Creating shapes and objects in Affinity Designer can be both fun and rewarding. Still to create some shapes and forms you not only need to know how to join lines together but you also need to know how to properly join curves. So, how exactly do you join curves in Affinity Designer? 

To join curves in Affinity Designer you need to start by using the node tool. Hold down the shift key and select both of the curves. If you’re using the pen tool you should hold down ctrl. Finally, just click join curves on the context toolbar. This should seamlessly join the curves. 

If you’re trying to join curves in Affinity Designer but you’re not having any luck, we’ve got you covered. In our guide below we will review everything from how you combine two lines in Affinity Designer to how you actually join those curves properly. Additionally, we will briefly touch on creating shapes as well. So, with that, let’s jump right into it and get started. 

How Do You Join Curves in Affinity Designer?

Now we move on to our main event. Let’s see what the process looks like to join curves together in Affinity Designer in a way that looks flawless. 

The step-by-step guide below will walk you through the entire process of joining curves in Affinity Designer so you know exactly how to complete your shape or object: 

1. Open the program and either load or create your curves to be joined: Before we can do anything we’ve to boot up the program and make sure our curves are ready to go. You can either create them on the fly or you can load a file with them already created in it. However, you’re going about this you should have at least two curves to join. 
2. Using the node tool, hold down shift and select both curves: Again, the node tool can be found in the tool panel on the left side of the screen. You can find it by selecting the third icon down–a white arrow pointing diagonally–and clicking “node tool” from the tiny dropdown menu. Simply hold down shift and select both curves. 
3. Go up to the context toolbar and select join curves: The context toolbar can be found at the top of the page. Instead of being displayed in words, “join curves” is presented as an icon. The icon is two vertical lines with nodes in the middle and a horizontal line connecting them. Click it and join the curves together.  

As you can see the process of joining curves is quite similar to joining lines. The key difference is you’re selecting for curves on one and for lines on the other. 

How Do You Combine Two Lines in Affinity Designer?

Now that we’ve seen how curves can be combined let’s take a look at regular old lines. Are they the same as curves in the way in which they are joined together or are they different somehow? How exactly do you go about just combining two or more basic lines in Affinity Designer? 

Fortunately, combining lines uses the same exact process as joining curves. First you select the lines with the node tool, while holding down shift. Then you go up to the context toolbar at the top of the page and click on join curves. 

It’s important to note that this can be used on several lines at the same time to join them together and create various shapes. It would be a good idea to do some experimenting with basic shapes like triangles and squares before you attempt to create more complex designs just so you have the basics down. 

» MORE: How to Break Curves in Affinity Designer

So Really, How Do You Join Curves in Affinity Designer?

Joining curves in Affinity Designer doesn’t have to be difficult. You simply need to know which tools to use and how to use them. In this case, you’re going to want to use the node tool. As a reminder, the node tool can be found in the tool panel on the left side of the page. It is under the icon of a white arrow pointing diagonally up. It’s the third icon down. 

Once you have the node tool selected, all you’ve got to do is hold down the shift key, then click each of the curves you want to join. When they’re all selected, go to the top of the page where the context toolbar sits and select the icon for “join curves.” Vola, your curves should join together creating a seamless connection. The same will work on simple lines as well.