If Affinity Photo is broken… Who you gonna call?

Here are 7 ways to fix Affinity Photo when something has gone wrong

Solution #1: Restart your Computer

There’s a good reason tech support will often tell you to restart your computer. About half of all computer problems can be solved with a simple reboot.

Solution #2: Resetting the Studio

All of the panels on the right side of Affinity Photo are called the Studio. If your Studio’s panels have gone wonky, try resetting them.

To reset your Studio, go to View, Studio, Reset Studio.

Solution #3: Revealing Tools, Toolbar, and Context Toolbar

If you can’t see your tools, toolbar, or Context Toolbar, have no fear! There’s a simple solution.

Just go to the bottom of the View menu, and make sure these features of Affinity Photo are turned on.

Solution #4: Merging Windows

If your windows have become separated, there’s a very simple solution.

Come to the Window menu, and press “Separated Mode”. This will turn off Separated Mode, putting all of your windows back together.

Solution #5: Factory Reset

Did you know you can easily perform a factory reset of Affinity Photo? This will reset any changes you’ve made to the app.

To reset Affinity Photo, hold down the control key while opening it.

Keep pressing control until the reset dialog box appears.

Then select any of the settings you want to reset. You can even press “Select All” if you want to reset everything. Just make sure you don’t erase something you actually want to keep! 🙂

Note for Mac users: Unlike most keyboard shortcuts where “control” is for PC’s, and “command” is for Macs, this is one of the few times that you really do need to press control, not command.  

Solution #6: Self-Accountability

I know we all hate to admit it, but sometimes it might not be Affinity’s fault that something isn’t working… By far the most common mistakes I see are with people using layers incorrectly (I’ve been guilty of these mistakes many times myself).

To see the 10 most common layer mistakes, and how to fix them, you can watch this video. 

Are you saying the problem could be MY fault?!

Solution #7: Calling in the Professionals

Even after trying all of these solutions, you might find that Affinity Photo is still not working. In that case, it’s time to get professional help.

Head on over to the official Affinity forums, and post a question here. Most of the time, you will get a helpful response in less than a few hours.

Be sure to give specific details about the problem you’re having, and always include a screenshot. That makes it much easier for other people to help you solve the problem.

It’s frustrating when technology doesn’t work, but if you follow these tips, Affinity Photo will be back up and running in no time!