Our favourite free graphics suite gets supercharged as Canva's Affinity gets a flurry of upgrades in a bid to rival Adobe

Canva has bolstered its professional creative toolkit with the introduction of Canva ProSuite, a suite that combines Affinity, Cavalry, Flourish, and Leonardo into a single ecosystem. Affinity and Cavalry remain free, but ProSuite brings over 100 enhancements. One standout feature is Scene Decomposition, an AI-powered tool that decomposes flattened images into separate components for easier editing. This allows photographers to modify individual elements without starting from scratch.

Canva has also added a plethora of photography, design, automation, and file compatibility features to the free version of Affinity. These include batch importing, improved RAW processing, preset application across multiple images, and correction tools for mixed illumination and camera movement. Affinity's file compatibility has been expanded, allowing direct import of InDesign documents, which streamlines workflows across different creative applications.

Integration with Canva's Brand Kit and Canva Sheets enables seamless connection between design work and brand assets, while vector editing, typography, brushes, noise reduction, high dynamic range processing, and export controls provide even more options for professional users.

Moreover, Affinity is now compatible with Sony ARW6 files, OpenColorIO display emulation, and improved output matching, making it a powerful choice for photographers and color-managed production workflows. The new features span over 60 upgrades for Affinity, while Canva's ProSuite boasts more than 100 additions and improvements across its connected products.

Canva also connects Affinity with Cavalry, its motion graphics and animation software, as part of the ProSuite. Cavalry receives over 50 changes, including new shape controls, lighting effects, graph editing improvements, and expanded SVG handling. The integration allows Cavalry projects to have editable elements within Canva, while preserving the integrity of the animation.

Additionally, Cavalry projects can connect with AI assistants through ProSuite's AI Connectors, enabling users to complete repetitive tasks using natural language instructions.

In a statement, Canva's CEO Duncan Clark expressed excitement about the new tools, emphasizing that professional craft remains vital in the age of AI. He believes that the Canva ProSuite will be a haven for professional creatives to thrive. With Affinity, Cavalry, and Canva's products working together, the free software now offers a significantly larger professional toolkit.