Feature Request: Add "Convert to Art Text" to Affinity Photo 2

[CM Lowry]

Hi,

Convert to Art Text and Convert to Frame Text are present and very useful in Designer and Publisher.

Please can they be added to Photo, as it's basically the same text engine, surely, but the lack of it is a real pain! Literally couldn't believe it wasn't there since its in the other two.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[MikeTO]

7 hours ago, CM Lowry said:

Convert to Art Text and Convert to Frame Text are present and very useful in Designer and Publisher.

Please can they be added to Photo, as it's basically the same text engine, surely, but the lack of it is a real pain! Literally couldn't believe it wasn't there since its in the other two.

Hi Chris. It's there if you right click the artistic text. I think there are several inconsistencies in the availability of the "covert to..." options but at least it's there in Photo so you can use it.

Cheers

[CM Lowry]

That's great to hear, I can see how to convert Art Frame to Text Frame.

I can't see how to convert Text Frame to Art Frame though, how do I do that?

 

[MikeTO]

4 hours ago, CM Lowry said:

That's great to hear, I can see how to convert Art Frame to Text Frame.

I can't see how to convert Text Frame to Art Frame though, how do I do that?

You can't do that in Photo which seems like an oversight. As I said, there are several inconsistencies:

There are also inconsistencies with whether commands are disabled or hidden when not applicable.

[dehskins]

None of the Affinity programs convert from frame text to art text. We go mental trying to figure out the sense in this program. It is lacking so much!!!!

[walt.farrell]

2 minutes ago, dehskins said:

None of the Affinity programs convert from frame text to art text. We go mental trying to figure out the sense in this program. It is lacking so much!!!!

Publisher and Designer can, in V2, as shown above.

[dehskins]

The document I created in photo would not show me that option when I chose to edit in Designer or Publisher. I knew I had used that feature before but it wasn't available to me with my document for some reason.

[dehskins]

I don't see any instructions above. I guess I'm blind.

[MikeTO]

15 minutes ago, dehskins said:

The document I created in photo would not show me that option when I chose to edit in Designer or Publisher. I knew I had used that feature before but it wasn't available to me with my document for some reason.

1. Create artistic text in Photo
2. Choose Edit in Designer or Edit in Publisher
3. In Designer or Publisher, right-click the artistic text object and choose Convert to Text Frame or choose Layer > Convert to Text Frame.

I just tried it with both applications and it worked. If it's not working for you are you using you are using version 2? And is the artistic text still text and not rasterized?

[dehskins]

I am using the latest version of the software. Because I won't share my private document. I will tell you my process. I created frame text and then continued working on other elements in my photo. I put some effects on my text and then wanted to convert it to artistic text. I was using Photo so I expected that was the reason I could not find that option from the drop-down layers menu was that it won't available with Photo. The text options are limited. I chose to edit in Designer and I was shown the same menu without the option to convert to artistic text. I had the same result when I chose to edit in Publisher. The only option I get when I right-click is to convert to text frame which is grayed out because it is already framed text. I am not working with a pixel layer or a vector. I am using a text frame. While writing this I am double checking to make sure that it is all accurate.

[dehskins]

Of course, now I go and check again and I have the option to convert to art text from the layers menu. I must be crazy because I checked this about 20 times and the option wasn't there.

[MikeTO]

18 minutes ago, dehskins said:

Of course, now I go and check again and I have the option to convert to art text from the layers menu. I must be crazy because I checked this about 20 times and the option wasn't there.

If you want to convert from frame text to art text, you have to choose it from the Layer menu. They didn't add that conversion direction to the context menu.

[dehskins]

That is where I was checking sadly. I only checked using a right-click because I had read to do that here. Thanks for your feedback and for sharing your expertise.

[fde101]

14 hours ago, dehskins said:

That is where I was checking sadly

?

[dehskins]

Once again the option to convert to art text has disappeared from every one of these programs.

[walt.farrell]

8 hours ago, dehskins said:

Once again the option to convert to art text has disappeared from every one of these programs.

Are you sure you're using V2 of the applications, and not V1 (if you have both installed)? Are you in the right Persona?

Can you give us a screenshot of the complete application window, with the Layers panel showing the layer you have selected, and the dropdown in the Layers menu?

[loukash]

As of v2.3.1 retail and 2.4.0 beta on Mac, "Convert To Art Text" is not available in Photo or in the Photo persona.
No idea if it was available in earlier versions.

[GripsholmLion]

@MikeTO's very helpful chart from a year ago suggests that it was never in Photo. It seems a little bit odd to me: given the same two tools, I would expect to see the same functions at least somewhere to convert between either of them; unless there is some technical limitation, obviously. TBH, I hadn't even noticed the difference until reading this thread as I habitually use Designer for text.

[GripsholmLion]

@dehskins If you are trying to find an item on a tool context menu which relates to a layer-level function, make sure that you have switched from either of the text tools to the move tool (press V). e.g...

 

And the "convert to art text" function should be on the layer menu in Designer (though absent in Photo), e.g...

[loukash]

1 hour ago, GripsholmLion said:

It seems a little bit odd to me

Definitely!

[MikeTO]

IMO, the absence of Convert to Art Text in Photo is an oversight so hopefully this thread will prompt a change.

When I look at the chart I previously made and consider all of the No's:

• Photo > Convert to Text Frame missing from Layer menu - it seems odd but it's probably because the Layer menu is too long already, it scrolls on my MBP 14" screen already. Perhaps the Convert To commands in the Layer menu could be grouped into a sub-menu to make room for all of them.
• All apps: Convert to Art Text missing from context menu - if Convert to Text Frame is there then the reverse should be there but I don't think any of these commands are so frequently used that they need to be in the context menu at all.
• Photo > Convert to Art Text missing from Layer menu - I think this is an oversight
• All apps: Convert to Text Path is missing from context menu - this isn't used frequently so it's not a big deal, but it's a bit odd that when you right-click a path that Convert to Text Frame is there but Convert to Text Path is not. It seems backward.

The lack of consistency around these commands hurts predictability because most of us can't remember which ones are in which place.

[dehskins]

It is a big mystery to me. I was using the move tool in version 2 using Affinity Photo where I created the file. I chose to edit in Affinity Designer because no matter what tool I selected I wasn't shown the option of converting to art text while having the text box selected. I found the same menu options in Affinity Designer. No option to convert to art text. I tried to make a screen cap but the pull-down would stay live when I activated my screen capture. I waste way too much time trying to figure out why it isn't showing. Maybe it is a Windows issue. I also always use the top drop-down layer menu.

[loukash]

7 hours ago, MikeTO said:

the Convert To commands in the Layer menu could be grouped into a sub-menu to make room for all of them.

The Layer menu in Photo desperately needs a cleanup!

[pruus]

Please Affinity, make the use in every program the same. It is strange that you have to open a file in Publisher, to make ik happen, and than change again to Designer. It could be a STUDIO function in all programs. please.

[Komatös]

1 hour ago, pruus said:

Please Affinity, make the use in every program the same.

Why should Serif do this? Affinity Photo is designed for photo editing and manipulation. Here, the text editing functions are only intended as an accessory.

If you are looking for an all-in-one solution, you may be better off with XARA's Photo & Graphics Designer. But let me tell you, it's no fun with large projects.

And I'll be bold and say that you don't understand the Affinity concept. Otherwise, some of your wishes wouldn't be asked for here.