Affinity V2 introduces new inventive instruments and options

Software developer Serif has launched V2 of its Affinity inventive suite, bringing new options and enhancements to its trio of graphic design and content material creation functions that undercut Adobe on worth.

Affinity Designer 2, Affinity Photo 2, and Affinity Publisher 2 have all been visually redesigned and introduce some new options for designers and inventive professionals. Just a few of the new additions to the Affinity Photo 2 photograph enhancing software program embrace nondestructive RAW growth (permitting designers to vary develop settings, even after adjusting a file), compound masking, stay mesh warping, and the flexibility to save lots of completely different visibility states of your layer stack.

Affinity Designer 2, a vector graphic design and illustration software program package deal, is introducing vector warping, DWG / DXF file imports, and an X-Ray View mode that reveals the make-up of your work. An assortment of recent instruments can be out there, corresponding to a knife instrument for chopping shapes, curves, or textual content, an interactive form builder, and instruments that may measure line lengths, segments, distances, and areas of any objects to scale.

Finally, Affinity Publisher 2, Serif’s publishing and web page structure design utility, has a efficiency enhance to assist deal with massive paperwork and now contains options corresponding to Books, which grant customers the flexibility to mix separate writer paperwork as chapters to create one lengthy publication (solely out there on desktop). Affinity V2’s launch additionally patches a spot within the firm’s iPad lineup with the addition of Affinity Publisher 2 iPad, which now brings your complete Affinity suite to Mac, PC, and iPad. A full checklist of recent options for Affinity V2 might be discovered on the Affinity website.

Affinity is usually considered a extra inexpensive various to Adobe’s personal line of inventive functions — whereas the Affinity Designer V1 vector program is much less highly effective than Adobe Illustrator, for instance, the software program is on the market as a one-off cost of $59.99 (in comparison with Adobe’s $19.99 month-to-month subscription) whereas nonetheless offering related options. Affinity Photo and Affinity Publisher are equally similar to Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign, respectively.

Rumors relating to Affinity transferring from a one-time buy mannequin over to a subscription service can, fortunately, be put to relaxation. “The ability to buy for a one-off payment is something that makes Affinity the only viable option for many of the brilliant and inspiring creative people around the world, who would otherwise not have access to the highest-quality tools,” mentioned Ashley Hewson, managing director of Serif, in a press launch.

Desktop variations of Affinity Designer 2, Affinity Photo 2, and Affinity Publisher 2 are priced at $69.99 (from $59.99 on V1) for these wanting particular person apps, with iPad variations of the software program out there for $19.99, the identical worth because the V1 software program. Serif has additionally introduced the Affinity V2 Universal License — a package deal containing all three Affinity functions. The common worth for the Universal License can be a one-time cost of $169.99, however Serif is at the moment providing a 40 % launch low cost that brings that right down to $99.99. 

That’s chunk of change saved, but it surely does include a caveat: this launch low cost solely exists as a result of present Affinity customers gained’t get cheaper pricing to improve V1 software program. “For our existing customers we have also been very conscious that, considering many of our sales are generated via app stores, it’s not possible to provide upgrade pricing,” mentioned Hewson. “That’s the main reason we have decided to offer such a large launch discount — giving upgraders a chance to do so at an incredible price.”

Users who don’t require all three functions can nonetheless buy Affinity Photo 2, Affinity Designer 2, or Affinity Publisher 2 individually for Mac, PC, or iPad and get 40 % off the usual worth. A 30-day free trial can be out there throughout all variations of Affinity (together with the V2 Universal License package deal).