Affinity Publisher Web Design



  1. Serif also offers Illustrator alternative Affinity Designer for vector graphics work, and the company has recently completed its trinity of design tools with the release of Affinity Publisher for desktop publishing. Like its two companion apps, Affinity Publisher offers an impressive array of design tools for a modest fee of just £48.99/ $49.
  2. Affinity Publisher is a desktop publishing application developed by Serif for macOS and Microsoft Windows, with an iPadOS version planned for release in 2020. It is a part of the Affinity product line along with Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer Overview. Affinity Publisher serves as a successor.

Designers working with desktop publishing may want to take a look at Affinity Publisher. The tool, which is now available for Mac and Windows platforms, is emerging as a powerful and flexible design option.

Serif Affinity Publisher 2020 Free Download Latest Version. It is full offline installer standalone setup of Serif Affinity Publisher 2020.

The tool is part of the Serif line of graphic design products, which also includes Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer, both super-capable platforms in their own right.

Here’s a look at Affinity Publisher and how it compares to a tool you may already be familiar with – Adobe InDesign.

What is Affinity Publisher?

It works with other Serif products as well as native Adobe files

Affinity Publisher is a professional design software package. It’s made for desktop publishing, including books, magazines, marketing collateral but can also be used for digital materials as well.

The app allows you to manipulate and work with images, graphics, and text to create almost endless layout possibilities with workflow boosts to make large documents easy to work with and manage.

It works with other Serif products as well as native Adobe files and has the power to handle complex vector elements without losing functionality or speed.

The biggest reason Affinity Publisher may be growing in the marketplace is cost. It does not include a subscription model and runs off your local machine. It works on Mac or Windows computers and the download is $49.99 with a free trial available. (You can get it directly from the Affinity Publisher website or in the Mac App Store.)

Affinity Publisher Basics

The Affinity package of tools has a neat feature – StudioLink – that lets you hop between tools in the same app.

Affinity Publisher makes it easy to try this tool with a great price and single app download pricing model. It’s robust and includes everything you would want in a desktop publishing app.

The only downsides are that it can feel unfamiliar and a little clunky if you are used to InDesign. Some of that is likely because it is different or maybe because the tool is a little newer and they are still working out some of the finer details.

The Affinity package of tools has a neat feature – StudioLink – that lets you hop between tools in the same app. If you are planning to switch to all Affinity products for design tasks, this is a time-saving option that’s highly functional.

When you get into the software itself, everything is there – you can see some of these key features in the next section – although some things work a little differently than what you may be accustomed to with Adobe products.

Key differences include lack of document setup presets on launch – although you can find third-party templates on design marketplaces – and master pages and layers that require a little more thought until you get used to us.

Designers working on laptops may love this: The software is light and fast without losing render or image quality.

Affinity Publisher Web Design

Affinity Publisher Key Features

So, what can Affinity Publisher do? That’s always the big question when it comes to using or switching to a new tool.

Key features include:

  • Layout functionality for double page spreads, live master pages, custom shaped frames (including for text), frame linking, tables, and ability to share across apps or devices
  • Tons of text manipulation options and control with decorations, drop caps, paths, artistic options, baseline grid, and flow features
  • Pixel-perfect graphics that you can link or embed, plus non-destructive layer adjustments
  • Pen and node tools, boolean operations, layer effects, and fill options
  • Ability to package and export files
  • Data merge tools for complex documents with an external data element (supports text/CSV, JSON, and Excel files)
  • Live preflight checks
  • Color control with end to end CMYK, spot color support, Pantone library, and ICC color profiles
  • Asset management tools to help you keep most-used elements at hand
  • Preview mode for grids, guides, bleed, and margins

Affinity Publisher vs. Adobe InDesign

The biggest tool comparison is Affinity Publisher vs. Adobe InDesign when it comes to desktop and print publishing. For those not working with either tool on a daily basis, they may seem almost identical at a glance.

They are pretty stiff competitors with the edge going to InDesign because of time on the market and familiarity for so many users. But cost and function could negate that advantage.

Affinity Publisher has all the layout tools regularly use including master pages, spreads, grids, tables, typography options, text flow, presentation or print output settings, and more. You can import IDML files, use the preflight checker, create smart master pages, and work with OpenType fonts. Linking or embedding graphics files is a non-issue.

Affinity Publisher Web Design

There are plenty of other similarities as well.

  • Works on Mac and Windows desktops
  • Have fairly intuitive interfaces
  • Allows you to work with native Adobe files
  • Ability to create pro quality documents for print or digital publishing
  • Plenty of tutorials and templates available
  • Include free trials (Affinity Publisher’s is 30 days, compared to 7 for Adobe InDesign)
  • Core tools and publishing functionality are similar
  • Excellent export capability in a number of file formats

The most obvious difference between Publisher and InDesign is probably price and pricing structure.

Affinity Publisher comes with a one-time fee when you download it, $49.99.

InDesign is part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite of software and comes with a monthly fee, which is based on your plan. The single app price is $20.99 per month.

Affinity Publisher Web Design

Conclusion

Affinity Designer Website

Affinity Publisher is a powerful design and layout tool that’s highly comparable to Adobe InDesign.

It’s flexible and easy to learn. And the price is hard to beat.

For current Adobe InDesign users, it could be a little tougher to switch software because while it has much of the same functionality and end result, it just feels different to use. Switching will totally depend on your comfort level.

Either way, the download and trial are worth a try!

Affinity Publisher Templates

In this feature, we've covered the basics of Affinity Publisher with tutorials and software comparisons, as well as the best Affinity Publisher templates.

Affinity Publisher is a powerful design app available for Mac and Windows. It’s a standalone tool that is made for creating printed projects, such as magazines, brochures, posters, and other collateral pieces.

Use it to combine images and other graphic elements to create outstanding layouts for publishing. Whether you are new to Affinity Publisher or not, great tutorials can help you master specific or general skills to help you make the most of the tool. Here, we’ve collected some of the best to help you jumpstart projects.

How to Use Affinity Publisher

If you are new to Affinity Publisher, start with the basics. This video tutorial offers a quick overview of how to use basic tools and set up documents. It’s the perfect guide for new users and you can get everything you need to start using the software in about 30 minutes.

7 Best Beginner Tips

Nothing makes learning software easier than a few key tips that will speed up your productivity and have you using Affinity Publisher like a pro. This video is packed with 7 great tips in just 11 minutes. It will walk you through setting margin and bleed, changing hyphenation, warping text, and more.

Publisher Master Pages

Anyone who works with larger or multi-page layouts will understand the value of creating master pages for a project. Affinity Publisher includes this feature, This video shows you how master pages work and walks through some practical uses if you aren’t familiar with usage. (Hint: Master pages allow you to repeats elements of the design throughout documents without duplicating r copy and pasting objects.)

How to Import InDesign Templates to Affinity Publisher

Most Affinity Publisher users are likely coming from Adobe InDesign unless you are just getting started with designing publications. If that’s the case, you probably have files and templates that you want to move from InDesign to Publisher. This tutorial takes you through how to import different native InDesign file types and use them right away, including how to export from InDesign.

Working with Color

Elaine Giles offers live streaming tutorials and then archives the videos so you can learn on your own time. This recording of the live stream is a lesson on how to use color in Affinity Publisher. The video runs more than 2 hours and is a wholly comprehensive look at everything you need to make the right color choices, including using the color picker tool, working with palettes, using afpalette files and Adobe swatches, and more.

How to Create a Tri-Fold Brochure in Affinity Publisher

Creating a tri-fold brochure is one of the most common print design asks. This common format is used almost universally by all types of industries and organizations. This tutorial takes you through the entire setup and design process in Affinity Publisher and even has a downloadable file that you can use to follow along.

Using Baseline Grids

A consistent baseline grid ensures that text lines up vertically in a text frame, table, or document. It’s one of the pro tips that print designers use to make large text documents look great. This 7-minute video shows you how to set up a baseline grid in Affinity Publisher.

Working with Images in Affinity Publisher

Bring images into a new document using each of the tool options available. Image tools include the ability to place actual images or placeholders. The quick tutorial shows all the basics of using images in less than 8 minutes.

Text Wrapping in Affinity Publisher

Text wrapping allows you to create a polished merging of images and text on the same page. This Affinity Publisher tutorial shows you how to prepare photos for perfect text wrapping and customize wrap outlines for a perfect finish.

Affinity Publisher Tables

Using tables can be a valuable tool for a lot of different types of design projects. Sometimes the first time using them can be a little clunky. This video takes the worry out of using data in a structured way. The 15-minute Affinity Publisher tutorial will have you designing tables like a pro.

How to Design a Book Cover in Affinity Publisher

Learn how to make a book cover – for printed or digital publishing – in Affinity Publisher. This tutorial takes you through design concepts such as choosing artwork, putting fonts together, and tips for the cover design. Olivio Sarikas does it all in Affinity Publisher in a manner that’s designed for beginners.

How to Make a Menu Template in Affinity Publisher

Are you interested in making design templates that you can reuse in Affinity Publisher? This tutorial uses a restaurant menu as an example, but you can apply the steps and practices to almost any type or size or design.

Composing an Editorial Layout in Affinity Publisher

Product expert Emily Goater shows how easy it is to create eye-catching covers, simple and effective inside covers and stand-out feature pages in Affinity Publisher. The lesson lasts about an hour but provides plenty of information to help you make the most of the tool for project publishing, as well as tips for using the iPad version of the software.

How to Collect Resources in Affinity Publisher

Can I Use Affinity Publisher For Web Design

This short video lesson shows you how to move linked images in Affinity Publisher to a central file location for easier project management and portability. Don’t forget to collect all images and fonts when packaging files for printing.

PDF Publishing for the Web

Not all projects designing in Affinity Publisher are printed; many of these jobs are exported to PDF for digital publication. This tutorial shows you how to convert files into web-ready, RGB PDFs (even if you designed in CMYK with printing in mind).

Affinity Publisher Templates Free Download

Affinity Publisher Templates

Affinity Designer For Web Design

In this feature, we've covered the basics of Affinity Publisher with tutorials and software comparisons, as well as the best Affinity Publisher templates.