Replacing an image in a file

[Halli]

I have created a document to send over for fine arts print and want to simply replace the images so I don't have to reconfigure the measurements over and over. How do I do this?

[walt.farrell]

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums, @Halli.

Which Affinity application are you using, and how did you include the images in it?

Can you provide a screenshot of the Affinity window with that document open, and with one of the images selected?

[Halli]

Hi Walt. Thanks for replying! I'm using Affinity Photo Eula, 1.9.3 on a Mac laptop. I've attached a screenshot.

I can bring another image on top of this one, but can't actually seem to replace them...

[walt.farrell]

First, I like your artwork.

Next, it would be helpful to see the Layers panel, too, with the artwork layer(s) showing.

[Halli]

Thanks for your compliment, Walt. Is this what you meant?

[R C-R]

Hi @Halli

In your last screenshot, note that you have an "(Image)" layer selected, & for that layer type in the context toolbar you have a "Replace Image" button.

So if all your images are added as "(Image)" layers & properly arranged so they do not overlap each other, you can use that button to replace any of them with another.

[Halli]

Thank you, R C-R, for responding. I don't quite understand how this works... The "Replace Image" option doesn't come up until I have selected a photo from a file and placed it over top the four photos already there... when I select "Replace Image," it simply opens up my files again to select from, but doesn't actually replace the image.

[R C-R]

2 hours ago, Halli said:

The "Replace Image" option doesn't come up until I have selected a photo from a file and placed it over top the four photos already there...

It should appear for any "(Image)" layer -- look at the suffix in the Layers panel. 

"(Image)" layers are created via the File > Place menu item, by dragging & dropping raster image files onto the canvas, & in AD with the Place Image Tool. See this help page for more about that.

2 hours ago, Halli said:

when I select "Replace Image," it simply opens up my files again to select from, but doesn't actually replace the image.

In that window you need to select the file you want to be the replacement & then click "Open" for it to replace the image layer on the canvas.

[h_d]

To replace all the images in one pass (rather than one-by-one), go to View and choose Resource Manager.

If the images are embedded, highlight them and make them linked using the central Make Linked... button in the Resource Manager. This should give you a view something like this:

Select the top-level image in the hierarchy (highlighted light blue in my screenshot) and click the Replace... button. You'll get a file navigation dialog from which you can choose the next image you want to place. When you confirm your selection, all four instances of the original will be replaced in your document.

However... this method will work best if all the source images are exactly the same size. If your individual artwork files vary, they will tend to get resized during the replacement process. 

Another, more effective, option would be to use Affinity Publisher to create a data merge. It takes a bit of setting up (and a copy of Publisher, natch), but it would create a document with a page for every image grid, as opposed to the single-page Photo document which would need repeated changes.

(Not my artwork - John Constable on a bad day.) 

 

EDIT - on re-reading, I'm not sure if @Halli wants to replace all four existing images with the same one (for four-up printing), or with four distinct images. If the latter, then a Publisher data merge would definitely be the way to go.

 

 

Edited June 25, 2021 by h_d
Doubts.

[walt.farrell]

13 hours ago, Halli said:

Thanks for your compliment, Walt. Is this what you meant?

You're welcome. And yes, that's exactly what we needed. And with that info, @R C-R made the same suggestions I would have.