I have decided to change the software I use for mocking up designs and layouts. I added into my work flow more of a DTP all in one work horse for web and publishing, Xara Designer Pro X. Only reason I actually purchased it was that it was on sale right now, is on currently and it is hands on all development on same page. Graphic Design, Animation,Text and HTML preview and output versus just images with Affinity Designer / Photo.
I like the output format options, example the PDF and Print advanced options, jpg and png typical options for optimization and that the output looks the same whether it is PDF, Html or Print. Not many softwares accomplish this.
I would call this after playing around with it the Adobe replacement for all things print and web.
Pinegrow is still the hands down winner for the actual end point for web creation but you can take the output directly from Xara and import it into Pinegrow without issues. Which I can’t do with Static image layouts.
Will continue to use this work flow and see over time how well it works. So far just being able to edit graphics ON page without having to open a graphics editor, do the changes, import back into the designer or into Pinegrow and preview in HTML is so much easier, especially with multiple versions where you can hide and make visible each element as you want. Similar to Fireworks, or Photoshop Layers.
No, Pinegrow does not have this level of visual editing capability and I don’t think it should,. my view though. Maybe by version 5 we will begin to see the WYSIWYG that we are familiar with. Though for all in one page layout creation, out of everything I have used including Adobe’s options, this Xara Designer Pro X is closest I have used personally that does it.
I am not selling the software, this is not meant to be an ad for Xara it is just something I have recently been using within my layout mockup process, though actually going from static images to dynamic functioning html pages and featured sites in ONE program is so much easier. I am talking about Mocking Up layouts here.
Then exporting out into real html and importing into Pinegrow and working on the polished design in standards compliancy, OH so sweet…
You can mockup within Pinegrow, I have done it but I prefer more of a Photoshop like design process for laying out and mocking up the look and feel then create that in Pinegrow. It’s just MY process, not everyones.