You can add alt text to objects in Affinity documents to describe their visual content. Assistive tools such as screen readers use this information to describe objects to the reader, improving accessibility.

You can set tags for objects with the Tags panel (this panel is usually hidden; you can switch the setting in the Window menu to display it).

In the panel, you can either enter your own alt text or instruct your Affinity program to use the information embedded in the title, description, or headline fields of placed images (via XMP metadata).

All objects that do not count as the main content may be marked as decoration. Screen readers will then ignore these decorations. If an object is selected, the program will show a corresponding note in the panel.

Adding alt text to an object:

1. Select the object.
2. Carry out the following steps in the Tags panel:

• To set the alt text yourself, choose the option Custom and type your desired alt text in the corresponding box.
• To generate alt text using the metadata of a placed image, select the desired fields (XMP:Title, XMP:Description, or XMP:Headline).

When you later export the PDF file, simply select the option Tagged PDF in order to integrate the alt text in the file.

Marking objects as decoration:

1. Select the object.
2. Select the option Mark as Decoration in the Tags panel.

Source: “Hilfe zu Affinity Publisher 2” © 2024 Serif (Europe) Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Affinity templates provided by Freie Universität Berlin were prepared with Affinity 2 and designed for use with this version of the program. Please make sure that that you are always working with the most recent version. It is not possible to update older versions of Affinity (such as Version 1.8.6.) to Affinity 2. Instead, you must install Affinity 2 as a new program. 

The download file for Affinity may be found in the FUB-IT Portal (formerly the ZEDAT Portal): https://portal.zedat.fu-berlin.de/

An issue with Source Sans is that there are differences in the designation of the individual font styles on different systems (Windows, MacOS, etc.). In one system, for example, “semibold” is referred to as “halbfett” and vice versa. This can lead to preset “text styles” in the templates (e.g., in Affinity) to not being interpreted correctly. If this happens to you, unfortunately you will have to correct the setting or the assignment of which font style should be used yourself.

The templates provided by Freie Universität Berlin are intended as tools to offer general guidance and support. They do not and cannot reflect all individual wishes and preferences.

This means that templates may not be available in the form required for your specific needs. If this is the case, you will need to take action and make any necessary adjustments yourself. If you are uncertain whether the adjustments you have made are compatible with the corporate design, please send them to us by email, and we will be happy to check them for you.