Though Affinity Designer is packed with features, sometimes they can be difficult to figure out. Probably because there are just so many of them. One such feature is the ability to cut out text. If you want to cut out text in Affinity Designer but you’re not sure how, what do you do? 

To cut out text in Affinity Designer you need to use the pathfinder subtract tool. First however, you have to create a rectangle or shape for the text to sit on. Then you need to create the text in whatever font you want and center it on the rectangle. Finally you want to use the subtract tool. 

If you’re stuck trying to cut out text in Affinity Designer, worry no more, for we’ve got the answers. In our guide below, we will break down exactly how to cut out text. We’ll do our best to set you up so that you have all the tools you need to create the perfect project. With that, let’s just dive right into it!

How Do You Cut Text in Affinity Designer?

We’ve described in broad terms what you need to do to cut out text in Affinity Designer. Now let’s dive into greater detail.

Our step-by-step guide below will walk you through the process of cutting out text in Affinity Designer: 

1. Open the program and create a new document: First things first, you need to open the program and create a new document. You can create a new document by navigating your cursor to the top task bar, selecting “file”, then scrolling down the drop down menu to where it says “new.” 
2. Get the place image tool from the tools panel and open your image: The tools panel is located on the right side of the screen. It is a horizontal box with various icons running down it. Select the place image tool. This tool is located near the middle of the panel and is an icon of a picture. Once you’ve done this, open your image.
3. Use the rectangle tool and create a rectangle over the image: The rectangle should go roughly where you want to put your text. The field color of the rectangle should be white and the stroke color should be none. 
4. Use the artistic text tool and create and center your text: The artistic text tool can be found on the tools panel at the right of the screen. Use it to create text inside the white rectangle you created. You can choose whatever font you want for your project. Don’t forget to also center the text, so that it sits in the middle of the rectangle. 
5. Convert your text to curves and group and ungroup your text in layers: Once the text is centered, right click it and select “convert to curves” from the menu that pops up. This should create a group in layers for your text. Right click the text again only this time click on “ungroup.” 
6. Use the pathfinder subtract to cut out your text: First select both the text and the rectangle. Then go to the top left of the screen to the pathfinder icon and select subtract. This will cut out your text. 

With that you should have a perfectly good text cutout. This will not only work with large text like titles, but with smaller text as well should you need it for that. It should also be noted that you don’t necessarily have to use a rectangle for this. You can really use any shape. We just used a rectangle because it’s one of the most ideal shapes for text. 

So Really, How Do You Cut Out Text in Affinity Designer?

Cutting out text doesn’t have to be difficult. You just need to know what the right steps are. The first thing you want to do is open the program and place any image that you want the text to sit over. Next you need to use a rectangle or some kind of shape for the text to sit on top of. This will act as a base for the text to be cut out. 

Once all the preparations are done, it’s finally time to add the text itself. Using the artistic text tool, you will need to create and center your text on the rectangle. It doesn’t matter what kind of text you have. You can use any font. Once you’ve picked it’s just a matter of using the subtract tool and subtracting the text from the whole thing. So what kind of text will you be cutting out?