Affinity Suite Course

Lesson 1 • Overview of the Affinity Ecosystem

Introduces the three core Affinity apps, their purposes, and how they interoperate. Establishes the conceptual map students use throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • File Management and Export Basics

Covers native file formats, package saving, and basic export options. Students leave able to save and share work without data loss.

Lesson 3 • Document Setup and Preferences

Teaches how to configure new documents with correct dimensions, color modes, and resolution. Proper setup prevents costly rework later in production.

Lesson 1 • Node Editing and Path Refinement

Deepens path editing with the Node tool, including adding, deleting, and converting nodes. Refines artwork to professional precision standards.

Lesson 2 • Boolean and Path Operations

Applies Add, Subtract, Intersect, and Divide operations to combine vector shapes. Enables complex silhouette creation without manual node editing.

Lesson 3 • Pen Tool and Bezier Curves

Teaches point placement, handle manipulation, and smooth vs. sharp nodes. Bezier mastery is essential for custom logo and illustration work.

Lesson 4 • Fills, Strokes, and Appearance

Configures solid, gradient, and pattern fills alongside stroke weight and style. Appearance settings directly affect how artwork prints and exports.

Lesson 1 • Gradients and Transparency Effects

Applies linear, radial, conical, and mesh gradients alongside opacity and blend modes. These effects add depth and visual hierarchy to designs.

Lesson 2 • Building and Managing Swatches

Teaches creating global, spot, and application-level swatch palettes. Shared palettes enforce brand consistency across multi-document projects.

Lesson 3 • Understanding Color Modes

Explains RGB, CMYK, LAB, and grayscale modes and when each is appropriate. Correct mode selection prevents color shifts at output.

Lesson 1 • OpenType Features and Advanced Options

Activates ligatures, small caps, alternate glyphs, and optical sizing via OpenType. Advanced features elevate typographic quality to editorial standards.

Lesson 2 • Character and Paragraph Formatting

Covers font selection, size, leading, tracking, kerning, and paragraph alignment. These controls form the foundation of readable, professional typography.

Lesson 3 • Text on a Path and Warping

Places text along vector paths and applies warp effects for creative layouts. Builds on vector skills from Chapter 2 to merge type and illustration.

Lesson 4 • Paragraph and Character Styles

Teaches creating, applying, and updating named styles for consistent formatting. Style-based workflows dramatically speed up multi-page document production.

Lesson 1 • Filters, Effects, and Live Filters

Applies blur, sharpen, distort, and stylize filters as non-destructive live filter layers. Live filters allow iterative creative experimentation without pixel damage.

Lesson 2 • Raw Development and Develop Persona

Processes raw camera files using exposure, white balance, and lens correction controls. Raw editing preserves maximum image data for downstream adjustments.

Lesson 3 • Selection and Masking Techniques

Uses marquee, lasso, magic wand, and Select Subject tools to isolate image areas. Precise selections are the prerequisite for targeted retouching and compositing.

Lesson 4 • Retouching and Healing Tools

Covers Inpainting, Healing Brush, Clone Stamp, and Blemish Removal for image cleanup. Retouching skills apply directly to portrait, product, and editorial photography.

Lesson 1 • Pixel and Vector Masks

Teaches painting pixel masks and clipping vector shapes as masks for precise compositing. Masking is the primary non-destructive method for isolating and blending elements.

Lesson 2 • Layer Effects and Styles

Applies drop shadows, inner glows, bevels, and outlines as editable layer effects. Effects are reusable via styles, accelerating consistent design production.

Lesson 3 • Layer Panel and Organization

Covers layer creation, naming, grouping, locking, and reordering in the Layers panel. Organized layer structures are essential for collaborative and long-term projects.

Lesson 4 • Blend Modes and Opacity

Explains how each blend mode category—darken, lighten, contrast, and component—affects compositing. Blend modes enable light, shadow, and texture integration.

Lesson 1 • Sections, TOC, and Indexes

Configures document sections, generates a table of contents, and builds an index. These features are required for book-length and reference publications.

Lesson 2 • Frames, Linking, and Flow

Places image and text frames, links text chains, and manages content flow across pages. Frame linking is the core mechanism for long-document text management.

Lesson 3 • Preflight and Print-Ready Export

Runs preflight checks for missing fonts, images, and color issues before export. Produces press-ready PDFs with bleeds, crop marks, and correct color profiles.

Lesson 4 • Tables and Data-Driven Content

Builds and styles tables for reports, schedules, and pricing layouts. Tables extend Publisher's utility to data-heavy professional documents.

Lesson 1 • Batch Processing and Macros

Records macros in Affinity Photo and applies them to image batches for automated processing. Batch workflows handle high-volume photography and asset preparation efficiently.

Lesson 2 • StudioLink and Cross-App Editing

Uses StudioLink to switch between Designer and Photo personas inside Publisher without leaving the document. Eliminates round-trip file transfers in integrated projects.

Lesson 3 • Export Personas and Output Presets

Configures slices, export personas, and saved presets for web, print, and app asset delivery. Preset-based export ensures consistent, error-free output across all projects.

Lesson 4 • Assets, Snippets, and Libraries

Organizes reusable design elements, symbols, and text snippets in the Assets panel. Shared libraries reduce repetitive work and enforce brand standards.