Adobe Alternatives

Jim Campbell · Feb 9, 2015

I know there's some resistance round these parts to Adobe's Creative Cloud scheme, so a few of you may be interested in Affinity Photo, which Serif have just launched as a free beta. I've only had time for the briefest of experiments since installing, but it looks like it might well as strong a challenger to Photoshop as Affinity Designer is to Illustrator.

Mac only — 10.7.5 or higher. Sign up for the beta programme here: https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/photo/

(Imports and exports PSD files and the architecture, apparently, supports PS plug-ins.)

The Affinity forums are frequented by the developers as well as users and are well worth a visit.

Cheers

Jim

superscape · Feb 9, 2015

Most interesting! Have to take a look at that one, thanks.

CrickettGrrrl · Feb 9, 2015

I've just been playing around in it and the brushes feel beautifully smooth. The video is impressive and I can't wait to really dive in. Exciting times with all of these fantastic options!

Michaelgtrusa · Feb 9, 2015

This app is a blessing.

Lone Deranger · Feb 10, 2015

Very exited about this. So far it looks really good.

firedept · Feb 11, 2015

I am hoping that Affinity eventually comes out with a full suite of programs to compete with Adobe. So far they have done very well with Designer and from what I can see with Photo Beta it looks promising. Sure would like to see some competition for Adobe. Especially at the prices Affinity is offering its programs at.

Jim Campbell · Feb 11, 2015

firedept said:
I am hoping that Affinity eventually comes out with a full suite of programs to compete with Adobe.

Affinity Publisher is scheduled to come out later this year and round out the suite with an InDesign-like DTP application.

Cheers

Jim

superscape · Feb 11, 2015

I love the look of the Affinity products and I'd dearly love to see them give Adobe a run for their money. However, the lack of AppleScript support (so far) is a deal breaker for me and a number of companies I work/have worked with.

Whilst I have no great love for Adobe*, using Applescript to automate various bits and bobs saves huge amounts of time in a busy production environment. I'd love to see Affinity compete there too.

r.

* or their AppleScript implementation!

firedept · Feb 11, 2015

Jim Campbell said:
Affinity Publisher is scheduled to come out later this year and round out the suite with an InDesign-like DTP application.

Cheers

Jim

Thank you. Yes I was aware of it. But I would like to see them bring even more alternatives beyond those three programs. Affinity seems to have it going on and I think are more than capable of doing just that.

Jim Campbell · Feb 11, 2015

superscape said:
Whilst I have no great love for Adobe*, using Applescript to automate various bits and bobs saves huge amounts of time in a busy production environment. I'd love to see Affinity compete there too.

Talk to 'em on the forums. I reported a brush bug in Photos and had a reply and an assurance they'd try to fix it in under an hour.*

They're going from a standing start to try and compete with an entrenched industry standard they can't do everything for everyone all at once. Get on there and tell them that this is important to you.

Cheers

Jim

*The response came in under an hour, not they'd try to have it fixed in under an hour!

superscape · Feb 12, 2015

Jim Campbell said:
Talk to 'em on the forums.

Done it! Fingers crossed.

Lone Deranger · Feb 14, 2015

Jim Campbell said:
Affinity Publisher is scheduled to come out later this year and round out the suite with an InDesign-like DTP application.

Cheers

Jim

I hope they'll include a mechanism of sorts to convert/open InDesign files like they do with PSD support in Affinity Photo. Would be great to ditch InDesign without also having ditch all my files and projects.

Jim Campbell · Feb 15, 2015

Lone Deranger said:
I hope they'll include a mechanism of sorts to convert/open InDesign files like they do with PSD support in Affinity Photo. Would be great to ditch InDesign without also having ditch all my files and projects.

Photo makes a decent job of opening .PSD files, and Designer has a creditable stab interpreting .AI documents, so I'm quietly hopeful…

(Edit: I remember when InDesign used to open Quark Xpress documents…)

Cheers

Jim

lucidmedia · Feb 15, 2015

superscape said:
However, the lack of AppleScript support (so far) is a deal breaker for me and a number of companies I work/have worked with.

I agree that design software should be scriptable, but I can't see a new software suite supporting applescript, which has been on the ropes for years.

All Adobe software can now be scripted with Javascript. I have a few type tools that are scriptable with Python. I would be happy with either of those.

superscape · Feb 16, 2015

lucidmedia said:
I agree that design software should be scriptable, but I can't see a new software suite supporting applescript, which has been on the ropes for years.

I always have a sly chuckle to myself when someone predicts the death of AppleScript. It's been happening almost since its emergence. Of course, one day the predictions will be right...

I'm no fan of AppleScript, but it does save heaps of time certainly in the graphics/design/packaging industry where the majority of my commercial experience is. Ditch it by all means, but replace it with something better.

Out of preference, I'd settle for a tidy API useable from Objective-C. Just not Python. Dear God, not Python. ;-)

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superscape

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