Introduce Yourself

[Roland Rick]

Hi I'm Roland. Made April 14th 1964. After an apprentice as draftsman, I studied Mechanical Engineering and graduated M.Sc., followed by a post graduation as Industrial Engineer. Getting in touch with one of the first PCs in the company I made my apprentice (1980-84), I became computer addict at once. Along with my official graduation I became an autodidact nerd and was developing software for a leading industry brand in Liechtenstein for 10 years in Pascal, C and Fortran. Yes, of course I added meanwhile Swift 2 :D (if you have old Pascal, C or Fortran code to be translated into Swift 2, do not hesitate to contact me). There, I was also responsible as "one man show" for the Novell network (in the early 90's no problem: you could focus 95% on your origin profession for compliance "and so" only 5% were necessary, today it's flipped: 95% are blown up to handle boring compliance and only 5% left to do what you're originally hired for) and became interested in system administration. So, - also autodidact - I became a Unix nerd and moved into a major Bank as sysadmin for Solaris, AIX and several Linux distributions, being responsible as specially for the trading systems, hold mail and letter of credit applications. In 2005 Multiple Sclerosis was diagnosed, but don't panic, this is no problem, if I feel an episode is ahead, I get on the mountain bike - doing a good mix of condition, power and balance workouts - and after one hour or two, all problems are fixed, the damages in the CNS are bypassed and I can get back to office without need to swallow the poison (available drugs only suppress the symptoms but do not heal) pharmaceutical giants and doctors want you to. Brain can help itself. Unfortunately no major company in Liechtenstein accepts to make your turns on the bike if it's needed, so, I decided to quit and start up my own business with www.pipobike.com. Because I also want to work if I have no guests, I was looking for diversification, making so much fun to me, I could work 24 hrs on it. No problem: Since being a child, I was all of my life addicted to art, photography an film making. With Affinity Designer and Photo I got now the tools of my dreams and I already very deep dived into this both products. So, I am now also freelancing and recommend myself for photo retouching and transferring your sketches into Designer. Orders welcome  :). Also translations Technical English <==> Technical German: based on my former jobs, I have 35 years of experience, it makes no sense to waste this knowledge.

Glad to meet all!

Cheers, Roland  :rolleyes: :)

[donoharm]

Hey guys, I'm a resident physician who hopes to use affinity designer and photo to make resources for my patients.  Just wanted to say that the videos and community I see online is a big part of why I think I'll go with affinity vs. other options.  Anyone know if they give a discount if I get designer and photo?

[KarenPL]

A very new member here after the announcement yesterday of the Windows version of Affinity. I've been using Serif software since 2007, starting with WebPlus10, and then moving on to all their other apps, except MoviePlus. :)

 

I really enjoy messing about with DrawPlus and PhotoPlus, so I'm looking forward to see what Serif have in store for us, and have signed up for news of the beta when it starts.

[RobinKiwi]

I'm Robin, 81 years old, and have been using Serif products for many years. I started computing on the Commodore 64, then the Amiga for which I wrote some programs and was devastated when due to the higher command at Commodore not understanding what they had, and not marketing the Amiga properly, the firm collapsed (though it had been very successful here in New Zealand). However... I then transferred to Windows as not having a crystal ball I didn't know how successful Apple would be. It seemed the safer platform.

I'm writing websites, producing books with PagePlus, editing videos and using Draw Plus all on Serif. I'm interested to see how Affinity will work out: the only problem for me is that the stuff I have produced on the Plus series will almost certainly not work on Affinity!! It will help keep Alzheimers at bay, I think, learning something new. I'm also quite expert in Powerpoint, I think, and usually transfer my efforts to Movie Plus.

I live in a very small village in the north of NZ where I'm active in local affairs.

I look forward to doing some beta testing! 

[Guest Arun Sarkar]

 Hello, I am Arun Sarkar from INDIA and I was one of the forum member of www.drawplus.com since 2008.

:D

[cjp]

I'm Christian from Sweden born early 1980:s!

 

Currently I'm switching from LR+PS to Affinity Photo. An enthusiast photographer. Working from my couch with my TV as a screen to a MacBook Pro. Using the Magic Trackpad and it works like magic in Affinity. It's always hard to switch workflow but so far the switch isn't as hard as I thought! Affinity Photo was easy getting use to. I love the search-function.

 

Nice to "meet" you all!

[Forzda]

Hi all. I discovered Affinity Photo when searching for a replacement to PSE which would no longer work on my new Mac. After a quick trial run, I purchased the program and am very happy with it. Looking forward to the updates and improvements, but it works nicely as is. I'm happy it will be available for Windows users; we will all benefit.

Thanks Serif.

[Ken Cope]

Hi, my name is Ken.

 

I've been a Serif user for many years now. Started with PagePlus 5 (not X5) but found DrawPlus (7 and 8) a bit 'clunky'. The when MattP headed the team for X2 DP suddenly clicked with me and I've not looked back since. I started a website for Serif users http://www.major-confusion.co.uk/ where everything was created in the Serif Plus range but with other pressures on my time haven't really had the time to keep things up to date or add new stuff.

 

Really looking forward to the Affinity range and what I can create with it.

[bripriuk]

I've been using PagePlus since the very start - I got a 'free' copy of V1 on a floppy disc attached to the front of 'Personal Computer World' magazine around 1991, and I have used most versions since then, along with DrawPlus and Movieplus. My favourite was V3 which I think had a tiger on the CD - I used it to self-publish a book in 1995.

I use Photoshop but I haven't upgraded since CS4 in 2008, so I'm looking forward to Affinity Photo and using the  latest functions.

 

Brian Price

[Alfred]

My favourite was V3 which I think had a tiger on the CD

 

 

PP3.0 was the first version of PagePlus that I used. I also had (and probably still have, somewhere!) DrawPlus 2.0. I've been using most of Serif's range of software products for Windows ever since then.

 

Although I've been a member of the Affinity forum for about a year, I only started to post here a few days ago after the forthcoming availability of Affinity for Windows was announced. The temptation to buy a MacBook Pro is not quite as strong as it was before the announcement, but it's still there!

[El Tel]

Hi all

My name is Terry and I have just joined the forum complete novice as far as Affinity is concerned so looking forward to all info and help that I will most definitely need so onwards and upwards and please excuse me if I become a pest to you all

 

Thanks

Terry

[MEB]

Hello El Tel,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

Here's a few resources to help you get started:

You can find a complete set of video tutorials for Affinity Designer here and for Affinity Photo here.

Affinity Review is an eZine dedicated to everything about Affinity and includes some written and video tutorials covering specific subjects in depth. We are also planning a handbook for later. You can also check this page for some addittional links/resources that may be helpful (Shortcut cheat sheets, FAQ, roadmaps, third party resource files etc).

 

If you have any question about the software just post here in the Forums. There's always users and staff willing to help.

[anita]

Another novice here, I have oscillated all my life between technical design and fixer for just about everything. I am also a photo addict ..

As an industrial engineer and Land Rover workshop owner I have to do a lot of my own design.

Since 1991 I have used Freehand and still boot 10.6.8 from an external disk if I need to draw something, although I am afraid I can't do that any more once this Mac gives up the ghost.

 

I miss a lot of stuff in Affinity, like the info panel, the simplify tool etc but I love the paths and lots more. Who knows, maybe in the end I'll get the best of both worlds.

[trafficarte]

Hi all, Ugo from Italy. Soundtrack film music composer for living (when paid...) and documentary filmmaker as beginner. I've purchased Affinity Photo to get rid of the Adobe suite and its rental policy. I'm still learning the software, but love its layout and elegance. 

[NADecal]

Hello Everyone, I'm a production designer and am looking into transitioning my department to Affinity over Adobe. I see that Affinity publisher is coming, that is exciting. 

 

I'm interested in adobe compatibility and pre-press/production output controls such as pantone/overprints/trapping etc. 

 

Designer and Photo seem to have everything we need, but I'll be doing some more research before we pull the trigger. 

 

 

 

 

[bookmarkmns01]

Hi All

 

I'm Mark, I run a small computer services company in Gloucestershire offering a range of services including web design, remote support and computer repairs for small businesses and home users.

 

I'm looking forward to working with Affinity Designer to design web elements. I've used the Serif Plus range for a number of years. My hope is that the Affinity Suite will allow me to end my Creative Cloud subscription.

 

I'm very positive about the introduction of the range to Windows.

 

Mark 

 

 

 

 

[tspringer]

Hi, I'm new to photo editing and a little overwhelmed. The forum helped me figure out why my in painting option wouldn't turn on after hours of frustration with me trying to figure it out . Thank you!

[epirot]

Hello, my name is Chris Nicol. I have been a Photographer and Graphic Designer since the 1970's. I graduated in Graphics in 1973 from Ravensbourne College of Art and Design in Bromley, Kent. My career was in Photography and Graphics/Illustration (mostly before the advent of Computer technology) in London, New Zealand and Yorkshire. I am now retired and live with my wife in a peaceful cottage in rural Kent. I have been using Serifs' software since the 1990's, when I was unfortunately using a Windows computer! Since then I have graduated to Macs. I bought my first one in 2008, a MacBook Pro 17", in New Zealand where I was spending a 6 month vocation with my wife, photographing the beautiful scenery of both the North and South Islands. At the time I was using Photoshop and the first incarnation of Aperture. Since then I have continued to use Aperture right up  to the present day, but I am only too aware that it is no longer being developed by Apple. I started using Affinity Photo last year, when I also bought my iMac 27" (to edit my catalogue of 50,000 photographs) and have now given up on Adobe and Photoshop, as I do not like their philosophy either as a company or their new software. I have travelled for several years, since my second visit to NZ, to Greece for 6 months, Costa Rica for 6 months and the USA for 6 months also. All the time I was photographing these wonderful places, I was looking for a piece of software apart from Photoshop that could compliment Aperture. I have now found it in Affinity Photo! My only hope is that Serif will soon produce DAM software to compliment Affinity Photo, before Aperture is finally redundant!

[indergopal]

Hi, I am Inder Gopal a self employed photographer from New Delhi, India.

[Guest Arun Sarkar]

Hi, I am Inder Gopal a self employed photographer from New Delhi, India.

 

Nice to see someone from my country...  :)

[katroach]

Greetings, All!

I'm Kat Roach, a freelance web/interactive designer from Rain City, aka Seattle, Washington, USA. I was treated like a second-class user on the PC side for so many years by that OTHER creative software company, that even though I've switched to Mac, that company no longer deserves my loyalty. I vowed that as soon as there was a miracle, professional-grade replacement on the raster and vector side, I'd be "gone, Baby, gone!" That miracle is finally here. Thanks, Affinity Design! I look forward to a long and fun-filled adventure using your rockin' software.

[Marzio]

Hello, I'm Marzio from Rome, Italy. I work with computers, as a Unix/Linux system administrator.

After years of working with Linux, I recently took a Macbook.

 

After seeing an Affinity Photo review, I said "I want it".

 

I love to travel and, in my holidays, I go to Africa to play with cheetahs and leopards. I have so many photos with animals and AP is the right tool to make them better.

 

Now I'm studying tutorials to learn how to use this fantastic tool. Thanks for making it.

[Marco63]

Hi, I'm Marco from Trieste, Italy. I love photographing landscapes with my Nikon D800. I am very interested in Affinity Photo as the sw that I use primarily, Nikon Capture NX2, was abandoned by the developer, and I would also like to add to my kit a ML 4/3. Unfortunately I follow with difficulty the forum for my little knowledge of English.

[IanSG]

Hi, I'm 65 and semi retired, having been in IT for most of my working life.  Now that I've got more time on my hands I've regained my interest in photography.  I used PhotoPlus for a while but moved to Lightroom because of it's superior RAW support - I'll be interested to see how Affinity Photo shapes up!  

[El Grapho]

Hello!

 

I am Jordi, and I am a photographer currently living in the american Midwest. I don't quite remember how I ended up discovering Affinity, although I believe it was through someone's blog. In any case, since I am running a Windows system, all I can do for now is watch the videos and read the tutorials until the beta is released. The knowledge base is pretty impressive!

 

I am currently using Photoshop CS6 and have been waiting for an alternative ever since Adobe went to a subscription system. I photograph architectural subjects, so besides the image editing capabilities of Affinity I am also very interested in finding out how it fares when correcting perspective and lens distortions, or adding TVs and picture frames into empty walls (ah, the glamorous world of real estate photography). From what I have seen so far, it would be a significant step up from good ole CS6, so I am pretty eager to jump on the beta train as soon as it's possible.