[Transparent eps goes white]

Well, thanks a lot! To change the colour is no sweat at all and this saved me for a helluva lot of work, having to hand-trace it. 

Yes, paying work comes first and this is a paid job, so I am all the more grateful. I work mostly with other kinds of illustrations, so to pay for AI or the likes of it is the kind of expense I can't afford. I am on a Mac so AD is out of beta and works well, but as I am not too experienced with vector, I obviously still stumble, although AD is very intuitive in my opinion. 

So perhaps a tracing feature is the next thing we should ask for? 

But yes, I am still curious as to why the brushes aren't vector. Anyway, thanks a lot again!

 

[Transparent eps goes white]

It's the brush stroke you are using causing the rasterizing. You can copy the stroke itself to InkScape, CorelDraw or AI, paste it in and trace it, export as an SVG and bring that back in and replace the bitmap stroke. I can upload one if desired.

 

Also, when you open an EPS in AD, make sure to visit the document properties and make sure that in the color section you check the box for a transparent background.

Well, I tried to do this with Intaglio but without much success. I have also tried to find out why the brushes I make aren't vector although I follow the instructions, so yes, if you care to, I would much apprecaite if you could help out. I am almost there and it is only that damn stroke missing. 

[Transparent eps goes white]

Well, now I am getting closer. If one embeds something it is being rasterized. The trick is then to copy the eps-file and paste it. That solves that part, but it doesn't solve the mystery with the stroke. What is the idea of being able to create one's own brushes within the vector-part of AD, if those strokes aren't vector? How do I get around that? I don't have CorelDraw or AI or InkScape but I have an app called Intaglio (which isn't very intuitive to work with, alas) but again; I thought brushes made in AD (on the vector side) became vector-brushes. Isn't that so? And if not, what is the use of them then? Or if there is a way to make them vector, without having to use other applications, how is that done?

[Transparent eps goes white]

Well, the brushstroke is made in AD so how can that be? I deleted the first one and then I did it again, using the same brush - which I made in AD - and that took care of it, but the two shapes which are part of a logo I have made and which are both eps-files, come out as rasterised shapes with white backgrounds. 

 

I'll check that about the colour section, though. 

 

And it has that box checked. 

[Transparent eps goes white]

Since you don't offer a normal support and I don't have much time, I will try to get a response here. I have made a file with some objects on a transparent background and I export it as an eps-file for export, but when I open it, it opens with a white background. What is this and how do I avoid it? I hope someone can give me a response asap and I also hope you can offer some normal tech support some day. 

 

And when I open the exported file in AD it is rasterized and not a vector-file. I am sorry, but this is really a disappointment then. Perhaps it is me who don't understand vector and only thought I did, since AD was so easy and intuitive to use, but it was probably just and illusion. The design should be simple. I use a logo I have made earlier which is also a vector-file, add a line to it, which I thought would be vector - and then some numbers and letters which definitely should be vector. No effects or gradients or anything. 

 

Now I tried to export setting rasterizing to Nothing and that created a file worse than anything. The nice line around turned into a thick line and the whole image was turned into a chaotic jumble with white squares all over. 

 

So, if this is not a bug, it seems like it isn't as easy as it seemed to be to create vector-stuff in AD at all. And what to do with this now? 

 

I add the actual file, but when I export it I deselect the blue background. 

 

OK, so now I took out the encircling line and drew it again, as it seems like it had been converted into a rasterised layer and the same thing with one of the logo-files embedded, which is an eps-file, probably because I used the eraser on it. Now I opened the original eps-file and modified it and exported it as a new eps-file and imported it to the design again. Now it became more transparent, but with white squares behind the two logo-layers - which, again, are eps-files but obviously are being converted into rasterised files by AD. How do I avoid that? I thought vector stayed vector.

And if I allow rasterizing it all turn out with a white background. Why? The two files added are vector-files (eps) and the line should be vector as far as I understand, and so are the numbers and letters. So why doesn't it export as a transparent vector?

And where is support when you need it?

GGklistrmerke.afdesign

[New examples]

Just a few things I have been doing with Affinity Designer so far. I have been using it every day for my daily illustrations to a newspaper in Finland - Hufvudstadsbladet - but I cannot wait until they will release the iOS-version so I can use it on my recent purchase; the iPad Pro with Pencil. You ain't seen nuthin' yet:)

This first one is the cover of an economic magazine. Many of figures in this was used in other illustrations throughout the magazine, so AD works perfect this way, too, for a n00bie such as I:)

 

Next one up is a flyer I designed for my brother who works as a wildlife guide up in the arctic part of Norway. With AD it was a piece of cake to throw this together...

 

 

The next two are examples of the daily illustrations I do for Hufvudstadsbladet...

 

[set on IPAD pro]

Hi matogui@hotmail.fr,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

Affinity Designer for iPad is currently being developed. There's no timeframe for its release yet.

Best news so far this year:D I received my iPad Pro the other day, together with Pencil and it is the hardware version of Affinity Designer, so naturally you have to create the software to the hardware. 

I am using Autodesk's Graphic so far, together with Procreate, both of which aren't bad, but if you can manage to create an iOS-version only half as good as your OS X-version, you have a client:) And if it works together with the OS X-version, all the better. Can't be beat then. And if it will have the Pixel Persona... oh wow... :D

[Question about bleed]

The files I were working with seemed to be to heavy to load in Preview or Safari. Both crashed. Adobe Reader could open it, but if that what I saw was the bleed, it seemed to me that it wasn't filled with the image  used and then it is no idea, is it?

I also tried to uncheck Clip to Canvas, but what I see then is the outline of the project, in this case a poster, but there is no bleed to be seen as you can see from the screenshot here:

 

I also opened one of the pdf-files in Photoshop Elements (the poor thing had to work hard!) and it seemed to me like there was a bleed indeed, but outside the image, and that's not how it is supposed to be, is it? Or am I mistaken?

 

PS: No, it seems like it was me who had added margins, too, in addition to the bleed. I discovered the mistake and did it all over again, opened it in Photoshop and there was 2x3 mm added to width and height. OK, so then I know it works, but it would be nice to see the bleed, too:)

[Question about bleed]

Maybe I can add a question? How wo I see the bleed applied when exported? In which programme can I see that?

[New App/Implementation: Affinity Animator]

Thanks for the info on Krita and I will have a new look as soon as I return home to Portugal. As for now, it is busy as usual before Xmas and then comes New Year and then the drive down through Europe:) Anyway, I will give it a test and see how it works for me.

[New App/Implementation: Affinity Animator]

I have downloaded Krita now and it looks like a powerful app for illustrations but if compared to Affinity Designer, it appears not to be that intuitive. In spite of my difficulties getting into vector based illustration earlier (not that I seriously tried, but still...) what was impressive with AD was that I immediately got the hang of it and after just a couple of hours or so, I was able to create illustrations. Almost no learning curve at all. Pure magic, if you ask me. I watched a few tutorial videos and after a day or two I was already using it for my daily illustrations - and please note that I have a deadline for those! No problem at all!

Now, when I am thinking about an animation app, it is something like that I am looking for and I think the people behind AD is just about ready to add some simple animation to it, seeing what they have added as new features in the latest update. 

So far I haven't got the faintest idea as to how I would create animation with Krita. I searched for "animate", "animation" or "timeline" in the online documentation, but saw no such thing. I created a simple shape and tried to move it around but couldn't. 

I know, that is probably something very easy I have overlooked and I am going to look into it more, but that is one criteria I have; you should be able to create a circle and move it around without having to look up how. Next thing is to have some kind of a timeline right there in front of you. Maybe it doesn't exist in the Mac-version so far? So I tried to add a couple of layers but since I couldn't move the circle around it was of no help. 

Again; I am sure it is quite simple as soon as you know how, but what I am looking for is an app which is so obvious that you don't need to look up how. Not until you come to the more advanced features.

As for Hype, yes, I looked at it but it is not the kind of animation I am looking for. I draw and I want to make anymations based on my skills as a draughtsman. 

So far I have tried a great many apps and got some of them to work, but none of them has managed to do the magic which the people behind AD have. So, I am waiting for them to add animation to the list :D I know it will be just The Thing! :D

[New App/Implementation: Affinity Animator]

Thank you for that info, which I didn't see before now, but I will check it out. Hope they will get tweeting, too:)

[Getting back clean characters?]

Well, I know I didn't go into that menu option since I didn't know that it existed even. (But what you suggested fixed it) The only thing I did was to change the colour of the font and to add a stroke to it. 
When I wanted to continue with another font, I tried to select None for stroke and change the colour back to black, but no way. Well, it looked right but it didn't change. So somehow something happened which I wasn't aware of and neither intended it to happen. That is all I know. 

[Getting back clean characters?]

Hi Wildred Hildonen,

 

Please could you include a screenshot of the text or the Affinity Project file you were using? So that I may investigate this further.

 

C

 Name is Wilfred, by the way :D

[Getting back clean characters?]

It sounds like you changed the object defaults. Edit > Defaults > Factory Reset will restore them to a sane default. There are other options there to set them from the current selection, to store them for new documents and to reset them to what you last stored.

 

And can you please tell me how I have done that? I don't like it when programmes do things I don't tell it to do. Wouldn't it be an idea with a warning for us n00bies? Something the experienced users can turn off. Sometimes I accidentally toggle the UI as well, when I am busy manipulating stuff and I hit the wrong key. Annoying. 

[Getting back clean characters?]

Hello

 

I will add two. The first one is of the entire screen and the second is a close up of the text...

 

 

[Getting back clean characters?]

I stumbled across a problem. I used the text tool in AD to create some special characters with fill and stroke, but when I wanted to go back to write some other text, I couldn't get rid of what I had added, so all the text came out garbled as it was a smaller size and the stroke just messed it up. I have chosen no stroke but to no avail. 
It continued even when I started a new project. 

 

What gives?

[Introduce Yourself]

Hello! Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a man of wealth and... no, sorry, I am definitely not a man of wealth but I hope I have some taste:) Anyways; I am an artist, editorial cartoonist and illustrator and a jack of all trades as long as they are creative. I work for a Finnish daily in the Swedish language, born in Norway with Finnish/Sami/Romani/Carelian roots, so no Viking blood in my veins and that is probably why I have moved to Portugal where I live in a safe distant from any beach as I swim like a rock, and also in safe distance from any expat-communtity (shuddering by the thought of it) and therefore I do speak Portuguese as well. 
OK, so where was I? Well, I have been using Photoshop since I got my first Mac in 1998, but although I have done some vector-based work I never got my head wrapped around it, more like tangled up into it, but then I stumbled across Affinity Designer and lo and behold! there was I, after a mere hours, throwing together vectorbased illustrations like it was nothing to it!  That speaks a firmament for the intuitiveness of this programme, indeed! I love it and it's brilliant and it was the most well spent money I ever spent <---rather clumsily constructed sentence...
Looking forward to see where it is going and waiting for updates :)

[New App/Implementation: Affinity Animator]

Ah, I didn't mention Anime Studio? I have that one, too and I agree that it seems to be easier, but I haven't had time to try it out that much. As for 3D, I am not interested at all, as I have mentioned earlier. I have tried out some trials of things like Bryce etc., just to see what it is about, but as the learning curve is as steep as a cliff face, I shied away:)

But yes, I agree with you that seeing what there already is in Affinity, it would be a great application for creating 2D as well. Add a timeline and X-sheet and some tweeting-feature and you're already a long way towards it. 

I am also glad you mentioned Animation Paper which I looked at a while ago and thought it looked like The Thing, indeed, but yes, it seems to have stalled, alas. Why am I not a multi-millionaire? :D

[My daily illustrations]

These are really nice!  That's a lot of work, but I bet they enhance the articles.  :-)

 

 Thanks a lot! But actually, they are not a lot of work, not with Affinity Designer. That's why I find this programme so amazing, because if I had tried to do something similar with Illustrator or any other vector based programme, I would have gone bald by now, tearing my hair out in frustration! 

The one which took the longest time to make is the one with the birthday cake. The others took me between one or two hours, tops. And I find that quite amazing myself, since I am a novice to vector illustration and to AD...

[New App/Implementation: Affinity Animator]

I have Toon Boom Express, Toon Boom Studio 8.1 and Harmony Essentials, all from ToonBoom and although I cannot say I have worked extremely hard to learn it, I have given it some serious attempts over the years. The problem is partly that I am used to dive into a programme, doing some easy stuff to begin with and then learn as I move on. With ToonBoom's offerings, I find that difficult. To my experience I need to study hard only to get the easiest things done. Essentials is a great step forward in the right direction, but as I see it it still has a way to go.

The reason why I posted my comments here, is because I used to have the same problems with vector-based illustration, only not that tough, though - but with Affinity Designer all that trouble vanished into thin air like a wisp of smoke. Somehow, they have just got it right when it comes to intuition. I'd like to see that done with 2D animation, as well. 

I know that you can create 2D in 3D as well, but I am not interested in 3D.

Adobe Photoshop is above my budget and so is TVPaint. I have tried out Synfig, Pencil2D and Blender and there are some promising steps there, but it is not quite what I am hoping for.

The first item on my wishlist is that the app must give the user the possibility to create something simple right from the start. Be it stick animation or whatever, but aside from understanding the principle of animation (which in short is the same as the principle behind motion pictures or movies - successive frames), it shouldn't require much. 

The second item is to have a full toolkit of drawing tools. And it should be built with drawing in mind, for artists who know how to draw. 

The third is that in spite of the apparent simplicity and intuitive approach it should be advanced; i.e. that you learn as you go. Photoshop worked that way for me and now Affinity Designer does and I can't see why a 2D animation software couldn't do the same. 

[New App/Implementation: Affinity Animator]

Speaking of Blender, I realised that my version had to be old but just look at that GUI. That is an engineer's GUI and not an artist's. How on earth am I supposed to work with something like this? What does it mean? Bounds? TexSpace? PassIndex 0? DupliVerts? Where are my drawing tools?



So I downloaded the new version and it was a tiny improvement, but still - how do I get that 3D thing away?

 

 

Just a couple of horror examples on how a creative user interface should not be. When I see something like this, I feel like storming into wherever the developers of this are working and throw a laptop at them and tell them to get real! 

[Intensity Brush tapering off in both ends?]

Yes, that is what I am doing but anyway, I just have to create more brushes to get the results I want then. What you posted here gave me an idea so thank you for that :D

[My daily illustrations]

So I am new to make vector-based illustrations although I have managed to get a few logos together in vector, but after just a few days with Affinity Designer, I am able to use it for my daily illustrations for a newspaper I am working for (from Finland). That isn't bad since I have a deadline to keep. Anyway, here are a few examples plus one for another publication...

 

 

 

[Intensity Brush tapering off in both ends?]

I appreciate much how easy it is to create my own brushes and I am trying to create a collection of Texture Intensity Brushes to be used with my illustrations. What I am trying to achieve is "dirty" outlines. I don't like my drawings to be too clean and smooth.

I am slowly getting there but I wonder why I cannot set these brushes to be tapered off in both ends like the solid brushes? Is there any reason for it or will it be added?

I'll attach two screenies which may help to explain...