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Two serious flaws


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1    If you have ever used iBooks Author (free by the way courtesy Apple) then you will know that Author is seriously faster to use for creating multi-page leaflets / books. Drop all the text in and it automatically generates and runs the text across 20 - 30 pages, or lots more in seconds. Unless I have missed something with Affinity Publisher you have to add text box after text box and link them together. This is so tedious and imprecise.

2   The software background colour is black. This may be smart but is a serious usability issue. Research web designers know that text is harder to read when it is reversed out - and so they avoid using it. Trying to read the Affinity screens in a bright room or in perhaps in a bright Mediterranean / Californian environment is difficult to virtually impossible. Senior professionals like myself will find that when you can't raise the type size of the reversed-out description text - even though I use a 21 inch screen - they will need a magnifying glass is  (my eyesight is not that bad either). For maximum efficiency usability must take precedence over making the software look pretty (and copying Adobe and others).

I know you plan other help videos - I suggest you have a simple speeded up leaflet creation with minimal voiceover - a 2-5 minute intro to the basics. An experienced user doesn't want to have plough through all the videos before they can get started.

I have been using DTP software such as Aldus Pagemaker,  InDesign and QuarkExpress for some 30 years - and reckon that Affinity is definitely on the the right track. And no doubt a modest price tag will make it worth buying. But when I can generate a very professional pdf leaflet for free, many times faster on iBook Author (despite some vices) - it's far from an attractive option. Time costs the professional money. 

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Problem 1:

  1. Place a text box in the size you want/need.
  2. Paste or import your text.
    1. Clicking onto the link symbol bottom right of the text frame: You are enabled to place a linked text frame
    2. Alt-Click: A new page with a linked text box will be created.
    3. Alt-Shit-Click: Linked text boxes and as many pages as needed will be created.

Problem 2: Dark user interface: See attached screenshot ².

 

 

1.jpg

2.jpg

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Ah the text flow problem is resolved, although a little obscure - when iBooks Author is set to do this by default. 

The preference change resolves the usability issue - I suggest you sell the software with the Light option as default position. This will be good to give new look and feel and set a new sensible trend in the marketplace.

Thanks

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Sensible is a tricky term.

A lot of people wanted dark mode for Affinity Photo and Designer. 

Even Apple has the dark mode enabled as default in their latest beta OS.

Preferences mean exactly that. You can change to what's most suitable for you. :)

2017 27” iMac 4.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 • Radeon Pr 580 8GB • 64GB • Ventura 13.6.4.

iPad Pro (10.5-inch) • 256GB • Version 16.4

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