Edit separate layers after exporting

[MacPro27]

HI. I am creating a background image with several objects (separate layers) for a Facebook group. Now, if I want to edit my creation one week later for example, on the separate layers, the separate layers are not there anymore!! I just can't edit. I have tried everything I can imagine.  During a couple of days I have tried different options like Export Persona, saving as a Affinity file etc. Nothing works. When I open it again everything is fixed together as one single image. 
It was so easy in Photoshop and in other photo editor software. I wished I knew about this before I bought the program. 
Can someone tell me how on earth I may be able to edit separate layers (separate objects like photos, text etc.) after I have saved or exported my creation.

I read that someone said that I have to save it as a Affinity file, but that does not work either.
I work on a MacPro. MacOS Catalina.
Please help. thanks.

[Pšenda]

Did you rasterize?
Screenshot, example?

[MacPro27]

Thanks. I put a screenshot. There are several objects here, each in separate layers. This is an .afphoto original file, but still not editable. It's just one single image!

[Old Bruce]

The bottom layer is locked

Other than that you would have to select the different layers and use what ever appropriate  tools to edit.

[h_d]

Most formats for online images (in particular .jpg and .png) do not support layers. So if you export an Affinity Photo document to one of those formats then you will produce a 'flattened' file. If you then re-open one of those exported files in Affinity Photo then you will only see a single "Background" layer.

If you save your Affinity Photo document as an .afphoto file, and then close it then you will continue to have access to your layers when you re-open it.

(The difference between Affinity Photo and Adobe Photoshop in this respect is , if I remember rightly, that Photoshop lets you "save as" a .jpg, .png etc from your working document and keeps that .jpg, .png whatever open on screen. Affinity Photo will only let you export your working document and the original .aphoto document will remain open on screen after export.)

You appear to be working on a saved document, as it has all the .afphoto layers in place. So far so good...

As @Old Bruce says, your Background layer is locked. This will prevent you from transforming it - if you click it with the Move tool (black arrow pointer) you'll see crosses at the corners and at the centres of the outside edges:

Somewhat counter-intuitively you can continue to paint on it, and change its position in the layer stack, despite it being locked. But if you want to change its shape you need to unlock it first by clicking its padlock icon.

The layer called "guitar small..." is an Image layer, and is unlocked, which means that you can adjust the shape and position within the document but you cannot paint on it unless you rasterise it first - right-click on the name of the layer and choose Rasterise... from the pop-up menu.

The unnamed layer with the gold rectangle and '33' in a black circle is an embedded document so your editing options may be limited. Again, rasterising may help.

The other layers in your screenshot are text layers and should be editable if you select them in the layer stack and then double-click on the text frame to select the text.

So the question is, what exactly are you trying to edit?

Cheers,

H

 

 

 

 

[MacPro27]

Thank you so much for trying to help me. Unlock the background image does not help me. There is something that I am missing, I know it. I will try to "rasterise" see it that helps. Why is it so complicated in Affinity Photo. I have used this technique in other photo-editors and there were never any problems.
I do NOT want to change anything in the object, but be able to move them around (which is impossible), change the text (also impossible). 
I must do something very wrong, or .......
I am orchestral composer so I use Final Cut Pro X to make music videos, where Affinity Photo "should" play an important role in the creation of artistic material.
Thanks again. I will study your information and try again. I won't give up so easy.

[Pšenda]

28 minutes ago, MacPro27 said:

move them around

Select particular layer with object in Layers panel + Move Tool (black arrow in Tool bar), and move.
Or Move Tool, double click on object and move.

 

28 minutes ago, MacPro27 said:

change the text

Select particular layer with text in Layers panel + Text Tool (white A in Tool bar), and click to selected/boxed text.
Or Text Tool, double click on text and edit.

 

28 minutes ago, MacPro27 said:

I will try to "rasterise" see it that helps.

No, this not helps - read previous posts.

[carl123]

Your screenshot appears to show a small circular selection (marching ants)

You can/should deselect that using Select > Deselect 

But I suspect your main problem is that you have the View Tool (a hand shape) selected in the Tools column, switch to the Move Tool (black cursor) in order to select objects on the canvas, which you can then manipulate at will.