Text Tool stopped working all of a sudden and can't write any texts anymore!

[Fjord cpJ]

While I was trying make a pretty simple program of a concert with Affinity Designer, after writing the titles of the tunes and the name of the performers, I had to change the order of the tunes and started selecting the names to flip over the order. It was going OK, but all of a sudden, it turned out that I can't even select the texts! It seems like it's picking up some other texts with different size texts but I can't get back to choose the right texts. Please let me know if anybody has any idea why!

[Dan C]

Hi @Fjord cpJ,

Welcome to the Affinity Forums 

Could you please provide a screen recording showing the issue you're having here, being sure to include your layers studio for me?

This should allow me to better understand your report and help resolve this issue, many thanks in advance!

[Fjord cpJ]

Hi, Dan C, thanks for the kind reply!

I attached the screen REC. I was trying to change the order of the small letters in the middle like this, but it suddenly somehow turned out that it never selects the letters! 

I'm pretty much a neophyte on this, not a designer at all.... Please let me know any possibilities causing this.

[Old Bruce]

Can we see the layers panel instead of the the Effects panel please.

[Fjord cpJ]

Yes.  Here it is!

[carl123]

We still can't see the layers as you have not expanded the Artboard layer in the layers panel but my guess is that that is not a text frame anymore as it does not have the extra handle that text frames have.

You have probably, accidentally, converted it to curves (group). Easily done.

Expand your Artboard layer and see what you have there

[Fjord cpJ]

Thanks, carl123!

Does this look like what you meant by expanding the Artboard layers?

And as you mentioned, I might have accidentally converted it to curves? but I can't figure out how and where it might happen and how to get it back to the previous position.....   Please let me know...

[carl123]

Actually, it is now a Pixel layer which can happen if you select Layer > Rasterise

There is no way to undo that unless you have saved the History with the document (or have not closed the document since that happened)

You will need to retype (or reimport) the text

[iconoclast]

Seems like your text is not on a text layer, but on a pixel layer. Seems like only the headline is on the text layer.

You should use the Frame Text Tool, not the Artistic Text Tool, for running text. And I would use a separate text frame - so a separate layer - for the Headline. For headlines you can use the Artistic Text Tool instead.

One additional hint: to set text in front of an image is often a problem, because it harms the readability of the text. You should always take care of that the text has enough contrast to its background at any single place. And you shouldn't make the text even less readable by using such a playfull font. Better take one with a clearer type face if you want your poster to be read.

[Fjord cpJ]

Thanks very much, iconoclast and carl123!

Seems like I have a lot to study....

For my future reference,,,, Does it mean did I mistakenly activate  'Rasterise' somehow? As a total beginner user, I haven't done anything complex, well, trying not to do anything complex, so I wonder how it happened.....

 

[carl123]

Not sure exactly how it was done but if the same thing happens again, then...

...without closing the document, activate File > Save History with document then save the document and upload a copy to the forum where someone may be able to figure out what happened.

[Fjord cpJ]

Carl123

 

Thanks very much for the advice! Really appreciate it!