This opens a fresh instance without cluttering your current workspace—perfect for comparing designs side-by-side.

But the real magic? Affinity’s shortcuts aren’t one-trick ponies. With a few simple modifications, that single icon becomes a command center. Most users double-click the Affinity icon and wait. But on Windows, you can add command-line arguments to the shortcut’s target path to launch directly into specific personas or reset settings.

How? Create a batch script that copies the relevant preference file before launching, then tie that script to a uniquely named shortcut. It’s like having two Affinity installations for the price of one. A desktop shortcut isn’t flashy. It won’t make your gradients smoother or your masks cleaner. But in a professional creative workflow, speed and intentionality matter. That single click—or keystroke—gets you from thinking to doing faster than any menu dive ever could.