**Canva Launches All-New Free Affinity Creative Suite: Everything You Need to Know**
Canva, the popular online design platform, has officially launched its own version of Affinity, a robust, all-in-one creative desktop application. This new Affinity app is available for free and offers a comprehensive toolset for graphic design, photo editing, and layout—all in a single package. Here’s a breakdown of what the new Affinity offers, how it works, and what sets it apart from previous versions and other creative software.
**A Fully-Featured Creative Suite, Free to Use**
Affinity by Canva is designed as a professional-grade tool for creatives, providing advanced capabilities for vector design, image editing, and page layout. Unlike many competitors, the full suite of Affinity’s core features is available at no cost. Users don’t have to pay to access the app’s pixel, vector, or layout studios, nor are there restrictions on export options or file support. Regular free updates are promised, ensuring the app continues to improve over time.
To begin using Affinity, you only need a free Canva account. This requirement is part of Canva’s integration of Affinity into its broader platform, ensuring users can move between Canva’s online tools and Affinity’s desktop environment seamlessly.
**Professional Tools and Custom Workflow**
Affinity stands out for its comprehensive professional toolset. Users can combine vector and pixel work within the same document, customize their workspace with floating toolbars and studio presets, and benefit from a real-time performance engine that provides ultra-smooth editing.
Key capabilities include non-destructive editing across layers and adjustments, robust import support for formats like PSD, AI, PDF, SVG, and IDML, and versatile export options—whether you need object-based, slice-based, or document-wide output. The app also features live filters and adjustments, full RAW editing, advanced retouching tools, batch processing (including macros, HDR merge, and panorama stitching), and precision vector drawing instruments.
For layout professionals, Affinity offers linked text frames with autoflow, live text wrapping, smart master pages, pro typography options (such as ligatures and variable fonts), print-ready output features (CMYK, spot colors, bleed, and slug), and data merge from CSV files with advanced logic.
**Customizable Studios and Non-Destructive Editing**
Affinity allows users to build their own creative studios by mixing and matching preferred tools. Whether you’re focused on image editing, vector illustration, or page layout, you can tailor the interface and functionality to suit your workflow. The non-destructive editing engine means you can experiment freely, knowing your original files remain untouched and your creative process is fully reversible.
**AI-Powered Features for Premium Users**
While the core app is free, Canva offers powerful AI features within Affinity for those with a Canva premium plan (Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Education). These AI tools include Generative Fill, Generative Expand, image and vector generation, background removal,