Canva

[bayustudio]

In my country, students can get Canva Pro for free, and now they'll probably also get free Affinity. There's no better way to attract future users and lock them into the ecosystem. Good thing that Affinity will be more mainstream.

However, i'm pessimistic that Affinity will improve interoperability with other industry-leading apps, eg: better PSD export or supporting Figma.
Hopefully, they will keep plugins and a scripting API in their roadmap to make the app extensible for everyone, rather than aiming to lock them into Canva walled garden ecosystem.

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, PaoloT said:

Yes, I'm sure one can see Ash wear pastel blue moccasins in the pubs of Nottingham!

He is on a theatrically lit stage, not in a pub! But that said, note how the color of his jacket & shoes are coordinated & how his outfit is sort of the negative or inverse of the female presenter's garb.

This was probably done intentionally, possibly with the input of a fashion coordinator working with other members of the production staff.

[William Overington]

Or he could have presented wearing a black Affinity top with the Affinity logo so as to give an impression of Affinity being a separate star in the Canva universe, or he could have presented wearing a business suit, a white shirt and a tie so as to give an impression of Affinity being more for top, serious, business people. So neither of those. Yet the white on black for Affinity was conserved in the stage set.

I noticed later in a wide view how the white on black Affinity branding part looked distinctly different from the rest of the stage set.

So perhaps an indication of an intention to keep Affinity distinctly different from other Canva offerings.

William

 

[William Overington]

25 minutes ago, R C-R said:

... & how his outfit is sort of the negative or inverse of the female presenter's garb.

Would the word counterchanged be a good description?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tincture_(heraldry)#/media/File:DE-ST_15-0-83-230_Behnsdorf_COA.png

William

 

[lacerto]

19 hours ago, SallijaneG said:

I occasionally skipped a version, but made sure to get the last one that would keep my upgrade discount intact

19 hours ago, SallijaneG said:

Sometimes I’m glad I’m old.

The Spartan joys 🙂. I just got an SSD of one of my CS6 based installations toasted and learned that Adobe now no longer resets activation counts of CS6 Master based installations when they are damaged (whatever the cause) -- they still did this in 2023, but no more. Their excuses are feeble but what can one say.

We (as a family company) still have 3 operable activations remaining (based on two separate licenses), and would probably be able to get the fourth activation "rescued" by restoring a full backup image on a now repaired computer, and could probably continue to do this, "ad infinitum", at least in our limited perspective, but after about 11 years of struggle, I now finally decided to give up and subscribed to the entire suite. 

In a way, the process was inevitable, as was the outcome. I guess we all just need to make some calculations...

[SallijaneG]

18 minutes ago, lacerto said:

The Spartan joys 🙂. I just got an SSD of one of my CS6 based installations toasted and learned that Adobe now no longer resets activation counts of CS6 Master based installations when they are damaged (whatever the cause) -- they still did this in 2023, but no more. Their excuses are feeble but what can one say.

We (as a family company) still have 3 operable activations remaining (based on two separate licenses), and would probably be able to get the fourth activation "rescued" by restoring a full backup image on a now repaired computer, and could probably continue to do this, "ad infinitum", at least in our limited perspective, but after about 11 years of struggle, I now finally decided to give up and subscribed to the entire suite. 

In a way, the process was inevitable, but so was the outcome. I guess we all just need to make some calculations...

I still have CS4 InDesign, stand-alone, on a MacMini.  I last used it probably 4 or 5 years ago—maybe once since I found Affinity—but now can use it to create imdl files of old documents that I want to convert to Affinity (not a perfect conversation, but way better than starting from scratch).  Of course, I can also use it to create finished products, but have mentally converted to Affinity, so am unlikely to do so.

I have my license number somewhere, as well as the actual disk, but I doubt that I could install it on another device, even if I lost the MacMini—it took some doing to get it into my previous laptop; an Apple “genius” was able to make it work, but not easily.  That laptop did not survive a repair attempt, though the contents do live on my backup drive, so maybe. . . . ?

[SallijaneG]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

He is on a theatrically lit stage, not in a pub! But that said, note how the color of his jacket & shoes are coordinated & how his outfit is sort of the negative or inverse of the female presenter's garb.

This was probably done intentionally, possibly with the input of a fashion coordinator working with other members of the production staff.

Yes, for a program like this, clothing choices are definitely planned—which should not be a surprise, every bridal party is coördinated for the formal occasion.

[SallijaneG]

3 hours ago, albertkinng said:

That's not true. My agency has been successfully operating for over 30 years, with more than 20 companies under our umbrella. When Adobe introduced its subscription model, it significantly increased our annual expenses. We faced a choice: reduce salaries or switch tools. In 2014, we began transitioning, using Adobe alongside alternatives to ensure our survival without Adobe. Today, I'm proud to say our agency runs on the Affinity suite and Pixelmator Duo for graphics, and Sketch and Penpot for UI design and prototyping. This shift has allowed us to raise salaries and regularly upgrade our equipment. So, when I hear someone say, "the subscription pays for itself," it’s either a freelancer with a few clients or someone who doesn’t understand business. The only ones who justify the monthly payments are the ones who offer them. I can share privately the yearly expenses difference if you still have doubts. Don’t believe everything you read on the web. 

Hear, hear!  (or, I guess, Read, read!)  Bravo for making a choice beneficial to your employees!  (I suspect the “pays for itself” folks are large-scale corporate employees who are unaware of the finances [i.e., in-house designers at a multinational corporation such as Coca-cola or P&G] or well-established freelancers who work for such clients—and yes, those selling subscriptions.)

[SallijaneG]

3 hours ago, loukash said:

Yeah, while watching this part, my first thought was: "Zooming in 5000000%? Impressive but meh. Now try to export your 600000 layers to PDF. Or print them." 

Same here. Skipped CS1, CS2, CS4, CS5.0 & CS6 (except for Acrobat X). And beyond, of course.

I started with Aldus PageMaker, I think v2, hit a few of those along the way, ensured I had the ability to move to Adobe InDesign, and did a few of those.  CS4 was the last stand-alone InDesign, IIRC.  I did try Photoshop Light (that was not its name, I don’t think, but there was a stripped-down version) and GIMP, but am really a layout/text-based person, so never could justify buying Illustrator or Photoshop.  At Affinity rates, I could afford all 3 programs, and have expanded my graphics ability (though still have a lot to learn to be more than a novice in those areas—as different projects have new needs, I am learning by doing.)

[SallijaneG]

On 5/22/2024 at 8:31 PM, R C-R said:

As long as there is market for non-subscription purchasing models, there will be companies who will find ways to serve it.

That is just the nature of business.

Not always.  Sometimes, the market becomes too small for corporations to care about, and is abandoned.  Famous example, of course, is buggy whips.  Historical re-enactors can probably find them at outrageously high prices, but for all intents and purposes, they are gone.  If the new generation has all learned to accept subscriptions, then there will be a time (hopefully when I no longer care) that perpetual licenses will be gone, or nearly so.

[SallijaneG]

On 5/22/2024 at 12:38 PM, KarinC said:

I guess I should have said is that I fixed the logo. The website I Ieft alone. I hand-code websites. I don't even know how to use website builders and don't want to.

I read it as having fixed the logo.

[SallijaneG]

On 5/20/2024 at 7:27 PM, albertkinng said:

I believe that even if humans could let AI take over every aspect of creation for consumerism, they won’t. We need to stay at the forefront of innovation to keep thriving and evolving. I don't see AI evolving wildly and uncontrollably like that. But if that happens, there will be no control over humanity. Think about it: if movies are made without actors, they edit themselves, they reach theaters on their own, and you watch them at home without doing anything; if books write themselves, sell themselves, on topics generated by themselves; and music made by AI is sold on its own, etc., what will become of us? What will we do? If there are machines that build and transport everything on their own, what will happen to humanity? If AI takes absolute control and becomes omnipresent, and everything is done through AI, what will we do? How will we live if money is no longer necessary? What will drive us? I don't think that will happen, man. Humans will always work towards their own benefit and won't self-destruct for the sake of convenience.

Right now, AI can create books, pictures, movies, and music—fundamental aspects of human culture. Machines can build structures and houses using AI, and cars can drive themselves. Legal, office, and finance experts can be replaced by AI today. I personally know friends who have been laid off because AI can handle data entry for their companies. Letting AI take over creation is suicidal. As graphic designers and developers, we are among the few with stable professions in this era of change. Supporting AI entirely is a step against our profession. The only ones advocating for AI in art are the untalented individuals who want to create with the push of a button.

I have a friend who believes that AI is the next stage in evolution and when we humans are no longer needed by the computers, they will get kill us off (if we don’t first make the world uninhabitable through uncontrolled climate change), or keep a few bred for menial physical work.  I hope that he is wrong, or at least that it takes centuries, but have a sneaking suspicion that my grandniece and grandnephew may have some really serious challenges. . . .

[albertkinng]

6 hours ago, SallijaneG said:

but the wider the gaps, the less good for society overall, in my opinion.

I stand by you, my friend. It's incredible how life allows us to work wonders with the skills we master. In 1995, while everyone else was using Adobe Illustrator, I was passionately using Aldus Freehand. I never dared to reveal my preference, since Adobe was the industry standard. In my youth, I allowed others to dictate my choice of tools. Not anymore.

[albertkinng]

7 hours ago, wonderings said:

there is real benefit when working in an industry and using software that everyone else uses

I have been using Affinity and Pixelmator for years, and not a single print shop or agency has ever asked me to send an Adobe file. The beauty of Affinity and Pixelmator lies in the fact that their PSD (Pixelmator) and AI (Affinity) formats are fully editable, and no one can discern which app was used to create them. Although InDesign is still being used, we are promoting Publisher to our associates, and they love it. However, when they insist on using InDesign, I inquire if they are willing to pay the monthly fees - it's up to them. I even recommend my Adobe user friends to my clients when they specifically want InDesign, but my loyal customers are the reason I'm still here. 

[Chills]

1 hour ago, William Overington said:

 or he could have presented wearing a business suit, a white shirt and a tie so as to give an impression of Affinity being more for top, serious, business people

Hello William, the 1950's called and they want you back. 🙂 A white shirt and tie hasn't been required for business for years. Suits neither come to that. Certainly not in the creative areas. Banking maybe but not in high tech. As others mentioned Steve Jobs didn't wear suits.  I rarely wore a tie and I only wear a white shirt in evening dress, funerals and some Regimental do's.

[Aldus]

22 hours ago, debraspicher said:

 

I definitely cannot watch this cringe-worthy Barbie World clip twice. It's a sugar-coated depiction of a much less glamorous reality with phrases like "ever conceived" that can't withstand a fact-check.

Note that the example with performance and zoom is not randomly chosen. That's precisely where Affinity (Designer) stands out, and it's the product I feared would become obsolete when Canva bought Serif. Outside that aspect of Affinity, the weaknesses and algorithm issues quickly come to the fore.

Let's see if Affinity becomes "Barbified" as in this scene in reality – the colors and performance are unbearably tacky – or if Canva takes a professional approach on all levels and delivers professional Affinity products for adults in the future.

That keynote level is for people who get their news on TikTok. It talks down to me as a customer on almost every parameter. I'm not five years old in my head.

[R C-R]

2 hours ago, SallijaneG said:

Sometimes, the market becomes too small for corporations to care about, and is abandoned. 

I very much doubt the market for 'by once' purchasing models will do anything but get larger as more companies like Adobe increase subscription prices, as they have & probably will continue to do for the foreseeable future.

[Frozen Death Knight]

23 hours ago, debraspicher said:

I saw it clipped on X. That's why I embedded. Here is YT link:

Edit: Shifted Timestamp a bit sooner

It's probably worth watching the "Creative" portion of the Keynote because it may have some of the other IPs/companies they bought. I didn't get to see it. I saw some of the beginning, but it's a lot to sit through just to get basic information...

Going to take some time getting used to this kind of presentation. Canva is like the textbook definition of a hipster brand apparently. As a full on nerd this is pretty jarring.

Out of all things I would expect from Affinity this year, a rap dance number wasn't on my bingo card. XD

Wasn't that much new info in there it seems beyond some of what was already mentioned during the buyout announcemnt. I hope that Affinity itself won't become way too hipster oriented during future presentations with more focus on the actual features for professionals.

[Frozen Death Knight]

4 hours ago, R C-R said:

He is on a theatrically lit stage, not in a pub! But that said, note how the color of his jacket & shoes are coordinated & how his outfit is sort of the negative or inverse of the female presenter's garb.

This was probably done intentionally, possibly with the input of a fashion coordinator working with other members of the production staff.

Yes. Also, the entire thing was very scripted with each of them filling out each other's sentences and going back and forward in a pretty predictable way. I wonder how much rehearsal was needed for all of it.

[SallijaneG]

On 5/26/2024 at 11:33 AM, Chills said:

Interesting that the 2.5.1 fixes the version from the MS Store.  I have Affinity on Windows, but I got it direct from Affinity. My Affinity says that V2.5.0 is the latest version.
However, my 2.5.0 doesn't (so far) crash on start up.   This shows that whilst a lot of the software is common to all platforms, there are multiple versions delivered.  Keeping control of this requires discipline.    BTW re control of variants:  one lot of SW I worked with that controlled product versions was used by Audi who said that one year in the 2010's no two Audi A4's were identical. They ALL had variations.

I always prefer to download new software from the creator, not an “app store”.  Silos!  Each to its own lane. (metaphor mixing, but. . . .)

[Leigh]

I've hidden quite a few posts from this thread that were created in the past few days. They were flagged by other members as off topic and I agree.

Please keep this thread on topic and stick to the forum guidelines.

[William Overington]

6 hours ago, Leigh said:

I've hidden quite a few posts from this thread that were created in the past few days. They were flagged by other members as off topic and I agree.

Please keep this thread on topic and stick to the forum guidelines.

Rather than hide them, could you possibly split them off into a new thread please? Like when Patrick split off some posts into the AI Discussion thread.

I appreciate that the suggestion about the beer and the dancing and the video with the dancing could be seized upon, but they did brighten lives, but there was also a discussion about the way that discussions work in this forum and what people are wanting from the forum and so on and recently lots of restrictions keep getting added and they have had a bad effect on discussions, the one on AI discussion that Patrick split off from this thread ground to a halt due to a ban on posting AI-generated images in a thread on AI discussion and I cannot post an AI generated picture in another thread and thus limiting discussion. I regard a wide-ranging discussion, even if it drifts off-topic, as beneficial, like when one has a large lens to collect more light rather than just a tiny lens. Though it is your forum and you are a moderator, so you make the rules. So I am just politely asking please, not demanding or whatever.

William

 

[Patrick Connor]

15 hours ago, William Overington said:

Rather than hide them, could you possibly split them off into a new thread please?

No, they mainly broke forum rules about ways to interact with other users. Splitting them off would just mean they break the rules in another thread. This was not only off topic stuff where splitting is suitable, This was just inappropriate content. 

[Alfred]

11 minutes ago, Patrick Connor said:

No, they mainly broke forum rules about ways to interact with other users. Splitting them off would just mean they break the rules in another thread. This was not off topic stuff where splitting is suitable This was just inappropriate content. 

I can see why William asked about splitting them off rather than hiding them. The first paragraph of Leigh’s post says:

12 hours ago, Leigh said:

They were flagged by other members as off topic and I agree.

Nothing there about inappropriate content, although there was a hint about that in the final sentence:

12 hours ago, Leigh said:

Please keep this thread on topic and stick to the forum guidelines.

 

[William Overington]

I thanked Patrick because he replied and particularly because he stated his reasons for his decision.

William