Today everything in the Photography and Photoshop Tools categories are reduced for today's December Deal. I've been asked if they can be used in Affinity. The answer is - some can, some can't. See the listing below. Overlays If the overlay is provided in png or jpg format then yes. Actions No Brush Tools (abr) Yes .abr files can be imported into Affinity Photo or Affinity Designer. When using .abr brushes in Affinity Designer, you need to have the Designer Studio set to pixel persona. Affinity Publisher doesn't have a brush tool, so only brushes given as .png files can be used in Publisher unless you have Photo/Designer installed too. Custom Shapes Photoshop custom Shape files .csh cannot be imported. Shapes offered by designers in .png files are fine. Shapes given in .abr format are also fine for Affinity Photo & Designer. Masks Yes Masks offered by designers in .png files are usable in all Affinity Programs. Masks given in .abr format are also fine for Affinity Photo & Designer. Styles (asl) No Colour Files (aco & ace) No Adobe currently don't allow import functionality for some of their functions and formats. As more professionals make the switch across to other software Adobe are going to have to start rethinking this. There are artists and designers who create actions, styles, custom shapes and brushes etc specifically for Affinity but non of them currently sell at the Lilypad.
This is so helpful Angela! I'm sure Affinity users will be very grateful to see this wonderful explanation!
OH! Thanks so much! This is awesome! I've been trying to figure out what tools will and won't work in Affinity. You saved me research!
Hi. I'm looking to switch to Affinity Photo/Designer/Publisher, because Adobe keeps increasing their subscription costs. However, I'm really used to the various scrapbooking actions available for Photoshop, especially ones that copy all of my open JPG files into individual layers in the PSD file that I'm working on, collect my layer names into a list of credits, and downsize for web gallery uploads. I also use a number of styles for different shadows. I wonder if anyone knows of any actions/styles specifically for the Affinity apps since the last post here in Dec 2022? If not, I might have to develop my own Affinity "macros" for this. (The apps are on sale now for 30% off and it's a great deal if I can get it to work for me.)
I don't know of any actions for those, but I haven't looked. There are other stores that do sell Affinity styles, and assets etc. They just are not sold here at the Lilypad. I select all my open files and drag drop them into Affinity together, it puts them in individual layers for me each layer is named by the file name. It would be very easy for you to create and save your own shadow styles. Affinity Publisher has a way to add "resources" in batch mode. I've never used it but it is there as part of the standard desktop publishing tools, I saw it in the getting started tutorials that come with the software. I use all 3 - Publisher, Designer and Photo. Photo is the closest to Photoshop to use as it's pixel based and includes lots of raw photography editing tools. Designer however has both vector and pixel modes and includes all the tools needed in scrapbooking, and digital artwork. Designer is the app of choice for digital artists. In pixel mode it works similar to Photoshop. Publisher is what I use to create most of my layouts and absolutely definitely for anything using lots of text - it's really good at that. If I need something more I can use Designer and/or Photo from inside Publisher as they link in. I've created lots of scrapbooking related tutorials here in the Learning Pad, and have a YouTube channel where I've started doing watch me scrap videos.
I have been using the Photographer's subscription of PS CC and Lightroom since they went that way (?? years) and I am still only paying $9.99USD .. it has never gone up. Are you subscribed to the entire Creative Cloud Adobe product? Here is the Photography Plan for the $9.99 if that helps
Thanks, yes, I think I'm gonna' go that route. I had the whole shebang because I was using InDesign, etc. for business, but it's easy to switch those to Affinity Publisher. I've tried out Affinity Photo and I just can't seem to accomplish what I can in Photoshop. Maybe in time, but for now, I'll stick with the tried-and-true. More expensive in Canada, but still worth it.
I like Affinity Publisher. It took a little to get used to how it's different than InDesign, but overall, I was able to accomplish everything I needed, and a few things easier!
Just found your YouTube channel and have subscribed. I'm gonna' stick with Photoshop for a bit, until I get at better at using Affinity Photo. Really appreciate your tutorials. Makes it so much easier!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I really like that I've been able to export my InDesign files in a format that I can bring into Publisher. I'm in the midst of doing that. So far, everything I've brought in has worked like a charm. I've got publications with lots of hyperlinks, linked book chapters, and extensive tables, so I'm super relieved at how well the transition is working out.
@jaharvey is there anything in particular that you do in photoshop that you'd like me to show you how to do in Affinity?
