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Affinity Photo Software

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  • 10-02-2021 1:17pm
    #1
    ablelocks
    Registered Users Posts: 4,682 ✭✭✭


    there's a post in the BA forum about Affinity photo software :
    SouthWesterly wrote: »
    affinity are doing half price on their software.
    photos is €27.99 or just under €21 if using a US VPN and Revolut. pay in USD



    https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/photo/

    would this be a good alternative to Photoshop for a novice?


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    #2
    curiousb
    Registered Users Posts: 486 ✭✭curiousb


    Absolutely, its a great piece of software.

    I use it instead of Photoshop all the time now. It's possibly not as good but it does everything I need it to do.


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    #3
    Ben D Bus
    Registered Users Posts: 2,110 ✭✭✭Ben D Bus


    It's fantastic! I can't believe they haven't taken more market share from Photoshop. Yet!

    Free updates too. I've just got the latest major update having bought the package countless years ago.


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    #4
    ablelocks
    Registered Users Posts: 4,682 ✭✭✭ablelocks


    ipad version is reduced too - is there any advantage to having that instead of or as well as?

    it looks like there is functionality across pc and ipad...


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    #5
    Banana Republic 1
    Registered Users Posts: 3,328 ✭✭✭Banana Republic 1


    ablelocks wrote: »
    there's a post in the BA forum about Affinity photo software :



    would this be a good alternative to Photoshop for a novice?

    Yes


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    #6
    SouthWesterly
    Registered Users Posts: 6,456 ✭✭✭SouthWesterly


    ablelocks wrote: »
    there's a post in the BA forum about Affinity photo software :



    would this be a good alternative to Photoshop for a novice?

    Reminded me to download my purchase. :)


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    #7
    CelticRambler
    Registered Users Posts: 6,695 ✭✭✭CelticRambler


    If it comes from the Serif stable, it's bound to be great. I've been using their drawing and DTP packages for ... eons! Still have the floppy disks from my very first free trial! Those two combined were so good that I never really needed to opt for the photo editing package while I was still limited to shooting and using JPGs, but thanks for the heads up: think this might be the prompt I need to get serious about my RAW editing. :)


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    #8
    twowheelsonly
    Registered Users Posts: 2,268 ✭✭✭twowheelsonly


    Another +1 for Affinity here. I've been using it exclusively for a couple of years and find it excellent.
    There's some very good tutorials on YouTube as well to get you going.


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    #9
    iLikeWaffles
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭iLikeWaffles


    I use it all the time it is good but it has a lot of issues with performance on windows. It tends to grind to a halt for any serious photo editing. Even at €50 it is worth buying though when you compare it to how expensive photoshop is. The newest update (1.9.0) seems to have slightly fixed some performance issues but not all.


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    #10
    CelticRambler
    Registered Users Posts: 6,695 ✭✭✭CelticRambler


    I bought a copy last night. Might have to wait a while before I put it to the test, though - too much fine weather forecast for the next two weeks, and some serious work to be done in the garden!


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    #11
    Banana Republic 1
    Registered Users Posts: 3,328 ✭✭✭Banana Republic 1


    Affinity photo is 29.99 atm really a bargain imv.


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    #12
    iLikeWaffles
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭iLikeWaffles


    There is a hidden menu item that increases rendering speed (edit>preferences>performance), it moves all the rendering to your GPU. But it only works for GPU's with feature level 12. For example GTX 900 series and upwards GPU's.


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    #13
    retoos
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭retoos


    Affinity Photo is a fantastic alternative to Photoshop. I just got it when they have done with the lockdown 2020 campaign and the price reduction and 90-day free trial. I love it personally and believe me, it is not only for the novice, but it is one of the best Photoshop alternatives for the professional.


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    #14
    iLikeWaffles
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭iLikeWaffles


    retoos wrote: »
    Affinity Photo is a fantastic alternative to Photoshop. I just got it when they have done with the lockdown 2020 campaign and the price reduction and 90-day free trial. I love it personally and believe me, it is not only for the novice, but it is one of the best Photoshop alternatives for the professional.

    I'd agree with that totally. I just hope they don't corner the market and increase the price like so many companies do. Or worse Adobe buy them out.


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    #15
    Banana Republic 1
    Registered Users Posts: 3,328 ✭✭✭Banana Republic 1


    iLikeWaffles wrote: »
    I'd agree with that totally. I just hope they don't corner the market and increase the price like so many companies do. Or worse Adobe buy them out.

    I signed up to Affinity at the 1.5 platform it was my understanding then that they were planing on doing an adobe in some shape or form, that is the way everything else is even cars


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    #16
    5uspect
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,515 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    I really like Affinity’s apps but I’m having a hard time transitioning from Adobe. There are a few pain points that are getting in the way.

    I don’t use Lightroom and just edit in Camera Raw. I can open a bunch of RAW files and (like Lightroom) they appear in a strip and I can work through my photos efficiently jumping from one to another. In Affinity Photo I can only seem to edit one file at a time in the RAW persona. It’s really annoying.

    It’s worse on my iPad. I really like editing my photos with the Apple Pencil but it’s just such a sluggish workflow to jump through all the file handling hoops.

    Affinity Designer is also excellent but my muscle memory still makes me reach for Illustrator.


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    #17
    Banana Republic 1
    Registered Users Posts: 3,328 ✭✭✭Banana Republic 1


    5uspect wrote: »
    I really like Affinity’s apps but I’m having a hard time transitioning from Adobe. There are a few pain points that are getting in the way.

    I don’t use Lightroom and just edit in Camera Raw. I can open a bunch of RAW files and (like Lightroom) they appear in a strip and I can work through my photos efficiently jumping from one to another. In Affinity Photo I can only seem to edit one file at a time in the RAW persona. It’s really annoying.

    It’s worse on my iPad. I really like editing my photos with the Apple Pencil but it’s just such a sluggish workflow to jump through all the file handling hoops.

    Affinity Designer is also excellent but my muscle memory still makes me reach for Illustrator.

    If you just hihglight the files you want and click open with they will open simultaneously.


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    #18
    iLikeWaffles
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭iLikeWaffles


    There is also a batch mode. Just record a macro and apply it to the batch job. View>Studio>Marco to record one. It is a little complicated.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-p7lL-ROzU


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    #19
    5uspect
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,515 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    Banana Republic 1 wrote: »
    If you just hihglight the files you want and click open with they will open simultaneously.

    To be honest I’ve not used it in a while as it couldn’t handle the R5’s Raw files and batch converting to DNG was a pain. Just updated it there and it now opens them in tabs which iirc wasn’t the behaviour before. I’d prefer a thumbnail strip like Camera Raw. Also it’s a pain to have to close each develop tab just to quit the app.
    iLikeWaffles wrote: »
    There is also a batch mode. Just record a macro and apply it to the batch job. View>Studio>Marco to record one. It is a little complicated.

    That’s not the point tho. It’s just another pain point that Serif need to address in order to really compete with Adobe. Right now Camera Raw is a significantly better experience when working with lots of Raw files. I ended up paying for Adobe CC for a year until things get sorted out.


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    #20
    Banana Republic 1
    Registered Users Posts: 3,328 ✭✭✭Banana Republic 1


    5uspect wrote: »
    To be honest I’ve not used it in a while as it couldn’t handle the R5’s Raw files and batch converting to DNG was a pain. Just updated it there and it now opens them in tabs which iirc wasn’t the behaviour before. I’d prefer a thumbnail strip like Camera Raw. Also it’s a pain to have to close each develop tab just to quit the app.



    That’s not the point tho. It’s just another pain point that Serif need to address in order to really compete with Adobe. Right now Camera Raw is a significantly better experience when working with lots of Raw files. I ended up paying for Adobe CC for a year until things get sorted out.

    Well the only thing I can say with confidence is that Adobe are pigs, there customer service is dogs ****, they are regularly hacked, meaning some lad in a basement in Vladivostok has you're card details. PS/LR is just a cash cow for them and they don't give a ****e.


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    #21
    5uspect
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,515 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    Oh I fully agree with you. I’m just not ready to move on fully yet — hopefully by the time my sub runs out.


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    #22
    iLikeWaffles
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭iLikeWaffles


    5uspect wrote: »
    To be honest I’ve not used it in a while as it couldn’t handle the R5’s Raw files and batch converting to DNG was a pain. Just updated it there and it now opens them in tabs which iirc wasn’t the behaviour before. I’d prefer a thumbnail strip like Camera Raw. Also it’s a pain to have to close each develop tab just to quit the app.



    That’s not the point tho. It’s just another pain point that Serif need to address in order to really compete with Adobe. Right now Camera Raw is a significantly better experience when working with lots of Raw files. I ended up paying for Adobe CC for a year until things get sorted out.

    Thought you said you're having a hard time transitioning, different software different ways of doing things. There's a manual also Press F1 while in Affinity.


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    #23
    Banana Republic 1
    Registered Users Posts: 3,328 ✭✭✭Banana Republic 1


    iLikeWaffles wrote: »
    Thought you said you're having a hard time transitioning, different software different ways of doing things. There's a manual also Press F1 while in Affinity.

    There official YouTube vids are very good also


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    #24
    Banana Republic 1
    Registered Users Posts: 3,328 ✭✭✭Banana Republic 1


    5uspect wrote: »
    Oh I fully agree with you. I’m just not ready to move on fully yet — hopefully by the time my sub runs out.

    If they had a LR/ catalog solution too it would be the bees.


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    #25
    5uspect
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,515 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    iLikeWaffles wrote: »
    Thought you said you're having a hard time transitioning, different software different ways of doing things. There's a manual also Press F1 while in Affinity.

    It’s not entirely different, they directly copy an awful lot from Adobe’s apps which is great. Some things have a different approach, sure, but a lot of other features are missing. I’m sure they will add them eventually.

    I really like the consistency between the Mac and iPadOS apps too.


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    #26
    5uspect
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,515 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    The Affinity apps are currently 50% off.

    https://affinity.serif.com/


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    #27
    angeleyes
    Registered Users Posts: 604 ✭✭✭angeleyes


    I've just downloaded it and it looks great but it's been years since I've done photography and photoshop so I am starting from scratch.

    I just want to thank the OP ablelocks for posting this. I'm delighted - so thank you.


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    #28
    retoos
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭retoos


    iLikeWaffles wrote: »
    I'd agree with that totally. I just hope they don't corner the market and increase the price like so many companies do. Or worse Adobe buy them out.

    I remain hopeful; even if it does, I am not greatly worried. Because maybe, there will perhaps be another opponent that will reach our target.


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