Column
Is Adobe the
only choice?
Let’s be honest; software is an expensive,
yet essential, part of many production
workflows. Chances are, if you’re work-
ing on a design project, you are using
an Adobe product. There’s no doubt the
software giant has become an indis-
pensable asset in the design industry,
dominating the digital graphic creation
market with competitors like CorelDraw,
Freehand, and Quark seemingly unable
to compete with the interconnected
20-app Creative Cloud.
Still, I don’t think I’m alone in thinking the
software is overpriced. When I was a
student, I paid $500 for Adobe Creative
Suite 6. Last November I took the plunge
and purchased a Creative Cloud “all
apps” subscription for over $300 dollars
per year, if you’re an individual or busi-
ness owner, you’re looking at a cost of
between $500 and $1000 per year per
computer. Crunch those numbers and a
freelancer, student, and small business
owner is going to be paying a lot for
software over their lifetime.
While it can be easy to accept this
expense as a necessary sunk cost, if a
designer is willing to get creative, there
are other options. Most workflows use
print-ready PDFs; the steps a designer
takes to deliver this file don’t have to
break the bank. At the free end of the
spectrum is one of Photoshop’s most
popular alternatives the opensource
image editor GIMP. It can open and edit a
layered Photoshop file, with similar editing
tools. To support a desktop publishing
workflow it pairs with its sister programs,
Inkscape and Scribus, the complements
to Illustrator and InDesign respectively.
Inkscape is powerful, with robust tools
including: a spirals tool, a tool to create
patterns, advanced object manipulation
options, multiple filters (including bevels,
textures, overlays), and some nifty fill
settings. Other alternatives for vectors
and digital painting include Gravit,
sketchbook, and Krita.
30 | May 2019 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE
However, the newest kid on the block,
who may actually give Adobe a run for
their subscription fees, is Affinity. UK-
based Serif Labs, a developer of low-
cost, PC/Windows desktop publishing
software for entry-level users, is taking
on the graphics software market. The
Affinity Suite (Designer, Photo, and
Publisher), has been developed
specif ically as an Adobe desk top
publishing alternative.
Both Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo
each retail at a one-off fee of about $70
Canadian, and Affinity Publisher is a free
download because it is currently in
beta testing. While the suite could be
dismissed as a cheap graphics program
aimed at amateurs, it actually offers a
plethora of features that could make
it an attractive choice for designers.
Moreover, the software runs on iPads,
something Photoshop only recently
introduced in 2019.
Affinity is flexible. An Affinity document
can open seamlessly across Affinity
applications, and the software is able to
open PSD, AI, and EPS files making the
ability to update and transition client
files easy. Although you won’t be able
to save back into the native Adobe
formats Affinity can export files to many
vector and raster formats. Be cautioned,
because there is a broader range of
editing in Adobe some features may
not import.
However, many of the core tools and
functions found in Adobe exist in the
Affinity software. Affinity Photo has the
clone tool, healing brush, liquify, dodge
and burn, and patch tool as part of a
complete non-destructive workflow.
Affinity Designer boasts a stabilized
drawing tool, advanced geometry tools,
PANTONE swatches, and full optimiza-
tion for UI, websites, and app design.
Furthermore, Designer has the ability
to switch to a pixel environment with-
out leaving the application, allowing
the user to paint with raster brushes,
adjustment layers, and add masks.
Affinity Publisher has many of the same
tools found in InDesign, including
master pages, page number, and tables,
as well as character and paragraph
styles. The software frequently updates,
making it more accessible and versatile.
Will Affinity truly
usurp in t he
market? It’s hard
to say. There is
a reason we call it “Photoshop” and not
“photo editing.” But with other software
available and adaptive designers willing
to test the scope of these options, while
demanding more flexibility in terms of
platform and integration with UI and
web-based applications, the potential
for competition for the Goliath of graphic
software could become a reality. I know
my wallet would appreciate it.
Olivia Parker, B.Tech, MPC completed her
Masters of Professional Communication in
2014 to complement her Bachelor of Technology
(2013) from Graphic Communications
Management at Ryerson. She presently is the
Innovation & Support Specialist at Taylor
Printing Group Inc. in Fredericton.
graphicartsmag.com