Artboards in Affinity Photo 2

[Obscured]

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[R C-R]

8 minutes ago, Return said:

unless somebody says all materials are available to find the screws are in somebody elses toolbox.

Nobody from Serif ever said all their 'screws' are in the same toolbox; in fact, they have made it clear time after time that they sell three different but compatible 'toolboxes.'

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, Marekius said:

That's why artboards in AP would allow us to work efficiently, compare dozens of creations, create variants/versions and decide what works better. Without hundreds of switches between AP/AD.

Considering that AP is most often used for photo editing, & that photos are typically relatively high resolution so they have lots of pixels, how many artboards would you typically want to have in one AP document & what size(s) would you want them to be? It seems to me this could very quickly result in some mammoth file sizes but maybe I do not understand how you intend for this to work.

[albertkinng]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

It seems to me this could very quickly result in some mammoth file sizes

To be honest, some clients follow a consistent ordering process for flyers and social media posts. I would be content if I could have 10 flyers combined into a single document for printing using Photo. I've even edited billboard advertising artwork of unbelievable sizes. Photo is an excellent app that can handle any project, even if it's just for two artboards. It would be wonderful to have.

[loukash]

11 hours ago, Return said:

why such small restrictions because it is historically not just?

Because focus.

[Marekius]

15 hours ago, R C-R said:

Considering that AP is most often used for photo editing, & that photos are typically relatively high resolution so they have lots of pixels, how many artboards would you typically want to have in one AP document & what size(s) would you want them to be? It seems to me this could very quickly result in some mammoth file sizes but maybe I do not understand how you intend for this to work.

Photoshop also has photo in it's name, yet it is the most common tool for graphic designers, not only photographers. Heck, I was even doing complex animations in it. IF Affinity Photo would be intended for photo only, they would never include any compatibility with Photoshop's smart objects. Smart objects are mostly used in graphic design, e.g. mockups. 

If your work consists mostly of digital materials, most of them won't exceed FHD res. Typical workflow is to edit a RAW (adjust + maybe cut bg), save it and then export into smaller res. Inexperienced designer can easily bloat such files, but this argument is so weak as it can be also done in a single AP file or AD with artboards.

AP is placing itself as an Photoshop alternative and users expect it to be one - a general graphic design tool. 

[walt.farrell]

5 minutes ago, Marekius said:

AP is placing itself as an Photoshop alternative and users expect it to be one - a general graphic design tool. 

I have never heard Serif position its applications as alternatives to Adobe applications. Users may view them that way, of course, but that's not the marketing I've seen.

6 minutes ago, Marekius said:

Photoshop also has photo in it's name, yet it is the most common tool for graphic designers, not only photographers.

Photoshop is also designed to be a huge application with everything in one place. The Affinity applications, from the start, were designed to be more focused to specific usages, and specifically not to be one huge application with everything.

[albertkinng]

19 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

Photo does not really need them

So, according to your explanation, it seems that Photo is not actually a replacement for Photoshop, but rather an alternative to Lightroom. Initially, I had believed that Photo was a substitute for Photoshop. Ever since Photoshop 5, I have been using it to create promotional and advertisement designs that are filled with creativity and innovative design elements. Yes, it does allow me to make adjustments to images, but I primarily used it for design purposes after discovering its capabilities. It's good to have this clarification now, as it helps me set appropriate expectations for what Photo can offer.

[albertkinng]

34 minutes ago, Marekius said:

Photoshop also has photo in it's name, yet it is the most common tool for graphic designers, not only photographers. Heck, I was even doing complex animations in it. IF Affinity Photo would be intended for photo only, they would never include any compatibility with Photoshop's smart objects. Smart objects are mostly used in graphic design, e.g. mockups.

I am as shocked as you, my friend.

[R C-R]

44 minutes ago, Marekius said:

AP is placing itself as an Photoshop alternative and users expect it to be one - a general graphic design tool. 

Not true. As @walt.farrell said, Serif has never 'placed' AP as a Photoshop alternative or replacement, nor as a general graphic design tool. From day one, it was designed to be one of a suite of three apps with an 'affinity' for each other (thus the name) via a common native file format. 

As for what the most commonly used tool for designers might be, I think a lot of designers would argue that Adobe Illustrator, not Photoshop, is more commonly used for that.

[loukash]

1 hour ago, Marekius said:

it is the most common tool for graphic designers

Yeah, right. Among others, every now and then I am making money by rebuilding "layouts" made in Photoshop by hobbyist "graphic designers" into proper printable layouts (i.e. PDF) that prepress can actually use… 

1 hour ago, Marekius said:

IF Affinity Photo would be intended for photo only, they would never include any compatibility with Photoshop's smart objects.

Oh, you seem to have some insider knowledge about Serif's intentions that's been hidden from us for so many years! Tell us more, master!  

[walt.farrell]

2 hours ago, albertkinng said:

it seems that Photo is not actually a replacement for Photoshop, but rather an alternative to Lightroom.

No, it is primarily a photo editor, and RAW Developer for single files, with some art capabilities. It is closer to PS in that regard (in my opinion) than to Lightroom, as Lightroom is more of a DAM application.

[albertkinng]

2 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

No, it is primarily a photo editor, and RAW Developer for single files, with some art capabilities.

I must admit, I am rather perplexed by your description. It appears that Photo is in a somewhat precarious position, as it does not quite fit into the realm of Digital Asset Management nor does it align perfectly with Design. It seems to exist in a state of incompleteness, but nevertheless proves to be a remarkable asset when utilized in conjunction with other Affinity Apps. It seems as though you are suggesting that while Photo may have its merits, it may not be the ideal choice for designers with more serious intentions. In essence, Photo finds itself floating in a gray area, serving as a versatile tool for various needs. I hope I have grasped your sentiments accurately now.

[loukash]

2 minutes ago, albertkinng said:

while Photo may have its merits, it may not be the ideal choice for designers with more serious intentions

If you're a design enthusiast or hobbyist who can afford only one Affinity app, you should start with Designer. That's Serif's "jack of all trades", and I don't even mean that pejoratively. And – nomen est omen – that's definitely "by design".

[albertkinng]

1 minute ago, loukash said:

you should start with Designer

Since 1992, I have been making a living through graphic design. Initially, I relied on Adobe Photoshop and Aldus Freehand for my design work. When Adobe CS was introduced, I continued using it until CS6. However, in 2014, the arrival of Adobe CC disrupted my business significantly. That's when I made a bold decision to switch to Affinity Designer, Acorn, and iStudio Publisher, despite the challenges I faced initially. Surprisingly, Affinity Designer proved to be a versatile tool that allowed me to accomplish nearly everything I could previously do with Adobe CS6. Now, with the Affinity Suite, I feel just as content as I did back in the days of using Adobe CS6. My clients are delighted, and I can easily keep up with their demands thanks to these extraordinary tools. Most of my projects no longer require Adobe software. Life is truly good. It is worth mentioning that I used to consider and use Affinity Photo as an alternative to Photoshop for designing purposes. However, through a valuable clarification from @walt.farrell I learned that Affinity Photo is more suitable as a complementary tool rather than a comprehensive raster design solution like Photoshop. That's all. Since day one, I have been using Affinity Photo as a Photoshop alternative, and I will likely continue to do so. It's simply that I now have a better understanding of its intended purpose.

 

[R C-R]

11 minutes ago, albertkinng said:

I must admit, I am rather perplexed by your description. It appears that Photo is in a somewhat precarious position, as it does not quite fit into the realm of Digital Asset Management nor does it align perfectly with Design.

What is so perplexing about this? It was never designed nor intended to be a complete, stand-alone solution for every kind of graphic design work, serious or otherwise.

Its real strength is how it can be combined with the other two Affinity apps to facilitate a wide range of design work, but even so Serif does not nor have they ever claimed the suite to be a complete solution for everything.

What app does that? I don't think Adobe does for PS so why would you expect AP to be any different?

[albertkinng]

On 10/23/2023 at 5:30 PM, R C-R said:

I don't think Adobe does for PS so why would you expect AP to be any different?

Besides DAM, Photoshop has been widely used for design since the 1990s. During my time as Art Director for a renowned magazine, I was able to accomplish everything using Photoshop and Aldus Pagemaker. I had high hopes that Affinity Photo would provide a similar experience to what I was accustomed to with Photoshop 5. That was the expectation!

[loukash]

5 hours ago, albertkinng said:

I had high hopes that Affinity Photo would provide a similar experience to what I was accustomed to with Photoshop 5.

*face palm*

I'm happy to report that APh can even go slightly beyond that.  

(And yeah, PageMaker 4.2, XPress 3.11, FreeHand 3.1 & Photoshop 2.5. Been there, too. Not wishing to go back.)

[albertkinng]

4 hours ago, loukash said:

*face palm*

Obviously, you are aware that APh can be used for design purposes. My previous comment was directed towards those who view APh merely as a Digital Asset Management (DAM) application or, even worse, as a supplementary tool that requires a complete suite to accomplish anything.

[loukash]

4 minutes ago, albertkinng said:

My previous comment was directed towards those who view APh merely as a Digital Asset Management (DAM) application or, even worse, as a supplementary tool that requires a complete suite to accomplish anything.

Point taken.  It's neither, of course.

[albertkinng]

I utilize Automator to create smart folders, a practice I've embraced since I began working with Affinity. I set up a multi-board in Designer, upload my images, and save them in a folder labeled 'Photo-Converter.' This process automatically converts the files to Afphoto format and directs them to my 'Photo Projects' folder within Documents. I follow the same steps for exporting in Adobe Illustrator format and more. The beauty of it all is that I can accomplish these tasks simply by saving the file. It's become second nature for me to execute this as a default action. With Apple Automator, I no longer worry about file naming, saving files in the wrong location, or backing them up. All I need to do is save the file. By the end of the day, I have the original file, the converted version, a backup, and the client projects neatly compressed and sent to their servers, along with an email notifying them that their projects are ready. All of this is made possible by the often-overlooked app, Automator.