Edit pixels

[jsampson06]

I have a small PNG file. I am trying to find a way to change the colour of individual pixels or selections of pixels. Can Affinity Designer do this? I have found a "pixel tool" but it does not seem to do anything. I can move a marquee from pixel to pixel but that is all.

[Alfred]

The Pixel Tool is for drawing pixels, not for selecting them. Having created a suitable selection outline with one or more of the selection tools, you can paint over the selected pixels with the Paint Brush Tool. Switch ‘Protect alpha’ on if your PNG image has transparent regions that should remain transparent.

[jsampson06]

Thanks. However, I cannot make the pixel tool draw or select pixels. I cannot make it do anything. Same with paint brush.

I see tutorials but they do not show which keys or buttons the person is pressing.

[walt.farrell]

53 minutes ago, jsampson06 said:

Same with paint brush

Did you make sure Protect Alpha is not turned on?

Do you perhaps have a Pixel Selection active somewhere? If so, the brushes will only work within it. Try Ctrl+D (Windows) or Cmd+D (Mac) to deselect any pixel selection and see if the brushes work then.

[jsampson06]

Many thanks. I cannot find "Protect Alpha" anywhere, whatever that means, but when I pressed Ctrl+D the pixel tool began to work.

My next question is how to select a purely white colour.

Is there a manual that caters for really basic stuff like this?

[Alfred]

31 minutes ago, jsampson06 said:

I cannot find "Protect Alpha" anywhere, whatever that means

“Alpha” refers to alpha transparency (i.e. transparency which is variable rather than being restricted to fully on or fully off, with the amount of transparency for each pixel being recorded in a separate channel). There’s a checkbox for the ‘Protect Alpha’ setting at the right-hand end of the top toolbar, but if your display isn’t wide enough to show it by default you’ll need to click on the ‘»’ icon to see it.

[jsampson06]

Many thanks. It was off the display as you suggest.

[Alfred]

46 minutes ago, jsampson06 said:

My next question is how to select a purely white colour.

There are swatches for pure black and pure white in the Swatches panel.

47 minutes ago, jsampson06 said:

Is there a manual that caters for really basic stuff like this?

There isn’t a manual as such, but all of the basics are covered by the in-app Help (which is also available online).