Add customized brushes to AP

[Shuttrbugin]

I was just wondering if it is possible to customize brushes or perhaps design one's own brush? I am used to drawing my own birds or leaves for example, and making that a brush. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing you.

[Callum]

Hi Shuttrbugin,

 

Welcome to the forums!

 

While in the program if you go to the brushes tab at the top righthand side, you will see a few horizontal lines with an arrow head pointing downwards next to the word brushes. If you click these lines a drop down menu will appear. At the bottom of the drop down menu you will see New image brush select this option, it will ask you for a picture that you would like to turn into a brush. Once you have selected your image a new custom brush created from your image will appear in your brushes tab.

You can also look at this video for how to do this in Affinity Designer it is more or less the same.

 

C

[Shuttrbugin]

Thanks a bunch, Callum!

[Jaakko]

Hi,

 

Is it possible to create vector brushes? This is one of the main reasons I have to use Ai.

[MEB]

Hi Jaakko,

If you mean using an existing object/shape to create the brush, no it's not possible. The vector brushes are still quite basic compared to pixel brushes in Affinity Designer. This will be improved in a future version.

[Jaakko]

Great, thanks for the reply!

 

I would like to use my own vector shapes to create brush, like in Ai. It's nice to hear that you will improve also vector brushes in future versions.

[LilleG]

I have a Signature Brush that I created in APhoto that consists of my name, the year, and the copyright symbol on a transparent background so I know it can be done.  I followed Callum's method above but this time, I get a brush text on a white background.  I tried using both the Artistic Text tool and the Frame Text tools, and also exporting it as a JPG selection without background.  What am I doing wrong?  

[jmac]

JPG does not support transparency. I think your file needs to be a png.

[Madame]

I just tried this.

 

Created a document (It doesn't need to be transparent).

 

Use the artistic text tool and type the signature.

 

Export the file as jpeg.

 

Make a new document. In the brush panel use the "hamburger menu" Chose "Make new intensity brush"

Open the file I just exported. 

I found the new brush in the basic brush drop down menu (which I had open when i created the brush) at the bottom of the list.

You could also make a new category and put it in there.

[LilleG]

Thanks, jmac!  PNG was the key step for a transparent background.  And believe you me, I have now written these instructions down in Index Card on my iPad, along with all my other "How To"s.  Because I know I won't remember how by the next time I need to do one.  :)