edit jpg - newbie question

[Jane P]

Hi

I'm sure this has been answered/obvious,  but I don't know which terms to use.  I've a picture/jpg, and I need to edit elements of it (just recolour bits), but I can't seem to select bits of the picture, just the picture.  I've tried converting to curves.. but that didn't work.  

thanks

 

Jane

 

[GarryP]

Sounds like you are working with an (Image) layer when you need to be working with a (Pixel) layer.
The type of layer – (Image) or (Pixel), for example – is shown to the right of the layer’s name in the Layers Panel.
To get a (Pixel) layer from an (Image) layer, right-click the layer in the Layers Panel and choose "Rasterize..." from the menu.
Note: This forces the layer to be the same resolution as the document so only do this when your original layer is the size you want. You cannot convert back from a (Pixel) layer to an (Image) layer.

[R C-R]

If you can't work on individual parts of the picture it is probably because it is in an "(Image)" layer instead of a "(Pixel)" layer. To convert the former to the latter, right-click on it in the Layers panel & choose "Rasterize" or "Rasterize & Trim" from the menu that pops up. The same options are available on the Layers menu if you prefer to use that instead.

EDIT: Dang! Garry beat me to it by a few seconds! 😝

[John Rostron]

We are presuming that you are using Affinity Photo. Your reference to 'convert to curves' hints that you might be in Designer. Photo does include a convert to curves option, but this is only applicable to vector objects such as shapes, and to text.

John

[Jane P]

Thanks all.  I've rasterised it.  I can see the different elements in the layers.... I'm multitasking today, so will work on this on and off.  Best Jane

 

[Jane P]

Its frustrating.  I just need to be able to change the colours - so we can try out different brand colours and texts - so that our members can point me in the direction of which face masks they'd like.

I have publisher and photo.  I did rasterise.  Is there an easy way of recolouring an area with colour?

 

j

Face mask version 1.afpub

[John Rostron]

35 minutes ago, Jane P said:

Its frustrating.  I just need to be able to change the colours - so we can try out different brand colours and texts - so that our members can point me in the direction of which face masks they'd like.

I have publisher and photo.  I did rasterise.  Is there an easy way of recolouring an area with colour?

Try this tutorial. I have not tried it but it looks to be what you want.

John

[R C-R]

57 minutes ago, Jane P said:

Is there an easy way of recolouring an area with colour?

If you mean the "i stammer yellow" pixel layer in your Face mask version 1 file, one way to do this is to open the file in AP, select that layer, & with the Flood Select Tool to select all of the yellowish part of that layer. This will result in a 'marching ants' selection that excludes everything that is not that color.

Then you can use the Flood Fill Tool to fill it with any color you want.

[Old Bruce]

I am not entirely sure what you are asking for ...

One for Photo. (Photo file mask colour.afphoto )

One for Publisher (Publisher file Mask colour.afpub )

 

[Jane P]

Thank you for those... I'm a real newbie, so I missed the steps of how you got there. 

So, I've got to the layers, and have worked out flood - but I need to be able to re-colour the edged separately, ie the tapes around the masks.  I can see them as individual items, and I can tick or untick them.  But how do I select to colour them?

 

[Old Bruce]

In the publisher file select the rectangle named The Colour and just change the colour of the rectangle using the colour panel.

In the Photo file select the Fill Layer named Colour Changer and again use the colour panel to change the colour.

Note that the blend modes are set to Darker Colour and Darken.

Essentially what I did was quick and nasty™ to show that with clipping-masks and rectangles (or in Photo a fill layer) you can easily change the colour of an area. If I was doing something like this I would place a different mask and rectangle over the face mask and the straps and use those to change the colours so you could have brown mask with green straps and blue tapes. Your file was just a bit too complex (confusing to me) for me to start using it. The Text (converted to curves) can be changed in the same way or the text (as Text) can be changed just by selecting it and changing the colour of the fonts.

You have Straps Upper and Lower, Mask and Tapes. I would gather these together into groups for easier working. Duplicate the groups and make them clipping masks for the colouring rectangles. You will need to choose the appropriate Curve in the duplicate group for the clipping mask and then discard all the other curves in that group for the clipping mask.

 

[Jane P]

Thanks.  Dammit I'm going to have to find out how to use masks.  Publisher is brilliant for creating leaflets and posters.. but then my technical expertise fails.

 

[Old Bruce]

3 hours ago, Jane P said:

Dammit I'm going to have to find out how to use masks. 

Here is an easier version of the Vectors, I would use Publisher for this as Photo will pixelate the vectors as you zoom in (they will still be vectors). Face mask v Bruce.afpub

There is a trick to using this, I have a Document Swatches Palette included. Set it to show the Names and then you can click on the little swatches and edit the colours.

 

[Jane P]

thank you, v neat!