How do I extend a background in Affinity Photo?

[Janabanana]

Hi there everyone, thank you for your help.

I used to do something in Photoshop that I would like to replicate in Affinity. In Photoshop, I was able to extend the canvas size by typing in the new dimensions in the 'Change Canvas Size' dialogue box. I used this when I wanted more space in the picture to add text to it (as in the image below) but the original picture didn't allow it.

In Photoshop there's a 'Change canvas size' function that allows you to dictate the width and height you want (second photo). Then you select which edge you want to extend,whether top, bottom or either side and use the eyedropper tool to select what color you want to fill the extended canvas, and then use the brush tool at about 30% to tone it down if necessary.

In Affinity Photo you can extend the canvas quite easily, but how do I tone down the color? And how do I blur the 'join' line so that you don't see a definite demarcation between where the original picture ends and the extension begins? Sorry if I'm not making myself clear..I'm such a newbie I don't know all the right terms.

Thanks so much!

[PixelPest]

Document->Resize Canvas… ?

[Janabanana]

Thank you PixelPest...how do I pick up the color I need?

[PixelPest]

As I´m not coming from PS I don´t know how it works over there - if I understand correctly you need another pixel layer behind the image - pick a color with eyedropper - take flood fill tool (bucket) and color the background layer. Like so?

[telemax]

1 hour ago, Janabanana said:

And how do I blur the 'join' line so that you don't see a definite demarcation between where the original picture ends and the extension begins?

 

[PaulEC]

If you're looking for something equivalent to the Content Aware tool in Photoshop, I'm afraid there isn't one. The closest is the Inpainting Tool.

You can remove items with the Inpainting tool, but you can also use it to inpaint transparent areas, to add more background etc.

How well it works depends very much on the background you have. The more complicated it is, the less well this will work. Also a lot will depend on how much background you have in the original and how much more you want to add. 

Select the figure, cut it out and create a new layer, with just the figure. So you end up the the figure on the top layer and the background (without the figure) below it.

Use the Crop Tool to make the background the size you want.

Select the transparent area (Select - Alpha - Fully Transparent).

Expand the selection by a few pixels.

Edit - Infill (or Alt + Backspace).

You can then flatten the layers.

Depending on how well it works, you may have to retouch the picture with the Clone, Healing and Inpainting Tools etc.

 

 

[Granddaddy]

Here are three tutorials about extending backgrounds 

From Olivio, includes patterned backgrounds like yours
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDZjBasSC0k

From Affinity Revolution with complex backgrounds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JL0Lcxfnvs

From Chris LK with simple backgrounds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWHcTlMfMbQt

 

 

 

[Granddaddy]

Two days ago, BRG Photography posted a new tutorial on extending even complex backgrounds at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtLpGfX_Iss

[Janabanana]

thank you so much for all your help everyone. At least I have some basic knowledge now!