Saving a 1-bit black & white graphic

[thomaso]

@Finrach, just in case you haven't noticed (older threads might not mention it): In an app update the button "K Only" in the Context Toolbar was invented. If it gets activated you can colourise a 1-bit or grayscale image successfully. Though a 1-bit image appears as RGB image in the Resource Manager it can get colourised and output according to its applied color, e.g. a spot color.

While the current v183 still doesn't show transparency as soon such an image gets colourised (but it outputs fine) you might want to use the beta app version which has this UI issue fixed.

 

[Finrach]

Thanks @thomaso, that's good to know. I just did a quick test after colouring some text orange - you mentioned the transparency doesn't show in app, but how might I output minus the transparency info? My test PDF shows white over the grey background.

[thomaso]

The image must be saved with transparent areas. Affinity does not simply output white pixels in images as being transparent (as it also does not for plain, not colourised images).

[Finrach]

Thanks, that's helpful. I was hoping for the same kind of control I currently have, where the bitmap image's background/picture background/picture are controllable separately. I can colour the white or the black information or set the white (picture background) to none (transparent). It would be good if Affinity had the same level of control, however I'm glad you showed me the K only button as it's something I can work with in some situations.

[thomaso]

1 hour ago, Finrach said:

colour the white or the black information or set the white (picture background) to none (transparent). It would be good if Affinity had the same level of control,

This feature would require 1-bit support by Affinity. That's why I mentioned before "a 1-bit image appears as RGB image in the Resource Manager", or with other words, Affinity treats 1-bit as RGB. – You also can activate the K Only button for coloured RGB images, and colourise them, and the app simply merges the 3 channels. While applied to a CMYK image the app hides CMY and shows K only.

[nicolasbulb]

Hey Affinity, is there any news about 1-bit support?

[Michael Hurley]

3 hours ago, nicolasbulb said:

Hey Affinity, is there any news about 1-bit support?

I would say the answer is that Serif aren't terribly interested in supporting us crusty, old-tech types stuck in the slowly dying ink-on-paper past. It's pretty clear they're focused on digital-only workflows. I'm sure it's a far larger, far more lucrative market that we relatively few remaining print folk so I don't know that I can blame them per se. Still, it would have been nice to have an actual, viable third option instead of just the globe-swallowing Rent-Seeking Empire of A and the fading glory of the once-dominant Land of Q.

[nicolasbulb]

Mmmh… in artschool, silkscreen and Riso are back for some time now in the "young" ones for small press publication. And even when working with tech printing for luxury watchmakers with CMYK + 1 or 2 spots inks, the ability to add some supercrisp 1200dpi bitmap at 1-bit is still super handy, especially when you're working with trapping that let the original artworks remain crisp. So yeah, Affinity, I'm an independent graphic designer and image production tech for more than 25 years, and I truly believe 1-bit is still super useful. The recent update of Affinity Photo with some better channel option is going into the right direction but for highly efficient and professional works sadly the whole Affinity suite is not ready yet despite all the magnificent features.

It's lacking:

- the ability to work with true 1-bit bitmap, with the ability to spot colorizing

- the ability to properly assign overprints and knockouts.

- the ability create spot colours channels with transparency options in order to emulate some opaque inks like metallic ones and blend them with standard offset transparent ones.

- the ability to preview channels one by one before exporting to a PDF in order to spot some eventual problem with overprints or knockouts.

- a true Acrobat Pro PDF like software in the suite in order to check trap inks, etc.

- the ability to scripts all the app in the Suite in order to automate some crucial professional workflow.

 

Well… 7 years after I've bought the first beta of Affinity Designer, I still hope and believe you can do it. It's almost there.

 

Thanks.

[thomaso]

On 11/12/2021 at 10:13 PM, nicolasbulb said:

- the ability to work with true 1-bit bitmap, with the ability to spot colorizing

- the ability to properly assign overprints and knockouts.

- the ability create spot colours channels with transparency options in order to emulate some opaque inks like metallic ones and blend them with standard offset transparent ones.

- the ability to preview channels one by one before exporting to a PDF in order to spot some eventual problem with overprints or knockouts.

- a true Acrobat Pro PDF like software in the suite in order to check trap inks, etc.

- the ability to scripts all the app in the Suite in order to automate some crucial professional workflow.

smart summary 🥰
+1 !

[Lvis]

On 11/12/2021 at 10:13 PM, nicolasbulb said:

Mmmh… in artschool, silkscreen and Riso are back for some time now in the "young" ones for small press publication. And even when working with tech printing for luxury watchmakers with CMYK + 1 or 2 spots inks, the ability to add some supercrisp 1200dpi bitmap at 1-bit is still super handy, especially when you're working with trapping that let the original artworks remain crisp. So yeah, Affinity, I'm an independent graphic designer and image production tech for more than 25 years, and I truly believe 1-bit is still super useful. The recent update of Affinity Photo with some better channel option is going into the right direction but for highly efficient and professional works sadly the whole Affinity suite is not ready yet despite all the magnificent features.

It's lacking:

- the ability to work with true 1-bit bitmap, with the ability to spot colorizing

- the ability to properly assign overprints and knockouts.

- the ability create spot colours channels with transparency options in order to emulate some opaque inks like metallic ones and blend them with standard offset transparent ones.

- the ability to preview channels one by one before exporting to a PDF in order to spot some eventual problem with overprints or knockouts.

- a true Acrobat Pro PDF like software in the suite in order to check trap inks, etc.

- the ability to scripts all the app in the Suite in order to automate some crucial professional workflow.

 

Well… 7 years after I've bought the first beta of Affinity Designer, I still hope and believe you can do it. It's almost there.

 

Thanks.

👏👏👏

[Thomahawk]

On 11/10/2021 at 3:11 AM, Michael Hurley said:

I would say the answer is that Serif aren't terribly interested in supporting us crusty, old-tech types stuck in the slowly dying ink-on-paper past. It's pretty clear they're focused on digital-only workflows. I'm sure it's a far larger, far more lucrative market that we relatively few remaining print folk so I don't know that I can blame them per se. Still, it would have been nice to have an actual, viable third option instead of just the globe-swallowing Rent-Seeking Empire of A and the fading glory of the once-dominant Land of Q.

This has nothing to do with old tech.

Supporting 1bit graphics is simply a basic requirement for any professional graphics software, because there are print tecniques who require this, like stamps, screen print, engravings etc. When for whatever circumstances it is not possible to deliver vector data (f.e. because a customer needs data he can use in his application that only suppports pixel images).

So, Affinity, when are you finally starting to go professional?

Same goes for the requirement of distorting tools in Designer we are waiting for 4 years already! Basic tools that are not here but required by all users.

[garrettm30]

4 hours ago, Thomahawk said:

When for whatever circumstances it is not possible to deliver vector data (f.e. because a customer needs data he can use in his application that only suppports pixel images).

Another example: I would think that scans of certain line art drawing and inking would be best done in 1-bit pixel formats even today. Vector would at best only be an approximation. More than 1-bit pixel formats would yield half-toning that would cause blurry prints.

[nicolasbulb]

Okaaay, Well version 2 is here. Is there any news about the 1-bit only for Professional picky enough to care about sharpness?

In the specs, What that feature? 

Quote

Scalable bitmap fills with drag-and-drop support

 

[iuli]

As far as I can tell, there’s still no support for 1bit crisp bitmaps on v2 Affinity for the iPad. Can anyone confirm if the desktop version has it?

Kind regards.

[myclay]

Desktop doesn´t have it either.

[loukash]

On 11/18/2022 at 6:44 AM, iulian said:

As far as I can tell, there’s still no support for 1bit crisp bitmaps on v2 Affinity for the iPad. Can anyone confirm if the desktop version has it?

Hm… genuine 1-bit PNG export – as in: Photoshop defines the channel as "Bitmap" – was already possible with v1. 
Placing a 1-bit image and using it as a "K Only" pixel layer for colorizing was possible in v1 as well.

You just cannot work in 1-bit mode natively. That hasn't changed in v2.

Last year I've done quite a few tests on the subject, here's an example:

Frankly, it could be made easier if Serif would add better native support, but at this time we simply have to work with what we got.