Canva Affinity

Affinity by Canva is a new unified app that combines the former Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher applications into a single platform.

Affinity gives you advanced photo editing, graphic design, and page layout tools under one roof. It includes highly requested features such as Image Trace, ePub support, mesh gradients, hatch fills, live glitch filter, as well as custom capabilities that allow you to rearrange panels and combine tools to build your own unique studios.

Affinity is free to use with a Canva account, but certain generative AI features require a Canva Pro subscription, for example Generative Fill, Generative Expand, Generate Image/Vector, and more.

Is Affinity really free?

Yes, Affinity is free. You can use every tool in the Pixel, Vector, and Layout studios, plus all of the customization and export features, as much as you want, with no restrictions or payment needed. The app will also receive free updates with new features and improvements added.

Will I be able to open and edit the files I made in Affinity V1 and V2 in the new Affinity app?

Yes, the new desktop version of Affinity can open all files created in Affinity V2 or V1 apps. However, Affinity V1 and V2 cannot open files that are created or saved in the newer app, Affinity by Canva.

Can I import my Adobe files into Affinity?

Yes, it's easy to import PSDs, AIs, IDMLs, DWGs, and other file types into Affinity, with structure, layers, and creative intent preserved.

How does this affect existing Affinity users?

Existing users can continue to use their older Affinity v1 and v2 apps. Canva and Affinity will keep activation servers and downloads available for these versions, though they will not receive future updates.

Features

Affinity comes with built-in Vector, Pixel, and Layout studios, but you're not locked in. Rearrange panels and mix and match your favorite tools to build custom studios. You can save multiple setups, switch between them in a click, and even share with others or download theirs. It's customization that flexes to your workflow.

A platform that can keep up with you

Ultra fast, super smooth, and incredibly precise, Affinity keeps up with you when you need it most. Every adjustment, filter, and layer effect updates live, meaning you can see your work exactly how it will export and achieve pixel-perfect designs every time.

No harm done

Non-destructive editing keeps your original layers and files intact, giving you the peace of mind you need to be truly creative. No smart objects or workarounds. Stack edits, then tweak, erase, reorder, or remove them, without ever committing or flattening.

Fully-fueled photo editing

From epic image composites to non-destructive RAW editing, Affinity has everything you need from your pro photo editing software.

Advanced retouching

Touch up your images so fast and flawlessly, the edits are undetectable.

Epic image compositing

Start with a single image, end with a full-blown, multi-layered masterpiece.

Full RAW editing

Make precise RAW edits non-destructively, from first tweak to final export.

Stacks, batch & macros

Automate your workflow and save tons of time with these useful features, no plug-ins needed.

Advanced vector design

Powerful enough to design a full UI system, yet fast enough to sketch out a logo idea mid-meeting, designing in Affinity just feels right.

Curve editing

Snap, reshape, and flow: Affinity's curve editing tools are built for total control so you can sculpt every line with precision.

Shapes

Create and customize geometric elements using only one tool with Shape Builder.

Gradients

Create gradients that add depth, color, and texture to your designs with Affinity's Fill Tool.

Image trace

From flat image to fully editable vectors, Affinity's Image Trace gives you a clean, scalable foundation in seconds.

Page layout powerhouse

Whether you're laying out a book, brochure, or multi-section report, Affinity helps you tackle even the most heavyweight publishing projects.

What's New

New Features

General

• Brand Kit integration
• Leverage centralised Brand Kits in Affinity
• Build pro assets on-brand in Affinity
• Export directly to your Brand Kits

AI Automation with Claude

• No coding knowledge required
• Describe repetitive production tasks in plain language to Claude Desktop
• Work with existing documents as well as new ones
• Save automations to the Scripts panel to reuse

Import Affinity content into DaVinci Resolve

• For pro-level overlays and end cards
• Edited Affinity content updates automatically on timeline
• Split layers for more editing control
• Apply motion via keyframes

Graphic Design

Vector Blob Brush Tool

• Build new shapes from brush outlines
• Add to existing shape's geometry
• Includes pressure support

Vector Blob Erase Tool

• The erase equivalent of the Vector Blob Brush Tool

Photo Editing

• Editing CaptureOne content in Affinity
  • Organize Affinity files easily with Capture One library's expansive filtering options
  • Continue editing non-destructively without manually exporting files
  • Retain masks and editing context without flattening the image
  • Access more advanced layer-based retouching/composition workflows
• Texture filter
  • Enhance fine surface detail without harsh contrast
  • Balance detail before sharpening
  • Maintain realism while refining image quality
• Multi Band sharpen filter
  • A new Fine Detail sharpening option
• Raw image processing:
  • New mask types: Object Selection, Luminosity, Hue Range and Compound.
  • Choice of tone curve methods on opening raw files
  • Sharpening and tone curve settings are remembered
  • Panorama, merge and stacking operations now use the currently set develop process
  • Focus peaking visual aid for evaluating image focus and sharpness
• Astrophotography improvements
• Auto stretch: options to preserve important highlights and detail
• Optional disabling of Tone Stretch when stacking FIT files
• Automatic color mapping of layers
• Assign color mapping in the Stacked Images panel
• AI Quality settings for Generate Image/Vector and Generative Edit
• Pigment model for natural color blending (Paint Mixer/Smudge brush tools)

Page Layout

• Image bullets – use an image file in place of a standard bullet glyph, with support for object defaults and text styles.
  • Any placeable image file type supported
  • Scale and offset controls relative to font size
  • Vector images retained on export where possible
  • SVGs can inherit font fill colour via currentColor
• Improved OpenType font support
  • Available via the Character panel and Text Style Editor
  • Apply a font-supplied or custom palette to color fonts
  • Recolor fonts by applying a blend: color, hue, or alpha
• Paste a URL onto selected text to create a hyperlink

Improvements and fixes

This article lists the key improvements and bug fixes included in this version.

For all users

Fixes for:

• Customer feedback doesn't send when trying to send current document with no other attachments
• App crashes when adding a caption to a picture frame based on a master page
• Object captions shift vertically when the object is transformed if the caption text frame is scaled
• Only the caption at the bottom of the layer stack is anchored when rotating an image with multiple captions
• Master page captions aren't shown on publication pages unless the page is zoomed
• Caption counter doesn't respect right facing master page
• Unable to add a global swatch from text object using the right-click context menu
• Selecting a logical condition in the Data Merge Data viewer process tab scrolls it back to the top of the panel
• A new text style can be based on itself before being created

For Mac users

• 2-bit images inside PDF files import with incorrect colours
• Linked vector stock panel resources are reported missing after a system restart
• Color Picker is laggy when zooming/panning
• Light UI mode fixes:
  • Links panel contrast issues
  • Many panel controls have too little contrast
  • Index: blue highlight runs through some of the text in the fields
  • Subscription upgrade and onboarding window is dark
  • The Welcome screen user name drop-down arrow is hidden
  • Switching between Light UI and Dark UI mode after launch fails to change the page number colour in the Pages panel
• The Data Merge Data viewer button text overflows the buttons when the panel is at its narrowest width
• Right-hand-side panels' widths behave oddly
• Automatically named layers suffer from a contrast issue
• Reference to Serif in submit feedback error message

For Windows users

• App instability:
  • When closing a file in the Tone Mapping Studio
  • When auto-expanding groups with another layer
  • When overwriting existing slices failing to show the overwrite warning dialog
  • When Ctrl-clicking more than one file under the recent documents tab on the home screen
  • On import IDML files (user specific)
• The stroke in the context toolbar won't accept values >100
• Layer visibility toggle in the Layers panel retains focus after clicking it
• The Typography panel check boxes and radio buttons are not visible in Light UI mode
• Subfolders fail to show their content when adding templates
• Pixabay vector option is not working
• Recent document has a white gradient appearing when it overflows
• New from clipboard command only functions if there is already a document open
• The Reset Content Migration prompt is still found under Clear User Data

Previous release notes

At Affinity, we've always built alongside our community, constantly evolving the app and listening to the creatives who use it every day.

This month is no different, we're delivering long-requested improvements and new craft capabilities that strengthen real creative workflows. From Light UI to Convert to Curves, these updates were shaped by you. Every feature in this release loops back to conversations we've been having with our community.

Here's what we built.

Work your way with a lighter interface

Light UI has been one of your most requested features for a long time. It's here now, and it's fully yours to customize. Offering a brighter workspace for those who prefer it.

For layout-heavy projects, long studio days, or simply personal preference, Light UI creates a cleaner, more luminous environment to work in. And just like Dark Mode, it's fully adjustable. You can fine-tune the interface brightness to suit your preference, whether you want something crisp or a little more muted.

Affinity should feel like your space. However you work, and however long you work, the environment should support your focus rather than distract from it. Light UI makes that possible.

Turn pixel selections into clean vector artwork, instantly

This update also introduces a faster way to move from raster to vector. With Convert to Curves in the Vector menu, you can turn a pixel selection into a fully editable vector curve instantly.

For designers and illustrators looking to turn parts of a photo into clean vector artwork, this removes the need for manual tracing. A selected subject can be converted and refined without redrawing every contour. Silhouettes, logo-style graphics, and cut-outs for posters or social media thumbnails can now be created in a fraction of the time.

Used alongside the Object Selection tool, the transition from pixels to vectors feels smooth and uninterrupted, helping you maintain momentum throughout the process.

Blend layers dynamically and non-destructively

Live Tone Blend Groups introduce a new approach to compositing in Affinity. When you place layers inside one of these dynamic groups, they begin blending with the underlying composition in real time, completely non-destructively.

For compositors, digital artists, and image editors, this simplifies the workflow. Instead of manually matching tones with clipped adjustments and channel manipulations, blending becomes a one-click process. And unlike destructive harmonizing tools in other software, Live Tone Blend Groups remain fully editable and render smoothly even in complex documents. Blending settings can be refined at any stage, and individual layers can still be adjusted whenever needed.

Plus so much more

Alongside these features, you'll find even more refinements shaped directly by your feedback. These aren't random additions. They're answers to everyday friction and those "why can't it just…" moments.

We're closing the loop for illustrators and digital painters who wanted instant access to their full brush library, with a new right-click brush menu. And for those asking for a simpler way to manage documents, there's now a right-click menu on document tabs, so you can quickly check Color Format and Size, close other files, float a window, and more in seconds.

With every update in this release, we're refining, tightening, and smoothing the edges. Making Affinity feel more natural. More powerful. More like home every time you open it.

Full release notes

General

• Document tabs offer a context menu
  • Display color, file name and/or dimensions
  • Close/Close All commands
  • Float tabs as new window
  • Control one-document tab visibility
• Light UI style
  • View the user interface in a light appearance instead of dark
• Automatically assign Vector or Pixel view mode on document creation

Graphic Design

• Create curves from pixel selections
  • Ideal for creating editable sharp-edged vector masks
  • Any method for creating pixel selections is valid
• Edit gradient and hatch swatches directly in the Swatches panel
• Pen tool improvements
  • While drawing with Pen Tool active:
    • The P key cancels further drawing of the current curve
    • Alt-clicking on any node converts it to a sharp node
    • Alt-dragging on any node converts it to a sharp node and mirrors control handle length
    • Shift-click on any node to add a sharp node
    • Click on any node to delete it
  • Rubber Band Mode, for previewing a new curve segment, is now enabled by default
  • All Pen Tool General settings are remembered across documents and sessions
  • Join Curves is now available on the Vector Menu

Photo Editing

• Tone Brush Tool
  • For smoother, more realistic blending of images in your composite
  • Continuously samples the underlying layer content
  • Blend, Inverse Blend or Dodge/Burn methods
  • Creates independent tone layers
• Develop Studio: choice of tone curves
  • Use for images with high-contrast dynamic ranges
  • Compressed, Natural, High Contrast and Log options
• Live Tone Blend Groups
  • Simple and realistic compositing
  • Tonal and color integration
  • Avoids time-consuming adjustment clipping
  • Grouped layer content blends with underlying content
  • Great for text, images and shapes
  • Group-level control
  • Non-destructive behaviour
• Easily access brush settings via right click
• Faster painting workflows
• Displays from the cursor position
• No transit time to context toolbar and panels
• Access full brush set as you paint
• Adjust brush properties
• Nozzle rotation control
• Glitch filter offers Data Blocks effect, more existing types variations and other enhancements
• Updated Affinity Raw Engine to 11th Feb 26 - new cameras supported include these popular models:
  • Canon EOS R6 Mark III
  • Sony ILCE-7M5 (A7 V) (Lossless compression only)
  • FujiFilm X-T30 III
  • Leica M EV1
  • Sony DSC-RX100 VIIA

Page Layout

• Object captions
  • Attach to objects as you edit
  • Position on any edge, with adjustable offsets
  • Autonumber with built-in or custom counters
  • Insert image metadata fields
  • Use captions as cross-reference targets
• And some great improvements..
  • Objects now copy to clipboard as SVG by default
  • Assign accent colors to user interface (Windows only)
  • Customize the Home screen's tabs to reorder or hide
  • Filters docked on the Tools panel can be made destructive using Alt-click

Improvements and fixes in Affinity March 2026 release

This article lists the key improvements and bug fixes included in this version.

Stability issues

• All platforms - stability fixes
• On opening documents (user specific)
• On exporting to PDF
• When adding a master page while Quick Export panel is open
• When autoflowing text from multiple linked master page text frames
• Duplicating page with pinned objects
• Opening or placing password-protected PDFs
• Relinking JSON file
• Importing ABR file
• During Data Merge (CSV performance related)
• Saving during panorama edit (on Windows this leads to later fault on open)
• When adding .af file as custom Studio Icon
• During object selection after app restart

Mac - stability fixes

• Turning off facing pages / deleting pages
• Using Frame Properties > Anchor to Centre
• Exporting floating window with preflight enabled
• Reflowable EPUB export when endnote position is at end of story
• Opening specific PDFs
• Deleting default Table Format (user specific)
• Updating TOC (user specific)
• Lockups when opening multiple PDFs simultaneously
• UI not fully updating when closing doc via red circle (can lock up)
• For Designer, Photo or Publisher V2 file, when clicking on the Next Spread icon (user specific)
• Opening Publisher V2 file with embedded resources (user specific)
• Exporting to PDF using SF Compact font
• Placing a JPG can cause a crash (user specific)

Windows - stability fixes

• Floating documents in different Studios to the already floating document
• Cancelling Develop Studio when sub-tools are disabled
• Opening panorama when previously saved after panorama edit
• On File > Close if embedded doc open
• Duplicating artboards in Layout Studio
• On PDF export (pressure profile issue)
• Opening an Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher V2 document
• Opening packages more than once (Windows)

General issues (functions and workflows)

All platforms

• Linked file layer visibility override is not honoured with placed linked files
• Using X-ray Wireframe view mode on an image traced layer causes strange lines
• Unable to place text files if an image is selected
• Path brushes with transparency have a white background when displayed in non-list view
• Equirectangular Projection is destructively baked in after merging layers
• Print fails to tile correctly when scaling and tiling is used
• Page duplication affects stacking order of pinned objects on duplicated page
• Symbol object colors are not correctly saved to Snapshots
• Gradients resize incorrectly when document resized
• Settings: Abbreviations should warn when Auto-Correct is disabled
• Credit refresh dates are not displayed on AI Usage messages
• Convert Object to Artboard should be disabled for spread-based documents
• First artboard not (re)selected when 2nd artboard deleted
• Instances of the Alt Text language in the Tags Panel are incorrectly shown
• Shutter speed being incorrectly displayed from Sony A9MK3 89
• Failure to display thumbnails for .affinity or .af files

Mac

• Pantone Swatches not displayed until reselected
• Embedded documents appear washed out in some files
• Switching layers while Image Trace dialog open traces the wrong layer
• Unable to resize application window, panels etc (macOS Tahoe 26.3 Beta only)
• Books Panel: Update TOC Before Output is ignored
• Numbering of footnotes across multiple book chapters doesn't work
• Brush Search is cleared after deleting or duplicating a brush
• Sentence and Title Case commands deselect unchanged words
• When inserting a cross-reference and filtering the targets list, the list may not fully refresh until clicked
• The Auto-correct Setting called Use Tab to Alter Paragraph Level doesn't work correctly

Windows

• [OpenCL] HSL Adjustment (no change to sliders) on CMYK document affects document appearance
• [OpenCL] HSL Adjustment on CMYK document processed incorrectly by Export or Merge Visible
• 'Touch For Gestures only' is bound to 'Enable canvas rotation with Alt+Scroll wheel'
• Pixel Studio brush shortcut opens wrong tool
• Some Pixabay vector images won't drag/drop
• Image pasted from Windows Photo is placed incorrectly
• Custom keyboard shortcuts can't be set for the Develop, Liquify or Tone Map Studios
• Revert studio to Master doesn't fully work until app restart
• New Document Shortcut doesn't work when the Welcome Screen is displayed
• In Pixel Studio, the brush shortcut B opens the Path Brush Tool
• Various path brush settings can't be changed when a stroke is selected
• Brushes panel's search filter isn't cleared
• Adding layer states stops the document from being closed down
• Layer selection unexpectedly scrolls the Layers Panel
• Canceling a rename for a document preset deletes the preset's name
• Downloaded Learn videos don't let you interact with accompanying Learn documents
• Layer color properties don't update unless layer name is changed
• Dragging a "Target" icon From the Info Panel onto the Canvas Works but the Icon is Invisible
• Deleting Studio in Icon Only or Auto Mode can offset the Studio Background
• Unsaved files export with no default "Untitled" name and extension
• Fixed the following vulnerabilities in Affinity's Windows desktop applications related to WMF/EMF (Enhanced Metafile Format) file processing.[ CVE-2025-66342 / CVE-2025-62500 / CVE-2025-61979 / CVE-2025-64733 / CVE-2025-66000 / CVE-2025-64301 / CVE-2025-64776 / CVE-2025-64735 / CVE-2025-66633 / CVE-2025-58427 / CVE-2025-66617 / CVE-2025-47873 / CVE-2025-61952 / CVE-2025-66503 / CVE-2025-66042 / CVE-2025-65119 / CVE-2025-62403 / CVE-2026-20726 / CVE-2026-22882 ]

Data Merge

• MailTo QR codes include incorrect Subject parameter
• Slow CSV processing
• Memory usage excessive with image merges
• Underscores missing in Insert pop-up menu in Data Merge Panel (Windows)

Resource Manager

• Reordering images when switching Embed/Linked
• Missing Relink button for text files (Mac only)
• Status missing for some resources (user specific)
• Collect: Choose Folder for Collection dialog is missing New Folder button (Mac only)
• JPEG XL files show as Type "plugin"
• Placed files cannot be replaced with JPEG XL
• Issues with updating multiple instances of the same resource
• Text files get automatically updated from Modified when a file is reopened despite Auto-update Setting being disabled
• Entries disappear when minimizing and maximizing the app from the taskbar (Windows only)

Text / Styles

• Text style attributes lost during save/reopen gives duplicate styles
• Character style weight applied as override
• Notes inherit last character style incorrectly and ignores no style attribute
• Compound text doesn't refresh when edited
• Preflight doesn't report missing bullet glyphs
• Text ruler display inconsistency (Mac only)
• RegEx not sticking in Find & Replace (Mac only)
• Find button not enabled after selecting previous search (Mac only)
• Can't change the character outline opacity using the Decoration "Outline Color" pop-up dialog (Windows only)

UI issues

All platforms

• Export dialog settings not sticky (including when exporting books)
• URL hyperlinks should default to HTTPS
• Add icon changed accidentally in panels
• Studio character count limit
• Select Same>Fill Color ignores opacity differences across layers
• Tags panel control order + alt text duplication issue
• Auto Colors via the Quick Adjustment panel output differs from the same option via the context toolbar
• Margins show zero in the Margins and Guides dialog when margins are from master
• Guides don't anchor correctly when resizing multiple spread document
• On Vector Flood Fill's context toolbar, Set Bitmap Fill is missing its icon/tooltip
• Incorrect Add icon used in Section Manager, Guides, and Sources

Mac

• Studios are slow to switch when the Swatches panel is visible
• Switching between Studios won't redisplay Pantone Swatch palettes until reselected
• Document rulers update only on mouse over
• Buttons too light in font weight
• Truncated text in Export dialog
• Search of File Format list in Export dialog is case-sensitive
• Multiple UI overlap issues (German, Italian, French)
• On Package Document dialog, the OK/Cancel buttons overlap
• Table panel link icons are partly obscured
• Reading Order panel flicker
• Glyph browser font family control doesn't set font style
• The font weight on Cancel, Develop and Apply buttons is too light
• Switched-on panel contents are clipped by the panel being docked to
• Welcome screen's Recents files don't shown file path (Grid View only)

Windows

• UI jump when placing image
• Context toolbar disappearing
• Place context toolbar is too short and is jarring when docked
• Panels not scrollable (Table/Data Merge)
• Inconsistent thumbnail saturation
• Delay on tooltip hover-over is ignored (all tools)
• Invert command lacks default shortcut
• Live mask opacity range incorrect (0 – 10%)
• Column guide margins capped at 400px
• Welcome screen's New document setting improvements
  • Missing delete icon when hovering over user presets
  • Improved DPI control
  • Custom presets can't be reordered
• Batch panel strips first underscore
• Lock file not cleared after saving and closing
• Layer effects: selecting a color swatch doesn't get applied when clicked
• Artboard documents scrollbars don't use background artboard color
• Invert command isn't bound to a default shortcut on Windows
• Tools panel docking issues
• The Tools Panel can't be undocked and docked by double-clicking it
• Tools panel context menu difficult to display on Windows
• Toggle UI command doesn't switch Sub-tools back on
• Welcome screen's Recents thumbnails show extreme saturation
• Applying the blend mode of the first selected object to multiple selected layers fails
• Panel-specific Window Menu items are missing in Settings>Shortcuts
• Create Studio has no visible scrollbar
• Studio overflow has a lot of blank space if there is only one studio overflowing
• Remove icon color doesn't function when using Edit Studio
• Status Bar: Toggle Pages Panel and Previously Viewed Page buttons overlap
• Customize dialog for Develop, Tone Mapping or Liquify Studios doesn't prevent users from adding panels they shouldn't
• Layers Panel's Edit Within Current Container icon is virtually invisible
• Advanced view mode not showing a check mark when enabled
• In Welcome screen's Document Settings, many field values can't be adjusted by label dragging

Open and export issues

• 8-bit PNG (Rec.709 profle) opens as 32-bit HDR (BT-709 Linear)
• Procreate PNG opens as 32-bit
• 8-bit FFMPEG PNG misinterpreted as 32-bit HDR image
• When opening an image no initial snapshot is created automatically (Windows only)
• Artboard bleed is cropped on raster export
• Transparent images further edited with the Transparency Tool fail to export correctly to PDF
• Export area is not remembered between exports
• Quick Export inconsistencies
• Text after dots not reflected in export file name
• Export Dialog: Click dragging selects the format you land on
• Imported SVG that uses a path fill color and Fill color, incorrectly displays the path color and not the fill

PDF / EPUB

• PDF transparency/export corruption issues
• PDF export fails in specific conditions (adjacent Japanese characters, master page text frames, Esperanto region)
• PDF Password field remains populated when opening a password-protected PDF in the same document
• "All Pages" export introduces unwanted transparency
• Digital HQ PDF export fails if a text frame on a master page has a child text frame
• When exporting to EPUB, the control for selecting cover page differs between platforms
• Fixed Layout EPUB issues:
  • list and bullet formatting errors
  • landmarks ignored on export
  • missing version number
• Reflowable EPUB issues:
  • TOC hyperlinks navigates to incorrect headings/pages
  • Cross-references links in footnotes/sidenotes incorrect
  • Sidenotes not exported
  • Cover image settings not retained
  • Endnote position crash
  • Text in grouped text frame text duplicated (Mac only)
  • Some list styles produce incorrect formatting on export
• Exporting a pixel-based Affinity document with transparent background to EPUB will convert to JPG with black background
• Placed PDF screen resolution is lower than previous app versions

Internationalization

• Translation fixes
• Label truncation on Document Setup dialog (Spanish)
• Convert Notes text truncated
• Histogram panel shows button overlaps (Italian/French)
• Recolor Adjustment shows button overlaps (German)
• EPUB terminology inconsistency ("text flow" vs "story")
• Redundant ISBN label in EPUB export