Affinity Publisher

**behzad** · 01 July 2023, 10:11 AM

Gary if I was to begin 30 years ago and affinity and xara was there the way it is now, I would have chosen affinity for all my graphic design work. We are never too old to learn it. Xara choose to ignore many users, they have their own marketing and choose to pick a path. Every new feature for designer pro is just a few templates etc..

**Spamiky** · 01 July 2023, 01:44 PM

It's a shame that XARA is ending as a program, I started with CorelXara 1.1 it was an unbeatable fast program. Now I'm done with XDP 19. Nothing new will probably be created, only the annoying messages to upgrade will remain. AMEN

**handrawn** · 01 July 2023, 01:57 PM

certainly nothing in the pro+ to make me switch; ironically the only thing that tempted me to stay was the change they made to the way the rotation centre works, but they reverted back as it was not popular apparently... c'est la vie

**gwpriester** · 01 July 2023, 04:16 PM

So far I have mixed reviews. Xara definitely makes exporting PDFs a lot easier. I copied and pasted a graphic with drop shadow from Xara and AP flagged it and said it could not be exported as PDF/X. I have never had any issues exporting PDF/X with a vector object and a drop shadow. Xara just deals with it. But the text handling in AP provides much more control and the visual quality and evenness of color (the over all look of the book text) is more consistent with fewer large gaps between words on some lines. The support community is good and many old faces from TG popped up to welcome me to the community. Frances Proctor (angelize) was even rumored to hang out there. Mike Wensloff (Mike Wens) has been extremely generous in getting me started.

**handrawn** · 01 July 2023, 04:27 PM

would be good to know Frances is still active

not got involved with the affinity forum much... maybe i should....

**Rik** · 01 July 2023, 06:55 PM

I appreciate the the thread started with a 'publishing' theme... so, pardon me for butting in.

I don't publish books and I don't produce any professional work - art or otherwise.

I have tried Affinity Designer, but only for a short time.

I got reasonably proficient at Xara, purely because of this forum.
EVERYONE was more than willing to help. Answer any of my stupid questions. Help with things when I couldn't work it out.

On the AD forum. I asked a question and I was told to read the help files. You can imagine what I was saying inside my head.
(Sorry. Can't publish that here!)

And the major reason I didn't continue with AD, is that in Xara I like to place things/objects off the page to one side and the other.
I make copies of whatever I'm doing and move them to one side, so that I can use that object again or reuse it if something goes wrong with changes I'm making.

As well as the fact that the tools are so easy to use and all ready to use. I don't have to do any ALT+Click or anything else to find the tool I want.

Now... don't call me a Xara lover, because no new vector tools have been produced that I've noticed.
It's all WEB, WEB, and more WEB.

And I HATE the new look and monotone tools in Designer Pro+
YEUCH.

Any good programme should give the user a choice.

**gwpriester** · 01 July 2023, 08:09 PM

Rik - I have no intention of not using Designer Pro+. It can do so many things in one application. But formatting a book is something I am doing more of, and I want the text to look as professional as possible and with Publisher I feel I have more control over the process.

I have found the support forum to be friendly and responsive. My page menu disappeared and without it I could not move forward. I posted a question in the users forum and got the solution in ten minutes. But there are always a few bad apples who cannot be bothered to take the time to help but they will make time to make you feel like a dummy.

I feel totally at home in Designer Pro and will continue to use it for everything else.

FWIW I do not find Affinity's help files all that useful.

**Boy** · 01 July 2023, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by Rik

And the major reason I didn't continue with AD, is that in Xara I like to place things/objects off the page to one side and the other.
I make copies of whatever I'm doing and move them to one side, so that I can use that object again or reuse it if something goes wrong with changes I'm making.

Rik, you can place objects off-canvas in Affinity Designer. Go to View/View Mode and untick 'Clip to Canvas.

**handrawn** · 01 July 2023, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by Rik

And the major reason I didn't continue with AD, is that in Xara I like to place things/objects off the page to one side and the other

AD is not restricted to page only; Photo is, but not Designer.... ?

EDIT: Boy beat me to it

**Rik** · 01 July 2023, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by Boy

Rik, you can place objects off-canvas in Affinity Designer. Go to View/View Mode and untick 'Clip to Canvas.

That has to be a change that was made quite some time ago.
Because, when I was discussing this with one of the admins on the forum, he said that this was not possible.

Anyway... I shall fire up AD and have a look.
Thanks.