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Advantages over Photoshop ?


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I think a great advantage is an ability to instantly get editions from embedded "smart objects"  without necessity to save . In Photoshop it takes forever to update several linked smart objects when they are 16 bit .  

 

I like how Affinity allows to do non distractive masks from embedded images. While it's possible in Photoshop too with clipping groups  still the layer system turns into a total mess.

 

Another cool feature is that masked layer transform gizmo confines  actual visible part and not all the hidden part as in Photoshop.

 

True multi dab brushes are cool too.  Never was a fan of double only Photoshop ones.

 

 Nevertheless I still find myself working in Photoshop most of a time and not that much in Affinity  due to very few Photoshop features I don't see in Affinity Photo.   Like layer compositions, in-between layer links and scaling from a randomly placed  center of transforms  for example. 

 

Would be nice to hear what people think about other Affinity advantages  that  I may miss or maybe some workarounds .  

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Just started with AP, and am thoroughly impressed. PS user since v3 to CS5.5 extended.

Advantages:

- Full Bezier tools right in the image application. 

- Arrow customization with immediate WYSIWYG feedback upon moving sliders [PS is utterly clumsy with entering percentage values with keyboard, then enter, see how it look, refine, repeat repeat repeat ...]

Arrow width: should be able to enter either pixel or mm/inches, not just %.

- Golden ratio spiral overlay in crop tool. GE-NI-OUS!  Custom aspect ratio for crop tool.

- Brush management and adjustment: double click on brush, and all adjustments are there [no detour to brush-edit menu]. I wish there was an option to add a bit more description to the brush names, more than just diameter (e.g., diameter and hardness maybe also plus spacing).

- Help menu is excellent!

- Changing units right in Photo Persona - move tool, no detour through preferences-units.

- Light fall-off correction is very nicely implemented.

- Opens Canon 5DsR CR2 files no problem. Out of luck with any CS-versions of PS.

- Text insert both as linear string, but also as text-box like in page-layout programs (QuarkXPress).

 

I know I am just scratching the surface, just 1 day into it, but AP made my holiday! Cudos!

AffinityPhoto | Designer | Publisher V1&2, InDesign, QuarkXPress, Zeiss ZenBlue, ZereneStacker, Heliconfocus, Aurora HDR, DxO Optics Pro, DataGraph, Wacom tablet

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Agree. Thanks.  

 

One more thing I appreciate in Affinity is that it allows to work seeing only single RGB channel . It's always bother me in Photoshop when it instantly turns back to all RGB channels  while in fact I often need to work with  3 totally different  grayscale images parked each in its own  channel. 

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I am going to buy one more year of Photoshop.  Too bad Affinity Photo lacks a very few features I need from there. 

 

1.  Layer compositions.    Would be nice actually to have compositions aware of embedded files compositions. 

 

2. Transform Links in between layers within different groups . So If I move a group/parent ,  a certain layer  within that group or within its mask stack   always stays in original place. 

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Well.  Photoshop currently is $4 a month in our local prices.    So it's not a problem at all.   I am rather looking for  new innovative tools than "no rental" clone.        

 

Affinity Photo does have a few , I actually bought my first mac because of that,  but at the same time lacks a few important Photoshop ones.

 

The snapshot idea doesn't replace "compositions"    actually  since once you edit something  the snapshots instantly turn outdated.

 

Also I can't live without  Photoshop "scale from specified center"  feature.  Works with digit inputs only there. 

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Large file speed is way superior. Manual stitching of four 430 MB files with rotation (PS beachballs galore) is a piece of cake.

Re $4 a month, that is student pricing, which will go away the second you have no more student status. And even then, because PS mandates a full year subscription (not month-to-month) it is at least $48. AP is $40/50 depending on special offer.

 

AP's 5 no-validation-code installs is great. With today's work being done in multiple locations, 1 home, 1 work, 1 mobile install would require multiple licenses.

AffinityPhoto | Designer | Publisher V1&2, InDesign, QuarkXPress, Zeiss ZenBlue, ZereneStacker, Heliconfocus, Aurora HDR, DxO Optics Pro, DataGraph, Wacom tablet

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...And you mustn't use the student license for commercial purposes*, but you can use AP/ AD on two macs commercially per app, per account.

 

* just checked that again and seems to be possible now, I´d have really believed it was´t possible some time ago...one restriction remains which is that you can only install a student or teacher version on a privately owned mac/ pc

 

 

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No, it's not a student licence . It's Photoshop+Lightroom plan for "Photographers"   with the price converted from our  local currency Adobe sells its products in    back to $US with a current rate.

 

I agree with   large files , especially 16/32bit  ones I work with all the time.   It's a torture in Photoshop.  Even saving 16 bit files takes forever.     Even considering my Mac is a slow snail  I hate a lot  comparing it with my windows PC  desktop monster.    

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i'm not much of a photo editor but i work in 3D and generally use Photoshop for painting. industry standard and all. my little 2012 mini sidekick with Photo so far destroys my 3D workstation running Adobe for paint work/fluidity in large canvases. not to mention instant filters et al.

....now i find myself looking at mac pro's. ;)

 

the other advantage that is very obvious is simply that it's not rental.

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The snapshot idea doesn't replace "compositions"    actually  since once you edit something  the snapshots instantly turn outdated.

 

 

I don't like compositions too much... But it is a design strategy matter... As said before I use them in PS the same way I do in AP.

I do prefer the artboard approach for iterations, but It's up to personal habits.

 

Well.  Photoshop currently is $4 a month in our local prices.    So it's not a problem at all.   I am rather looking for  new innovative tools than "no rental" clone.        

 

I don't know where you are from but in Europe things are far from this price.

For single APP plan the price is 19.90 Euros per month VAT included.

I need PS and AI and there is no way to have both but paying 47.90 Euros per month (+VAT)

Yes... You have Premiere, After Effects, Flash (!), Speedgrade, Lightroom... But I don't need them.

 

It's about 700 Euros/Year.

A waste of money I could invest in other more important things...

The white dog, making tools for artists, illustrators and doodlers

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I love mesh deform  in Affinity Photo. Such a hidden treasure.  Prefer it a lot  over Photoshop . Always thought their puppet wrap and adaptive wide angle are useless toys not allowing necessary precision.   I had to use 3d max or Blender to mesh deform an image before.        To bad in Affinity it doesn't work on embedded files or groups  nondestructively.

 

 Does Design  have similar tool for bitmap filled objects?  I wasted my trial period 

 

 

ps. $4   is a current price in Russia

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  • 2 weeks later...

Brushes having multiple colored dabs.    Like when you need to paint random rusted spots on a metall you could paint actual photographed things, not crazy double brush dab  one flat color variations.

 

       Never understood why every image soft have it but Photoshop.   Even Gimp have it.    Asked the feature from Adobe through decades.  Gave up already.     Looks like it's something against their religion.  

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No, I mean other thing .  What I mean is called "animated brush" in Gimp,  "Image hose" in Painter.   "Picture tube" in Photopaint  etc.    In fact the only kind of brushes  you need 90% of time.

 

Not just tint variation of same black and white brush dab   but rather many different/random  dabs  having each its own color picture/info. 

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Brushes having multiple colored dabs.    Like when you need to paint random rusted spots on a metall you could paint actual photographed things, not crazy double brush dab  one flat color variations.

 

       Never understood why every image soft have it but Photoshop.   Even Gimp have it.    Asked the feature from Adobe through decades.  Gave up already.     Looks like it's something against their religion.  

 

Yes, agreed! I too have mentioned this in the Adobe Forums many times before. Gimp, Krita, Painter, Photoline, Howler, and many others have an image hose option. Except the so-called "industry leader". It is mind-boggling.

 

Heck, I used to paint with an image hose in Deluxe Paint on the Amiga back in the days .

 

Unfortunately, Affinity Photo seems to take its cue a little bit too much from PS in this regard. For digital painting, also check out other applications. You will discover that Photoshop is okay for digital painting, but actually not that great.

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Unfortunately, Affinity Photo seems to take its cue a little bit too much from PS in this regard. For digital painting, also check out other applications. You will discover that Photoshop is okay for digital painting, but actually not that great.

 

 

Well I do not totally agree.

AP has its own direction, and the only "similarity" to PS is the tool-splitting (Paint Brush, Mixer Brush, Pencil Brush, Smudge Brush, etc...) even though the categorisation and management of presets is far better.

Affinity engine itself is totally different from PS's one, and I'm sure we are only scratching the surface of its capabilities.

Multiple Nozzles, Average blending mode and custom ramps for jitters worth the price.

 

I think Photoshop is great for digital painting and illustration, not so good for specific disciplines (Ink and pencil).

The only issue is speed... It cannot be considered a super fast tool compared to other applications today.

The white dog, making tools for artists, illustrators and doodlers

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