Affinity

The poster file has made its fourth trip of the day between the photo editor and the drawing program. Retouching a photo and drawing its logo usually take two separate programs. Affinity covers the drawing and the photo editing, and its page layout tools open the same document. The tools sit in studios for each kind of work, and you can move them between studios to build a custom workspace.

For photographers, Affinity develops RAW files and merges several exposures into HDR images or stacked night-sky shots. Layered PSD files from Photoshop open with most masks and groups intact, while smart objects and advanced filters may be flattened. Illustrator files and InDesign IDML files also open, and some effects or tables may need fixing by hand.

Layout work rests on master pages and Data Merge, which builds many versions of one design from a data file. Finished pages export to PDF with bleed and crop marks, or go straight to Canva for editing with a team. Downloading the app requires a Canva account, and after a one-time online activation it runs offline. An iPad version is listed as coming soon.