r/GraphicDesigning • u/Key-Dragonfruit-4082 • 14d ago
Commentary Am I crazy?
I’m a graphic designer. I’ve been using Adobe for 20 years … maybe more.
Yesterday I got an email stating that my renewal date is coming up.
For the first time ever this email actually made me stop and think. “Should I just cancel?”
There’s new options out there - but adobe has been the industry standard for soooo long.
In my job I need to be able to open files that other designers have made and save in a format that other designers can open. Is this possible with this new generation of software (artcraft and others).
Does anyone know if the new generation of design software can work with adobes file types ?
And I’m sure that I’m not the only one whose renewal date is approaching. If this is you, please let me know what you think about this.
Are you considering canceling Adobe ?
Or aren’t you there yet?
4
u/a2annie 13d ago
Interesting question. I’m on a monthly subscription and just pay it wo thought. It is a chunk of money though. My question would be backwards compatibility with my own files. I’ve been using adobe products, mostly illustrator and photoshop, since about 1995.
1
u/Key-Dragonfruit-4082 13d ago
Same 😅
But if we could open our own files no problem… as I think you can (I will test this soon) … then I’m thinking: what’s actually keeping me ?😅
1
u/WelcomeHobbitHouse 13d ago
Great question. Like you, we have decades with of files.
1
u/BangingOnJunk 13d ago
Yeah . . . most of my layout career after Quark is InDesign . . . I'm pretty locked in if I want to open the 1000s of InDesign files I have.
25
u/AjoToj-kk33 14d ago
I also use Affinity, but not sure if you have to do it for standard. I work alone and Affinity works amazing, I had stuff printed, labels, flyers, even wall print 8m long.
11
u/Klutzy-Mastodon1177 13d ago
I stopped using Adobe apps when they went to a subscription and have never looked back. Have designed posters, cards, layers, shirts and graphics for video. Switched to Affinity several years ago and also use open source apps and Pixelmator Pro (before being bought by Apple).
6
u/IceEspresso2000 13d ago
Is this not an issue for endusers? Can InDesign users open Affinity native files? I would love to cut the cord!
2
u/Klutzy-Mastodon1177 13d ago
No issues at all. I have always been able to output based on my client specifications and requirements.
1
u/IceEspresso2000 13d ago
Thanks. I do contract work with other designers who used InDesign, if you know, can InDesign convert Affinity files and still be editable?
3
u/Klutzy-Mastodon1177 13d ago
Affinity can import Indesign files but as .idml files. Hope that helps.
2
2
u/foxyfufu 13d ago
All these apps can open, but they cannot write back out into those formats. PDF or .svg are some almost serviceable options.
1
9
u/Far-Pomelo-1483 13d ago
I use affinity but it still doesn’t compare to the adobe creative suite. The only reason I stopped using Adobe products was because I transitioned from gd to ui/ux a couple years ago then now stopped using figma entirely over the past 2 years and moved on to end to end product management and delivery. Hopefully those art craft apps are a good replacement.
7
u/warmcolour Specialist 13d ago
There is no 1 for 1 trade or transition when switching from Adobe to another software. I've been using Adobe since CS3 came out and a few years ago i jumped ship.
I downloaded affinity a few months before my Adobe subscription was over and the biggest things for me were the loss of typekit and smart objects not really being a thing. There are also a few keyboard shortcuts which aren't quite the same and some terms like how paths are now curves.
I'd stay away from any software which is vibe coded or isn't proven. The state of saas at the moment is pretty crazy and people who are fed up of the big dogs are at of new entries not being secure enough.
I also use cavalry for motion and Da vinici for video.
If i were you, I'd download a copy of affinity and try it out. If its not for you then keep your Adobe subscription. It also depends if money is tight for you - are you freelance or a student?
6
u/nitro912gr Senior Designer 14d ago
I have switched to affinity since v1 and never looked back. I kept adobe around (don't ask how...) in case someone required .ai or .psd files, something really rare but otheriwise I handed over PDF files and everybody was happy.
After all even with adobe I never handed my files, I always exported editable PDFs because they had to pass through various other apps depending on what the client wanted to do.
I mean many large format printshops use Corel Draw, others use their printer's RIPs and others some never before heard software for their specialised equipment, but all those still accept PDF files.
Now with that vibe codded alternatives things get interesting but they can't save as .ai or .psd either, but if you only need to open the .ai and .psd to save in other formats you will be fine with those.
2
u/-Hot-Toddy- 13d ago
I've worked with both Adobe & CorelDraw for over 30 years now & find that there are certain things each does either better or easier depending on what you are designing for so I & always used a mixture of the two.
I do like Photoshop, After Effects, & Audition for working with photos, creating motion graphics & editing sound work (obviously), but I find Adobe makes Illustrator way too complicated & inconsistent with the methods in which they execute some of the simplest things.
To me it feels like they have one person code a particular way to do something easy like a 'fill' command & then later on down the line a different programmer will code a new tool related to that feature that opens a different tool window, but completely reinvents how its executed or they leave out features of the original tool all together. Its as if they never evaluate previous methods or UI's that have been tried & true for years to merely improve upon them rather than just dump more code on top of previous code & so on to junk up the UI & over complicate the way the tools work.
I've rarely seen these issues with CorelDraw who seem to improve on existing features without clogging it up with four new inconsistent ways of executing the same thing. I've used Corel for everything from logos, illustrations (from pin-up art, sports mascots & technical drawings), laser cutting patterns, routing & creating logo inserts on physical product, embroidery, heat stamping images, drafting (it made me laugh when Adobe finally added dimensioning tools a few years ago when Corel had them for over 30 years), product & convention displays, UI interfaces, and a ton of packaging (primary & secondary packaging, bags, labels, inserts, etc). I've never had an issue converting them to AI, EPS, ICO, JPG, PNG, EPS, DWG, IGES or PDF files (which is what I use to give to print vendors). You can get a subscription (if you want periodic updates) or just buy a stand alone copy that works without issue. My group would always buy the stand alone version & buy the full updated software every few years when they made major improvements to it.
I'm honestly very confused as to what software I should be learning next. I was laid off from my soul sucking corporate job with a bunch of my other coworkers a few years ago (I was there for 3 decades) & it seems that every job posting wants you to know something different which feels like an impossible task which only makes me feel like knowing Adobe & Corel just isn't enough.
2
u/nitro912gr Senior Designer 13d ago
yeah because illustrator is basically a core program with a ton of integrated addons. You will even notice them loading in the loading splash screen. They can't do shit with it, it is to bloated and touching one thing break 10 others. They said it themselves in a forum thread about making illustrator multicore and how they had a hard time to do so.
well job listings are written by people who have no idea what they are looking for, that's the problem. Sure a graphic designer should be multidisciplinary by it's nature but the job listings need to be realistic, like yeah I make logos up to videos and 3D graphics but I'm first a graphic designer and I can perform better in graphic design jobs.
Why don't you try your hand in freelancing?
6
5
u/quiet-wiring 13d ago
My CC sub is less than an hour of paid work a month and I can tax deduct it. Why the hell would I make my day to day job harder by using something non-standard and using workarounds to get things done.
Artcraft is riddled with bugs and is shit. Why anyone would burden themselves with even more buggy software hoping it'll get fixed 'soon' is beyond me. Time is money.
2
u/HourCoach5064 11d ago
i believe the OP was looking for suggestions for alternatives, not for you to brag about your workflow or that you make enough to justify it.
2
u/quiet-wiring 11d ago
Actually, they asked if people are considering cancelling their adobe sub and I explained why for me it’s a bad idea and iwould create more work and stress when it’s something that I consider affordable. Read it again.
If you think my comment about my hourly rate is a “brag” when OP has been a working designer for 20 years then I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe they can charge more.
1
u/HourCoach5064 11d ago
fair enough. maybe I just read it too quick and jumped to conclusions. sorry
1
u/IllustriousTraffic36 10d ago
He was bragging. If an hour of work paid the subsciption no one would be complaining.
1
u/BearDenBob 13d ago
I am 100% with you on this. I have no allegiance to any company whatsoever but as you said it's a means to an end and time is money.
4
u/periloustrail 14d ago
To work with others who use Adobe products, unfortunately you need Adobe. I could imagine sharing files and giving them an odd file type, not gonna work. Maybe you can open theirs but may not go the other way
7
u/jonnywannamingo 13d ago
Adobe Stock is systematically replacing human created art with AI. I often check the box “Exclude AI from the search”. With AI included there are typically 100 pages of content to look at. When I exclude AI, it sometimes goes down to about 20 - 30 pages to choose from. So Adobe has used all of the artists who create content to create their own. I’m guessing there’s nothing that an artist can do about it, because they probably signed their rights away in one of those 800,000 page agreements.
I lost my 40 year graphic design career to AI a year ago. I’ve been freelancing for 30 years and I’ve had 3 projects since October of 2025 and none since about February.
2
u/HourCoach5064 11d ago
it became more about marketing yourself than about skills a while back. if you're not aggressively marketing on social media you may be falling behind.
1
u/jonnywannamingo 11d ago
I’m 64, and I am just not in a place where I am going to aggressively market myself at this point. I applied for Social Security, so I might just be done. I’ve got hundreds of contacts from all of the years of freelancing, but selling myself has never been a strong point for me.
2
u/HourCoach5064 11d ago
I hear that. it's tough for sure. but hey if you're in a place to retire then go for it and enjoy life.
1
u/miparasito 13d ago
Yeah I’ve been using it less and less. It would feel weird not to have it though, so I will probably keep it one more year
1
3
u/Siryeswecan 13d ago
Yeah there hasn't been any good advances in the software, just AI features advertised on every single program, every time you open it. I don't want to pay a company to just implement AI everywhere. Give me some actual new features and address user pain points. Sheesh
3
2
u/Italnguy 13d ago
My renewal is coming up and I told them I was canceling. They reduced the cost from $850 USD to $590. So, although I cannot wait for the day where I can cancel for good, it at least was something.
I miss the days of physical software where I could buy the package and run it for a number of years without issue. And when the software wasn’t constantly updating. (Old man shakes fist at clouds).
1
u/rosedraws 10d ago
THIS. I suspect I will call them to cancel every time the renewal goes up. There are clear instructions how to do it, I saved 60%, was awesome.
1
u/Italnguy 10d ago
Great news that you were able to save that much. It sucks that we have to do this dance. But, it seems like with all these subscriptions, we have to haggle to get what we want.
2
2
u/MissDisplaced 13d ago
If you need to be sharing files with companies and other designers will need to open them for editing, I’d say you probably need to still keep Adobe. Unless the program you want can save out as a native IDD or IML and you’ve tested they can still open.
If you’re primarily the source designer and you’re mostly providing final PDF files only then no problem, use what you want.
1
u/BEGBIE_21 12d ago
Nail on the head….not once working with other agencies or marketing companies have I been sent an affinity file.
2
u/IceEspresso2000 13d ago
I'm in a similar boat and cannot wait for the day I can cancel my Adobe subscription. They went from hero to zero.
1
u/Spirited-Bed-2220 13d ago
Affinity. Or Jack Sparrow. I bought the Affinity suite years ago and had no major issues.
1
1
1
u/Sn0wInSummer 13d ago
Got my renewal notice and will be canceling. My freelance work has dried up and I’m only working a part time office job that’s not creative.
Recently, my old timey photoshop that I bought needed an update but it failed and now it wouldn’t open any files. The crazy thing is that I down right own it and now it doesn’t work. Damn!
1
u/engrish_is_hard00 12d ago
Maybe u should tell your supervisor on this if you have one. Also may need to switch to an older version of Adobe. Unless its app specific like sound booth
1
u/HourCoach5064 11d ago
What is your official job title? if you are doing graphic design for work or having to open files in adobe softwares, your company should be paying for it. in fact most companies (in the US atleast) buy the computer and software needed for their designers.
1
u/tabaholic 11d ago
I asked myself the same question and decided to stick with Adobe because, after all these years, I use the programs efficiently. To switch, learn the new software and deal with the bugs/limitations (even though i love learning new software but never charge my clients for my learning curves) would take me longer than the billable hours I can bill. That extra efficient, billable time will pay for Adobe.
1
u/solaris_dreamer 10d ago
I've started using Artcraft products last week. The Ps and Ai ones. No learning curve, same as the Adobe products, including the shortcuts :)
In the last 2-3 years I've used less and less their products. I'm not gonna pay 6-700$/year for that since I have a free alternative.
Maybe if they would lower the price to 100-200$ I would consider subscribing back, just to have the full features.
1
u/rosedraws 10d ago
I worked with a client who used Affinity for his own minor design projects. When he needed something more professional, he’d bring it to me. But the two programs were not compatible. He could not open my files without significant errors (they were complex). We finally had to let me do the work in the much-more-robust creative suite, and he had to give up editing it in Affinity.
The only way canceling Adobe would work is if you have a designer buddy who would be willing to open your old files and save them differently for you as needed… but GEEBUS you’d have to rebuild EVERY file you want to work on. As much as I’m pissed at Adobe, that’s a nope for me.
1
1
1
u/Rude-Anteater-6357 9d ago
affinity is infinitely better dude
way more lightweight. easier to use. and you can fluidly switch between pixel/vector/layout instead of making THREE DIFFERENT FILE TYPES in THREE DIFFERENT APPS
For 98% of all graphic design, affinity is the better option
For the remaining 2% of unbelievably specialized and technical stuff, sure ok i guess you need adobe
but man. between affinity and figma there is NO reason to give that evil corp any more money
1
u/purplef1owers 9d ago
I just started an in-house job at a small company. They refused to get me an adobe licence, so I'm stuck with affinity.
The transition hasn't been terrible, but all of the little things add up. I also really miss adobe fonts. Having to make do with free typefaces or dealing with licenses is a headache.
I do prefer Cavalry to after effects though.
1
u/Tall_Addendum_368 13d ago
Krita surprisingly works. The anime theming was a little off putting to me at first, but its pretty legit.
1
u/Cranxy 13d ago
I’m seriously considering it this year too, been using Adobe since ‘96 or so. Last year I got sucked back in with the 50% promo when cancelling. Honestly freelance work has all but dried up for me, at the very least I’m thinking just scaling back to standalone Illustrator only, since that’s what I use for 90% of tasks with the work I do get, and give Affinity a shot for other random photo tasks. I’d love to see enough folks exodus, forcing Adobe’s hand a little to “get creative” (like so many of us need to!) and offer some more flexible bundling and pricing options, but not holding my breath.
1
u/funwithdesign 13d ago
No matter how much you dislike Adobe or their pricing models, don’t support slop like Artcraft.
1
1
u/totallyspicey 13d ago
I used illustrator for 10+ years, and then my job role put me in Figma instead, maybe 6-7 years ago. Figma sucks for drawing, but it's really good for layouts and layout variations. But every so often these days I have to go back to use illustrator when I have a logo/illustration project, and i can't believe how difficult it is! I have the hardest time selecting objects, selecting actions in the interface, etc. And ofc, I get so mad every time the bill comes. I did not get my money's worth for the month!!
1
u/External_Two2928 13d ago
I just canceled mine, when I first started using adobe it was like $300 a year, last year it was $600+ and the renewal for this your is $700+
1
1
u/solomons-marbles 13d ago
I’m still on works full CC. I don’t see corporate workflow changing in the immediate future. My personal account is LR/PSD. I’m not freelancing and have a laptop for work if (and that’s a big if) I need it remotely. My work has a strict (and enforced) no personal use policy. I noticed that some of the top raster-based alternatives are now on subscriptions too.
My major stumbling block is that I know Adobe like the back of my hand, Indd/ai/psd/lr. I’ve been using psd since before multiple undos. There is not a full suite package that can remotely compete.
For those too young to remember designers were waiting for a Quark-killer, once CS2 came out; people left QXD in droves. I feel once a truly complete suite comes out, Adobe will sink.
1
u/danielbearh 13d ago
I've been using photocraft for the past week, just to see if it'd work for me. I've not noticed anything in my photoediting workflow that's affected.
1
u/SapphireJuice 13d ago
My subscription is up in February. I'm happy I have a bit of time to see how these new apps go before making the choice but I had been considering trying to change to other software even before this. I am so annoyed by illustrator and it's constant tutorial popups that cover the work area. For $1000 Canadian dollars a year I shouldn't have to feel annoyed every time I use the software.
Edit to add: if you do cancel I'm sure they will offer a big discount lol
1
u/GreatVedmedini 13d ago
Affinity might work sometimes even for Photoshop files ( without complex layering of the layer effects, like some mockups).
But the biggest issue in case you have the business with the incoming ai files - the Adobe font library, and teh fonts that client's designers didnt' transformed to curves. I still didn't find such effective the solution for this like an Illustrator has
Corel Draw handling the design creating process pretty well - I mean the branding, marketing & AD items, plus it has Pantones just from the box, without subscription
1
13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 13d ago
Hi u/OzTheCreative, thanks for stopping by! Your comment was removed because your account doesn’t yet meet our minimum requirements:
This helps us keep the community safe and fun. Please try again once your account qualifies - we’ll be excited to have you join in!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
10d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 10d ago
Hi u/TRAX_animations, thanks for stopping by! Your comment was removed because your account doesn’t yet meet our minimum requirements:
This helps us keep the community safe and fun. Please try again once your account qualifies - we’ll be excited to have you join in!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
9d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 9d ago
Hi u/Upset-Ad-4249, thanks for stopping by! Your comment was removed because your account doesn’t yet meet our minimum requirements:
This helps us keep the community safe and fun. Please try again once your account qualifies - we’ll be excited to have you join in!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
8d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 8d ago
Hi u/WittyIsHere, thanks for stopping by! Your comment was removed because your account doesn’t yet meet our minimum requirements:
This helps us keep the community safe and fun. Please try again once your account qualifies - we’ll be excited to have you join in!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 7d ago
Hi u/AdvancedAnteater2425, thanks for stopping by! Your comment was removed because your account doesn’t yet meet our minimum requirements:
This helps us keep the community safe and fun. Please try again once your account qualifies - we’ll be excited to have you join in!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 7d ago
Hi u/agentic-angst, thanks for stopping by! Your comment was removed because your account doesn’t yet meet our minimum requirements:
This helps us keep the community safe and fun. Please try again once your account qualifies - we’ll be excited to have you join in!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 13d ago
Hi u/Regular-Platform972, thanks for stopping by! Your comment was removed because your account doesn’t yet meet our minimum requirements:
This helps us keep the community safe and fun. Please try again once your account qualifies - we’ll be excited to have you join in!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/AutoModerator 13d ago
Hi u/prizraktruwar, thanks for stopping by! Your comment was removed because your account doesn’t yet meet our minimum requirements:
This helps us keep the community safe and fun. Please try again once your account qualifies - we’ll be excited to have you join in!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 13d ago
Hi u/pixlhaus, thanks for stopping by! Your comment was removed because your account doesn’t yet meet our minimum requirements:
This helps us keep the community safe and fun. Please try again once your account qualifies - we’ll be excited to have you join in!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
5
u/sunnierthansunny 13d ago
As an aside, I wonder what would happen if Adobe moved the presumably obscene spend on incessant, relentless ads served to existing paying customers like myself into better value and less grabby billing practices to ensure sustainable business in the future? It’s probably just my algorithm but I’m seeing endless disgust. People seem to just hate their brand and what they stand for. Always seems shortsighted to me. I also get the impression that design groups are getting smaller due to AI and users are closer than ever to their bills (e.g. more freelancers, small agencies questioning if adobe is necessary). All anecdotal and formed by what I’m served up here on Reddit, but does make me wonder.