Why is this happening with Affinity Photo ? The same problem is with Photoshop too. Am I doing something wrong?

[Addy Visuals]

I wanted to learn Photoshop a while back and this problem always infuriated me. I never knew why this happened nor how to fix it.

I considered to switch to Affinity Photo. Meanwhile the same thing goes on here too. Am I doing something wrong?

Everything looks blurry, fonts, even vectors, like literally everything. Help

[Addy Visuals]

Document Settings: 1920 x 1080
72 dpi

[GarryP]

Welcome to the forums @Addy Visuals

The image will look “blurry” because you are editing a pixel-based image and Photo shows you each pixel in that image at the zoom level you specify.
Therefore, when you zoom in, each pixel in the original image can be larger than a single screen pixel and the software needs to try and share that image pixel over many screen pixels and some image pixels may not be “contained” in whole screen pixels. The software then needs to work out which screen pixels need to display which image pixel.
Conversely, when you zoom out, each image pixel may be much smaller than a screen pixel and each screen pixel might need to ‘contain’ multiple image pixels, and the software will need to ‘average them out’.

This can be exaggerated if your pixel image is not positioned at integer pixel values.
In your video you are manipulating a very small pixel layer within a large pixel document and that will also make things look worse.
Also, a low DPI can make things look worse but there’s a lot to explain here.

Does that make sense? (It can be a weird thing to get your head around at first.)
If not, someone may be able to give you a link to some basic pixel-use tutorials which will (hopefully) explain it better.

[loukash]

6 hours ago, Addy Visuals said:

Everything looks blurry, fonts, even vectors, like literally everything.

If your goal is to design graphics – like the one in your screencast – you've been using the wrong tools all along.
Affinity Designer is the tool you may want to be using.

[Addy Visuals]

Yeah but it doesn't have Live Filters, and the blur is fake. (If i export as PSD and then in AE)

[Addy Visuals]

I am using PNG's for the images (i.e the one I showed in the video.) What should I do? Re-make the PNG'S at a lower res?

[Addy Visuals]

If you guys know a different way how to make "Background Blur" in Affinity Designer rather than duplicating and masking.
Because I animate stuff in After Effects and I need the blur to be dynamic and not static. Kind regards.

[loukash]

15 minutes ago, Addy Visuals said:

but it doesn't have Live Filters

Shuffle the document on the fly between Designer and Photo as you see fit. Unlike the document formats from the company which rhymes with schmadobe, the Affinity document format is universal. It doesn't matter in which of the three apps you edit, you can add features from one app and they will be retained, then go back to the other app to add its unique features. This magic happens via simple command File > Edit in Photo and File > Edit in Designer (or in Publisher, if you have it) respectively. You don't even need to save a document while switching apps, it works even with unsaved "Untitled" documents.

So:

1. do your vector work in Designer
2. switch to Photo to add and adjust a live filter
3. switch back to Designer to continue you vector work; the live filter will be there, and it will also be editable

In other words, you must add such a feature in the other app, but depending on what it is – like live flters – you can adjust them them in Designer as well:

[Addy Visuals]

Thanks a lot! 

[Addy Visuals]

 

Is that the onliest way to apply background blur? In Affinity Designer? 

 

[loukash]

12 minutes ago, Addy Visuals said:

Is that the onliest way to apply background blur? In Affinity Designer? 

It depends on what you want to achieve. It's not the "onliest" solution, but if it's the "bestest" for your specific task, then use it.

If you don't have Photo, you can also use Designer's "Pixel persona", duplicate the pixel layer, flood select the background to mask the foreground, optionally refine the selection (hair etc.), then apply the blur effect to the background floating above the foreground. Done in a minute or two:

To scale or move the foreground, make your selection, create a mask, invert the same selection, create a second mask, arrange as you see fit:

 

The Designer pixel-pushing tools are limited (on purpose, hint hint nudge nudge), but still quite capable if you can't afford to spend another ±20–30 something (currently) for Photo.

[Addy Visuals]

Thanks!