Trying to remove image from background - Need help

[TheOtherNiki]

I'm trying to remove the back background. I select sampled colour (black), then cut to remove, but it also takes away some of the actual image. Sometimes I use the selection tool and refine the edges and get the same effect. Or if I do it in reverse and try to cut the object and paste it into a new project, there's a slightly transparent grey in the background or else there's feathered colours outside of where the dotted lines were.

This happens every time I try to remove backgrounds from images, not just this image. 

What am I doing wrong? Do I have a setting wrong somewhere?

I'm working in Photo Persona.

[prophet]

With the only elements being simple shape and text, this one is just begging to be redrawn as a vector. That will offer much greater flexibility use cases.

[JimmyJack]

While I agree with @prophet...

You could: (without selecting anything)
1) Invert the image
2) Erase White Paper* (under filters > colors)
3) Invert back

* this is only a viable "solution" because, when inverted, the color section has an L value under 50 (just barely) so it's unaffected by EWP.
 

[TheOtherNiki]

48 minutes ago, prophet said:

With the only elements being simple shape and text, this one is just begging to be redrawn as a vector. That will offer much greater flexibility use cases.

I'm trying to do this with photos as well though and getting the same results. Vector wouldn't work for that.

[TheOtherNiki]

13 minutes ago, JimmyJack said:

While I agree with @prophet...

You could: (without selecting anything)
1) Invert the image
2) Erase White Paper* (under filters > colors)
3) Invert back

* this is only a viable "solution" because, when inverted, the color section has an L value under 50 (just barely) so it's unaffected by EWP.
 

So you're saying Affinity Photo offers no possible way to remove backgrounds from images?

[NotMyFault]

31 minutes ago, TheOtherNiki said:

So you're saying Affinity Photo offers no possible way to remove backgrounds from images?

No. There are many ways. Possible issue are:

1.  using source images in JPG format and lots of compression artifacts, so the background is not simply black but many shades of black.
2. Not using freely available files with transparent background 
   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/59fb3a7dace864c2e5a41f72/1516832253789-RS8GLCU0MUOGZ5YG6KOO/MP_master_pinkblk.png?format=1000w&content-type=image%2Fpng
3. Not using all available methods, e.g. blend ranges (cog wheel symbol)

If you can upload the original source image in best available quality (e.g. PNG with lossless compression), we may find a better way. It depends on characteristics of source image which method works best

manchester pride.afphoto

[v_kyr]

21 minutes ago, TheOtherNiki said:

So you're saying Affinity Photo offers no possible way to remove backgrounds from images?

• manchester_callout.afphoto

The above shown in APh are plain vectors here, you have to add your text in the font type you've initially used therefor (ideally as vectors too) and then export the whole to the size and file format you need!

 

 

[JimmyJack]

29 minutes ago, TheOtherNiki said:

So you're saying Affinity Photo offers no possible way to remove backgrounds from images?

What I'm saying is that for that particular example the three click solution in my post works pretty great. And takes about 4 seconds. Did you try it?
(other images, especially those actually involving imagery, will most certainly require different angles of attack)

But in general there is no "Remove Background" button in Affinity.

[TheOtherNiki]

12 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

• manchester_callout.afphoto

The above shown in APh are plain vectors here, you have to add your text in the font type you've initially used therefor (ideally as vectors too) and then export the whole to the size and file format you need!

 

 

The problem is this is not my graphic. I've copied it from Google images as something I want to use for a project I'm working on. I don't have the original font or the vector. So I'm left with just trying to remove the background colour. I'm not familiar with creating vectors.

[prophet]

If vector is not an option for this one (and I know you mentioned working on other photos) masking is always a nice option.

This is a black pixel layer with the isolated text used as a mask + a pink pixel layer with the shape isolated as a mask. The level adjustments is set to Alpha and gets the grey (formerly pink) to a pure white mask.

 

[v_kyr]

Just use Arial Black or the like as font and add the text as artistictext, it will be vectors then.

• manchester_callout2.afphoto

 

BTW, if it's not your graphic and you copied it over from Google images, then you probably have to check if it is allowed to be freely reused or not!

[Pšenda]

6 hours ago, TheOtherNiki said:

I use the selection tool

Flood Select Tool? With lower tolerance? 

https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/Tools/tools_floodSelect.html

 

[PaulEC]

It would probably be easier just to ask Manchester Pride for a different / better quality version of their logo!.
I've needed to use a number of logos over the years, and it's usually easier just to ask organisations for them, if what you need is not already available on line.  – Some organisations are not that happy if you start changing their logos yourself!

[BarKeegan]

 

[Lisbon]

On 9/1/2022 at 5:14 PM, TheOtherNiki said:

there's a slightly transparent grey in the background or else there's feathered colours outside of where the dotted lines were.

Grab a brush and paint those areas.
But before doing that you have to protect the transparency.