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To ‘Affinity and Back’!

By 15/06/2023July 20th, 2023No Comments

A SUMMER SALE!!

 

It is no secret that I am a big fan (and user) of Serif’s Affinity Suite.

I had used Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign for several years, but once I left the nine-to-five, then the subscription prices became a little silly. So when Affinity arrived on the scene and I discovered it in 2018, I was really keen to try it out.

Within a month I was hooked. All the programs are so easy to use. And whilst it might have seemed easier to me as I already had a good idea of the way the programs should work from my previous experience, they really are pretty straightforward.

From that moment I moved all the graphics and books I was creating into Affinity. There are maybe a half dozen instances when I have to switch back, but not enough to cause me any significant issues. And to be honest there are always alternative options – usually for free – if necessary.

For a one-off payment for each program (around $68/£68 at the time of updating this post, and often half that), you get lifetime access and updates. You can buy all three for a substantial discount, along with iPad versions. Their support forums are really good, and they do take notice of most (not all) of what you ask for in future updates. At the time of writing, we are still waiting on an auto-trace feature in Designer. That’s on everybody’s wish list!

And then it occurred to me that just because I found it easy to suss out the new programs, there may be people who were really struggling with the basic concepts of desktop publishing and graphic creation.

Things like:

  • mastering Master pages
  • making autoflow work for you
  • using tables as foundations for planner pages
  • understanding Affinity’s Personas
  • the easiest way to set up the toolbars to increase your efficiency
  • what shortcuts can save you so much time
  • creating templates for endless uses
  • getting the best out of the text tools
  • using the pen and pencil tools without stressing
  • how to draw – without actually drawing!
  • how shapes can be your building blocks for so many things
  • and so much more that can get you started using these great programs!

I started recording all these basic methods and many more that I use every day to create Low Content Books, graphics, and illustrations for those books with a view to creating easy-to-follow courses for others to follow while publishing books on Amazon KDP, Barnes & Noble, and other platforms for printables.

And so the MY Affinity Progress Courses were born.

Starting with Part One for Publisher, and then, Part Two for Designer. and now Part Three for Photo is also available.

So far the courses have been very well-received (check out the reviews on the sales pages) and seem to be helping a lot more people start their publishing businesses and get over the fear of using ‘complicated programs’ to create their products.

Now although these courses were recorded using Version 1 of the Affinity Suite, if you buy Version 2 you will hardly notice the difference in terms of basic usage, so all the courses are just as relevant. Anything that is not I am updating where needed.

And you’re not just restricted to creating and publishing books. You can use your newfound skills to create graphics for small businesses, for marketing, for social media agencies, and a great deal more. All you need is practice and the confidence to know that you CAN do it, and if you forget – well you can always watch the videos again … and again!

If online publishing is your ‘thing’ and if you’d like to get better at it using one set of tools, then check more details of what I’m talking about, at  the links below:

And if you jump in before June 24th – 2023 – you can get a massive 35% off any of the courses. Use the links above and the coupon code ‘SZJUNE23‘ before June 24th this year.

Also included in the sale is the shorter course for converting your PLR PDFs to Affinity templates – To Affinity and Beyond.  You’ll never be stuck about what to do with a PDF product again. Click this specific link for a discounted price on this course.

There is a Facebook Group for support and a direct email address for me for any questions or issues.

Let’s get designing!

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