how to select just one item

[Bynah]

sometimes when I select one thing on a layer and then go to cut it or delete it, the whole layer deletes. What am I doing wrong?

[Old Bruce]

1 minute ago, Bynah said:

sometimes when I select one thing on a layer and then go to cut it or delete it, the whole layer deletes. What am I doing wrong?

Probably the layer is an Image Layer, not a pixel layer. Or are you trying to make a pixel selection on a vector object?

Which Application are you using Photo Designer or Publisher?

[Bynah]

I am using Photo. I guess I don't really know the difference between pixel and image layers

 

[Old Bruce]

To convert an image layer into a Pixel layer just right click on it in the Layers panel (I always use a copy of the layer, just to be safe) and choose Rasterize. 

Image layers will retain all the pixel size information (larger or smaller) whereas a Pixel layer is fixed to the document's dpi/ppi. Occasionally quite useful.

[Piotr Kowalski]

4 minutes ago, Bynah said:

I am using Photo. I guess I don't really know the difference between pixel and image layers

 

Image You can still scale without loss, when You rasterize You get a pixel layer and bye bye all the scaling The imagine will be the size You rasterize it.

Pixel layer—containing raster images where pixel-based editing takes place.

Image layer—self-contained placed images that retain the original image data including the color profile.

Check gere https://affinity.help/photo/en-US.lproj/index.html search for "About Layers"

Edited March 1, 2021 by Piotr Kowalski

[Bynah]

Thank you, this is quite helpful.