RobW42

@Patrick Connor thank you for the workaround. That does indeed remove my frustration. Much appreciated.

Hi @NathanCI've just checked with the latest beta and, unfortunately, this problem still exists. It seems that this isn't going to be on the final list for fixes for V2.1 so I'll continue using V1.10 and await V2.2.

Hi @NathanC, Using Windows 11. From Lightroom (V6.14), I 'edit in' Affinity Photo V2.0.4. The Lightroom parameters are TIFF, ProPhoto RGB, 16bit/Component, No Compression. AP2 is launched from LR using a .bat file (start /b affinityphoto2.exe %1) Any edit will demonstrate my problem. For example, select in-painting, click on canvas, close by clicking 'x'/close window. AP2 prompts to save edits then pops up a message saying 'The document contains non-pixel elements would you like to save as a TIFF with Affinity layers or as a new document'. Selecting 'with layers' yields large file. Selecting 'new document' only presents the option to save as .afphoto or .aftemplate.

We each have our own idea of what constitutes a very high priority issue. Unnecessarily quadrupling the size of a file appears to be quite a big problem to me. I await the next release with bated breath. For now, I shall remain a hopeful user of V1.

Sadly, V2.0.4 still does not provide the option to save without layers when round trip editing from something like Lightroom. This is one of the few things I find disappointing with AP V2 but it is definitely sufficiently frustrating to keep me on V1.

Yes, as I mentioned previously, that is indeed a workaround though it is inconvenient and something that gets in the way of my workflow. If Export would default its destination folder to that of the source file then it wouldn't be as much of a hassle. Unfortunately, it doesn't. I would much prefer Affinity Photo helps my workflow rather than hindering it. For now, I shall continue with V1. As to whether or not it will get 'fixed' is anybody's guess. It may be that Serif have decided this is the way they want to continue. All that is needed in the dialogue is an option to save without 'non-pixel' layers.

V2.0.3, Sadly even this version saves ridiculously large files. My 57Mb TIFF file becomes 200Mb after going through AP2. It still insists on only giving the option to save as TIFF with layers on a round trip from Lightroom - even when I have deleted all layers! It is quite disappointing that files, in V2, are unnecessarily bloated in this way.

Hi Walt, I could indeed work around the problem by using Export but, to be honest, it’s rather a nuisance. Export won’t, by default, open the same file location as the original file from Lightroom. I’ve been caught out by this a few times and ended up saving to the wrong location leaving me wondering why my edits haven’t shown up in Lightroom. I could use lightroom to ‘show in explorer’, navigate to that folder in the export dialogue, export then quit without saving but it rather breaks the fluid workflow achieved with V1 where I simply quit then save and the modified file replaces the original. If there is a feature in V2 that I absolutely need then I’ll go through the hassle. If not, I’ll simply stay with V1 until the problem is resolved. One might question why I’m so concerned about these overly large files when disk storage is quite cheap. The answer there is that my NAS, where my photos reside, doesn’t have a huge capacity nor does my cloud backup account. On top of that, I don’t have the luxury of super fast broadband internet so my uploads from NAS to cloud are painfully slow. Larger files will exacerbate that pain.

Unfortunately, the new Photo V2 Beta (2.0.3.1670) still has this file size problem. It's rather frustrating to have bought V2 but not be able to make practical use of it in my workflow.

Thank you Walt and David for the suggestions for exporting rather than saving. I’m glad to hear that others are seeing similar problems as that makes me happy that I’m not missing something obvious and that it is a problem that will, hopefully, soon be resolved. I’m opening each of my photos from within Lightroom (V6.14) to do some very simple edits. Whilst exporting is certainly a workaround for the file size problem it’s a little tedious to go through the extra export steps and then get Lightroom to update its preview. For the edits I’m currently performing (small amounts of inpainting), V2 offers no advantage over V1 so I can simply use V1 until the problem has been resolved.

In V1.10, I edit a 45Mb TIFF file, merge visible, delete all other layers then save. This yields a 55Mb TIFF file. Using a similar process in V2.0.0 yields a 162Mb file! One difference in the dialogue is that I see is that V2 doesn't simply save as V1 did but gives a message saying the document has non-pixel elements and gives an option to save as TIFF with affinity layers or as an AFPHOTO file. Save history with document is disabled. Any suggestions as to what these new 'non-pixel' elements that are present in V2 but not in V1? More importantly, how can I get rid of them? For now, I have reverted back to using V1.10

If we had access to the channels on the layer below in the procedural texture filter then I suppose we could create any blend mode. In my limited playing with procedural textures, I can only see a way to reference the current layer.

@abarkalo I suppose a workaround to the edge feathering would be to select the Gaussian blur mask and paint black around the vignetted edge area

I see similar. It doesn't happen (for me) immediately upon painting but it will shutdown the app soon after. I'm on Win 10 Build 18362.

@DanM, I am working through the same process. I setup a test project for a 7x7 softcover with wo documents as Old Bruce mentioned; cover and content. For the cover, I set up a single page and placed guides to show where the gutter/spine would be. Export to PDF as PAGES (not spreads) with bleed. Upload to Blurb: Blurb has options to upload either as a single document or two. I chose two of course. The whole thing went through Blurb's preflight checks at which point you can preview it. I haven't requested a print as yet as I was simply working through the process to see how easy it would be.