Vector brushes, export artwork quality???

[AffinityAppMan]

I noticed that when exporting a file that uses ALL vector brushes, to open in another vector app or just to enlarge the artwork  to any size, some vector brushes look pixelated. They seem to get rasterized.  I tried exporting as eps, svg, and pdf.

i am guessing these brushes where made with bitmap images so it doesn’t maintain the vector math flexibility.

is there a vector brush set available that emulates pencils, charcoal, and shading looks that stays vector on export to maintain the high quality vector artwork when opened in other vector apps or just using it at larger sizes?  Not necessarily as brushes, but as scalable quality vector art.

 thanks!

[Callum]

Hi AffinityAppMan,

As you imagined the brushes you are using are in fact bitmap images stretched along a vector path (I'm assuming as I haven't seen the brushes you used). As far as I'm aware we have no pencil brushes that are true vector I'm afraid.

Thanks

C

[AffinityAppMan]

8 hours ago, Callum said:

Hi AffinityAppMan,

As you imagined the brushes you are using are in fact bitmap images stretched along a vector path (I'm assuming as I haven't seen the brushes you used). As far as I'm aware we have no pencil brushes that are true vector I'm afraid.

Thanks

C

Thanks for the reply!

That’s what I was afraid of.
So most vector brushes are for lower end work that don’t require printing at large sizes?

Why even bother with them, unless you are printing small or the web?

I was under the impression that vector work was supposed to be math based and look good at any size.
Is this not true?

 

 

[firstdefence]

On 11/26/2019 at 2:11 AM, AffinityAppMan said:

I was under the impression that vector work was supposed to be math based and look good at any size.
Is this not true?

That is correct, but these "Vector" brushes are a PNG image (raster) along a curve. I think it is misleading to call brushes used in draw persona vector brushes when they most certainly are NOT it is a raster brush you can bend.

A vector brush utilises a vector file, so to mirror Adobe Illustrators method, it would require an afdesign file with vector objects as the texture, then it could be called a vector brush. I'm not sure why this hasn't been implemented. Making brushes from a selection of vector objects so everything is in-house so to speak would certainly make brush creation much easier.

It needs work, sooner than later.

[AffinityAppMan]

13 hours ago, firstdefence said:

That is correct, but these "Vector" brushes are a PNG image (raster) along a curve. I think it is misleading to call brushes used in draw persona vector brushes when they most certainly are NOT it is a raster brush you can bend.

A vector brush utilises a vector file, so to mirror Adobe Illustrators method, it would require an afdesign file with vector objects as the texture, then it could be called a vector brush. I'm not sure why this hasn't been implemented. Making brushes from a selection so everything is in-house so to speak would certainly make brush creation much easier.

It needs work, sooner than later.

I agree,  it is very misleading to call these vector brushes.  Vectors are resolution free that can be used at any size without lost of quality.

This makes vector brushes in AD obsolete in most cases.  Not good if you are running an illustration or graphics company that requires real vector brushes to achieve many looks.

 I don't think AD vector brushes should be called "VECTOR BRUSHES" if the vector capabilities are not there when it comes to independent resolution at any size.  That's what VECTOR is.

This is very disappointing  

[AndyQ]

On 11/27/2019 at 6:26 AM, AffinityAppMan said:

I agree,  it is very misleading to call these vector brushes.   I don't think AD vector brushes should be called "VECTOR BRUSHES" if the vector capabilities are not there when it comes to independent resolution at any size.  This is very disappointing  

Amen brother, these are raster brushes following a vector path, and pretty low-res ones at that. They definitely should be called "raster brushes" (or bitmap for you young people). You'd have thought this would have been on the "to-do" list before they even started programming these apps....I mean what are the branding agencies gonna do with their logo designs without Illustrators crazy "hand drawn" vector brush strokes? They won't even look at AD.

[firstdefence]

It was a big surprise to me that Affinity Designer didn't have true vector brushes, left me scratching my head as to why.

[R C-R]

5 hours ago, firstdefence said:

It was a big surprise to me that Affinity Designer didn't have true vector brushes, left me scratching my head as to why.

The same could be said for several other common vector app features like a scissors or knife tool or some sort of stroke width tool.