Asha

Yeah, he said he would be impressed if somebody had PS Elements on their resume--I really don't get that. I suppose it is easy for me to say that AP is an awesome PS replacement now that I've been using PS since the late 80's. For people who weren't there when PS was a fledgling 8-bit program, let me say that AP is simply astonishing.

The layer clipping mask (aka alpha lock) can be approximated by using the same mask on a new pixel layer. You would paint around the edge of the hair on the pixel layer, not the mask, and then change the layer blending mode. I have tried it in PS on a green-screen photo. I used the Hue blending mode, with paint color picked up from one of the darker hair colors, and it worked pretty well to eliminate the halo.

Very useful in the photo persona, and I agree similar functionality should be in the develop persona--maybe need to submit a feature request?

I just saw this post from crabtrem--might be useful for setting the white point in the Levels: https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/17996-photo-editing-tricks-black-and-white-points/ The video shows LR, but the alt key does work in AP. Also, it can be done on individual channels if there happens to be a color cast.

Nice tutorial JimmyJack!

Maybe they aren't using iPad because AD is not there yet...

The UI really should scale automatically based on device. Imagine with the upcoming port to iPad--there has to be a way to fit things on a screen in a useful way, regardless of size and proportion.

Maybe I'm showing my age and the fact that I also work on Microsoft Windows, but... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooltip "A common variant, especially in older software, is displaying a description of the tool in a status bar."

Masking always takes a lot of time and care. The tools go a good distance, but usually you have to do some manually too.

Very nice, Paolo!

My first choice would be to check the channels to see if there is one that will enable you to make a good selection. If you create a new grayscale layer from one of the channels, you can use the threshold adjustment to clear out parts you don't want, then make a selection from what's left. Then you can refine selection, or make a mask or whatever. There is also the background eraser tool. I think that is really only good for quick checks, because I find the effect to be a bit harsh. Anyway, all you do is use the eye dropper to select foreground and background colors, then use the background eraser on the background near the edge of your subject. You may need to uncheck contiguous if there is hair or something where the green color shows through. You will need to play with the tolerance too, to avoid leaving green areas behind.

Tool Tips

I think a flow slider or other quick-access is a great idea.

Nazario--I tried it too, and I don't see that there is the same functionality in AP. Two ways I can think to work around for the type of graphic you have: 1) instead of levels, use the Selective Color adjustment layer--you can zero out the "whites", and it will have a global effect. 2) use the magic wand tool to select the background, then use Select menu and try Tonal Range, Color, etc. to select all of the instances on the graphic. Then you can use the tool of your choice to alter the selected areas. I agree it would be nice if AP had the highlight, midtone and shadow pickers that are in PS levels, because I think using them gives a much different effect than either of the two workarounds I mentioned above. For example, the highlight picker can be used to remove an overall magenta cast from a digital photo, and is much quicker to get close to a good color correction than White Balance, Color Balance, etc.

I have been using Logitech M500 corded mouse for probably 12 years now. There are wireless versions with the same shape and capability, but I have found the corded mouse lasts longer. I also use an angled mouse pad--I find the combo of mouse and pad is better on my wrist. http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/corded-mouse-m500?crid=7 http://www.amazon.com/Allsop-26226-Wrist-Circular-Mouse/dp/B00006I51C Needless to say, I was using this combo well before I got Affinity, but it works for that too! I also wanted to add, that when I got my iMac 5K, I got the trackpad instead of the magic mouse. I think the trackpad has a lot of potential, especially the newest one that has force touch (which I don't have). But it is worth a look for times when a mouse isn't quite right.

+1 for ability to change the origin, and quickly reset back to default!

I just learned that if I draw a rectangle, I can input absolute dimensions in the transform palette. This kind of answers my first request, although it would be nice to have inputs on the top bar at the time the object is drawn.

Please do not make auto lens correction the only option--I sometimes need to turn it off, which is one reason I look for alternatives to Adobe.

Stephen--yes, printing presses, die cut machines, letter press, etc., have a pretty long life span if they are maintained properly. There are quite a few printing services that have old workhorses which are not as precise as the newest models!

John--I am saying you can measure by drawing a rectangle across the dimensions of the object you are measuring. Just drag but don't release--you will see the measurements at the cursor.

You can draw out a rectangle--before the mouse is released, the dimensions are shown near the cursor. It probably would be nice to have an official tool, though. I looked for one but didn't find it (in AP). Workspace rulers are already available and can be turned on in the View menu.

Hi Simon--it is a 2-way street, so it would be helpful if you also submit a request to Nik that they support Affinity Photo. If more people request, I think they will pay attention.

I searched the forum before posting this but didn't find anything... I was exploring the shape tools in AP and AD--mostly the rectangle and ellipse. I would like to suggest that a method be implemented so we can draw shapes at exactly the size desired. Two ways I can think of are either to double click on the drawing/painting area with the shape tool selected, or numerical entry in the top bar. In addition, it would be really nice to be able to make guides from shapes, or from a hand drawn bezier, or whatever. Sometimes straight line guides are not enough.

Normally what I would do is a bit primitive, but will work. It is a bit less easy in AP, but here is the gist: Create a new layer and draw a rectangle using the rectangle tool--make sure it is of known dimensions in the ratio you desire (you can see the numbers near the cursor as you draw the rectangle). Remove the fill, and put a rule in a color that stands out (like pure green or magenta). Use the shift key to constrain while scaling, and move to where you want it. Lock the layer if you want to make sure it doesn't change, and turn off the layer when you don't want to see the rule. Later, you can use the rule as a guide for drawing your selection rectangle. Usually I use this for visualizing where something will crop without actually doing the crop.

I watched the free teasers--for beginners, even if they don't want to pay for the service, the free parts are still very valuable for anybody who wants to learn.