Affinity update adds key new tools and a world first

The Affinity creative suite gets exciting new features in another free update available now.

Affinity version 2.5 is the first update to be released since the company was acquired by Canva in March and represents a continued commitment to add key new features to photo editing software Affinity Photo, graphic design software Affinity Designer and Affinity Publisher, for page layout.

Affinity CEO Ashley Hewson says: “From variable font support and a new Stroke Width tool, to our world-leading new optimisation for Windows users, Affinity 2.5 introduces yet another batch of new features and fixes to improve workflow.

“Continual updates remain at the heart of the Affinity ethos and we are already working hard on the next set of additions.”

The ability to use variable fonts in all Affinity apps opens up a new world of typographic design possibilities. As well as providing predefined font styles, such as light, bold and condensed, variable fonts give users fine control of text design.

Available alongside the Pencil Tool in Affinity Designer’s toolbar, the new Stroke Width Tool gives users an on-document way of editing the pressure profile of any curve. Further improvements to the Pencil Tool include a new curve-smoothing algorithm which gives better, smoother results overall.

In all apps, a new QR Code Tool is now available from the shapes flyout in the toolbar, making it easy to add a QR code to documents.

Affinity today becomes the first creative suite to be fully optimised for Windows PCs with the very latest Snapdragon X Elite chip. Users of the new devices will notice incredible speed improvements whether working on simple edits or complex multilayered documents.

Affinity lead developer Andy Somerfield says: “Since the inception of Affinity, we’ve been fixated on performance, wanting to produce the fastest, smoothest creative experience possible. The new Snapdragon X Elite range allows Affinity to perform at its full potential, and we’re now seeing speeds on much smaller, lightweight devices that were previously only possible with high-end desktop PCs.”

Affinity 2.5 is free to download for existing Affinity customers.