Get Started with Affinity in 10 Minutes: Everything You Need to Know

In this video, world-renowned graphic designer and content creator Will Paterson gives an essential introduction to the award-winning Affinity suite for those wanting to get started quickly, succinctly explaining its features, how the apps work together and the unique tools that make Affinity stand out.

Overview of the Affinity Suite

Used by millions of professionals around the world, the Affinity suite is comprised of three creative tools: graphic design software Affinity Designer, photo editor Affinity Photo and page layout powerhouse Affinity Publisher.

The beauty of the Affinity suite is that even though these apps can be purchased separately, they all work seamlessly together. Will explains that if you own the entire suite, you have the ability to access the advanced toolsets of all three apps within a single interface thanks to Publisher’s groundbreaking StudioLink feature. No more tedious import and export – edit your images and designs without ever leaving your layout.

The Magic of StudioLink

Witness the magic of StudioLink as Will moves between Personas in Affinity Publisher with the click of a button. Learn more about Affinity Designer and its fully featured vector and raster workspaces, which make it the perfect tool for everything from logo creation to razor-sharp illustrations.

Affinity Publisher

Familiarise yourself with Affinity Publisher’s workspace as Will runs through everything from Persona switching to text wrapping, grids, guides, preview modes, snapping and more. He also introduces some of the page layout software’s core tools, like the Frame Text Tool for laying out text boxes and the Artistic Text Tool for creating dynamic headlines with adjustable size.

Layers and Alignment

Affinity’s powerful Layers Panel keeps everything organised logically for a smooth workflow. Will shows you how to easily hide, lock, or move layers and also how to identify different layers (text, shapes, groups) through their icons. He then walks you through the Alignment Tool, which lets you centre objects or align multiple shapes quickly, making layout design much simpler.

Affinity Designer

Switching back over to Affinity Designer, Will highlights the Contour Tool, which lets you offset shapes with a live preview, and the Corner Tool for rounding corners of vector shapes. He explains how these tools, alongside live previews, help create intricate and polished designs efficiently. Another tool Will loves is the Shape Builder Tool, which allows users to combine or subtract from shapes to create complex, custom designs. He demonstrates how this tool speeds up workflows by eliminating the need for manual adjustments.

Affinity Photo

Dive into the Photo Persona and learn more about the photo editor’s selection tools, brushes and advanced masking and colour capabilities. You’ll also learn more about one of Affinity’s standout features: Live filters, which allow users to apply effects like Radial Blur in real-time and adjust them non-destructively. Will explains how the suite’s lack of smart objects (unlike other apps) makes workflows faster, as adjustments remain editable at any time.

Creating Effects and Using Blend Modes

Next, Will touches on how to apply blend modes to create stunning visual effects, such as layering textures over designs. Using paper textures from Unsplash, he shows how easy it is to change blending options and preview results in real-time without slowing down performance. This helps designers quickly refine the look of their projects.

For adding effects to text or layers, Will demonstrates the Layer Effects feature, where you can apply multiple effects (such as shadows, glows, and embossing) to create dynamic visual elements. He emphasises how user-friendly this feature is, making it simple to experiment with different looks.

Affinity Versus Other Creative Suites

Finally, learn what makes the Affinity suite stand out from the competition. Will highlights:

• No subscription model – the apps are available for a one-off purchase, making them a cost-effective alternative to other design software
• Cross-platform consistency – all Affinity apps are available on iPad with the same features as on desktop, allowing you to work seamlessly between devices
• Non-destructive editing – whether you’re scaling objects, applying filters, or editing text, nothing is baked into the image and everything stays editable at all times