“For the very first time we’re bringing the very latest, highest performing versions of all our products to the market at the same time, with some simply stunning features. Serif’s Managing Director Ashley Hewson said it’s “ by far the biggest, most exciting launch” they’ve ever done. Publisher, in particular, is unlike anything else available for iPad. Although Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign still have a leg up in some areas, they’re all either limited or non-existent on iPad, making the Affinity suite the easy choice for anyone hoping to get serious desktop-grade work done on Apple’s tablet. Adobe has ruled the creative software roost for decades, and Affinity offers the best and most complete alternative for those looking to leave the tight grip of Adobe’s ecosystem.

We feel bad making so many comparisons to Adobe’s apps when the Affinity suite is more than solid enough to stand on its own, but the comparison is a useful one. A smart feature called StudioLink allows Publisher to utilize tools and projects from Photo and Designer for a more cohesive workflow. Lastly, Affinity Publisher is a professional layout package akin to Adobe InDesign. Affinity Designer is suited to vector illustrations and graphic design, much like Adobe Illustrator. If you’re not familiar with the Affinity suite, here’s the lowdown: Affinity Photo is a powerful photo editing and raster painting app, broadly similar to Adobe Photoshop.

Those who only need a single app for a single platform get that 40% launch discount too, making the individual iPad apps a bargain $12/£10 each right now.

Affinity designer ipad to desktop