CrashX

Thank you! Once I disabled "Show Bleed", it's back to what I expected. I'm just guessing that the default for new documents is to "Show Bleed" - and that's how I got completely thrown - whereas I'm guessing the included templates disable the bleed. But, if I switch that off and then save my own template - creating a new document with that template luckily preserves the option to not show the bleed, as with the builtin templates. It does seem weird that - prior to pasting a graphic - the "Show Bleed" document had the bleed blacked out. Not loving that logic? My apologies for wasting everyone's time with that. Thanks again!

I appreciate the links. What I'm not understanding - likely I'm just missing something? Again, I set up the document - 3.5" x 2", 1/8" Bleed, 3/16" margin. I double-checked to make certain I'd entered the appropriate values. Possibly it's ONLY available with Serif supplied templates? But, in mine, the bleed area is visible. So, when I export with no bleed, part of the image I can see is of course cut off. But maybe, because i set it up myself, I forgot to tick one of the boxes? Basically, in my document, there is no indication of the 3.5" x 2" area. I even put a yellow border on the bleed area, and a red border on the margins. I preferred it how it was before? The viewable area is what will print, with the margins possibly being cut off - with the "bleed" area hidden, but Affinity "snaps" to it for proper placement of "background" images? I can't currently see - there are no guides as to the actual area - again, the 3.5" x 2" area has no bounding box or indication of any kind? With the bleed being hidden, that was kinda weird - BUT at least I knew the boundaries - now it's just all goofy? And, even if I create a rectangle to represent the 3.5" x 2" area - I don't think Affinity will naturally snap to it, like it does with its own templates and the bleed being "out" of my visible design area? So - am I just not clicking a correct box? Or does Serif only do whatever I expect it to do with templates created by Serif - and everything else is just tough luck?

I was definitely just exploring, and whatever Affinity provided - I would have obviously used. I wasn't even aware of the various countries daring to differ, much less that the US wouldn't be the default But whatever it is provides a window of what might actually be printed, surrounded by black - but with invisible guides that Affinity snaps to for the "bleed". For example - you can download a photo from Unsplash, toss it in there, then resize that photo to snap to those guides - and you're assured that the "bleed" is then covered? Part of it's hidden by the black - but it's obviously still there - 'cuz you see it when you export the version with the bleed. And you're then left with a window, where you can design your card - with the understanding that anything close to the edge is possible to get lost in the cutting process. I sadly do not know what that area is called, but it's odd that Affinity doesn't have a dotted line or whatever representing that "unsafe" area? Again, I've tried creating the "template" myself - entering all of the information correctly - 3.5 x 2, 1/8" bleed, 3/16" margin. The guy at the print shop was even kind enough to provide me an .ai template. BUT - it doesn't obey whichever possibly imaginary rules I was following with the Affinity template? When I export with no bleed, it just cuts into the window of what I can see? And I have no idea why it's doing that - so no clue how to fix it? I liked the bit with the black part that was no man's bleed land - I'd have preferred the hint with a dashed line but there was of course none to indicate possibly unsafe areas? But I could at least guesstimate - designing safely within the window, being careful not to get too close to the edges. Now? I have no clue what it's doing. It just exports whatever it apparently wishes to export. Or possibly the "margin" things are cutting into it - I have no idea? Anyhow - I click to export and I just get a cut off mess that doesn't seem to have any bearing on what I can see on the screen. And that's obviously a bummer. Guessing I'm just doing something VERY wrong - because, formerly with the built-in template, it certainly seemed LOGICAL. Now... I have no clue what it's doing or why? So... LOGICAL - and then I apparently need 4 years of design school? I preferred the LOGICAL approach?

I'm not a designer - which is why templates are SO incredibly awesome in Affinity Designer. And, when there is no template - I'm basically screwed. I just wish to open the proper template, with the guides all set up for the bleed and whatnot - then live happily ever after in my ignorance? Where I've obviously screwed up is using Affinity's included template for business cards. Apparently every country has their own dimensions and margins and bleeds for business cards. So, being an idiot, I have the wrong country's template. I need the US template. I tried setting it up for myself - using the 3/16" margin and 1/8" bleed for the 3.5 x 2 US Business Card. But I then attempted to export that, and it apparently isn't obeying the same rules as the template I was using - it's cutting off the parts I can actually see - as opposed to what I imagine to be the "bleed box" - the part covered in black that Affinity snaps to as the outer "bleed" area? There is likely just no way I'm going to understand anything anyone attempts to explain to me, as to creating the proper template myself? So I was just very much hoping that one of the gurus here or at Affinity - where the world apparently only exists in millimeters, not the backwards US inches - That someone MIGHT be kind enough to provide a standard US Business Card template? That annoying country over where India was supposed to be? Again, I am SO GRATEFUL for the templates that do exist - I understand them and I can work with them. But they're alway in millimeters, and... again with the United States and our stupid, hateful backwards inches? I understand that I should likely take a design course, or an introduction to Affinity Designer tools course? Just REALLY hoping that - instead - someone can point me to where the US Business Card template already exists - or, if one doesn't exist, possibly create one that behaves in the same manner as the one provided by Affinity - where the outer edges are covered in black, but Affinity knows where those boundaries are and properly snaps to them - and then there's the part I can see, where I know there's the area near the edge that might not print, depending on the "cut" or whatever at the print shop? Whatever that thing might be? I would be SO VERY GRATEFUL to have that? Because I can design within it, and it makes sense to me?

Fine - bump it to three dolla? But then I run all out o' Mo.

If you could keep it to a dollar? Then I could mebbe hit it up on Black Friday? Welcome to da Club! Affinity say... I ain't changed?

Image Optimizer was kind enough to add webp support. Just drag and drop: https://github.com/antonreshetov/image-optimizer But that's an open source project on GitHub. Affinity can't possibly compete with that kinda $$$.

https://caniuse.com/webp I think - when the Boomers locked us all down forever to save themselves from COVID - everyone had a little free time to update their browsers? But - if you're one of the smartest, kindest, most caring and loving people ever in the entire world? Please lock up the children and make certain you NEVER venture out - with webp or any other image format - without FIRST protecting your users with: https://caniuse.com/masks And PLEASE remember - While the children might only come down with a slight case of the sniffles, we ask that you continue caging and torturing them forever - to protect grandpa from the virus that her generation accidentally unleashed on the world NO! He can't just quarantine herself! That would mean giving up her ever encompassing power over all of us forever more! DUH! Remember - Google is your

No clue why there's any argument over asking Affinity to provide native export for webp? If you don't care for it, don't use it? Totally on board with the Google hate - but... it's definitely the best format for my needs? In the meantime, the free version of PhotoScape X is the best tool I've found: http://x.photoscape.org You can set the compression level, see the results of the compression level as you adjust - which, if you're exporting for the web, is pretty sweet.