Author | Jackie

Whether or not you should invest in new software for your online business is a difficult decision. And, it isn’t just the cost. You also have to factor in time to learn how to use the software.

In this article, we’ll look at what Affinity Publisher can offer your online or small business. We’ll look at:

• What type of software it is.
• How much it costs.
• What you can use it for.

What is Affinity Publisher?

Affinity Serif 

You may have come across Affinity under the name of Serif. Serif is the company name and they’ve created a suite of three design software apps, with Version 2 being the most recent launch:

• Affinity Publisher - for desktop publishing, similar to Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Publisher
• Affinity Designer - for graphic design, similar to Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw
• Affinity Photo - for photo editing, similar to Adobe Photoshop or Capture One

Affinity Publisher

Publisher is the desktop publishing app from Serif and is perfect for digital planner design.

Don’t be put off by the term desktop publishing. This goes way beyond books and magazines. Think of it as page layout software. It excels at everything you need to create digital stationery i.e. big documents with hundreds of hyperlinked pages, with a document-wide style guide. 

Affinity Publisher Workspace | with planner templates

Isn’t design software expensive?

Yes, good design software can be. For example, Adobe packages are a significant monthly commitment. Ideally, you need to be using more than one of their apps and using them regularly to get your money’s worth. And, if you stop your subscription, you stop getting access.

That is one of the reasons I now use and recommend Affinity Publisher. It is a one off payment - the equivalent of just a couple of months of an Adobe subscription. There is no ongoing subscription and you get a free, fully-featured trial period. 

My Own Experience of Affinity

When I moved over from Adobe to Affinity, it wasn’t easy for me. I was a BIG fan of Adobe and truly loved using the software. I decided to try Affinity as it was more accessible and price-friendly for the beginners I wanted to teach. I wasn’t sure what to expect!

I’ve now made the transition and…I love it! Affinity Publisher:

• is as effective as Adobe at designing beautiful digital stationery
• is fast and light without years of bloated code that grinds my machine to a halt
• even has features I love for digital planner design you don’t find in Adobe
• has a great community of fans who are willing to share their knowledge

Affinity Publisher offers self-taught designers access to professional-level design software at an affordable price.

Grab the Free Guide | Best Affinity Publisher Tools for Digital Planner Design

What can I do with it?

1 | Digital Planner Design

Well, there’s digital planner design of course! 

With its Master Pages, Global Swatches, and Text Styles it makes handling large, hyperlinked documents a piece of cake:

• It helps you keep design elements consistent over hundreds of pages.
• Page layouts can be changed once and ripple through the entire document in seconds.
• Templates can quickly be transformed into multiple, unique digital planners.

2 | Digital Sticker Design

You can also make digital planner stickers inside Affinity Publisher. 

One of the strengths of Affinity Publisher for digital design is the ability to create pages with different sizes within one document. 

For example: the digital stickers in the image below are square, portrait, and landscape. Although the pages are different sizes, they can all be exported in one step! 

This kit is a Bonus and comes as part of the Make Your Own Digital Planner using Templates & Affinity Publisher course.

Affinity Publisher | Designing Digital Note Stickers

3 | Other Digital Stationery

Digital Stationery comes in all shapes and sizes. Once you’ve learnt how to create your first digital planner, it will open up a whole new world of design possibilities. 

I believe developing design skills is truly valuable and time well spent for an online or small business owner.

For example, you can find templates for:

• Workbooks for your courses or lead magnets
• Journals to complement courses or add value to services
• Budget planners
• Project planners
• Student notebooks
• Teacher planners
• Faith Journals
• …and the list goes on

4 | Printable Design

And, you’re not limited to digital stationery. The skills are the same whether the design is for a printable or a digital download.

Printable designs are generally smaller and quicker to make. It is not unusual to find individual pages or a handful of pages as a kit for sale. 

Printables also make really effective Lead Magnets. They are helpful and quick to make. With your new-found Affinity Publisher skills, creating a new, useful lead magnet will take no time at all.

Templates included in the Make Your Own Digital Planner Course

5 | Mockups to sell your planners and printables

Creating a digital planner or notebook is just the first step. You then have to create mockups to showcase your new designs.

Unlike physical products where you can simply take photos, digital products need mockups. With a few good templates, they take minutes to make in Affinity Publisher.

6 | Sales Page Graphics

Alongside mockups, you will need sales page graphics to sell your digital products. And again, the key to speed is creating a handful of templates that are your go-to, pre-branded graphics.

I talk endlessly about the power of templates! As an individual running an online business myself, they really are something I couldn’t live without. The time they save is incredible. Not only can you find an abundance of templates online, once you know how to use them, you can create your own! So they save not only time but money too.

7 | Social media graphics

Yes, you can make your social media graphics quickly and easily in Affinity Publisher. You are basically creating a layout on a page using photos, shapes and text. All of which is easy in Affinity Publisher. 

I recommend you build up a document with multiple pages in, each page with a different design or for a different social channel. When you need your social media graphics, simply open the document, change the content on one or more of the pages, and export your new images. 

It doesn’t take long to build a substantial template file, helping you create your branded social media content in minutes. How lovely would that be!

8 | Books

Depending on your current income streams, or perhaps new income streams you hope to add in the future, Affinity Publisher makes designing and creating PDF eBooks or books for Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) a pleasure. After all, it is what the software was created for in the first place - book and magazine design!

Did I mention templates? Yes, you can find templates for PDF eBooks and KDP books too!

So, is Affinity worth it?

I would have to say a resounding yes!

You will have to invest some money up front, but a free trial plus one-off payment is a small investment for such a big return.

And, you will have to invest some time to learn the software. But, with…templates…you can produce your first digital planner in a weekend! 

I've said invest a few times. Because, I believe it is just that. And a good investment too. As small business owners or budding solopreneurs, it is imperative that we continue to invest in ourselves. Skills are a true business asset.

Ready to have a go?

Why not grab the free Guide - Make Your Own Digital Planner | 3 Questions you need to ask before you sit down to design.

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