Publisher 2.1.0 can’t copy an inline image and text simultaneously

[SpotColour]

In Publisher 2.0.x, it was possible to copy or cut an inline image together with a paragraph and then paste them elsewhere.

Unfortunately, this stopped working in version 2.1. If you try doing the same now, the application only copies the text to the clipboard, not the inline image. It doesn’t matter if you use paragraph styles or not.

Workaround

1. Cut or copy the image without the text.
2. Paste the image elsewhere.
3. Go back and do the same, but now with the text.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Create a new document in Publisher 2.1
2. Add a text frame.
3. Place the cursor in this frame to import an inline image.
4. Import the image (File > Place…). I used a vector graphic from Designer 2.0.x.
5. Type some text under the image.
6. Select both the image and the text.
7. Press cmd-c to copy (or cmd-x to cut) both items.
8. You can’t paste both because the image is not on the clipboard.

I’m using macOS 12.6.5 and the latest Affinity Publisher (2.1).

[MikeTO]

You're right that there's a bug but I tested it and found it's very specific.

Inline images (vector and raster) are still copied and pasted just fine but if the inline image is before the first character in the frame, it won't be copied.

I tested this by creating a sentence with inline images like this, where @ represents the images: "@test@test@". After pasting the result is "test@test@"

So it's just the very first image, at least for me. It's still a bug and needs to be fixed. This bug wasn't present in 1.10.6 but I don't know about 2.0.4.

[SpotColour]

Thanks for your feedback, MikeTO. I didn’t test this as much as you did, but I can add the following two observations:

Yesterday, I edited a document and copied several vector graphics with their captions, all without a problem. So I can confirm that it worked in version 2.0.4.

Today, after the update, I was editing the same document when I noticed that this workflow had stopped working. But this image was not at the beginning of a text frame. It was somewhere around page 20 or so. The text frames on these pages are all linked, so this bug does also affect images later in a document.

So there’s a discrepancy between your findings and mine, but I don’t know why.

[MikeTO]

I can't figure out the discrepancy - I tried copying and pasting inline images in 4 linked frames, with an inline image at the start of each frame. I tried it with a new paragraph or a continued paragraph at the top of the linked frames. Everything worked fine. I believe you, I just haven't figured it out.

It would be helpful if you could share a test document that shows this. If you can't share your actual document just replace the images with shapes and the text with placeholder text.

Cheers

[stokerg]

Hi @SpotColour,

I'm finding the same as @MikeTO, if my placed image is before the text, I can only paste the text.  If it's after the text, then I can copy and paste both.  If you can share a test file for your situation, that would be very helpful  

[SpotColour]

Aha! I found out about the discrepancy—there was none. We didn't fully understand the problem.

MikeTo mentioned that @test@test@ turned into test@test@. So the bug must affect the first image in a text frame, which makes sense.

However, it's not about the first image in a text frame but about the first (or last) image in a selection. This nuance explains why I ran into this issue in the middle of a document. I selected just the graphic with its caption, not the entire contents of the text frame.

So what I mentioned about linked frames and multi-paged documents is not relevant.

Updated steps to reproduce:

1. Create a new document using the default settings.
2. Add a single text frame on page one.
3. Sandwich an inline graphic between two paragraphs of text.
4. Select the first paragraph plus the image…
5. …or select the last paragraph plus the image.
6. Ensure you haven't selected text from both paragraphs, as this wouldn't trigger the bug.
7. Copy or cut the selection.
8. Paste the selection.
9. The graphic does not appear, only the text.

Note that in steps 4 or 5, you don't necessarily need to select the entire paragraph. A single letter suffices.

[MikeTO]

You are correct - if the inline image is the first thing selected it won't be copied. At least now you know how to work around it.

Cheers

[SpotColour]

That summarises it, but it also won't work if the illustration is the last item in the selection. Hopefully, now this issue is reproducible, the Affinity team will be able to solve it.

Thanks for the feedback, MikeTo and Stokerg!