InDesign VS Affinity Publisher Every Tool

[@righttoexplain]

Affinity Suite is incredible. The whole suite is worth every penny.

[@bendesignsmedia]

So true, thanks for watching

[@guy7622]

Sounds like Affinity has grown a lot over the years. Hoping they'll add animation and web design to their list of apps or add animation within the Affinity Design and Photo programs and add web design to Publisher. I also use Adobe on my iMac and my Wacom Windows tablet. Haven't decided which version of Affinity to get, but think it's an amazing deal. Your videos are done really well. Great job!

[@Inkling777]

There's quite a bit of difference between apps that create a result that is frozen in time and one that create results that change over time. It's why there are usually separate apps for photo editing and video editing. Time lines and transition features are needed in one but not the other. Trying to put the features of both into one app results in making apps that are already complex almost unworkable. I suspect we'll see animation and web design come as a separate app with the same StudioLink features as Publisher. And that may take some time. Also keep in mind that Affinity's current applications compete with Adobe products with the latter's often disliked subscription model. That helps a small company go toe-to-toe with a tech giant. If Affinity created an animation/web design app, it'd be having to take on a number of popular non-Adobe apps.

[@bendesignsmedia]

Hi Guy, thanks for the kind words! Affinity has said they don't have plans for an animation app, but of course that could change. I have a video that goes over what type of work is best done in the three apps, so that might help you with your decision.

[@binxwinx8434]

InDesign is so sluggish, I got really frustrated with it, so tried Affinity Publisher and there's no going back now! I have Designer and Photo too.. and I'm hoping they add a video editing programme too! The price difference has left my bank account very happy and me smiling all the way!

[@bendesignsmedia]

Glad it is working so well for you!

[@mikephiri1256]

You must have a really slow computer. I open Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Corel Draw Browsers all at the same time and nothing lags. I have a Core i7 16GB memory 512ssd with 2GB Nvidia Graphics Card.

[@christopher4045]

I just got an M1 Macbook Pro and the Affinity Suite is soo smooth and not clunky at all!

[@bendesignsmedia]

Nice! Waiting on my M1 iMac now

[@PeaceIntheValley]

the new update makes even smoother!

[@kjbill]

Affinity Publisher is amazing!!! Now with "Affinity Publisher 2" is even better!

[@bendesignsmedia]

For sure! Especially now on iPad

[@flicksonj]

Affinity, it is great ofcourse due to its simplicity for a lot of things.

[@bendesignsmedia]

yep it is great.

[@MuhammadYamman]

You CAN adjust column width & gutter width in Affinity Publisher but there isn’t a separate tool for this function.

[@bendesignsmedia]

Correct, this video is focused on tools

[@Mickyfitz96]

@@bendesignsmedia wanker

[@joshhurricks]

I love affinity, do wish it had the gap tool and maybe a couple of other things but I think affinity wins hands down for the price tag...

[@bendesignsmedia]

Agreed, thanks for watching!

[@CapitánPlopópotro]

I have never used Publisher, but apparently they worked smarter with the tool conception: a lot of what you described approaches CorelDRAW's way to optimising the interface in order to work faster (more easily-grabbable features with one same tool).

[@bendesignsmedia]

I'd say give Publisher a try on the free trial. It really is still lacking a lot for a lot of actual publishing work, but for designers I think it is great.

[@CapitánPlopópotro]

@@bendesignsmedia But designers need a lot for actual publishing work. : D What do you mean? What does it lack, in your opinion?

[@bendesignsmedia]

@@CapitánPlopópotro So I don't do a lot of printing and publishing myself, but several people from the industry have commented on my videos letting me know of problems. A good example is a lack of foot/endnote ability, some older PDF formats that printers still use not being supported, and for some regions a lack of support for RTL text.

[@69stronger]

Agradezco tu video muy bien explicado. Entiendo que Affinity es muy útil para nuevos diseñadores que buscan un programa más económico, en mi caso, trabajo en una agencia con más diseñadores y sería muy cuesta arriba pensar en cambiar de aplicación cuando todos trabajamos en equipo, además vi en otros videos, Affinity no puede abrir los formatos indd e idml.

[@bendesignsmedia]

Thanks for watching, Affinity can open IDML files, but it cannot open INDD files.

[@MikeMayArt]

I own both Id and AP, but familiar with neither. This was a nice comparison, giving me a taste of what to expect. I've seen other vids that show examples of what Publisher can do, and it just seems like it's a better app to get into for my purposes: I'm helping a friend put together a book from his successful kickstarter. If I need to use one or the other for a one-off, possibly never or rarely needing the app again, I'm going with the one easier to use that can handle what I need. I think it's AP for me- does that seem the right choice? Thanks so much for the helpful vid!

[@bendesignsmedia]

Sounds like Affinity will do it for you. Unless you need the ePub format for your project.

[@mtallan]

It’s all the panels that are not in the tool bar that I need.

[@mocha1821]

Super helpful, thank you!

[@bendesignsmedia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@accentontheoff]

Hi Ben you said iMac in the video somewhere. Just wondering whether you have an Apple Silicon iMac and whether those machines are any good. Thanks.

[@bendesignsmedia]

Hi yes, I used an M1 iMac in this video, apple silicon machines are great!

[@accentontheoff]

@@bendesignsmedia Oh really. That’s the first time I am hearing of someone using the new iMacs for heavy work. Usually it’s the Pro machines or the Studios. I am debating between the Mac Mini Pro and the current iMac M3. You’d advise the latter?

[@bendesignsmedia]

@@accentontheoff not necessarily, that's just what I happened to be using in this video. The Mac Mini Pro is a great machine, and the Studio is absolutely amazing if you can afford it.

[@accentontheoff]

@@bendesignsmedia Got it. Thanks for the reply.

[@bendesignsmedia]

@@accentontheoff no problem, hope you enjoy whatever you get!

[@djwarrior1421]

If a document was originally created using ID, can that same document be opened in AP and altered?

[@bendesignsmedia]

Only if you have saved it as a IDML file, Publisher cannot open INDD files. I have a video on this as well

[@sarabrown4596]

Suggestions for a publisher alternative for the iPad Pro?

[@bendesignsmedia]

Unfortunately no, there is no solid DTP app on iPad that I have found. Hoping Publisher will be out for iPad before too much longer. Honestly best option right now is just Affinity Designer, but its not good for longer documents

[@chintamanimahapatra1504]

Affinity doesn't have option to insert caption of an image

[@bendesignsmedia]

This video was focused on tools, not all features, but I think you could just add a text box to make a caption, that would actually give you more control than most caption features in other programs.

[@AlvaroALorite]

4:09 what you came for starts here haha

[@skazala]

I usually make calendars in InDesign. There is free plugin for that. I wonder if affinity publisher can make that?

[@Inkling777]

I feel much the same about scripts. I layout complex, 500+-page books in InDesign. I couldn't manage that without a string of formatting scripts. I tried to recreate them in Publisher but hit a wall. While the scripting languages are similar, they're not the same and I've yet to see in samples I could tweak. I suspect the team at Affinity is so busy with the apps themselves, they've not got time for calendars and scripts. A website to share user-created material would be handy.

[@bendesignsmedia]

I've never used that plugin but someone else mentioned something similar on another video. What is it called?

[@skazala]

@@bendesignsmedia Adobe InDesign calendar wizard plugin

[@chintamanimahapatra1504]

Affinity doesn't support importing table from Excel and Word

[@bendesignsmedia]

Ok, good to know, this video though was really focused on tools not on all features of the programs, that would have made it a very, very, long video.

[@feralgamersincrpg]

I use Indesign at the moment but I do own Affinity Publisher, my main question is PDF types as many printers expect a particular PDF/x-1a does Affinity allow you to create PDFs with like these?

[@bendesignsmedia]

Some, check this page to see if the ones you need are there: affinity.help/publisher/en-US.lproj/index.html?page=pages/Publishing/publishPDFFiles.html?title=Publishing%20PDF%20files

[@PeaceIntheValley]

the best thing to do would be to send a test file to your printer and ask them. I am a printer and we use PDF all the time from Affinity.

[@MrSouthswag]

I have to keep my adobe account because I created my profile with adobe portfolio. If I switch to affinity I'll lose my portfolio.

[@bendesignsmedia]

That's true, you would need to make a portfolio somewhere else first, but that might be more work than it is worth

[@irischeung2433]

Thanks

[@bendesignsmedia]

You are welcome

[@MrSzwarz]

I await till both companies will kills each other or merge together, then we will have ALL tools ; )

[@bendesignsmedia]

Hopefully they don't ever merge, we need competition to drive innovation

[@kherve4255]

Next time leave the excuses for the end of the video

[@bendesignsmedia]

I'd call it setting expectations