subcon

[Tim Eagan]

I'm working on a Mac desktop in Affinity Photo and using it to color line drawings. I'm new to AP. I want to join two of those files side by side into one image, but I can't get both images to appear onscreen at once much less figure out how to turn them into a single image. Thanks for your help.

[John Rostron]

Hello @Tim Eagan, and welcome to the forums.

Load both of your images into Affinity. Before you do anything else, you should ensure that both images are the same resolution (dpi). You can do this using Document > Resize Document. Leave the size values the same, but untick the Resample box, then enter the desired dpi if needed.

1. Select the left-hand iimage and use Document > Resize Canvas.
2. Tick the little square centre-left in the set of nine squares in the array.
3. Click on the lock between the width and height boxes to ensure that these two are independant.
4. Enter a value in the width box about twice (or more) the current width. (or you can enter 200%) and press Resize.
5. Now select the right-hand image and copy it (Cmnd-A, then Cmnd-C).
6. Go back to the left-hand image and paste (Cmnd-V).
7. Use the Move tool to move the right-hand image to the right to the desired position. I find it convenient to use the arrow keys. Use Shift-RightArrow to move quickly, then just RightArrow for more precise positioning. Use either up and down keys if you need to.

You can now Merge, Merge Visible or Flatten should you wish for a single-layered image.

By the way, you should really use a more meaningful title in your post. 'Subcon' could refer to subcontractor or subconcious, but not "How do I get two images side by side in one image".

John

[h_d]

On macOS the only way I know to display two images at the same time is to use Separated Mode (from the Window menu).  This unfortunately is a bit of hot mess, as you end up with background apps visible in the gaps between the Photos windows and toolbars.

 

Switching to Full Screen doesn't help as you get a full-screen interface for each open image.  In the setup shown above, you can drag and drop layers from one image to the other. But you'd still have to resize the canvas as per @John Rostron's advice.

Cheers,

H

Edited March 3, 2021 by h_d
Corrected statement about drag and drop - it is possible by dragging layers.

[h_d]

2 hours ago, John Rostron said:

'Subcon' could refer to subcontractor or subconcious

It got me looking...

[Tim Eagan]

8 hours ago, John Rostron said:

Hello @Tim Eagan, and welcome to the forums.

Load both of your images into Affinity. Before you do anything else, you should ensure that both images are the same resolution (dpi). You can do this using Document > Resize Document. Leave the size values the same, but untick the Resample box, then enter the desired dpi if needed.

1. Select the left-hand iimage and use Document > Resize Canvas.
2. Tick the little square centre-left in the set of nine squares in the array.
3. Click on the lock between the width and height boxes to ensure that these two are independant.
4. Enter a value in the width box about twice (or more) the current width. (or you can enter 200%) and press Resize.
5. Now select the right-hand image and copy it (Cmnd-A, then Cmnd-C).
6. Go back to the left-hand image and paste (Cmnd-V).
7. Use the Move tool to move the right-hand image to the right to the desired position. I find it convenient to use the arrow keys. Use Shift-RightArrow to move quickly, then just RightArrow for more precise positioning. Use either up and down keys if you need to.

You can now Merge, Merge Visible or Flatten should you wish for a single-layered image.

By the way, you should really use a more meaningful title in your post. 'Subcon' could refer to subcontractor or subconcious, but not "How do I get two images side by side in one image".

John

Thanks John. Sadly, I don't seem to be able to get past your first step, loading both images into Affinity. I select both files to open under File, but only one appears. I've tried this using finished, multi-layered aphoto files (my preferred format for these purposes) and  flattened pdf versions. In neither case can I get both images to appear at once.

[v_kyr]

1. Just measure the sizes (width x height values) of both images (in case they differ) and add those values together. In case of side by side and the same height of both images add just their widths. - For top and bottom placement add the heights values and keep the width (as far as both have the same width).
2. Now create a new document of that new calculated size from step 1.
3. Place both images into the new document (File > Place) and arrange them side by side, or top and bottom etc. as you like.

[h_d]

9 minutes ago, Tim Eagan said:

I select both files to open under File, but only one appears.

Unless you're in Separated Mode (see above):

 

your two files will appear as two separate tabs:

You can click from one to the other, but only one will appear on screen at any one time.

[Tim Eagan]

12 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

1. Just measure the sizes (width x height values) of both images (in case they differ) and add those values together. In case of side by side and the same height of both images add just their widths. - For top and bottom placement add the heights values and keep the width (as far as both have the same width).
2. Now create a new document of that new calculated size from step 1.
3. Place both images into the new document (File > Place) and arrange them side by side, or top and bottom etc. as you like.

Thanks, v_kyr. I've gotten to step 2 of your answer, but I am stumped when it comes to "placing" images in that box. How do I do that? Nothing from my P-shop experience seems to help.

[Old Bruce]

File > Place...

[John Rostron]

33 minutes ago, Tim Eagan said:

Thanks John. Sadly, I don't seem to be able to get past your first step, loading both images into Affinity. I select both files to open under File, but only one appears. I've tried this using finished, multi-layered aphoto files (my preferred format for these purposes) and  flattened pdf versions. In neither case can I get both images to appear at once.

 Each image should have a tab (bearing the file name) at the top, just below the context bar. Click on the tab to reveal the image.

John

[Tim Eagan]

9 hours ago, John Rostron said:

Hello @Tim Eagan, and welcome to the forums.

Load both of your images into Affinity. Before you do anything else, you should ensure that both images are the same resolution (dpi). You can do this using Document > Resize Document. Leave the size values the same, but untick the Resample box, then enter the desired dpi if needed.

1. Select the left-hand iimage and use Document > Resize Canvas.
2. Tick the little square centre-left in the set of nine squares in the array.
3. Click on the lock between the width and height boxes to ensure that these two are independant.
4. Enter a value in the width box about twice (or more) the current width. (or you can enter 200%) and press Resize.
5. Now select the right-hand image and copy it (Cmnd-A, then Cmnd-C).
6. Go back to the left-hand image and paste (Cmnd-V).
7. Use the Move tool to move the right-hand image to the right to the desired position. I find it convenient to use the arrow keys. Use Shift-RightArrow to move quickly, then just RightArrow for more precise positioning. Use either up and down keys if you need to.

You can now Merge, Merge Visible or Flatten should you wish for a single-layered image.

By the way, you should really use a more meaningful title in your post. 'Subcon' could refer to subcontractor or subconcious, but not "How do I get two images side by side in one image".

John

Thanks for your patience, John. I am familiar with the 9 squares concept from Pshop, but I don't see them anywhere. The lock graphic is unresponsive.

[v_kyr]

[Tim Eagan]

I thought Subcon would be my secret name. For the record, I might be older than Old Bruce himself. Thanks to all and the great resevoir of Affinity wisdom. My next challenge will be working with the different layers of each image now competing for dominance. 

[h_d]

1 hour ago, Tim Eagan said:

I thought Subcon would be my secret name.

We won't tell 

[Tim Eagan]

FYI, h_d,  Subcon is the insider name for Subconscious Comics, my creation from the 80s (that's 1980s) and the driver of the work at hand. It's a pre-Mario universe inhabited by (!) dream characters.

[R C-R]

4 hours ago, Tim Eagan said:

Thanks for your patience, John. I am familiar with the 9 squares concept from Pshop, but I don't see them anywhere. The lock graphic is unresponsive.

As he said in step 1, the menu item Document > Resize Canvas opens a small window that should look like this:

If you click on the Lock icon, the U-shaped hasp should open, unlinking width & height values.

[Alfred]

3 hours ago, Tim Eagan said:

Subcon is the insider name for Subconscious Comics

That’s all very interesting, Tim, and it would be a good choice of username, but it isn’t a useful topic title.