GarethCallan

I'm sure this has been requested before.. but +1 for enabling plugins to be used as Live Filter layers please.  I love Nik Collection but I do not love using it destructively in Affinity Photo where adjustments cannot be made subsequently.  Live Filter seems to be the best way to achieve similar functionality as Smart Filter/Smart Object in PS. 
 
 
Oh... and sort out the colour render in Viveza please as well 
 
Thank you, Serif!

@Gregory St. Laurent
UPDATE:
Things proceeded much faster than I expected because I had the old *.8bf files from V17 sitting somewhere on my computer as I made experiments with Photoshop at that time. The solution was to delete the *.8bf files dated from 2018 from the AP plugin directory and reference the old ones  from April 2017 (V17) instead via additional path in AP preferences/Plugins. There was no need to uninstall V18 for me. I guess if we had some old *.8bf files from Portrait Body we could make this one work as well. What a pity that I startet with V2 which had the *.8bf files from 2018 already. Perhaps you know someone who could test that for us and give us the proof.

I'm sure this has been requested before.. but +1 for enabling plugins to be used as Live Filter layers please.  I love Nik Collection but I do not love using it destructively in Affinity Photo where adjustments cannot be made subsequently.  Live Filter seems to be the best way to achieve similar functionality as Smart Filter/Smart Object in PS. 
 
 
Oh... and sort out the colour render in Viveza please as well 
 
Thank you, Serif!

How long am I going to have to wait for a Serif platform for image management and Lightroom-style RAW edit functionality which then flips into Photo for heavy duty edit/manipulation/stacking?
 
Lightroom must be a HUUUGE target opportunity.  Would love to see some proper competition.  Loving Affinity Photo BTW guys.
 
 

Hey, do you have a sample image you can post that has an example of a stain or blotch? I know of the technique you are talking about in Photoshop but Affinity may just have a different way to get the same result. If you can post an image that I can download via dropbox or google drive or whathaveyou I can probably figure out a way to do it and post a video tutorial. Or try to anyway, I have 5 days off, with two remaining and getting a little antsy so a distraction would do me some good :)

Not "refine edges" that is the process of improving hard edges or extracting around hair. You need to blend the edges in so nobody notices. Nothing worse than an obvious patch.
 
Every picture is different but this is the way I have found works best.
 
First of all, (well, first after you have made a duplicate of the layer) is to select the stain area approximately, I would say the selection brush is best but do switch "snap to edges" off. Paint it so it is a bit smaller than the stain all the way round.
 
Press "Q"  that will enter you into Quickmask mode.
 
Using the brush tool in white, selectively blend the edges of the stain into the background. Quite a large brush is best and I would suggest an opacity of 5% and a Hardness of 0% to start with. Build it up, don't try to do it in one go. Paint in black to correct any mistakes.
 
When you are happy, or think you are, press the Q again to get back to normal mode.
 
Press Ctrl U to bring up the HSL adjustment. Or click on HSL Adjustments in the adjustments panel. The shortcut is worth remembering as it is such a common adjustment.
 
Adjust the sliders to suit. 
 
If the mask is not quite right, i.e. not blended enough or in the wrong place you can easily edit it.
 
Just click on the HSL Shift Adjustment layer and press the Q again and start blending.
 
If you find the selection area marching ants a bit distracting, you can switch them off by going to View, Show Pixel Selection and un-ticking it. Don't forget to switch it back on again when you have finished or you will get confused next time you select something.
 
It takes a bit of experimentation but if you get it right nobody will ever know.
 
If the stain has a hard edge, like where a liquid has dried out, you will need to remove that with the clone tool or one of the healing brushes.