Affinity Photo 2 is a professional-grade photo editing software developed by Serif, designed to rival Adobe Photoshop with its powerful features, affordability, and one-time purchase model. It is part of the Affinity suite, alongside Affinity Designer and Affinity Publisher, and is available for macOS, Windows, and iPad. Below is a detailed description of its features and capabilities:
Key Features
Non-Destructive RAW Editing
- Affinity Photo 2 introduces non-destructive RAW processing, allowing users to revisit and adjust RAW development settings even after applying additional layers or edits. This feature places it on par with Photoshop in terms of RAW editing flexibility.
Personas for Specialized Workflows
Affinity Photo 2 utilizes "Personas," which are distinct workspaces tailored for specific tasks:
- Develop Persona: For RAW image processing with tools similar to Adobe Camera Raw.
- Photo Persona: The main workspace for detailed editing with masks, layers, and filters.
- Liquify Persona: For advanced distortion effects.
- Tone Mapping Persona: Designed for HDR editing and tone adjustment.
- Export Persona: Streamlines the export process with advanced options.
Advanced Layer Management
- Supports an unlimited number of layers (limited only by system memory).
- Includes live filters and adjustments that can be applied non-destructively to layers, such as Gaussian blur or sharpening.
- New "Layer States" allow users to toggle between different layer setups within the same project.
Live Masks
- Introduced in Version 2, live masks include:
- Hue Range Masks: Adjust specific hues in an image for targeted color corrections.
- Luminosity Masks: Adjust brightness levels selectively.
- Compound Masks: Combine multiple masks using operations like add, subtract, or intersect for complex masking workflows.
Mesh Warp Tool
- The new Live Mesh Warp tool enables localized perspective adjustments and warping effects. It is particularly useful for creative projects like mockups or correcting distortions.
Astrophotography Tools
- Features an astrophotography stacking tool that aligns stars accurately while processing light frames, dark frames, flat frames, and more. It also includes tools to reduce noise and adjust backgrounds for astrophotography enthusiasts.
Comprehensive Editing Tools
- Includes advanced retouching tools like frequency separation for skin smoothing, inpainting brushes for object removal, and cloning tools.
- Offers tone mapping for realistic or hyper-real HDR effects.
- Supports focus stacking, panorama stitching, and 360-degree image editing.
Brush Engine Enhancements
- Improved brush engine supports natural media brushes as well as vector-based painting tools.
File Format Support
- High compatibility with various formats including PSD (Photoshop), PDF, SVG, JPEG XL, WebP, and more.
- Allows seamless file interoperability within the Affinity suite (Designer and Publisher).
Advantages
- Affordable Pricing Model: Available as a one-time purchase without requiring a subscription, making it cost-effective compared to Adobe Photoshop.
- Cross-Platform Consistency: The iPad version offers nearly identical functionality to the desktop versions at a fraction of the cost.
- Performance: Optimized for modern hardware with smooth performance on macOS and Windows devices.
Limitations
- Lacks a built-in asset management system or photo library functionality (e.g., no equivalent to Adobe Lightroom or Bridge).
- Does not include AI-driven features like Adobe’s Neural Filters or automatic sky/subject detection.
- May have a steeper learning curve for beginners due to its professional-level tools.
Reception
Affinity Photo 2 has been praised for its powerful capabilities that rival Photoshop while being significantly more affordable. Its non-destructive editing features, live filters, and astrophotography tools make it a versatile choice for photographers and designers alike. However, it is best suited for users who are already familiar with advanced photo editing workflows.
Overall, Affinity Photo 2 stands out as one of the most feature-rich Photoshop alternatives on the market today.
Sources [1] Affinity Photo 2 Review 2023 - Space.com https://www.space.com/affinity-photo-2-review [2] Affinity Photo 2 Review - top value professional photo editing software https://amateurphotographer.com/review/affinity-photo-2-review/ [3] 5 things we love about Affinity Photo 2 https://affinityspotlight.com/article/5-things-we-love-about-affinity-photo-2/ [4] What's New in Affinity Photo 2 - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV6DLuYbuwo [5] Will Affinity Photo 2 Take a Chomp out of Adobe's Apple ... - Fstoppers https://fstoppers.com/reviews/will-affinity-photo-2-take-chomp-out-adobes-apple-review-editing-software-621749 [6] Features of Affinity Photo 2 https://affinity.help/photo2/English.lproj/pages/Introduction/keyFeatures.html?list=newFeatures [7] Affinity Photo 2 review - Life after Photoshop https://www.lifeafterphotoshop.com/affinity-photo-2-review/ [8] Affinity V2 New features list - Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Affinity/comments/yqh5lc/affinity_v2_new_features_list/ [9] Affinity Photo 2 review: The best Photoshop alternative https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/photo-editing/1417773/affinity-photo-2-review [10] Affinity Version 2 sets new standards in creative software https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/press/newsroom/affinity-v2-sets-new-standards-in-creative-software/
Description
FREE 7-day trial.
One-off, in-app purchase for lifetime access after the trial.
No subscription.
The first choice of millions of creative professionals around the world, the award-winning Affinity Photo set a new standard for quality and value in the world of image editing.
The ultra-powerful Affinity Photo 2 takes the experience to a whole new level, thanks to the addition of incredible new features, hundreds of enhancements, and a completely redesigned UI for an improved workflow.
REFINED & REDESIGNED WITH POWERFUL NEW FEATURES
- Fully redeveloped UI, tool, and button icons
- Completely revamped Layers Panel
- Non-destructive RAW develop
- Luminosity, hue range and band pass live masks
- Compound masks
- Non-destructive Live Mesh Warp filter
- Smart layer states to experiment with design options and versions
- Drag / drop bitmap texture fills
- JPEG XL file import and export
- Force scale everything
- Multiple shadow, outline and overlay layer effects per object
INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE
- Massive image support (100+ Megapixels)
- Pan and zoom at maximum refresh rate, with ProMotion support on latest Apple displays
- Open, edit and save Photoshop® PSD files
- RGB, CMYK, Greyscale and LAB color spaces
- Full 16-bit and linear unbounded 32-bit per channel editing
- Work with all standard formats like PNG, TIFF, JPG, JPEG XL, GIF, SVG, EPS, EXR, HDR and PDF
UNSURPASSED PRODUCTIVITY
- Full support for unlimited layers, layer groups, adjustment layers, filter layers and masks
- Edit live filters, adjustments, effects, blend modes and masks non-destructively
- Savable undo history
- Record and play macros
- Isolate, edit, and duplicate spare channels with a simple click
- Savable workspace presets for multiple UI layouts
- PDF passthrough, import, edit and export
- Link layers to edit simultaneously
PROFESSIONAL IMAGE PROCESSING
- Open RAW and other images in a 16-bit development workspace
- Adjust exposure, blackpoint, clarity, vibrance, white balance, shadows, highlights and more
- Advanced lens corrections including chromatic aberration, defringe, vignette, noise reduction
- Paint areas or use fully customizable gradients to mask adjustments
- View histograms, blown highlights, shadows and tones as well as detailed EXIF information
- Focus Merge, HDR Merge and Tone mapping for advanced image processing
QUALITY RETOUCHING & CORRECTION TOOLS
- Intuitive selection brush makes selections simple, even down to strands of hair
- Dodge, burn, clone, patch, blemish, red eye and advanced inpainting for retouching
- Smooth and retouch skin with built-in frequency separation
- Dedicated Liquify persona and non-destructive filter version gives freehand control over warps, twirls, pinch, punch, and turbulence
ADVANCED BRUSH ENGINE
- Huge library of painting, drawing, textures, and professional DAUB® Brushes included
- Create custom brushes and nozzles with full control over advanced dynamics
- Combine multiple brushes together and paint in a single stroke
- Full support for Wacom and other graphics tablets, including pressure, tilt, and shortcut buttons
- Real-time preview of your brush nozzle
FAST, CUSTOMIZABLE EFFECTS
- Massive collection of effects available, including blurs, distortions, tilt-shift, shadows, glows, lighting, and many more
- Apply effects non-destructively with live effect layers
- Path text capabilities
- Add and edit pattern layers non-destructively
- Add and edit pattern layers non-destructively