Qimage One printing vs Affinity

[Jeepit]

Here’s my question: What does Qimage One (Mac version) do that Affinity Photo can’t do in regards to printing?

I’ve been looking at Qimage One and trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to start using it. Does it play well with Affinity Photo?

Does anyone out their have any experience with Qimage One and can please share your thoughts on it.

Thank You

Rick

 

[rcsilber]

Here’s my question: What does Qimage One (Mac version) do that Affinity Photo can’t do in regards to printing?

I’ve been looking at Qimage One and trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to start using it. Does it play well with Affinity Photo?
Does anyone out their have any experience with Qimage One and can please share your thoughts on it.

Thank You

Rick

I have been using Qimage One (mac) for years and value its features. If you purchase it, it's cheaper in the long run to buy the lifetime license.

The short answer to your basic question is nothing (but everything;-))

Qimage utilizes your print driver and once you learn the 'how to' of its use, it standardizes your print work. More, once you create desired print settings, it's a simple matter of loading those settings. What it does that Affinity doesn't (I use Affinity), is add print sharpening on a scale of 1 - 10. I soft proof in Affinity, and check it again in Qimage before committing to the print. You can also use it for a layout manager, meaning you can add multiple photos to a sheet or roll for printing. You can also build your own templates (think contact sheets). I have one built for multiple 4x6s to print on a given size sheet. Just added this week is the Multi Panel Print, which can be handy.

Do take a moment to look at their videos, which explains their product's features clearly.

 

[Philip Eihuyar]

Here’s my question: What does Qimage One (Mac version) do that Affinity Photo can’t do in regards to printing?

I’ve been looking at Qimage One and trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to start using it. Does it play well with Affinity Photo?
Does anyone out their have any experience with Qimage One and can please share your thoughts on it.

Thank You

Rick

A good way to find out the differences is to look at video tutorials from both. This is in regards to printing and layout of images on a page for printing.

I use both. Affinity for image editing, but when it comes to putting the images onto a page for printing,, Affintiy is not useful and usually a waste of paper and ink as I always get it wrong. Q-Image is far easier and intuitive to use.

Here is instructions for printiing with Affinity:

https://www.qwant.com/?t=videos&q=priinting+with+affinity+photo&o=0:9zPKiVAYALY

Here is a Q-Image video: https://www.qwant.com/?q=page+layout+with+Q-Image+one&t=videos&o=0:hoN7QT4NXNk

https://www.qwant.com/?q=page+layout+with+Q-Image+one&t=videos&o=0:N9UQUdd_e7U

What does one has that the other does not have?

Affinity has the whole range of photo editing and RAW develpment tools that Q-Image does not have. That is expected as Q-Image One is a page layout application and while it does have a soft proofing, it is primarily useful as a page layout app.

Q-Image One has an additional tool which is actually useful and important that Affinity does not have. An easy to use automatlc scheduled printout as in a nozzle check. If you are forgetful, having the printer automatically do a printout on schedule will save your printer in the long run and save you time and ink from clogging issues.

Q-Image also has sharpening program which produces excellent results.

Q-Image One also automatically (very good algorhythm) resizes image for best results. (Dots per inch combined with pixels per inch.)

 

[Rob de Loe]

I use QImage One from Lightroom, where one could ask the same question because Lightroom has a print system that a lot of people like.

For what it's worth, I get better results on my Canon Pro-1000 from Qimage One than I do from Lightroom or the Canon Professional Print and Layout program. It's not doing anything that these other applications can't do. Nonetheless, in my experience it's doing those things better.

One area where it pulls ahead of all of them is a bit of an edge case, but I noticed a strange bluish tint in the shadow areas on black and white prints when I printed from the Canon application and from Lightroom. It's not present with QImage One.

Other things I prefer are the soft proofing, which in Qimage One is better than what Lightroom does, and the print layout approach (also better in my view).

I have purchased some applications and tools that proved to be a waste of money. This is not one of them.

 

[Jeepit]

Here’s my question: What does Qimage One (Mac version) do that Affinity Photo can’t do in regards to printing?

I’ve been looking at Qimage One and trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to start using it. Does it play well with Affinity Photo?
Does anyone out their have any experience with Qimage One and can please share your thoughts on it.

Thank You

Rick

I have been using Qimage One (mac) for years and value its features. If you purchase it, it's cheaper in the long run to buy the lifetime license.

The short answer to your basic question is nothing (but everything;-))

Qimage utilizes your print driver and once you learn the 'how to' of its use, it standardizes your print work. More, once you create desired print settings, it's a simple matter of loading those settings. What it does that Affinity doesn't

(I use Affinity),

good to know

is add print sharpening on a scale of 1 - 10. I soft proof in Affinity, and check it again in Qimage before committing to the print. You can also use it for a layout manager, meaning you can add multiple photos to a sheet or roll for printing. You can also build your own templates (think contact sheets). I have one built for multiple 4x6s to print on a given size sheet. Just added this week is the Multi Panel Print, which can be handy.

Do take a moment to look at their videos, which explains their product's features clearly.

Thank you for your response it is very informative. I’ll check out the videos.

Rick

 

[Jeepit]

Here’s my question: What does Qimage One (Mac version) do that Affinity Photo can’t do in regards to printing?

I’ve been looking at Qimage One and trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to start using it. Does it play well with Affinity Photo?
Does anyone out their have any experience with Qimage One and can please share your thoughts on it.

Thank You

Rick

A good way to find out the differences is to look at video tutorials from both. This is in regards to printing and layout of images on a page for printing.

I use both. Affinity for image editing, but when it comes to putting the images onto a page for printing,, Affintiy is not useful and usually a waste of paper and ink as I always get it wrong. Q-Image is far easier and intuitive to use.

Here is instructions for printiing with Affinity:

https://www.qwant.com/?t=videos&q=priinting+with+affinity+photo&o=0:9zPKiVAYALY

Here is a Q-Image video: https://www.qwant.com/?q=page+layout+with+Q-Image+one&t=videos&o=0:hoN7QT4NXNk

https://www.qwant.com/?q=page+layout+with+Q-Image+one&t=videos&o=0:N9UQUdd_e7U

What does one has that the other does not have?

Affinity has the whole range of photo editing and RAW develpment tools that Q-Image does not have. That is expected as Q-Image One is a page layout application and while it does have a soft proofing, it is primarily useful as a page layout app.

Q-Image One has an additional tool which is actually useful and important that Affinity does not have. An easy to use automatlc scheduled printout as in a nozzle check. If you are forgetful, having the printer automatically do a printout on schedule will save your printer in the long run and save you time and ink from clogging issues.

Q-Image also has sharpening program which produces excellent results.

Q-Image One also automatically (very good algorhythm) resizes image for best results. (Dots per inch combined with pixels per inch.)

Thank you for the info and the videos.
Rick

 

[mujana]

Here’s my question: What does Qimage One (Mac version) do that Affinity Photo can’t do in regards to printing?

I’ve been looking at Qimage One and trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to start using it. Does it play well with Affinity Photo?
Does anyone out their have any experience with Qimage One and can please share your thoughts on it.

Thank You

Rick

Apart from other programs, I also use Affinity Photo (2 now), and Qimage One. I never used AP for printing, so no comparison possible here. Always Qimage for printing with my Canon Prograf1000. I simply love this program; intuitive/ complete/ very good sharpening/ cheap/etc. And….support is simply outstanding (always prompt reactions to any questions you can have). After a while I simply bought the lifetime license.

 

[Kev The Doc]

Here’s my question: What does Qimage One (Mac version) do that Affinity Photo can’t do in regards to printing?

I’ve been looking at Qimage One and trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to start using it. Does it play well with Affinity Photo?
Does anyone out their have any experience with Qimage One and can please share your thoughts on it.

Thank You

Rick

To confirm the posts by others, I also compared printing via Qimage One vs Affinity and saw a noticeable improvement with the print via Qimage one.

I did the softproofing in Affinity and then printed the same shot straight from Affinity and then also via Qimage one. The Qimage One result was a much better match to what the photo looked like on my calibrated monitor, in every aspect (color, exposure, contrast, and detail). I don't fully understand why there was such a difference in the two prints, maybe I did something wrong with the affinity printing process? The only adjustment made in Qimage One was applying the sharpening tool which works amazingly well. I just bought the lifetime license as they currently have a 20% sale.

I haven't used Qimage one for picture arrangements yet so can't comment on that aspect.

 

[Jeepit]

Here’s my question: What does Qimage One (Mac version) do that Affinity Photo can’t do in regards to printing?

I’ve been looking at Qimage One and trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to start using it. Does it play well with Affinity Photo?
Does anyone out their have any experience with Qimage One and can please share your thoughts on it.

Thank You

Rick

To confirm the posts by others, I also compared printing via Qimage One vs Affinity and saw a noticeable improvement with the print via Qimage one.

I did the softproofing in Affinity and then printed the same shot straight from Affinity and then also via Qimage one.

This info is what I was hoping to read. Thank you!

The Qimage One result was a much better match to what the photo looked like on my calibrated monitor, in every aspect (color, exposure, contrast, and detail).

I don't fully understand why there was such a difference in the two prints, maybe I did something wrong with the affinity printing process? The only adjustment made in Qimage One was applying the sharpening tool which works amazingly well. I just bought the lifetime license as they currently have a 20% sale.

I haven't used Qimage one for picture arrangements yet so can't comment on that aspect.

Great info in your post...this is the post that finally convinced me to purchase Qimage One.

Thanks

Rick

 

[nickbatz]

Here’s my question: What does Qimage One (Mac version) do that Affinity Photo can’t do in regards to printing?

I’ve been looking at Qimage One and trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to start using it. Does it play well with Affinity Photo?
Does anyone out their have any experience with Qimage One and can please share your thoughts on it.

Thank You

Rick

Does Canon Pro Print & Layout work with your printer? That's what I use, and I live in Affinity Photo. It's very difficult even to get the picture to fit the paper like it's supposed using the macOS printer drivers, which is what Affinity Photo uses.

And that's before you get to subtle things like getting the colors right.

EDIT: ^ Referring to printing to my Pro-1000; printing to my Pro-100 (which I only use for general purpose printing, not art0)is fine with the macOS driver.

I've asked whether Qimage One will do anything for me more than once, and no one ever has an answer other than that they like it or watch some Internet tosser video. Also, the Mac version is somewhat stripped down.

I couldn't find a reason to justify it.

Also, I'm 99% sure Qimage One won't "play" with Affinity Photo at all (i.e. the plug-in won't work). You probably have to export files just as i do for Pro Print & Layout - which isn't a big deal, I'm just answering your question.

 

[Philip Eihuyar]

Here’s my question: What does Qimage One (Mac version) do that Affinity Photo can’t do in regards to printing?

I’ve been looking at Qimage One and trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to start using it. Does it play well with Affinity Photo?
Does anyone out their have any experience with Qimage One and can please share your thoughts on it.

Thank You

Rick

Does Canon Pro Print & Layout work with your printer? That's what I use, and I live in Affinity Photo. It's very difficult even to get the picture to fit the paper like it's supposed using the macOS printer drivers, which is what Affinity Photo uses.

And that's before you get to subtle things like getting the colors right.

EDIT: ^ Referring to printing to my Pro-1000; printing to my Pro-100 (which I only use for general purpose printing, not art0)is fine with the macOS driver.

I've asked whether Qimage One will do anything for me more than once, and no one ever has an answer other than that they like it or watch some Internet tosser video. Also, the Mac version is somewhat stripped down.

I'm not sure what you mean by "more than once" Double profiling is not done which is a good thing. That is an automatic thing in Affinity.

I couldn't find a reason to justify it.

Also, I'm 99% sure Qimage One won't "play" with Affinity Photo at all (i.e. the plug-in won't work). You probably have to export files just as i do for Pro Print & Layout - which isn't a big deal, I'm just answering your question.

To print an image that has layers from Affinity, you would 'save' the Affinity document with layers as a separate file and then 'export' the image in which ever format you choose. Tiff, or Jpg or pgn or GIF or several other format choices. You would also in Q-Image, pick an icc profile for paper printed to and the appropriate Media type for that icc profile. There is a 'soft-proofing' function where you also choose color space: relative, absolute, preceptual, saturation, black point and white point on or off. Again, if you want to preserve layers in Affinity, save the Affinity document with in affinity layers separately. -But file saved with layers does not show up in Q-Image layout window. It has to be in an exported file of one of the file types listed. I generally export as TIFF to desktop and then drag and drop image onto Q-Image page layout window.

 

[nickbatz]

To print an image that has layers from Affinity, you would 'save' the Affinity document with layers as a separate file and then 'export' the image in which ever format you choose.

That's interesting. Are you saying save the layers separately just so you have them to go back to, or is there another reason?

I've just been exporting the file as a TIFF (using I forget which resampling algorithm), and then I open it in Pro Print & Layout.

But I have the original Affinity document to go back to, and it has all the layers + most of the history (depending on whether I save the history with the file or just rely on soloing all the layers I added in order).

Hope that makes sense!

 

[Jeepit]

Here’s my question: What does Qimage One (Mac version) do that Affinity Photo can’t do in regards to printing?

I’ve been looking at Qimage One and trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to start using it. Does it play well with Affinity Photo?
Does anyone out their have any experience with Qimage One and can please share your thoughts on it.

Thank You

Rick

Does Canon Pro Print & Layout work with your printer?

No…my printers are Epson

That's what I use, and I live in Affinity Photo. It's very difficult even to get the picture to fit the paper like it's supposed using the macOS printer drivers, which is what Affinity Photo uses.

And that's before you get to subtle things like getting the colors right.

EDIT: ^ Referring to printing to my Pro-1000; printing to my Pro-100 (which I only use for general purpose printing, not art0)is fine with the macOS driver.

I've asked whether Qimage One will do anything for me more than once, and no one ever has an answer other than that they like it or watch some Internet tosser video. Also, the Mac version is somewhat stripped down.

I couldn't find a reason to justify it.

Also, I'm 99% sure Qimage One won't "play" with Affinity Photo at all (i.e. the plug-in won't work). You probably have to export files just as i do for Pro Print & Layout - which isn't a big deal, I'm just answering your question.

Thank You for responding.

 

[Jeepit]

Here’s my question: What does Qimage One (Mac version) do that Affinity Photo can’t do in regards to printing?

I’ve been looking at Qimage One and trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to start using it. Does it play well with Affinity Photo?
Does anyone out their have any experience with Qimage One and can please share your thoughts on it.

Thank You

Rick

Does Canon Pro Print & Layout work with your printer? That's what I use, and I live in Affinity Photo. It's very difficult even to get the picture to fit the paper like it's supposed using the macOS printer drivers, which is what Affinity Photo uses.

And that's before you get to subtle things like getting the colors right.

EDIT: ^ Referring to printing to my Pro-1000; printing to my Pro-100 (which I only use for general purpose printing, not art0)is fine with the macOS driver.

I've asked whether Qimage One will do anything for me more than once, and no one ever has an answer other than that they like it or watch some Internet tosser video. Also, the Mac version is somewhat stripped down.

I'm not sure what you mean by "more than once" Double profiling is not done which is a good thing. That is an automatic thing in Affinity.

I couldn't find a reason to justify it.

Also, I'm 99% sure Qimage One won't "play" with Affinity Photo at all (i.e. the plug-in won't work). You probably have to export files just as i do for Pro Print & Layout - which isn't a big deal, I'm just answering your question.

To print an image that has layers from Affinity, you would 'save' the Affinity document with layers as a separate file and then 'export' the image in which ever format you choose. Tiff, or Jpg or pgn or GIF or several other format choices. You would also in Q-Image, pick an icc profile for paper printed to and the appropriate Media type for that icc profile. There is a 'soft-proofing' function where you also choose color space: relative, absolute, preceptual, saturation,

black point

I don’t have a good understanding of ‘black point’. I have started to print in B/W and in Qimage I leave the black point composition ‘Unchecked’. Not sure if it’s supposed to be used or not.

and white point on or off. Again, if you want to preserve layers in Affinity, save the Affinity document with in affinity layers separately. -But file saved with layers does not show up in Q-Image layout window. It has to be in an exported file of one of the file types listed. I generally export as TIFF to desktop and then drag and drop image onto Q-Image page layout window.

 

[nickbatz]

Does Canon Pro Print & Layout work with your printer?

No…my printers are Epson

haha

Then every single thing I wrote doesn't apply to you. QImage is definitely the right program in that case!

Or I should say that I've never heard of another program that does the same thing.

By the way, if the QImage plug-in worked in Affinity Photo, that would be more than enough for me to switch to it. It doesn't seem likely, though.

 

[Jeepit]

Does Canon Pro Print & Layout work with your printer?

No…my printers are Epson

haha

Then every single thing I wrote doesn't apply to you. QImage is definitely the right program in that case!

Or I should say that I've never heard of another program that does the same thing.

By the way, if the QImage plug-in worked in Affinity Photo, that would be more than enough for me to switch to it. It doesn't seem likely, though.

It does NOT work as a plug in. You have to post edit in Affinity and save your document (photo) as a tiff or jpeg or png and then export it somewhere on your computer. Open Qimage and drag and drop the the exported photo into Qimage to print. I did purchase Qimage and have been printing in it.

 

[nickbatz]

It does NOT work as a plug in. You have to post edit in Affinity and save your document (photo) as a tiff or jpeg or png and then export it somewhere on your computer. Open Qimage and drag and drop the the exported photo into Qimage to print. I did purchase Qimage and have been printing in it.

Right, that's how you use Pro Print & Layout too - although what I personally do in Affinity isn't "post" editing, it's creating the art in the first place.

But doesn't it have a plug-in version that works in Windows? Or am I just thinking of the Gigapixel AI plug-in that doesn't work in Affinity Photo...

 

[rcsilber]

I had an email communication with the developer of Qimage regarding a plugin for Affinity. It's been a while and can't remember the exact reason, but it had to do with a tech issue on Affinity's side of a potential plugin.

All of my printing is done through Qimage. The printer interface on Affinity and PhotoLab are simply insufficient. Back in the day, I did not particularly like Photoshop or Lightroom either. Qimage allows for one to be well versed in ONE interface, which is logical in its progression of settings, then allowing one to save those settings for future use. The sharpening algorithms are better. The print quality is evident. The print layout features and ability to create templates are fully customizable. A recent update added Multi print panel options.

As to file types, it is not mandatory to save in the Affinity formate. My example workflow is: 1) Raw processing and edits in PhotoLab, and typically export directly to Affinity as a Tiff. 2) In Affinity, any final work, i.e. compositing, pixel edits like retouching, softproofing and such, then saving the file with layers. I don't have to export since it's already a Tiff. 3) In Qimage I navigate to the folder of my project and the image file appears. 4) Print. 5) If a further edit is needed, the Tiff file is right there, with the edit layers, ready to go.

Once you establish a routine, it's quite simple and the ease of error-free printing is a joy.

 

[nickbatz]

I had an email communication with the developer of Qimage regarding a plugin for Affinity. It's been a while and can't remember the exact reason, but it had to do with a tech issue on Affinity's side of a potential plugin.

I love Affinity Photo so much it's almost illegal, but do any plug-ins actually work with it?

It's supposed to support Photoshop plug-ins, but neither of the two I tried work.

All of my printing is done through Qimage. The printer interface on Affinity and PhotoLab are simply insufficient.

Again, on Macs the printer interface is the macOS driver, which is fine for printing out letters but primitive if you're printing pictures.

As to file types, it is not mandatory to save in the Affinity formate.

No, but for what I do (abstract modern art) it is so that I can go back to the original picture and access layers that have been added successively, either to tweak something or to grab things to use in other pictures. Or to create a variation.

I'm not using it for traditional photography, however, I sort of "paint" with heavily manipulated fragments of photographs that are very abstract to start with.

My example workflow is: 1) Raw processing and edits in PhotoLab, and typically export directly to Affinity as a Tiff. 2) In Affinity, any final work, i.e. compositing, pixel edits like retouching, softproofing and such, then saving the file with layers. I don't have to export since it's already a Tiff. 3) In Qimage I navigate to the folder of my project and the image file appears. 4) Print. 5) If a further edit is needed, the Tiff file is right there, with the edit layers, ready to go.

Once you establish a routine, it's quite simple and the ease of error-free printing is a joy.

Yes, that's a normal routine for normal photography, and you can do pretty much the same thing with Pro Print & Layout - as long as you have a Canon printer that it works with.

 

[awilford]

I had an email communication with the developer of Qimage regarding a plugin for Affinity. It's been a while and can't remember the exact reason, but it had to do with a tech issue on Affinity's side of a potential plugin.

Hello,

Just to clarify this point - the Qimage One and Qimage Ultimate Adobe plug-ins, which allow export of multiple open image files from Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, are made up of two modules:

- An Adobe Export Plugin (which exports a single image)

- An Adobe Automation Plugin (which allows the Export plugin to run on each open image)

Affinity Photo does not support Adobe Automation plug-ins, so it is that part which causes the lack of support for the Qimage Adobe plug-in.

We have attempted to contact Serif several times to request support for Adobe Automation plug-ins, or to see if there was another way to make a more streamlined connection to a third party application. We did not receive any response.

However, image files saved from Affinity Photo can be opened directly by Qimage.

Andrew Wilford

Binartem, Inc.