changing text colour instructions

[*mark]

Hi All - I'm trying to change the colour of text from a background image - I've been doing this in PS for 20 years click on text layer, click on image, there's your colour...

Affinity Photo not so, I've already gone through dozens of forum posts, been to the help pages and entered 'change text colour' and got 100 possible answers!!! Maybe NOT so helpful? By way of feedback etc... Would it not be possible for Serif to filter results, rather than put up every single possible answer relating to colour? (but nothing I have yet found about changing it from an image layer!) Or to include links to ACTUAL help pages for AP beginners on text colour, or general how to tutorials? There are some yes, but even these are so complicated unless you have substantial in depth Affinity experience from the get go... 

I really don't want to make such hard work of a simple tasks like changing text colour, or to keep asking questions to the same simple tasks. There are times when AP seems unnecessarily complicated for such a simple basic operations, but finding the right information is just as difficult, and too much time is spent reading through out of date forum threads or beta posts, which might be better taken down, removed or deleted, from years ago, and leave the more relevant information up?

If there's any basic info I can get on making a simple text colour change from an image layer.. would appreciate that.. thanks 

[Chris26]

1 hour ago, *mark said:

 

If there's any basic info I can get on making a simple text colour change from an image layer.. would appreciate that.. thanks 

I have to ask, in case I misunderstand, is the text colour that you want changed already coming with that image on an image layer, or did you type in the text afterwards, which of course I doubt based on your description, but I want to be sure.  As far as I am aware you can not change the text colour if the image is on an image layer.  You have to rasterise the image layer first in order to edit the text.

[Fixx]

1 hour ago, *mark said:

click on text layer, click on image, there's your colour...

You have to use eyedropper tool to pick/apply colour from image.

[Chris26]

46 minutes ago, Fixx said:

You have to use eyedropper tool to pick/apply colour from image.

He is talking about editing the colour of text on an image layer.  You can not edit an image layer.  Otherwise my ranting and raving a few days ago was a waste of useful oxygen.

[*mark]

Thanks people - What I'm talking about is changing the colour of a text layer (using the eyedropper) but not the colour palette, instead choosing the colour from an image pixel layer... I think I finally got to the bottom of it with your help...

I can call up the colour palette, and I can click on the eyedropper tool forever and nothing happens - WHY?  Cos I haven't read anywhere that with this tool, you DON'T click, you click and hold and drag - but unlike other mainstream programs the colour isn't then automatically applied to the highlighted text, because I have to now click the little circle next to the eyedropper tool to activate my chosen colour - WHO KNEW??? and this can't be automated???

If there was an indicator icon to show that the eyedropper tool has (or has not) been selected, we'd know, but so far we don't know, how about a balloon that says CLICK HOLD & DRAG THIS TOOL? instead of Affinity creating an art or frame-text layer that I don't want (by default)? 

Little processes like this that are counterintuitive, or work differently to other similar tools need some kind of prompt, like when selecting layers that won't select - Still trying to get my head around that one too...  this is also driving me nuts... 

[Fixx]

Swatches and eyedropper functions are.... well something I do not fully understand in AP. 

But if you just want to pick a colour from image to a text layer there is no need to play with swatches (though it would be a good work flow), just select text layer, change to eyedropper in Toolbox, click right colour in image layer.

[*mark]

@ Fixx Thanks - but not using swatches, simply trying to change text colour by picking colour with the eyedropper from image layer

I don't know of anything simpler in PS, but with AP not so, getting muddled up with layers and secondary activation of the colour picked - why can't the colour picked go straight to the active text layer (as it does in PS?). 

Steep learning curve, and thanks for your input

[walt.farrell]

3 minutes ago, *mark said:

picking colour with the eyedropper from image layer

...

why can't the colour picked go straight to the active text layer (as it does in PS?). 

When you say "eyedropper" which do you mean?

• Color Picker Tool (the "eyedropper") in the Tools panel?
• The eyedropper in the Color or Swatches panel (or several other similar locations)?

If you want the color to be applied immediately you need to use the Color Picker Tool. Otherwise, if you use the eyedropper in one of the color-related panels you'll need to click on the color well after you pick the color.

[thomaso]

3 hours ago, *mark said:

why can't the colour picked go straight to the active text layer

Yes, we can:

[*mark]

Thanks @walt.farrell & @thomaso 

I was using a combination of both droppers, but not realising that the 'brush shortcut' tool, (like the other toold with variants) cycles through the other options of the tool each time the shortcut is used..

Might be helpful if that wasn't so, since it's a repeat command and has to be continually checked which version of the tool is active - unless there is a way to temporary disable the tool from cycling through its alternative options?

The layer will also swap if clicked on in the image etc, so at times I have been on the wrong layer, with the wrong version of the tool... 

[thomaso]

1 hour ago, *mark said:

I was using a combination of both droppers, but not realising that the 'brush shortcut' tool, (like the other toold with variants) cycles through the other options of the tool each time the shortcut is used..

Might be helpful if that wasn't so, since it's a repeat command and has to be continually checked which version of the tool is active - unless there is a way to temporary disable the tool from cycling through its alternative options?

The layer will also swap if clicked on in the image etc, so at times I have been on the wrong layer, with the wrong version of the tool... 

I am not sure if I understand entirely, e.g. I don't know what you mean with  'brush shortcut' tool .

Doesn't the workflow in my video work for you the same way? Then this is the workflow you can use, without trying or combining other methods, tools or features. Possibly you still need to get used to certain Affinity behavior which may be different to any app you are used to.

I also don't understand what you mean by "The layer will also swap if clicked on in the image etc". Depending on the selected tool it is expected and useful to get a layer selected once the user clicks when hovering the cursor over its related layout object – whereas the color picker tool in my video obviously doesn't switch the layer selection.

For more clarity you possibly can show detailed screenshots, use the Affinity wording for tools /features (note the pop-up tooltips) or upload a video demonstrating your issue.

[walt.farrell]

58 minutes ago, *mark said:

but not realising that the 'brush shortcut' tool, (like the other toold with variants) cycles through the other options of the tool each time the shortcut is used..

That's under your control via the Tools section of the Affinity Preferences: