Affinity

This covers the current Affinity app and Affinity Publisher 2; the PDF export works the same way in both.

The short version

• Preset: PDF (digital - high quality), or PDF (digital - small size) for a smaller file.
• Area: All Pages, not All Spreads.
• Not the print presets: PDF (for print) leaves hyperlinks out.

Export the PDF

1. File → Export → Export, and choose PDF.

2. Pick a preset:

   Preset	Use it when
   PDF (digital - high quality)	The default choice. Keeps hyperlinks, no bleed or marks.
   PDF (digital - small size)	The file is too big. Downsamples images above 90 DPI, so photos get noticeably softer.
   PDF (for print), PDF (press ready), PDF/X	Not for Living Page: no hyperlinks, and press ready adds bleed.

3. Set Area to All Pages. All Spreads puts each spread on one PDF page, and the reader would then pair those spreads up again. See Spreads vs single pages.

4. Leave Include bleed off.

5. Export.

Settings worth checking

In the export settings:

• Include hyperlinks: on. It covers your own links, table of contents and index links. (Links between pages of the same document aren’t clickable in Living Page yet; web and email links are.)
• Embed fonts: anything except Text as Curves. Text as curves looks identical but turns every letter into a shape, so nothing can be searched, selected or read aloud.
• Tagged PDF: on, for screen readers.
• Downsample images, Above (DPI): around 150 gives a screen-sized file that still looks sharp. See Getting a PDF under 50 MB.
• Include printers marks: off.

Checklist

• Area: All Pages, cover first
• Clicked a link in the PDF and it opened
• Text can be selected (not curves)
• Under 50 MB