Canva Affinity Basics
Getting Started
One App, Many Talents
Affinity is a powerful suite of creative software that combines tools for vector illustration, photo editing, and page layout into a single, streamlined experience. Instead of jumping between different applications for different tasks, you can handle almost any design job within one window.
This is possible through a clever feature called “Personas.” Think of Personas as specialized workspaces, each tailored for a specific type of creative work. You can switch between them instantly, allowing you to edit a photo with pixel-based tools and then immediately jump back to refining the vector logo sitting on top of it.
Canva is also redesigning the Affinity interface to merge vector, pixel, and layout tools under one interface.
Meet the Personas
Affinity Designer, the vector illustration app, is a great example of this integrated workflow. It features three primary Personas you can switch between.
The Designer Persona is your main workspace for vector art. This is where you'll create scalable graphics like logos, icons, and illustrations using tools that draw clean lines and shapes.
The Pixel Persona lets you work with raster images. Switch to it when you need to add textures, erase parts of an image, or use painterly brush strokes. It's like having a photo editor built right in.
The Export Persona is dedicated to exporting your work. It gives you precise control over how you save different parts of your design as separate files, which is perfect for web and UI design.
You can find the Persona icons at the top-left corner of the application window. Just click the one you need, and the toolbars will instantly change to give you the right set of tools for the job.
Starting a New Project
Every design starts with a new document. When you create one in Affinity, you'll see a dialog box with a wide array of presets. These presets are designed to give you the correct settings for common tasks, saving you time and preventing technical mistakes.
Choosing the right preset is important. For example, a project meant for a website needs a different color mode and resolution than one destined for a printed flyer. Here are some of the most common categories you'll encounter.
| Preset Category | Common Use Case | Key Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Business cards, flyers, posters | CMYK Color, 300 DPI | |
| Web | Website graphics, banners | RGB Color, 72 DPI |
| Devices | App icons, UI mockups | RGB Color, Specific pixel dimensions |
| Photo | Standard photo editing sizes | RGB Color, High resolution |
After selecting a preset, you can still customize everything, from the exact dimensions to the margin guides. Once you click "Create," your blank canvas is ready to go.
Now that you know your way around the interface and can start a new project, let's test your understanding.
What is the primary function of "Personas" in the Affinity suite?
When creating a new document, selecting a preset for 'Print' versus 'Web' will primarily affect which two settings?
With these fundamentals, you're ready to start exploring the powerful tools Affinity has to offer.