Convert AFDESIGN to PSD

A Photoshop user or a production system may require a layered .psd file when the original artwork exists only as an Affinity Designer document. Exporting from Affinity Designer is the reliable route because Adobe Photoshop does not natively open .afdesign files.

AFDESIGN and PSD formats

.afdesign is the native document format used by Affinity Designer, originally developed by Serif and now part of Canva's Affinity suite. It can store vector and pixel layers, artboards, text, masks, symbols, linked or embedded resources, adjustments, effects, and other Affinity-specific editing data.

.psd is Adobe Photoshop's layered document format. It supports raster layers, transparency, masks, text, adjustment layers, ICC color profiles, and Photoshop-compatible layer effects, making it appropriate for Photoshop editing, compositing, and layered asset delivery.

A PSD is a compatibility copy, not a complete replacement for the Affinity source file. Keep the original .afdesign file as the editable master.

Export with Affinity Designer

Affinity Designer 2 is the preferred converter because it opens the source format directly and includes PSD export.

1. Open the .afdesign file in Affinity Designer. Use the same or a newer major version than the one used to create it; Affinity version 1 cannot open documents saved in version 2.
2. Check the Layers panel for hidden layers, masks, clipping groups, artboards, and linked resources. On desktop, use Document → Resource Manager to locate or embed missing linked images before export.
3. Set the required pixel dimensions, resolution, and color format in File → Document Setup. Use RGB unless the recipient has explicitly requested a CMYK Photoshop file for a managed print workflow.
4. Select File → Export, choose PSD, and select the required export area. Export artboards separately when they must be delivered as separate Photoshop documents.
5. In the export settings, use Rasterize: Unsupported properties when that option is available, rather than rasterizing the entire document. Enable ICC-profile embedding when color consistency matters.
6. Export the file, then open it in Photoshop and check the canvas size, layer stack, text, masks, transparency, blend modes, and effects before delivery.

On iPad, open the document in Affinity Designer and use the document menu's export command, select PSD, configure the available rasterization and color-profile options, and save or share the result.

Online conversion options

CloudConvert and Zamzar may offer AFDESIGN-to-PSD conversion; confirm the currently available input and output formats in their file selectors before uploading. Online services upload the source document to a third party and can flatten layers or rasterize more features than Affinity Designer, so they are unsuitable for confidential files, licensed client assets, or production masters.

Do not rename file.afdesign to file.psd; changing the extension does not convert the document. Exporting a PDF and opening it in Photoshop is a fallback for appearance-only output, but Photoshop normally rasterizes imported PDF content and will not reconstruct the original Affinity layer structure.

Compatibility limits

Affinity Designer and Photoshop do not have identical editing models. Affinity-only live effects, vector brushes, symbols, constraints, mesh fills, some adjustments, and certain blend or clipping behaviors may be rasterized or changed during PSD export. The result may look correct while no longer retaining editable Affinity vectors or live effects.

Fonts can substitute or reflow in Photoshop if the receiving computer lacks the original font. Provide licensed fonts where permitted, or convert display text to curves in a duplicate Affinity file when visual fidelity matters more than editable text.

Inspect gradients, shadows, edge transparency, blend modes, masks, and placed images at 100% zoom. Standard PSD files are limited to 30,000 × 30,000 pixels and 2 GB; reduce or split oversized artwork before export. Photoshop's PSB format supports larger documents, but Affinity Designer PSD export may still require a PSD-sized intermediate file.