Affinity Designer is fantastic graphic design software that allows many things to be created and adjusted to the designer’s needs or wants. However, there has been a growing complaint among users that Affinity’s issues are more frustrating than its positives. 

While Affinity has its issues that are extremely frustrating to its users, its developers and creators are working hard to ensure Affinity is constantly being fixed and improved, so the user experience is better. 

Fixing The Node Tool

One big issue with Affinity is the issue with the node tool working consistently. While it works a good portion of the time, it also has enough issues that users have consistently reported on the forums hoping for answers for a few years. 

If your node tool isn’t working, you can fix it by doing a few things such as:

1. Unlocking the artboard
2. Restarting The software
3. Making sure something is selected
4. Updating Affinity
5. Contact Customer Support

Thankfully, some moderators have discovered quick fixes and causes that have helped many users fix the issue with their own software. 

1. Unlock The Artboard

In some cases, while you are working on your project, you may have locked the artboard without knowing, or sometimes the software does it on its own. When the artboard is locked, it often causes issues with the node tool. 

If you can unlock the artboard, chances are your node tool will start working again with no issues. It’s always a good practice to ensure your artboard is always unlocked from the beginning, so you don’t have an issue with forgetting to check and your node tool not working. 

2. Restarting The Software

Sometimes Affinity gets confused or slowed down by having too many actions or things open in it. When this happens, certain options or tools can be inaccessible because the software believes it can’t be used while everything else is happening at the same time. 

Most of the time, if this happens, you can restart your software after you save everything. Once you bring Affinity Photo back up again, you should be able to use the node tool successfully. 

3. Nothing Is Selected

Unfortunately, an issue with Affinity is if you don’t currently have anything selected, you aren’t able to select anything. The node tool won’t be capable of being selected if you don’t have anything selected. 

Since the node tool is for changing and managing certain aspects of the image or design, your node tool will stay grayed out until you select a part of the design. However, once you select a part of your design, the node tool should be able to be selected. 

4. Updating Affinity

Affinity is an ever-growing and changing software that needs regular updates to be able to continue to function. However, if you haven’t connected to the internet in a while or your internet has been spotty or slow, there’s a chance Affinity hasn’t updated like it needs to. 

No matter if you think Affinity needs an update or not, it’s always good to check to ensure that’s not what is causing your issue. You can search in your settings for an update, let the software update, and then restart everything. 

Once this happens, your node tool should start working again. However, if this doesn’t work for you, you still have a few solutions that may help. 

5. Contact Customer Support

Now, while this doesn’t happen very often, there are some cases where you can’t fix the node tool using these few quick fixes and solutions; this usually means your only option is to contact or communicate with customer support through the support forums. 

These support forums are run by moderators who have worked with Affinity and their company for long enough to know a good amount of quick fixes and solutions to issues, so chances are they would be able to help you before anyone else would. 

These forums are also involved with the user base, and this means if the moderators can’t offer up a solution, the users might be able to help you through trial and error. Either way, the customer support forums are a fantastic place to go when you need answers and help. 

Final Thoughts

Affinity photo has been around for quite some time, but it’s not without its issues and problems that cause the users to find some tools unusable for periods of time. 

However, the great thing is that many users and moderators have discovered solutions and fixes for several problems, including fixing the node tool that doesn’t work.

Creating a transparent background in Affinity Photo is great for making your images look more professional and polished and providing you with more creative control over your projects. These images also tend to be more versatile and easier to use, both online and in print media.

In this article, we will take you step by step through the process of turning and image’s background completely transparent in Affinity Photo. As you read, you’ll learn what tools to use for maximum precision, the most efficient steps to take, and how to properly save your file so the transparent background appears in all future imports.

1. Import Photograph

Unsurprisingly, the first step in making an image’s background transparent in Affinity Photo is to properly import it.

To do this, open Affinity Photo and then select the “File” menu and the “Open” option. Once here, all you need to do is select the image you intend to edit and double click it to import it into Affinity Photo.

Ideally, you’ll want to select photos with limited subjects since you’ll be essentially outlining and cutting around them in future steps to create the transparent background. If the photo is too busy, or worse, doesn’t seem to have a clear subject, then this process might be a bit challenging.

2. Choose the Right Persona Tool for Your File

The next step to creating a transparent background is to pick the right Persona tool for your specific image file.

Affinity Photo is equipped with a Vector/Pixel Personas combo feature, which allows users to mix vector and raster graphics within the same document. Most images you upload will either be a raster or vector graphic (rarely are they a combination of the two) so you’ll want to choose the persona that matches your graphic type.

If you aren’t sure which type your image is, you can usually tell by simply increasing its size. If the image becomes blurred and pixelated, then it is a raster file. If the image stays clear and proportional, then it is a vector image.

Your Affinity Photo Personas are listed at the top in a Persona toolbar. The Pixel Persona is a series of pixelated boxes and should be used for raster graphics. Next it is the Vector Persona image, which appears as three connected dots, and should be used for vector graphics.

3. Select the Selection Brush Tool and Proper Edge Settings

Now that your Affinity Photo Persona matches your image type, you can select the right tools and settings for the task.

The easiest way to turn a background transparent in Affinity Photo is with the selection brush tool. You’ll find this tool in your toolbar on the left towards the top of the list. You can either select the tool here, or you can press “W” on your keyboard.

After you’ve selected the selection brush tool, go up to the top menu and make sure you have “snap to edges” and “soft edges” selected. Lastly, before you move on to the next step, make sure your layer is unlocked. To do this, simply right click on the layer and make sure the “Lock” option is deselected.

4. Set Your Ideal Brush Size

You could skip this step and just start outlining your image subjects using the selection brush tool, but this task will go a lot smoother if you choose the ideal brush size first and know how to alter sizes as you go.

To increase and decrease the brush size of your selection brush tool, press the left and right bracket keys on your keyboard. The left bracket key will decrease size and the right bracket key will increase size.

This will make it easier to get into smaller sections around your subject or can make the whole task go by quicker if a larger size will work.

5. Start Outlining Your Image Subject(s)

Now, you can finally start outlining the subjects of your image, which is the most crucial step of creating a transparent background excluding your subjects (unless you want the entire image to be transparent, in which case, you can go ahead and outline everything with the selection brush tool and just press delete).

Assuming you want to create a transparent background behind your image’s subjects, use the selection brush tool to gradually outline your them. You should see dotted line appear on the edge of your subject where you are drawing, and then another dotted line on the other side of your brush tool.

Don’t worry about making the subject outline perfect right now; we’ll get to that in the next step. Just focus on outlining it entirely. Once you’ve done that, drag the external edge all the way to the border of your background so it is encapsulated entirely (you’re essentially creating a selection or bubbly between your subjects and the image edge).

6. Touch up and Refine Subject Borders

After you’ve made a rough outline of your subject(s), it’s time to fine-tune it and make it as precise as possible before we finally delete the current background and make it transparent. If you delete it now, you might delete pieces of your subject(s) with it.

To touch up the subject borders, hold the Alt key and click on the border in your preferred spot to push it back. You’ll need to hold the Alt key the entire time for this to work.

Use this method to slowly go through and touch up your subject borders wherever necessary. If you make a mistake, you can undo it by selecting the Ctrl and Z keys.

When you’re confident that your subject outline is fairly decent, the last step here is to refine it. To do this, open the “Refine” menu. You should see your subject highlighted in red.

This menu will provide a small selection of settings that will help you double-check the precision of your subject borders and make additional touch ups. You can also alter border width, smoothness, and other settings if necessary. Select apply when you’re done making alterations.

7. Press Delete to Remove the Background

You’re finally at the last step of this, hopefully, not-so-tedious process. All that’s left to do is press one simple key.

Pressing the delete button on your keyboard at this point in the process will delete anything encapsulated in your selection brush tool borders, which, if everything was done properly, should be your background. The result will be a transparent space surrounding your image subjects.

Before you pat yourself on the back for a job well done, there’s one mor crucial step you need to take. If you don’t save your image under the right file format, like .PNG, you won’t be able to save your transparent background since certain formats, like JPG, don’t support this feature.

To save your image as a .PNG, open the “File” menu, click the “Export” option, and then select the .PNG file format. Lastly, click “Export” and the choose your desired folder and press “Save.”

Final Thoughts

And there you have it, a transparent background in Affinity Photo. This process might take you several minutes the first few times, but after a few practice sessions, it will become a simple, rudimentary step you can complete fairly quickly.

Affinity Photo is a helpful tool for any graphic designer, whether you are a professional or amateur. One of the most common requests for design touchups is whitening teeth while using Affinity Photo.

Whitening teeth on Affinity Photo is not only possible but can also be very easy. Keep reading to learn more about this simple process that can make your life that much easier when editing teeth in photos.

Whitening Teeth on Affinity Photo

Yellow teeth can ruin an otherwise perfect photo, and as a graphic designer your clients will probably want their teeth to be looking sharp in any product that will be presented to the public.

Fortunately, you can whiten teeth on Affinity Photo by following just 4 easy steps.

1. Use the Selection Brush Tool

The first thing you must do is acquaint yourself with the selection brush tool, if you haven’t done so already. The selection brush tool is easy to use and allows you to select which areas of the photo you will be focusing your attention on.

You must use the selection brush tool by following these steps:

1. Select the selection brush from the tools panel
2. “Paint” by dragging over the area of the image you would like to select
3. Your targeted area will now be selected

Be very careful when selecting the teeth area. If you are not precise in this step, you may end up whitening other areas of the face that you have accidentally highlighted.

2. Add a White Balance Adjustments Layer

The second step will require you to make use of the tools panel once more. Affinity Photo allows you to add layers that can do a variety of things, such as adjusting or honing certain colors.

Now that you have the teeth selected as a layer using the brush tool, you can then manipulate it in the layers panel of Affinity Photo.

Follow these steps:

1. Select the layer you wish to manipulate, which would be the teeth
2. Click on the Adjustment Layer button at the bottom of the layers panel
3. Choose the white balance option

Now that you have done this, you should be able to adjust the white balance of your given layer accordingly.

3. Change the White Balance of the Layer

The white balance can be manipulated either by using a “neutral white” in the rest of a photo as the white balance for your given area, or you can manually alter the white balance.

If your photo does not have a perfect white you can use to alter the teeth, do not worry. Altering the white balance manually is a very good option as well. If you are looking for shiny white teeth that are not yellow, you are best off to move the white balance lever toward the blue end of the scale.

Those with an artistic background will know that a blue undertone can bring out the bright side of whites, and this is especially true for photo design.

4. Save Your Changes

This last step may seem obvious, but it is equally important. Once you have discovered a white balance that works perfectly for you, you must save your changes both in the layer and the document.

Other Options for Teeth Whitening

If you find that you are not getting perfect results even with these easy steps, there are other options you can pursue. This can include the following:

1. Painting the teeth area with a dodge brush
2. Painting the teeth area using a color replacement brush
3. Use an HSL brush to reduce the saturation in a given area
4. Add a mask to the targeted area and then paint the teeth using a soft white tone

Though each of these options may require some fine tuning, they are all good tricks to have up your sleeve as a graphic designer who is looking for fast and easy results, especially on a design software as common as Affinity Photo.

Conclusion

Photos are a great way to capture memories, and this value is enhanced when people look the way they want to. White, bright teeth are often a prerequisite for perfect photos, and if you are a graphic designer it is natural to wonder how you can accomplish this effect on Affinity Photo.

There are several options to whiten teeth on Affinity Photo, but the most common is by manipulating the white balance in a certain area.

Inkscape is an open source freeware vector program which makes it a popular choice for freelancers, small businesses, and hobbyists unable or unwilling to purchase a more extensive program such as Adobe Illustrator within the Creative Cloud. However, with all things free on the internet, it is reasonable to be concerned about security risks.

Inkscape is not a virus. As long as it is downloaded from official, legitimate sources, it will not contain viruses within the download either.

The fact that there are no security risks involved with using Inkscape is a boon to artists on a budget. However, that doesn’t mean that one shouldn’t do their due diligence and make sure to be safe when downloading and using the program. Keep reading to learn more about Inkscape and security surrounding it.

What Is Open Source Freeware?

An open source program is one that anyone can go in and alter the source code without repercussions. This opens up the opportunity for community content, features, and modifications to the experience rather than focusing entirely on a dedicated team of developers. That isn’t to say that there isn’t a dev team behind it, but there is less of a need for them to be constantly on top of things.

Freeware is a term for software that is offered for free. While donations are often accepted, there is no requirement for purchase. Inkscape is both open source and freeware, and still has most of the same capabilities of similar, paid program options. This makes it highly appealing to those on a stringent budget.

What Is a Vector Program?

A vector program is a program that uses mathematical formulas to make images using paths and points rather than using pixels. This allows the work to be scaled indefinitely without a loss of quality. As such, logos are often designed in vector programs in order to utilize them in the various situations that they are needed.

Where Is Inkscape Available?

Inkscape is open source freeware, so it can show up in various locations if someone has decided to alter the code and provide it for public use. However, it’s typically recommended to go through legitimate channels to procure it.

Legitimate places to download Inkscape:

1. The Official Website
2. Microsoft Store
3. Mac App Store

The program is available for GNU/Linux, Windows, and macOS. Going through these official channels also allows for maintenance and bugfix releases from their dev team. Therefore, it’s far safer than pulling patches from other websites.

Why Be Concerned About Viruses In Inkscape?

Viruses and malware can destroy a computer, be used to steal data, and lead to a whole swath of problems. Basic internet security involves not clicking suspicious links, not downloading unknown attachments, and staying away from suspicious sites.

Since Inkscape is open source, that means that anyone can go in and alter the code. Things can be hidden in there that can damage the device it’s been installed on.

However, if going through legitimate channels, there are no hidden security risks to be concerned about. Many people have used Inkscape for years and have not experienced any issues as long as they stick to these channels for download.

How to be Certain Inkscape is Secure

Whenever downloading something off of the internet, there is always a little bit of concern for security risks to infect the device. That is why anything being downloaded off of the internet needs to be done so safely. There are a number of steps that can be taken to ensure that Inkscape is secure and not secretly harboring a security threat.

These steps include:

1. Only download from legitimate sources.
2. Scan the download with antivirus software.
3. Keep the software up to date with the newest official release. Only use community made patches from trusted sources.
4. Visit the GNU Project developer website where they provide in-depth information regarding the development process and release notes.
5. Keep an eye on the bug tracker which lists all known bugs and issues reported to the developers.
6. Use the bug tracker to report any issues or bugs.
7. Submit feature requests to the developers if it’s not in place already. This isn’t guaranteed to happen, but if they also like the idea, they might add it to a future release.
8. Contact the developers through their mailing list or the bug tracker if there are still issues or concerns.

The most basic recommendation is to be sure to perform due diligence when downloading anything from the internet. Go through legitimate sources, be informed, and double check if there’s any concern.

What are Alternatives to Inkscape?

Not every program out there is capable of using vectors. It fills a specific and niche need, and as such is primarily utilized by artists. Even if Inkscape is open source freeware, that doesn’t mean that it’s going to fill all of the needs everyone is ever going to need.

Therefore, here are some alternatives to Inkscape:

• Adobe Illustrator
• Corel Draw
• Freehand
• DrawPlus

Expert Tip: Additionally, some programs like Placeit streamline the graphic design process, giving you thousands of templates to customize, download, and use commercially.

Conclusion

Inkscape is a free, open source vector program that rivals big named competitors such as Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw. Being open source, anyone can go in and modify the source code without fear of repercussions. However, this means that there is a concern for suspicious characters trying to insert malicious software such as viruses and malware into it.

In order to avoid such security risks, always download Inkscape from legitimate sources and keep it up to date with the latest official version. Additionally, being well informed about the current patches, known issues, bug notes, and security improvements from the official website can help to ensure that nothing compromised is being downloaded. If there is ever any concern, run it through a virus scan.

Affinity Designer is one of the best software available for editing images. Still, even some of its most basic functions can be tricky without a guide because of the vast number of tools Affinity offers. What if you just want to make an image black and white but you can’t figure out how? What can you do?

To make an image black and white in Affinity Designer you simply need to click the adjustments icon and select black and white. It’s a good idea to also make and hide a duplicate layer of the image before you change it just in case you need to revert back quickly.  

If you’re trying to make an image black and white in Affinity Designer but you’re not sure where to start, this is for you. In our guide below we will lay out step-by-step how you can grayscale an image in Affinity Designer. Additionally, we’ll break down some of the basics on how you can perfect the shading in your image. So, without further ado, let’s dive right into it! 

How Do I Grayscale an Image in Affinity Designer?

Changing an image to black and white in Affinity Designer is simple, though it can be difficult to figure out because of how many tools the program offers. 

Follow the steps below to change an image to black and white in Affinity Designer:

1. Open an image in Affinity Designer: First things first, you need to open the program and import an image as a layer. 
2. Duplicate your image layer: This step isn’t absolutely necessary but it’s a good idea to do just in case if you don’t like the changes you make to your image and want to revert back to the original easily. Simply right click your image layer and select “duplicate layer” from the dropdown menu. 
3. Hide your backup layer: Now you’ll just want to click and hide the backup layer you created. When you’re satisfied with the changes you make to the image you can simply delete this layer. 
4. Go to “adjustments” and select black and white: From here you simply need to select the layer for the image you want to change, then click the adjustments icon beneath it and select black and white. 

This process will simply make an image go from color to a basic black and white. If you want to further adjust the shading of the black and white coloring then jump to our next section where we will go over how to do just that. 

How Do I Adjust a Black and White Image in Affinity Designer?

Now that you’ve got a black and white image, it’s time to perfect it. By perfect it, we mean get the right contrast of dark and light shading on the image itself. So, how exactly do you adjust a black and white image in Affinity Designer?

Below we’ve outlined the basic steps you can take to adjust the black and white in your image to your preferences: 

1. First change the image to black and white: First things first, follow the steps in our previous section to change the image to black and white. For a short refresher, this simply means you need to select the layer, click on the adjustments icon beneath it and select black and white. 
2. Adjust the color shading: After you change the image to black and white a window should pop up with various color spectrums you can adjust. You can experiment with adjusting these until you get the kind of shading you really want. As a general rule of thumb, the warm colors (red and yellow) affect things like flesh tone.
3. Close out the color window, select adjustments and levels: Now you can simply close out the color menu, select the adjustments again only this time go to the top of the dropdown menu and click levels. 
4. Adjust the levels in your image: It’s time to experiment again. From here you can mess around with the levels of black, white and neutral tones. You can drag a point on each spectrum until it looks the way you want it to look. 

While we can’t tell you exactly what will work for your project–because every project is different–these are the tools you’ll need to really get the best black and white image possible. 

So Really, How Do You Make an Image Black and White in Affinity Designer?

To review, if you want to make an image black and white in Affinity Designer, you simply need to select the layer, click the adjustments icon beneath it and select “black and white.” 

If you want to optimize the black and white in your image you should also make adjustments on both the color scale and the levels. These can also be found under adjustments. Now the only thing left is for you to experiment and figure out what works best for your project!

Affinity Photo is a competitive raster graphics editor compatible with iOS, macOS, and Windows. With any new or unknown software, there is a learning curve when familiarizing yourself with the program’s features. Tools used in Photoshop or InDesign may look and function differently in Affinity Photo.

If the software is more simplified than its competitors, it may not have an extensive catalog of features. Something as simple as changing the brush color in Affinity Photo should be easy enough. Let’s look at the ways this can be accomplished using this software.

How to Change the Color of Your Brush in Affinity Photo

When you’re researching to figure out how to change the color of your brush in Affinity Photo, you may come across a lot of information about a tool called Color Replacement Brush Tool. This article will discuss the intentions of the tool and how to use it later on, but it is not the primary way to change your brush color.

The tool you’re looking for can be found at the top of the list in the same drop-down menu, Paint Brush Tool. If you don’t know how to find it in your tool panel on the left side of the canvas, just press ‘B’ several times on the keyboard, and you’ll see the Brush appear in its icon.

1. Navigate to the PaintBrush Tool and select.
2. Go to the Color Studio Panel or Swatches Studio Panel.
3. Select your Color Mode: RGB, CMYK, LAB, etc.
4. Use one of the three ways to select your color: sliders, a color wheel, or color boxes.
5. Set Opacity at the bottom of the dialog box.

When the Color Studio Panel pulls up, you’ll see two color selectors; the active color is in the front, which will be affected by the color change. If you’re having difficulty with your new color appearing on your canvas, be sure to have Opacity at 100% and Blend Mode to Normal.

Other Ways to Change Color Using a Brush Tool in Affinity Photo

Color Replacement Brush Tool

Many users default to the Color Replacement Brush Tool in Affinity Photo to change the color of an image. The difference is that the Color Replacement Brush Tool doesn’t change the color of your brush so much as it changes the color of a selection. For example, if you have a photo of a boat in a harbor and want to change the boat’s color from red to green, you would use the Color Replacement Brush Tool.

1. Select Color Replacement Brush Tool from the Tools panel on the left of the Affinity Photo canvas.
2. Configure the tool by navigating to Swatches Studio Panel or Color Studio Panel and selecting the desired (foreground) color.
3. Move the mouse pointer over the object, and you’ll see the preview of the new color.
4. Change the color by clicking the mouse or holding the mouse button to paint with the brush.

Note that the Color Replacement Brush Tool is a destructive editing tool. It will affect the image pixels, so if you would like to avoid this, it is suggested to make your changes on a duplicate image layer instead of directly on the background image.

Selection Brush Tool

Another way to change the color of a selection is through the Selection Brush Tool. This tool requires you to make a selection with your mouse or stylus before the color of the object changes.

1. Open your image in Affinity Photo
2. Select the Selection Brush Tool in the Tool panel to the left of your canvas.
3. In the Context Toolbar at the top of your canvas, ensure Mode is set to Add and Width is in pixels.
4. Trace over a selection on your image.

If the trace isn’t perfect, you can use the Subtract Mode in the Context Toolbar to fix spillovers. If you want to refine your selection to ensure it is precise, select Refine in the Context Toolbar.

1. Select Adjustments at the bottom of the Layers panel on the right.
2. From the menu, click on Recolor.
3. Use the Hue slider to select your color.
4. Set the Blend Mode to Color.
5. Deselect your selection by clicking on the Deselect icon on the top toolbar.

Your selection should now be recolored to the color you choose in Adjustments. Once your images are colored to your liking, you can use placeit.net to take your design to the next level by creating products, business cards, etc.

Conclusion

Becoming acquainted with a software’s features doesn’t have to be complicated. With Affinity Photo, you have several options to change any color on your image and easy step-by-step instructions that you’ll have memorized in no time.

When selecting a photo or raster image editor for your projects, one of the deciding factors is updates. The software makers must constantly be innovating and listening to their users to address issues with the application. It’s also important that if you’re using an application with a one-time fee or a monthly subscription, updates aren’t going to pile on the cost.

Luckily, updates for Affinity Photo are frequent and free. Not to mention,  Affinity Photo still allows access to its previous versions of the application. How you acquire these updates depends on the system you’re using. Keep reading to find out the process for your operating system.

How to Check for Updates for Affinity Photo in Your System

Affinity Photo is compatible with macOS, Windows, and iPad. Regardless of the device or the operating system, your updates for this application should be automatically executed. If Affinity Photo isn’t automatically updating for you, there are steps you can take to get your updates manually.

Updates for macOS

If you are a macOS user and your updates aren’t automatically updating, here are the steps you can take to get your updates manually:

1. Open the Mac App Store
2. Navigate to Updates
3. Then go to Store > Reload Page or press CMD+R

These steps should force the update to show. Remember that Apple sometimes rolls out updates in phases, so an update may not be available in your region yet. It can take up to 72 hours for updates to be made available.

If you’ve purchased Affinity Photo from the Affinity Store, here are the steps to update:

• Open the software, and the update should start automatically.
• If not, navigate to the application main menu and select ‘Check for Updates.’
• You can also go to the Affinity store website; the latest version available to download will be first on the list under your operating system.

Update for Windows

If you are a Windows user and your updates aren’t automatically updating, here are the steps you take to get your updates manually:

1. Open the Windows Store app.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the app.
3. Go to Downloads > Updates

Your update will begin. Launch the software once the update is complete. If you purchased Affinity Photo directly from the Affinity store, you could use the same steps from the previous section to update your software via the application or online Affinity store.

Update for iPad

If you’re using Affinity Photo on an iPad, you will treat it like any other application that needs updating. Your device will update applications as soon as those updates become available. If you aren’t sure you’re working with the latest version of Affinity Photo, use the following steps:

1. Open the iPad App Store
2. Make sure you’re logged in with the same Apple ID you used to purchase Affinity Photo
3. Navigate to Updates
4. Tap near the top of the screen, hold down, and then release. This should refresh your updates.
5. If you see the update on the list, select the Update button to the right of Affinity Photo

If you still don’t see the update, remember Apple rolls out its updates in phases. Check back in 72 hours to see if your update is available.

If you purchased your software from the Affinity store, refer to the steps in the ‘Update for macOS’ section.

How Do You Set Your Device to Automatic Updates

If your device isn’t already set to automatic updates, you can set it up in your system’s preferences. Look for your operating system in the following list to find the procedure:

1. macOS: System Preferences > Software Update > Advanced. Check all boxes.
2. Mac App Store: System Preferences > Software Update > Advanced. Install App updates from the App Store.
3. Windows 10 (Microsoft Store): Microsoft App Store > three-dot icon > Settings > Enable toggle for Update apps automatically.
4. iOS App Store: Settings > App Store > Enable App Updates.
5. Google Store: Open Google Play Store app > Menu > Settings > Auto update apps.

If you’ve set up your device to update your apps automatically and the Affinity Photo app is still having issues with updating, save your work and preferences, uninstall and reinstall the software and see if that fixes the issue.

Conclusion

Keeping your software updated ensures the application runs as smoothly as possible. Updates will add innovations to features and make your work on the application more efficient. Setting your device to automatically update means less work for you, avoids prolonged technical issues, and keeps you at the cusp of the latest for the application.

If you’ve worked in graphic design software very long, you know how annoying it is when you can’t get two elements to line up exactly as you want them to. Even zooming to 125% may not allow precise placement. Affinity Designer offers a Snapping tool that can be enabled to make quick work of object alignment.

Now that you know Affinity Designer offers a Snapping feature, let’s “snap to it” and see how to enable this handy tool so it works for you.

Using the Snapping Tool in Affinity Designer 

Think of the Snapping feature in Affinity Designer (AD) as a magnet of sorts. According to the product’s website, “snapping simplifies the positioning of new and existing objects by ‘magnetizing’ moved or resized objects to other objects or document elements.”

In short, individual elements can be moved and joined together in a quick and precise way that eliminates the need for white-knuckle mouse work by the designer. When snapping is enabled, you can drag one object close to another object and they will “snap” together once a certain proximity is reached.

Affinity Designer gives you a lot of options for what and how to snap things together. Combinations are endless as the items on this list can snap to either the same or different types of elements.

• Text
• Shapes
• Lines
• Images
• Brush strokes
• Selected areas
• Object-bounding boxes
• Geometry of an object
• Key points of a shape

Enabling the Snapping Tool

Putting the Snapping tool to work for you is super easy. Plus you can set preferences that will control what Snap can and can’t do for you. 

To enable the Snapping tool, open Affinity Designer and find the main toolbar across the top of the screen. Find and click on the red magnet icon.

This will toggle the feature on and you’re good to go. If, however, you want to have better control over how Snap works for you, click on the small arrow beside the red magnet to open the Snapping Preferences box.

Deactivating the Snapping Feature

Sometimes you might not want to use the Snapping tool on a particular object, but you still want the feature enabled for the rest of the work you’re doing. Fortunately there is an easy way to handle this situation.

You can temporarily override the Snapping tool by pressing the ALT key while you’re moving an object into place. As long as you hold down the key, no snapping will occur.

You can quickly exclude an object from being a snapping candidate. Go to Layers, right-click the object, and choose “Exclude from snapping.”

Setting Snapping Tool Preferences 

The Snapping tool preference box displays all the snapping options available to you. To quickly use the Snapping tool in certain types of work, you can choose from a list of preset options – sort of a one-click spot – where all you have to do is choose the Preset you want and all the snaps will follow the rules of that preset. Or customize and save your own Preset for future use.

Screen tolerance

Screen tolerance establishes how close the objects must be before they snap together. Choose the desired distance from the drop-down menu.

Candidates

Candidates are those elements that you can snap to each other. You can include or not include elements at your discretion. Candidates can be limited in three ways:

• By the Candidates List, a predetermined number of objects that can snap
• To the immediate layer or its parent layer
• To the immediate layer and any layer beneath it

Snappable Objects

In the Preference box, you’ll see a lengthy list of objects that can be snapped to another object. A checkmark in the box beside an object indicates that it can be snapped to. A blank box means that the object is not available for snaps.

Specific snappable objects include:

• Grid Lines on the page
• Guides
• Spread – the edge of the document
• Margins – the page margins, including midpoints if selected
• Objects with a bounding box
• Key points on regular or irregular shapes
• Object geometry – certain points on a shape that are within its bounding box
• Pixel selection bounds – a selected area that allows snapping on the image’s edges

Final Thoughts

Affinity Designer’s Snapping tool gives you the freedom to be creative in a myriad of ways. Combining objects like images, shapes, and text with this simple feature means your graphic designs will have a clean, precise, and professional look about them that is pleasing to the eye.

Most people aren’t aware that you can actually use affinity photos on more platforms than just a computer. Depending on the model and version number, you can use affinity photo on pads, most windows-based tablets, and most laptops, no matter the operating system.

How to cut and paste in Affinity Photo on an iPad is a pretty common question, with a simple solution. Following these steps will help you:

1. Open your image
2. Click selection persona
3. Select the element
4. Switch to photo persona
5. Select pasteboard > copy
6. Click where you want to paste and select pasteboard > paste

Now, while other platforms may be a tad different with wording or placement of settings and tools, most of the time, if you follow directions for one platform, you can figure it out in another. However, if you still need help, Affinity has a fantastic customer support team always available to help. 

Cutting And Pasting On An iPad

For any questions you may have about Affinity, it’s common for the Affinity customer support forums to give you exactly the answers you need; however, having some more information or better-explained steps may also come in handy. 

For something such as copy and paste on an iPad, it’s nice to have the steps involved, but it’s helpful to explain the steps and all the toolbar options needed. 

1. Opening The Image

The first step when needing to copy and paste is opening your image. This image should be the one you want to copy from, not the one you want to paste anything on. 

2. Selection Persona

Once your image is open, you need to find the selection persona option, which looks like a lasso on the top of the toolbar. Once you click that, you can use the selection tools that are on the left to select the element you want to copy. 

3. Photo Persona

Once you have selected the element you want to copy, you need to switch to the photo persona. You can find the three dots icon and select pasteboard > copy from there. You will want to hit back to go to the second image before doing anything else after this step. 

4. Pasting

Once the second image is open, go to the three dots icon again and select pasteboard > paste. From there, what you copied should be pasted into your second image as an entirely new layer. 

From there, you can adjust and resize things as needed until everything looks as you want it. When you go to save, if you don’t want multiple layers, you can save your image as a jpeg, and it will save your image as the same layer since jpegs don’t support multiple layers. 

Simple Copy And Paste

A simple toolbar option is something else you can also do if you don’t want to go through several steps or if you have multiple images saved in the cloud or on your device. If you hold down on the canvas with one finger, a toolbar should pop up with options such as:

• Duplicate
• Delete
• Copy
• Cut

From this toolbar, you can copy and paste anything from your cloud or the device itself as long as it’s already saved in a file. This is usually quicker than going through a multi-step process, but it is only recommended for those who have been working in Affinity for a while. 

Tips For iPad Use

Using Affinity photo on an iPad is convenient and often easier than using a computer since you can use your fingers instead of a mouse. However, iPads also have their own issues that frustrate some users as well, such as:

• Delayed or unresponsive touch
• Accidental touch
• Dirt or debris causing accidental clicks
• iPad’s smaller screen

While these are huge issues that can cause problems while working on your project, there are ways to avoid this. You can get a screen protector for your iPad to help keep grease and dirt from affecting your screen. You can also wash your hands before use to remove excess oils. 

Before using your iPad, ensure nothing or no one around you may accidentally cause clicks or touches that can mess up your project. 

Final Thoughts

Affinity Photo is a helpful tool for those in graphic design looking to make their project stand out from all of the others. However, there are so many options; usually, people need help when trying to complete an action. 

Learning how to copy and paste on an iPad is an incredibly common question, and while it is easy, it’s a multi-step process that may take you a while to grasp fully.

Shapes are the building blocks of any graphical design, but basic shapes can only do so much. Fortunately, you can build up any shape by combining a few basic ones. However, a good shape builder tool can help you create presets of your most reused custom shapes.

Unfortunately, Inkscape does not include a shape builder. As such, you must use a few basic shapes to manually create any design. However, there are a few workarounds that mimic the effect of a shape builder.

Also, the Inkscape developers are working on a shape builder for future versions of the vector graphics editor. By reading further, you will learn how you can get a test copy of this tool, and a few plugin alternatives you can use now.

Building Shapes in Inkscape

Like any other graphics editor, Inkscape offers a versatile set of shape tools for creating and editing different types of shapes. Each shape functions as its object or layer, letting you modify its size, angle, corners, and so forth without affecting the rest of your image. These tools include:

1. Ellipse
2. Rectangle
3. Star
4. Spiral

You create these shapes simply by dragging the appropriate tool over the canvas. You can then modify them by adjusting their white diamond handles after you select them. To help you out, Inscape will even display tooltips in the status bar when you hover your mouse over the handles. You can find other configurable parameters in the Tools Controls bar above the canvas.

Inkscape Has No Shape Builder Tool

Despite these great shape tools, Inkscape does not have a Shape Builder tool. Shape builder is a feature of Adobe Illustrator that lets you create custom shapes and set them as presets you can use later. This tool allows you to reuse complex designs without having to manually recreate them each time you need them. You just click and drop the preset.

Because Inkscape does not have an equivalent feature, you must do everything manually by combining and overlapping the four included shape tools and their configurations. This situation will restrict the complexity of your designs to simple strokes without color fill.  You could use a combination of Boolean operations as well, but not much more than that.

Luckily, you can speed up the process and some complexity to your work through the liberal use of Inkscape’s shortcuts. You should decide which operations and shortcuts work best for you, but the most commonly used ones include:

• F4 – Toggle Rectangle Tool
• Ctrl+A – Select All
• F1 – Toggle Select and Transform Objects Tool
• Crtl++ – Union
• Ctrl+K – Combine
• End – Lower to bottom

The Future Inkscape Shape Builder Tool and Current Alternatives

While Inkscape does not have a shape builder now, it will have one in the future. In June 2021, Martin Owens, Inkscape’s lead developer, announced that his team was working on a Shape Builder tool and its associated guides via a Patreon post. The toll will work similarly to Shape Builder found in Illustrator and other graphics editors, bringing the much-demanded feature to Inkscape.

The new tool will let you create unique shapes by overlapping and merging simpler ones. The new shape would then function like any other shape you could make with the built-in tools.

Use an Inkscape Beta Build

No definitive launch date for the tool was ever provided, but you can play with the new Shape Builder tool through some of the more recent beta versions of the graphics editor. You can find copies on numerous Inkscape user forums and chat rooms, but your mileage will vary on the quality of the downloadable. If you want a more reliable copy, your best bet would be to join the Inkscape development team as a beta tester.

Use a Third-Party Plugin

The beauty of Shape Builder is that it works right on the main canvas. You get to see how your modification will work with the rest of your design. However, you can get must of functionality through “Boolean operation” plugins, including the simple one built into Inkscape itself. These solutions are not as intuitive or useful as a native, on-canvas shape builder, but they will do the job.

Use a Third-Party App

If you do not want to play with plugins that might become obsolete in a few months, you can use third-party apps such as Placeit to create your preset shapes. You can design one from scratch or modify an existing design from one of the many stock images available. You can then import your design back into Inkscape to continue where you left off.

Conclusion

Inkscape is a wonderful open-source alternative to Adobe Illustrator. However, it is missing some popular features such as a Shape Builder. Fortunately, the graphics editor will have one soo, and numerous great alternatives offer similar functionality.