Affinity Publisher Print Template Designer - Vintage Broadsheet Newsletter

Overview I am launching a monthly mailed print broadsheet called The Dog-Eared Digest — a vintage-style pet care publication printed on cream paper in black and brown ink. I need an experienced Affinity Publisher 2 designer to build three production-ready print templates that I can use independently each month to fill in new content without design assistance. This is a one-time project with a clear brief, complete reference materials, and all assets provided. The creative direction is fully established — your job is precise, clean execution, not concept development. What the finished templates must do: Allow a non-designer to open the file each month, update the editable text fields and any monthly-variable graphics, and export a print-ready PDF — without needing to make any design decisions or reformat anything. The templates need to be that clean and that foolproof. What I need: Three linked Affinity Publisher 2 template files: ~ Front cover (8.5" × 11") with fixed brand elements and monthly-editable fields ~ Interior editorial spread (17" × 11") with a three-column layout, fixed section headers and ornamental elements, and editable text frames for all content ~ Mailing back panel (8.5" × 11") with fixed and editable zones All three must be print-ready with correct bleed, trim marks, and CMYK color settings, and export cleanly to print-ready PDF. What you will receive from me: ~ High-resolution AI-generated composite reference images of all three panels ~ Complete written design brief covering every layout decision and section specification ~ All illustration and graphic assets in PNG format with transparent backgrounds ~ Word counts and character counts for every editable text frame ~ Full typography direction The aesthetic: Vintage American newspaper. Warm, nostalgic, keepsake quality. Black and warm brown ink only on cream uncoated paper. Think 19th century natural history publication meets beloved family pet care guide. Deliverables: ~ Three .afpub template files, fully production-ready ~ One print-ready PDF export of each template with placeholder content showing the complete layout ~ A simple one-page instruction document explaining what to update each month and in what order, written for a non-designer ~ All linked assets organized in a clearly labeled folder that travels with the templates Required skills: ~ Affinity Publisher 2 specifically — please confirm this in your proposal. Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer are different applications and are not sufficient for this project ~ Print production experience — bleed, trim, CMYK, print-ready PDF export ~ Multi-column editorial or newspaper layout experience ~ Experience building templates for non-designer use ~ Ability to work from a detailed brief and reference images Nice to have: ~ Experience with vintage, heritage, or editorial print aesthetics ~ Familiarity with USPS self-mailer format requirements