Affinity's place in the professional environment

[wordsberry]

Since we can't export AI or EPS 8, 10 files. Do you guys think AD is a viable software for professional work? Does anyone here exclusively use Affinity Designer for client work or do you guys also keep a copy of AI handy?

[MikeW]

I do not think you are asking about AD being fit for purpose per se, but more asking if AD is appropriate for collaboration where AI compatibility is concerned. If that is correct, my answer would be a reserved yes.

 

My reservation applies to every vector design application that I use as well. That is, one cannot use any of these applications (and I have & use several) and expect to port 100% to an AI or EPS format and expect the client to open the output file in AI without issues. Among the applications I use, CorelDraw has probably the best EPS/AI export capabilities. But even there, the files can have export results ranging from perfect to Oops.

 

Which is why when I am requested to return design/art as an AI file, I typically work on a design as far as I believe it can go in my preferred drawing application and take it into AI to finish off. Often enough I can go from start to finish in one of those applications and not have problems. With those types of graphic files AI serves as a glorified file converter, using it only to save a version appropriate to return to the client. But with other designs, I must stop production at some point in the design process and finish it in AI.

 

The reverse would hold true as well if AI was my primary vector design too. Just not very often. But I do get requests to return a file in X, Y or Z application format. I would then, if AI was my primary design tool, need to stop the design at some point and finish it off in X/Y/Z application.

 

So yes, I have a CS6 perpetual license and wouldn't blindly depend on any other application to save its files perfectly in AI format.

[wordsberry]

I do not think you are asking about AD being fit for purpose per se, but more asking if AD is appropriate for collaboration where AI compatibility is concerned. If that is correct, my answer would be a reserved yes.

 

My reservation applies to every vector design application that I use as well. That is, one cannot use any of these applications (and I have & use several) and expect to port 100% to an AI or EPS format and expect the client to open the output file in AI without issues. Among the applications I use, CorelDraw has probably the best EPS/AI export capabilities. But even there, the files can have export results ranging from perfect to Oops.

 

Which is why when I am requested to return design/art as an AI file, I typically work on a design as far as I believe it can go in my preferred drawing application and take it into AI to finish off. Often enough I can go from start to finish in one of those applications and not have problems. With those types of graphic files AI serves as a glorified file converter, using it only to save a version appropriate to return to the client. But with other designs, I must stop production at some point in the design process and finish it in AI.

 

The reverse would hold true as well if AI was my primary vector design too. Just not very often. But I do get requests to return a file in X, Y or Z application format. I would then, if AI was my primary design tool, need to stop the design at some point and finish it off in X/Y/Z application.

 

So yes, I have a CS6 perpetual license and wouldn't blindly depend on any other application to save its files perfectly in AI format.

 

 

May I ask how you use AI as a converter? Do you export SVG or PDF from Affinity Designer and then open the file up on  AI and then export it once again in AI or EPS 8, 10 format? 

 

 I've mainly used Affinity Designer to create prints for physical products and my main export feature was PNG. I have lots of vector illustrations I want to package and sell on etsy, creative market and other stock media companies, but not having AI format will probably be a disadvantage, additionally microstock companies require EPS 10 files for submission.  I've also started getting requests for client work and would be interested in that, but again my concern is not being able to export to the appropriate files for other professionals to use.

[MikeW]

As regards commercial endeavors, I have used AD only for work wherein I did not have to return files to anyone regardless of the format. I did a bunch of ads before Christmas in AD and XDP.

 

OK. I mainly use XDP (Xara Designer Pro) for my day to day graphic creation. It's faster for me to use than any other vector design application. Let's say a client wanted some charting done for a publication (which I am likely also laying out) and they wanted the graphics returned in Illy format. Depending upon whether the client wanted the still in vogue flat look, I could make them completely in XDP, export as an AI file and open it in AI, then save an AI version (hence AI being used as a glorified file converter). this process would work equally well from AD, too.

 

But let's say this client takes a look at the created flat design and now wants them embellished a bit. Let us further say the client only wants a bit of noise shading as the embellishment. OK, I could do that in XDP or AD, but AI is going to barf on those bitmap effects. They will be fixed-resolution clipped bitmaps when I open that in AI.

 

So what to do? This is when I would still design as far as I can (the original flat designed charts), save them as an AI file (or PDF or EPS from AD), and open them in AI and add that shading effect in it, save out the AI file for use in the layout and for returning to the client.

 

Without owning a perpetual license of AI, I would be hamstrung in my line of work.

 

I rarely need need to rent Adobe CC applications (and when I do it is only ID). But if I was doing stock illustrations and I didn't have CS6, I would simply create a bunch of designs in AD and when I had a fair number, I would rent AI for a single month and use it to convert to its EPS format (and AI/PDF) in order to submit them.

 

That gibberish above make sense?

 

Mike

[wordsberry]

I've got a general understanding - as long as my AD conversions from AI is readable and usable I think it should be good for business! Thanks :)