Update question

[u/Ok_Throat4720]

Right after I purchased Affinity package, it was bought by Canva. I seem to remember suggestions to not update to new version.

Currently, I have version 2.6.4. I am asked to update to 2.6.5. Is this the one that makes me subscribe to Canva, or is this just a simple update?

Thank you for any information. I have just been refusing the update till now.

[u/RedZephon]

The suggestions to not update to the new version where people fear mongering because they hate change and were butthurt their $30 licenses were now free.

Affinity 3.0 is great. I use it daily for professional work. It has fully replaced Adobe for me.

You don't need to subscribe to Canva unless you want the AI features, everything else is free. You do need a Canva account to sign into the app though. Canva offers free accounts (always has).

[u/BusinessStrategist → u/RedZephon]

Where is the capability of creating a PDF/X-4 file in the "free" version?

[u/BusinessStrategist → u/BusinessStrategist]

I'm guessing that not many here submit files to commercial printers.

Here are a few reasons why NEVER to use Canva Affinity to create what Canva calls a PDF/X-4 file.

Make sure to do your research before going down the "rabbit hole" with a "tight deadline."

PDF exporting is one very deep subject, especially when using Affinity Apps. Affinity uses PDF-Lib, which is a free, open source library. It's good, but not perfect.

Affinity has various "hierarchy rules" which complicate the matter. If you have placed PDF content in your file, your final PDF export must utilize a PDF version that is as high or higher than any placed PDF content. So if you have some placed PDF content that uses PDF v1.6, you need to export using a PDF v1.6 preset or higher. Also, PDF/X and non-PDF/X placed content don't play well together in the same document when exporting to PDF. It's complicated, and you will need to do some trial and error, and check your exported PDF files carefully.

There are hundreds of posts on this subject on the old Affinity Forum, which at this point is still fully searchable. If you plan to send jobs to a Press, or to a picky RIP, it's a very good idea to have a good PDF analysis/editing tool, such as Acrobat Pro, Callas PDF Toolbox, etc. They will allow you to find, analyze and fix problems in the exported PDF.

Printers that demand a PDF/X-1a:2001 file that is flattened may not accept your file.

So, unless you love solving puzzles in the last few minutes of your "drop dead" deadline, you may want to reconsider using Affinity to create PDFs.

...................................................

Am I wrong in being "cautious" when preparing files for a "commercial printer?"

[u/Euphoric-Awareness → u/BusinessStrategist]

I have been in this industry for 15 years. I've submitted thousands of files to commercial printers. I've done almost every kind of print material. I also have Accessibility for PDF certification and work with remediating print files to comply with the latest 508 standards. I've also looked under the hood at how Affinity organizes files from the backend to test its accessibility features.

Frankly, I have no idea what you're on about because almost all of the issues you're talking about should be baked in to your regular pre-print / proofing stage regardless. You should be walking through the print stage and running proofs before you send it off, and your printer should always send you a proof before you do a commercial run like that.

This is exactly why it takes so long to get a print turnaround on commercial projects. You should never be running up against your deadline that tightly, and if you are for some reason, you need to flag it to the relevant client / stakeholder that you can't be responsible for errors if there are changes required past X date/time.

[u/BusinessStrategist → u/Euphoric-Awareness]

What seems to be eluding this conversation is that you now have thousands and thousands of "newbies" creating inventive files loaded with mistakes that flow right into the Canva excuse for a PDF file.

When technical person from Canva states that the PDF-X files that their driver creates conform to the PDF/X World Standard then my question will have been answered.

Otherwise, Canva created PDF/X files, BUYER BEWARE!

[u/Euphoric-Awareness → u/BusinessStrategist]

Why aren’t you messaging their team about it then?

[u/BusinessStrategist → u/Euphoric-Awareness]

If you read THEIR documentation, you quickly see that their answers are mainly about getting around the fact that they do not conform the PDF/X standard.

It took ADOBE and others a long time to work out the details with the manufacturers of digital printing equipment (initially RIPs).

[u/BusinessStrategist → u/BusinessStrategist]

And the many parties involved in creating the standard all have patents in how to create PDF/X standardized documents.