Affinity Photo

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Ever since the last update, or maybe the one before last, affinity photo has been INCREDIBLY buggy. I have 512gb 12.9” 2018 iPad Pro and it use to run incredibly smooth at all times. But lately it crashes multiple times a day, it freezes up while moving layers and most times I can press back and go back to my projects and come back in and everything will be fine. Until I do a few things and it happens again. Sometimes I have to close the app entirely and reopen it a couple times before it’s finally working again. When I’m zoomed in smoothing edges of a selection, the screen becomes unresponsive to my two finger gesture move, I try over and over again until finally it moves half an inch and has several erase marks when my gesure failed and I have to undo a bunch of times. But sometimes when that happens, I cant even undo, I have to restart the app then undo! I’ve loved this app for the almost two years that I’ve used it, and I use it everyday as I am a professional freelancer. But the last month to 2 months I’ve seriously considered whether or not I’ve made a mistake by learning this instead of photoshop. I use creative cloud for motion graphics so I’m seriously considering learning photoshop better since I already have it.

Affinity Photo for iOS really is exactly what Serif claims it to be: a fully functional Photoshop for the iPad. On my iPad Pro 10.5 it is smooth and solid with no significant bugs and close to zero crashes. While there are some specific features of desktop Photoshop I’m wishing for, some of them may be present but still hiding from me in the complexity of a still unfamiliar user interface. This program, at $20, is an astonishing bargain. It opens raw files, Photoshop layered files, and layered files from the desktop Affinity Photo program. Fetching a file from Lightroom Mobile (or Lightroom desktop) is easy; just export to iCloud (or Dropbox) and then open from the “Cloud” source within the Affinity app on the iPad. All the necessary tools required for a layered, non-destructive workflow are nicely implemented. By the way, the 32 tutorial videos built into the app (scroll down on the “Open Files” splash screen) are quite good. I had no idea they were included when I bought the app. The new user can speed ahead through the learning curve simply viewing these tutorials in sequence. Practical pro-level high-resolution image editing and retouching have arrived on the iPad Pro (finally) with Affinity Photo and iOS 11.

This app has all of the key functionality that is part of my image retouching workflow (and so much more). I can process raw files, color correct images, make numerous adjustments and use advanced retouching techniques (like split frequency healing, alpha channel dodge and burn using curves adjustment layers, frequency separation sharpening, etc.). These are some of the techniques I use to give my work a polished, professional look that can easily be done in Affinity Photo. I haven’t even gotten into using this app for art, illustration and surface design. When used as a complement to Procreate, the possibilities for raster-based creative work are pretty endless. And, there’s no need to pay for a ridiculous subscription model that most artists don’t want. Affinity Photo, like Procreate and Art Studio Pro, is a one-time purchase. This app is superior to Photoshop for iPad in just about every way - features, functionality and price. Why pay an overpriced subscription for a watered-down version of Photoshop that lacks some of the most basic functionality? $10 for Affinity Photo on sale is a steal! $20 is still a bargain. I’m very happy with my purchase!

I’ve loved this app so much for the past year. I’m a serious photography hobbyist. I wanted a program that was highly functional and easy to use. I came across Affinity photo after buying a new computer after my MacBook Pro died and I decided to return the computer and bought an iPad specifically for Affinity. This app has been smooth but over the past 2 months and more so during the last month the app has been freezing and crashing like mad. I’ve had to edit in steps and after I finish each step I have to back out so that the app can save my progress. This has become incredibly frustrating and significantly slowed my workflow. I have loved this app for the past year, truly. This app has been a game changer so I’m really hoping the bugs will be fixed. I have faith in the company and I’m sure they will get the bugs worked out - hopefully sooner than later because the struggle is real right now. Edit: it seems the bugs have been fixed. Haven’t had any issues in the past month. 5 stars are back in order.

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After using the iPad version i was very hopeful. Having migrated assets from a project i was doing in Adobe Photoshop on an art board 9 feet high and 10 feet wide i was able to very intuitively use selections and masking to paint photo layers into my canvas. Adopting this workflow from photoshop Affinity seemed at the time very capable of being an app I could use to make drafts of projects before sending to photoshop or illustrator. Even when scaling projects down the program is buggy and unresponsive. Glitches are very common. Even as i write this i am reminded of why i did not install this on my second iPad Pro 12.9 inch. I use these for a multitude of reasons, the absolute main feature of this 12.9 iPad is its screen resolution. I was looking for an app that takes advantage of both the ppi and minute processing power of this device for professional use. Few apps can elegantly take advantage of these previously mentioned features. I am a professional freelance designer who uses a myriad of devices and screens for a number of different reasons. Took the time to install this on a third iPad Pro in hopes that a draft for a print banner 10’ x 3’ could be made. Fail. Will report back if anything changes. The app has been acting buggy throughout the typing of this lengthy and toastfully roasted review of this trash app.