Introduce Yourself

[MattP]

Hi, I'm Matt Priestley and I'm one of the Affinity developers. I'll try to help out on any topic, but particularly anything relating to tools, views and document drawing as they're the bits I'm mostly responsible for writing.

 

Feel free to join me and introduce yourself, too! :)

[Andrew Tang]

Hello all, I'm Andy Tang and I'm also a Affinity developers. I will also try to help out when I can and I look forward to seeing your feedback and work created using our product. :)

[TonyB]

Hi, I'm Tony Brightman. I head the SerifLabs team that have been developing the new Affinity range of applications. We have been deep in research for 4 years but it's now time to show the world.

 

TonyB

[Seanyboy]

Hi I'm Sean Riley,  I have been a long time user of most Serif Products more notably Drawplus and PhotoPlus and I have in the past been a tester for these products, but let my testing badge lapse due to family issues.  I have been using all Serif programs for the last 4-5 years on a MacBookPro via Parallels emulator and I was sent a message today pushing me forward to your beta test link for the new Mac Program that is Affinity. Gotta be a good development in the Serif make up.   I notice my old mate Matt is heading the testing - Great to see your name again bud.

 

I'm 53 in a couple of weeks and out of work at the moment awaiting a knee replacement perhaps later this year/start of next…fingers crossed then I can get back on a building site as an Electrician.  Hence the signing up to this little soiree.

 

 Good luck people!

[MattP]

Hi there, Sean!  :D I was just looking at Flickr a few minutes ago (for the first time in years!) and was just about to contact you! Great to see your name appear on the list and I'm sure Designer should work well on your MacBook Pro - I wrote a lot of it on my old 2008 MacBook Pro so there's been a lot of effort put in to make sure that it runs smoothly without needing the latest and greatest hardware.

[Seanyboy]

Thanks Matt - great to "see" you…I'd love it if you popped back onto Sugs every now and then on the flickr site - we are still going strong 

 

Just one thing - I don't know if your forum servers are at fault or what! but, I couldn't get my membership to validate (no E-mail at all in 1 hour) I have since joined again under a member name  Sean Riley - but that too cannot be verified due to no e-mail back.  I got round this with trial and error and logged into this account (Seanyboy) and changed the e-mail address to a G.Mail addy instead of a .tiscali one and luckily this g.mail account brought in an e-mail with a clickable link saying that I had changed my e-mail address and should now click the link to verify…Thus getting finally onto your system.

 

I wonder if others with only one e-mail address (maybe tiscali is a bad addy) are having the same trouble - Just thought I would bring this to your attention...

 

Also if you would be so good as to delete the Sean Riley pending account as it serves no purpose.

 

Much obliged.

 

Sean

[Dave Harris]

Hi all. I'm Dave Harris and I'm another of the Affinity developers. I have been mostly responsible for text, printing and some of the vector import and export formats.

[Sunset]

Hi, I'm Hilary Hartigan, AKA sunset. I always said that when I retired I would buy a new (electric) piano. Yesterday hubby asked me which would I prefer, a piano or a Mac. Let's just say that the Mac will arrive in the next few days :) And, after working my way through Windows 3.1 to Windows 8.1.  I am going to be a complete novice with the Mac.

 

I'm a total fan of things Serif but I really need something new as 'I'm all scrapped out' (a CraftArtist expression) and I don't want to get left behind on a Windows-Shelf. This looks different and exciting and fresh. By trade I'm a part time lecturer (computing out in the community), a self employed publisher and designer (but looking to change tack), a family history researcher and recorder (nearly finished) and a lover of logic and order. I have a head overflowing with ideas  :D and tons of ambitions  :D . I hope that I can make a useful contribution  :)

 

Hilary/Sunset

[Andy Somerfield]

Hi Hilary,

 

Nice to see you join up :) Good news about the new Mac! Which particular model did you go for (not that it matters - they will all work with Affinity - I'm just being nosey :) )?

 

Most of us here were novices 4 years ago when we started this project - it's nothing to worry about though, the differences are primarily cosmetic and I'm sure it won't take long to get up to speed with it.

 

This link is generally considered useful for "switchers" - https://www.apple.com/support/macbasics/pctomac/

 

Thanks,

 

Andy.

[Sunset]

Thanks for the welcome, Andy!

 

If you're sitting comfortably.....the MacBook Pro 15" with Retina Display. It had to be a laptop because my workhorse souped up desktop with decent sized monitor will still be my office computer, and I couldn't work with a smaller screen.

 

And it's going to have to pay for itself, that's my motivation. I have a niece who designs and sells to Liberty, etc etc, so I have something to work towards (and we'll be able to discuss Macs, now). Also, I'll never give up CraftArtist but I'm well into the stage where I want to be working with my own original designs (aspirations for the DT shop??).

 

Virginia Woolf famously said  'a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction' - this is what I've bought, a room of my own to create graphics. Can you tell that I'm excited  :D  :D  :D ?

 

Thanks for the link - bookmarked  :) 

 

Hilary/Sunset

[Seanyboy]

Hi Hils, nice to see you on here - My 2010 model is like yours,  I think that you will soon take to a Mac,  Just as an aside - I Run windows on my Mac using parallels software and I use a usb hard drive to run all the windows stuff -although this does tie down it's portability a tad.

Good to have you on the team  :)

[Sunset]

Thanks, Sean :) Mine will be collectable either today or Thursday but I won't be switching from my Win7 desktop and Win8 laptop, it's going to be a separate "life". Daughter moves into her own house in two weeks time so, at last, I can make sweeping changes and have a proper office and start my new life (and we'll be able to visit daughter just down the road :) ).

 

I'm really looking forward to Affinity even though I'm not particularly advanced with creating my own graphics (not like you - yet!).

[Naz]

Hello, I'm Naz, an avid fan of Serif titles. Never has much luck with drawing apps until I met DrawPlus, so very keen to get to know Affinity Designer.

[Ali]

I'm Ali. I don't have a Mac, but I'm curious about this new Serif development. It's interesting to see people here that I thought had 'moved on'!!! Anyway, good to be here, even if I lurk more than I post.

[Sunset]

All up and running, the Mac is a breeze to use and I like the new darker interface of the Affinity. Now on the learning curve :)

[Chris_K]

Hello, I'm Chris. I've used a few Serif products before and I've been a mac owner for a long time, so I'm excited I can finally get some serif action on my mac!  :)

[Lon in MacArkansas]

Hi all.  Lots of familiar names.  I can't even spell MAC, and I've never even touched one.  So, I'm on the lookout for an inexpensive MacBook hereabouts.  The Mac side of Serif intrigues me, and I'd like to get in on the ground floor of this.

 

 

Lon "first bite of the Apple" in MacArkansas

[Dale]

Hi, I'm Dale, copywriter, tech author, blogger, demonstrator and a few other things. I've joined the Mac lads (and ladies) so I can use and abuse Affinity titles and other Mac software and help make it shine on our website, in the press, and social media accts.

 

If you think the way Affinity apps are described is inaccurate or missing the point, hit me up and I'll make it better. If there's a tutorial you're desperate for, let me know and I'll raise it with the documentation team.

 

FYI the soppy little cat in my avatar is Rorschach.

[Lon in MacArkansas]

 

FYI the soppy little cat in my avatar is Rorschach.

 

 

Looks a little...er...testy!  :lol:

 

Hiya, Dale!

[Dale]

Looks a little...er...testy!  :lol:

 

Hiya, Dale!

 

He's definitely soppy, he loves morning hugs and nightimes asleep on my feet about as much as I do.

[GRScott]

Hi, I'm Gregg. I am new to DrawPlus. I've looked  at it for a few years but always decided against it because it was Windows based. I've have always had Parallels installed on my iMac but thought using software more native to the Mac (a lot more efficient to use). I am retired and  dabble in art. My favorite software has been Sketchbook Pro and ArtRage. As for Vector programs for the Mac, they are limited. I have and used iDraw and Artboard. Both have their pluses and minus. So, a couple of days ago I decided to dip my toes in the water and bought DrawPlus 5 to see if I really like working with it on Parallels. I knew from previous experience that it was a really good program that fit in with what I like to do. I made my first entry in the DrawPlus forum and was told about DrawPlus (Beta) on the Mac. I've beta tested for a couple of CADD program and thought this would be fun. I'm looking forward to this program because the Mac needs a really good vector drawing program like DrawPlus.

[Harnser]

Hello there!  I changed to Mac 3 years ago and I love it.  I never looked back leaving Windows with the exception of my much missed Serif software : Web Plus and Page Plus.  I have about 5 publishing/design apps on my mac but nothing is quite as good as Serif PP.  Sadly I really did not like any of the web design apps  and although I spent substantially more than I ever paid for WP (and updates) for a couple of versions of the app I did favour I am sad to say my beautiful site went moribund and eventually I took it down completely.  Both PP and WP just got the job done and with so little hassle.

 

 I did buy Crossover and even Parallels but it really seemed to defeat the object so I have never installed a copy of Windows on my shiny, clean iMac.  As a platform and a machine it has served me very well in all other areas and with the exception of our website I still managed to knock out most publications I wanted.  However I am really excited to see Serif here at last as was sort of hinted at on the forums when I used to visit regularly.  Fingers crossed for more and more involvement and please let there be a web app as well some day!!!!!

 

 

[Lon in MacArkansas]

Hi, I'm Gregg. I am new to DrawPlus. I've looked  at it for a few years but always decided against it because it was Windows based. I've have always had Parallels installed on my iMac but thought using software more native to the Mac (a lot more efficient to use). I am retired and  dabble in art. My favorite software has been Sketchbook Pro and ArtRage. As for Vector programs for the Mac, they are limited. I have and used iDraw and Artboard. Both have their pluses and minus. So, a couple of days ago I decided to dip my toes in the water and bought DrawPlus 5 to see if I really like working with it on Parallels. I knew from previous experience that it was a really good program that fit in with what I like to do. I made my first entry in the DrawPlus forum and was told about DrawPlus (Beta) on the Mac. I've beta tested for a couple of CADD program and thought this would be fun. I'm looking forward to this program because the Mac needs a really good vector drawing program like DrawPlus.

 

Good to have you here!

[Sunset]

Hi everyone  - it's been interesting to read y our stories and your experiences with windows and macs. I'm fortunate in that I had just bought a new win8 laptop before I decided to opt into this and I quite like the idea of keeping my two computer lives separate. Thanks for sharing :)

[peacockprinting]

Hi everyone, I'm Erica, located in Rochester, NY USA and have been using Serif for the last 4-5 years. Love that the programs do all the things I would want out of Photoshop, etc but without the huge learning curve! I have a small home based Stationery Design business and mainly use PagePlus for that purpose. I have been running it via Parallels on my MacBook Pro for the last year and it works well, but does slow down the machine a bit. Thrilled to hear that there will be a Mac version!!!

 

I would love to have the ability to import PDFs the way you currently can through PagePlus - will this be something to look for in the release of Designer or Publisher? Seems now that Publisher is likely to be best for what I will be doing with it, but not sure.

 

Anyway, nice to meet you all and I look forward to the new programs!

Erica