If you’re a non-subscription-based user, always get your software on a disk.
Now, I have to be connected to the Internet and “signed in” to read or create a simple PDF file and it takes forever! After a few weeks of that, I uninstalled it and reinstalled the old Pro 2017 version that I had on a disk. It used to be on my hard drive, accessible and on demand in a few seconds. One aggravation for me is the new Adobe Acrobat DC. Then one day, you wake up and realize that you could have purchased the program for half the cost of all those fees (that you are now obligated to pay in perpetuity). Once you invest time, money, and training, and have projects created in a specific program, it’s hard to let go. Incidentally, you can buy all three Affinity programs (Photo, Design, & Publisher) for less than what it costs to rent the Creative Suite apps for three months.Īdobe’s switch to subscription services left a particularly large group of user “refugees” looking for alternatives. The graphical interface is user-friendly, the Help guides are easy to understand, and the menus are quite intuitive. Familiar features include text wrap, drop caps, facing page spreads, tables, advanced typography, artistic text and text styles, plus an amazing set of tools. Affinity Publisher ( $49.99)Īnother Affinity success story, this desktop publisher has all the great bells and whistles of the competition that I have used, but for less than $50.
Big plus: Scribus is a cross-platform application that runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Gnu/Linux systems. It also offers layout and design templates for books, magazines, and newspapers. Scribus is an intuitively designed desktop publisher with loads of predesigned templates to create brochures, posters, greeting cards, invitations, business cards, and more. Easy to learn, easy to use, easy Help language. This little program is no InDesign or Affinity Publisher, but if you just need a simple, free program with nice templates-and without all the complicated menus, features, and effects-this one’s for you. Spring Publisher ( free), Spring Publisher Pro ( $23.95) I still say PageMaker was the all-time best desktop publishing program, but it’s no longer supported by Adobe or the operating systems. There are no substitutions for this group unless you want to use Microsoft Word or another word processor, but those applications are not really equipped to function as a layout and design program. InDesign and the programs listed below are page layout, design, and desktop publishing software. A big plus: There are over 8,000 History steps for Undo/Redo. You get lots of new presets for symbols, shapes, and lines more options for custom gradients, textures, and styles and unlimited layers, masks, and groups. Also nice: the adjustable line weights, which are based on speed, pressure, and width. Very similar to Adobe Illustrator, Affiniity Designer’s most distinctive features include the Multi Stroke and Fill, which, among other things, stacks strokes and fills as layers so they can support their own blending and gradients. Even if you own both PaintShop and Photoshop, this little gem is more than worth the ticket. You can even record and save actions as macros. Symmetry mode creates amazing kaleidoscopes, and the best Dispersion effect I have ever seen. Its highlight features include custom brush nibs called Nozzle tips, which modify the shape and size of your lines as you draw them. Affinity Photo ( $49.99)Īffinity Photo stands somewhere between PaintShop Pro and Photoshop in features and special effects.
But my all-time favorite feature is the Picture Tubes, similar to Photoshop’s custom brushes, but in full 16-bit color.
The Film effects are spectacular, the new SmartClone feature is amazing, and the Refine Brush, which finely details selections around difficult outlines such as hair and animal fur is superb. It provides hundreds of excellent features such as Capture, which is much better than Photoshop’s Snipping Tool.
I’ve used it since version 5 and have continued to upgrade through the current versions. PaintShop Pro ( $79.99, or $99.99 for the pro version) I also appreciate that GIMP works on multiple platforms, uses minimal system resources, and is super-easy to use. I especially like the Borders Sparkles, Reflections, and Gradient Flare effects and the Whirl and Pinch features. See Alvin Alexander’s blog for all the cool stuff GIMP can do. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) offers 130-plus amazing filters and special effects.