Affinity Photo for Mac

Affinity Photo for Mac

Affinity Photo for Mac is a professional photo editing and image manipulation solution from Canva, now integrated into the free Affinity desktop application for macOS. The software provides advanced raster editing through Pixel Studio, with tools for RAW photo development, color correction, portrait retouching, image compositing, and non-destructive adjustments. Mac users can work with layers, masks, live filters, precision selections, and professional image processing tools to create detailed photographs and digital artwork. Affinity runs natively on both Apple silicon and Intel-based Macs, offering an optimized desktop editing environment for photographers, designers, and creative professionals. The application also combines photo editing with vector illustration and page layout tools, while optional Canva AI Studio features provide generative editing and image creation capabilities for eligible premium subscribers. Available as a free Mac download, Affinity includes its complete Pixel, Vector, and Layout toolsets without requiring a paid subscription.

Professional photo editing highlights

• Develop RAW photographs with advanced exposure adjustments, color correction, lens corrections, and noise reduction tools.
• Create multilayered compositions using masks, adjustment layers, blending modes, live filters, and precision selections.
• Retouch portraits and photographs with healing, cloning, inpainting, frequency separation, and liquify tools.
• Merge photographs using HDR, focus stacking, panorama stitching, and astrophotography workflows.
• Combine raster photo editing with vector illustration, typography, and professional page layout in one application.
• Run natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs, import PSD files, and optionally use Canva AI Studio with a premium subscription.

Professional photo editing for Mac

Affinity Photo provides professional image editing capabilities within the Affinity desktop application for macOS. Its Pixel Studio includes tools for developing photographs, retouching images, applying adjustments, and building complex visual compositions.

The software is useful for photographers, digital artists, graphic designers, and creative professionals who need precision editing tools. Users can perform routine image corrections or develop elaborate multilayered artwork.

Native macOS application

Affinity runs natively on compatible Mac computers and is optimized for both Apple silicon and Intel processors. The application provides a desktop editing environment designed for working with high-resolution photographs, layered compositions, and professional creative projects.

Native Mac support allows users to take advantage of compatible hardware for demanding editing tasks. Performance depends on the processor, available memory, graphics hardware, and complexity of the project.

Apple silicon optimization

Affinity supports Apple silicon Macs, including systems using Apple's M-series processors. The application is designed to take advantage of modern Mac hardware for image processing and creative workflows.

Apple silicon compatibility is useful for photographers and designers working with large images, multiple layers, and computationally demanding adjustments. Users can run the application natively rather than relying on Intel emulation.

Pixel Studio

Pixel Studio provides Affinity's dedicated environment for raster image editing and photo manipulation. It includes brushes, selections, masks, adjustment layers, filters, and other tools for working with photographs and pixel-based artwork.

Users can customize the workspace and incorporate tools from Affinity's Vector and Layout studios. This flexibility supports workflows that combine photography, illustration, and publication design.

RAW photo development

Affinity supports RAW image processing for photographers who want detailed control over their photographs. Users can adjust exposure, white balance, highlights, shadows, contrast, and other photographic properties.

RAW development helps preserve image detail and provides flexibility when correcting difficult lighting conditions. Lens correction and noise reduction tools can improve image quality before additional editing.

Non-destructive editing

Affinity provides non-destructive editing features that preserve the ability to revise adjustments. Users can apply adjustment layers, live filters, and masks without permanently changing the original image pixels.

Non-destructive workflows are useful for professional photography and projects requiring multiple revisions. Users can revisit earlier editing decisions without rebuilding the entire composition.

Layer-based editing

Affinity supports multilayered documents containing photographs, graphics, text, masks, and adjustment layers. Users can organize elements into groups and control how different layers interact.

Layer-based editing is useful for complex photo composites, advertising graphics, and digital artwork. It allows users to modify individual elements without affecting the entire image.

Adjustment layers

Affinity includes adjustment layers for modifying brightness, contrast, levels, curves, hue, saturation, and other image properties. These adjustments remain editable throughout the project.

Adjustment layers are useful for color correction, tonal refinement, and creating consistent photographic styles. Users can combine adjustments with masks to target specific image areas.

Live filters

Affinity provides live filters that apply editable effects to images and layers. Users can experiment with sharpening, blurring, distortion, and other visual treatments while retaining the ability to modify their settings.

Live filters support flexible editing because effects can be adjusted or removed. They are useful for professional corrections and creative image manipulation.

Precision selection tools

Affinity includes tools for selecting objects, subjects, and specific image regions. Users can create selections through manual techniques, geometric tools, and supported edge-refinement workflows.

Selections are useful for isolating subjects, changing backgrounds, and applying targeted adjustments. Users can convert selections into masks for additional flexibility.

Layer masks

Layer masks allow users to control the visibility of different parts of an image. Users can blend photographs, isolate subjects, and apply selective adjustments without permanently deleting pixels.

Masking is essential for professional image compositing and detailed retouching. It allows users to refine complex visual effects throughout the editing process.

Background removal

Affinity provides selection and masking tools for removing or replacing photograph backgrounds. Users can isolate subjects and combine them with transparent, colored, or photographic backgrounds.

Background removal is useful for product photography, portrait editing, and promotional graphics. Precision tools help users work with challenging edges and detailed subjects.

Professional photo retouching

Affinity includes healing, cloning, and inpainting tools for correcting unwanted objects and imperfections. Users can remove blemishes, repair image details, and refine photographs through targeted adjustments.

Retouching is useful for portraits, product photography, and commercial imagery. Combining retouching tools with layers and masks supports more controlled editing.

Frequency separation

Affinity supports frequency separation techniques that allow users to work independently with image texture and broader tonal information. This workflow is commonly used for detailed portrait retouching.

Frequency separation helps photographers refine skin texture and color transitions while maintaining control over the final appearance. It can also support selected restoration and correction tasks.

Liquify tools

Affinity includes liquify tools for reshaping and manipulating image regions. Users can push, pull, and distort pixels to create corrections or artistic transformations.

Liquify is useful for portrait retouching, creative photography, and digital artwork. Users can apply controlled adjustments and review the surrounding image for distortion.

HDR merging

Affinity supports high dynamic range imaging by combining photographs captured at different exposure levels. Users can merge compatible exposures to preserve more detail in bright and dark areas.

HDR merging is useful for landscapes, architecture, and other scenes with challenging lighting. The resulting image can be refined using Affinity's color correction and editing tools.

Focus stacking

Affinity includes focus merging capabilities that combine photographs captured at different focus distances. The software can create composite images with a greater apparent depth of field.

Focus stacking is useful for macro photography, product photography, and detailed close-up images. Users can refine the resulting composite to address blending imperfections.

Panorama stitching

Affinity supports combining overlapping photographs into panoramic compositions. Users can merge compatible images to create wider views of landscapes, architecture, and other subjects.

Panorama stitching is useful when a single photograph cannot capture the desired scene. Users can crop and adjust the merged image within Affinity.

Astrophotography stacking

Affinity includes astrophotography stacking tools for combining compatible night-sky exposures. This workflow can improve detail and reduce noise when processing astronomical images.

Astrophotography stacking is useful for photographers capturing stars, nebulae, and other celestial subjects. The resulting images can be refined using color correction, sharpening, and other editing tools.

Color correction and grading

Affinity provides advanced tools for adjusting exposure, contrast, white balance, and color relationships. Users can work with curves, levels, color adjustments, and supported color management capabilities.

Color grading is useful for establishing a consistent visual style across photographs and creative projects. Non-destructive adjustments allow users to refine color treatments over time.

Digital painting

Affinity includes raster painting tools for creating illustrations and modifying images. Users can work with brushes, painting effects, and compatible pressure-sensitive drawing devices.

Digital painting is useful for concept art, photo manipulation, and creative illustration. Painting tools can be combined with layers, selections, and masks.

Image compositing

Affinity allows users to combine multiple photographs, illustrations, and design elements into detailed compositions. Layer blending, masks, adjustments, and filters provide control over how elements interact.

Image compositing is useful for advertising, posters, digital artwork, and creative photography. Users can maintain editable components throughout the project.

Vector illustration integration

Affinity includes Vector Studio for creating scalable graphics, shapes, logos, and illustrations. Users can combine vector elements with raster photographs in the same document.

Vector integration is useful for projects involving typography, branding, and illustration. Users can move between raster and vector editing without transferring files to another application.

Page layout integration

Affinity includes Layout Studio for creating multipage documents and print-oriented projects. Users can combine edited photographs with text, graphics, and structured page layouts.

Layout capabilities are useful for brochures, magazines, marketing materials, and publications. The integrated environment simplifies workflows involving photography and document design.

Canva AI Studio

Affinity provides optional Canva AI Studio integration for users with eligible premium Canva subscriptions. Supported tools include Generative Fill, Generative Expand, and AI-powered image or vector generation.

These capabilities can help users modify photographs and create visual content through AI-assisted workflows. All standard Pixel, Vector, and Layout tools remain available for free without a premium Canva subscription.

Adobe Photoshop compatibility

Affinity supports importing Adobe Photoshop PSD files and other professional creative formats. Users can open supported files while preserving compatible layers, structures, and editing elements.

PSD compatibility is useful for photographers and designers working with existing projects. Some specialized Photoshop effects or proprietary features may require adjustments after import.

Export formats

Affinity supports exporting photographs and creative projects in multiple formats, including PNG, JPEG, TIFF, PDF, and other supported image or document types. Users can select appropriate settings for digital publishing, printing, and professional workflows.

Export tools also support preparing selected elements and slices where appropriate. This flexibility helps users deliver finished artwork for different destinations.

Canva integration

Affinity allows users to export supported projects into Canva for additional design, collaboration, and publishing workflows. Users can develop detailed artwork in Affinity and continue working with the content through Canva's online platform.

This integration is useful for creative teams that combine professional desktop editing with collaborative content production. Available Canva features depend on the account and subscription.

Customizable workspaces

Affinity allows users to customize studios by rearranging tools and panels. Users can combine photo editing, vector design, and layout functionality into personalized workspaces.

Customizable studios are useful for professionals with specialized workflows. They help keep frequently used tools accessible while reducing unnecessary interface clutter.

Offline photo editing

Affinity can operate offline after the application has been downloaded and activated using a Canva account. Users can edit local photographs and documents without maintaining a continuous internet connection.

Certain services, including Canva AI Studio and online integrations, require connectivity. Offline editing is useful for photographers and designers working while traveling or in locations with unreliable internet access.

Mac compatibility and pricing

Affinity for Mac supports macOS 10.15 Catalina or later and runs natively on both Apple silicon and Intel-based Macs. Published minimum requirements include 4 GB of RAM, 3.5 GB of available storage, and a display resolution of 1280 × 768. At least 8 GB of RAM is recommended for more demanding projects.

Affinity is free to download and use with a free Canva account. Its professional Pixel, Vector, and Layout tools are included without a paid subscription, while Canva AI Studio requires an eligible premium Canva plan. Existing users can still access earlier Affinity Photo 2 installations, but the new Affinity application is the recommended current version.

Alternative to consider

• Adobe Photoshop — a professional photo editing and digital art application for Mac that provides advanced raster editing, RAW processing workflows, layer-based compositing, retouching, and generative AI capabilities.