An independent forum site for members of the Serif software community
You are not logged in. Please login or register.
Automated signup has been disabled for these forums. If you wish to register, please send an email to admin[at]punster[dot]me stating your preferred username.
Embedded images: Click on the 
Add image to post link below the message box. Your photo will be uploaded to the postimage website and then shared here via a thumbnail link. Click on the thumbnail for a larger view.
Private messages: There is no pop-up alert for new PMs on these forums, so you need to look out for the PM link (near the top right-hand corner of any forum page) becoming bold.
Alfred's Serif Users' Forums → PagePlus → Is it worth it to upgrade from PP to Affinity yet?
I see that Affinity Publisher is 40% off the regular price and wonder if it's time to upgrade. I use PagePlus x9 for newsletters, calendars, and flyers (PDF) regularly and without any problems. Is anyone aware of what benefits Affinity Publisher has to offer over PP, or should I save the $42?
thanks, tomH
Good question, Tom. I have yet to find anything publishing-wise that PagePlus cannot do painlessly! I no longer use it as much as I used to, but it still gets used plenty. I do occasional little booklets, and find the ability to edit photos in an external program (PhotoPlus, of course) very handy.
Thanks, Geoff, I haven't run into anything that PagePlus can't handle and just wondered what, if any, new & improved functions Affinity Publisher made that make it a better product. I think I'll keep my money and also avoid another learning curve.
Bear in mind Tom that unless it's changed Affinity won't open your PP projects.
Hah, forgot about that "feature". Thanks, Eric, for another reason to stick with PagePlus.
Just to confirm, the Affinity apps still can’t read the old ‘Plus’ file formats (and it’s highly unlikely that they ever will). The unique selling point of the Affinity suite is the single file format that allows any app in the suite to open any files saved from the same version or earlier on any supported platform, regardless of which apps have been used to create or edit them.
I've been working happily with PagePlus for many more years than I could count, yesterday I was completely unable to use my printer an HP Smart Tank 555 Plus, to print out a small booklet as I had done many times before. I was obliged to put it into an imposed PDF and then I had no trouble printing it.
For interest sake I imported it into Affinity Publisher with its one sheet format and then had no problem with the printing.
I can see that there may come a time when PagePlus's age may eventually defeat me so I'll have to sharpen up my Publisher skills just in case. Publisher really has improved greatly with version 2 and is far more useful nowadays if not yet perfect.
John
Having been so happy with Serif products over the years and a regular user and advocate of Pageplus up to the last version, I joined the user group during Affnity's development, culminating in me purchasing the full suite on it's release.
My comments - I am very disappointed there has never been a method of importing from Pageplus. I don't deny that Affinity is a great product and much more versatile BUT it has a very steep learning curve and feels quite alien to PP, to the point that I have not migrated the monthly magazine I produce to Affinity, I just don't have the time to relearn how to achieve what I take for granted in PP.
I am getting to the end of PP's capabilities now with regular crashes and no way to get an answer to it.
In conclusion I feel that Affinity has dropped the ball with existing PP users by not providing a migration route, if it wasn't for the support from this forum I feel that the earlier Serif products would now be dead. Not a good advert for Affinity I'm afraid!
PagePlus should not be crashing regularly.
Try holding Ctrl when you open PagePlus to reset things. That may help = even with John's printing problem.
Thanks for that GB, the holding CTRL when opening PagePlus did the trick and printing went ahead with no trouble. That was well worth rmembering.
Thank the Lord for experienced PagePlus users.
John
I've just finished watching a video on preparing a book on Affinity Publisher:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wykbW_yRg6I
It deals with Version 1 of the program. Right at the end of a very well described video it dealt with something which seems to be invaluable to anyone preparing a book for commercial printing. It described the process of rescaling, something even Adobe InDesign could not do.
That means that if you had made up a book in Publisher you could easily change from a paperback version of 5.25" in. x 8" in. to a Hardback requirement of 6" x 9" and it will rescale everything including font sizes to fit into the larger page size. This of course is possible also with version 2 of the program.
I was really impressed with this it and has largely persuaded me to take up the challenge of a steeper learning curve.
John
An interesting video, if a little long winded!
However, I don't see anything that could not be done in PagePlus just as easily, or at any rate nearly so.
The Fit Text feature would enable transition from one page size to another.
I see that Affinity Publisher is 40% off the regular price and wonder if it's time to upgrade. I use PagePlus x9 for newsletters, calendars, and flyers (PDF) regularly and without any problems. Is anyone aware of what benefits Affinity Publisher has to offer over PP, or should I save the $42?
thanks, tomH
Hi,
I started with Serif back when it was a freebee on a diskette and have all the offerings 'till they finished
and invested in Affinity when it was first published but have not progressed to the latest version.
I had a look at it but, as others have said here, prefer to use the earlier apps and find them perfect for my requirements.
They are installed on Windows 11 with no problems. (MoviePlusX6, DrawplusX8 and PageplusX9)
Its handy to have the codec for certain file types. (Movieplus)
I started with the freebie too, way back when and used it in anger when working for British Rail during the strike in the 90's. I produced the revised train timetables on it that went from a single double sided sheet of A4 to a weekly 32 page booklet printed by an outside firm. Happy days. I also used PagePlus - upgraded paid for versions - in my other employments producing all sorts of print media, it still is a very good program.
There are things that the Affinity Suite can't do that the old PagePlus, DrawPlus can do. One main gripe was the lack of a 'Book' facility, which has now been addressed.
I would say that it is worth the money, just to keep your hand in on modern software - it will reach a point when the old programs won't be able to hack it, and the cost is not great in comparison with other offerings.
I use Affinity because I work on a Mac, but sometime fire up the old laptop and PagePlus just for nostagia
Just coming in to say hello after some years absence from Serif forums and so pleased to see that the PLUS range is still in topic. I am a die-hard Plus user and won't contemplate the Affinity route yet. All my Plus software is still pristine (so to speak), just like my old 34 year old car - so why change for the sake of changing? I have looked at Affinity Community (if that's what it is called?) and couldn't get the feeling to change. It seems to me that Plus users have remained Plus users and the Affinity range has largely gone to 'new' Serif users - anyway that's the way it seems to me. So pleased to see old names and faces on Alfred's forum and so pleased too, to Alfred for making it so. Best wishes all, Sandy.
Just coming in to say hello after some years absence from Serif forums
Welcome, Sandy. Don’t be a stranger here!
Hi Sandy,
Are you still on that little island south of Portsmouth?
Geoff
that little island south of Portsmouth
LOL. 
that little island south of Portsmouth
Well I know you are on the somewhat larger island north of Portsmouth, which itself is mainly on the tiny island of Portsea!
Alfred, I take it from the remark you made about your quote that you didn't know the etymololy of your quote about "lackadaisical", tell me if I'm wrong.
John
I’m not aware of having made a remark about my quote, John! As far as I can see, I’ve simply quoted it (but I’d be happy to be disabused of that notion if there’s something I’ve overlooked).
Alfred,
Here is the origin of the phrase you quote:
It describes a person who often uses the phrase "Alas and alack a day" which nowadays would be,
"what a horrible day I've had today!"
Alfred,
Here is the origin of the phrase you quote:
It describes a person who often uses the phrase "Alas and alack a day" which nowadays would be,
"what a horrible day I've had today!"
Oh, I know the phrase “Alas and alack a day”, but I wasn’t alluding to that in any way (and I don’t think Doug Larson was, either). What puzzled me yesterday was your comment with regard to “the remark you made about your quote” when I wasn’t aware of having made any remarks.
Hello Geoff and YES, still on the Isle of Wight.
The reason I do not get back quick to posts is, as although retired, I do about 35-40 hours a week for my football team here. I am not mad about football, but I do love doing their match programmes, pamplets, booklets and posters, etc., all on, would you believe PagePlus X4 - yes X4! I have X9, plus loads of other Serif software, but X4 fried me when it came out and still in constant use 24/7. Hope you are well Geoff and so pleased to find Alfred's forum.
I have X9, plus loads of other Serif software, but X4 fried me when it came out and still in constant use 24/7.
It ‘fried’ you, did it? I have to confess that I’m not familiar with that usage.
For what little it’s worth, I don’t think I would want to use anything older than PPX6 or possibly X5, but perhaps you have no need of support for OpenType features.
so pleased to find Alfred's forum
I’m so pleased you found it, too!
Alfred's Serif Users' Forums → PagePlus → Is it worth it to upgrade from PP to Affinity yet?
Powered by PunBB, supported by Informer Technologies, Inc.