The only other functions I use are the text effects (Drop Shadow, Outer Glow, Gradient Tool) to make the text more readable over the background image, the quick-selection, brush and crop tools, and occasional hue-saturation-exposure edits on the imported photos. That's it. 

As quickly as possible, I'd like to be able to import any of those PSD flyers into Affinity, and perform these same basic functions in Affinity - just select each element like I can in Photoshop's Layers sidebar, and start moving them, deleting them or applying basic adjustments. Since it's unlikely I will be using any of the more advanced layer-properties functions anytime soon, I was hoping to find a simple 'corollary' tutorial that essentially says, if you are used to performing these basic functions in Photoshop, here's where you'll find the same basic layer adjustments in Affinity, once you've imported your PSD file. 

This assumes, of course, that the imported file maintains the same isolated layers as it did when still in Photoshop.

So, with the hope of not reading through hours of links/tutorials that don't apply to my basic flyer composition, I'm hoping someone can point out just the specific links to learn this simple comparison between the two, thanks.

 

 

[prophet]

No disrespect, but I'm a big fan of learn by doing. Have you tried opening up one of your PSD files and see what happens? I've got good results opening a few CS6 files and bringing them up to speed in Photo without too much trouble.

[Teja]

Doing that now. I also love learning by doing.:-) But I feel like I'm fumbling around quite a bit more than I would with a few simple pointers/diagrams, and if such a doc/tut already exists, why re-invent the wheel?

[Old Bruce]

@Teja

Seeing as you stated you have text in the PSDs then you will have to go to Preferences and check the two PSD items in the General pane. Otherwise the Text will be rasterized in the Affinity Photo application. Note that you cannot export Text as Text from Affinity Photo to PSD, it will be rasterized on export.

[David in Яuislip]

27 minutes ago, Teja said:

why re-invent the wheel?

Because it'll be your wheel. When I started with APhoto I tried to replicate what I'd done in Photoshop. Some things worked, some were different, some didn't. So I started a log, modestly called "AllAboutAffinityPhoto.docx" and it gets updated as I learn more or as APhoto is updated and things change. I started with Photoshop version 4, I bought the Photoshop Bible by Deke McClelland which cost more than APhoto and I still refer to it.

We're all different, I prefer a book to the modern idiom of video tutorials. Basically I agree with @prophet

[R C-R]

3 hours ago, Teja said:

I just bought Affinity this week.

Which one(s)? There are 3 Affinity apps.

[Teja]

Sorry. Affinity Photo.