Channel Names Need _

[S4nd3r]

In photoshop I am able to create Roland Spot Color white by naming the Channel RDG_WHITE so the printing software recognizes it as spot color white.
Unfortunately Affinity photo doesn't allow you to use a _ in the Channel name, meaning the software won't recognize it as spot color.

Please make this possible so I don't have to go back to photoshop just for this, thank you.

[GarryP]

Welcome to the forums @S4nd3r

On Windows, if the channel name is modified to include one underscore then that underscore is not displayed in the Channels Panel but seems to be retained in the ‘underlying’ name.

If I add a second underscore then that second underscore is displayed in the Channels Panel. Same with a third underscore, etc.

If I then remove the first underscore, then what used to be the second underscore is now not displayed.

The software seems to be removing the first, and only the first, underscore.

See attached video.

This seems a little odd so I wonder if it is done for a specific reason.

[S4nd3r]

Hi Garry, thank you for your response, the video is great.
I will try this out and see if it will make my software recognise the layer as a spot color if I add a second underscore.
I've been having some issues with exporting as .tiff as well so I hope I can make it work in .pdf.

[GarryP]

You’re welcome.

I’ve never (knowingly) exported anything with channels in it so I can’t reliably test whether the ‘missing underscore’ is simply not displayed in the Channels Panel but is actually being exported, or if the name is exported without the first underscore.

It seems odd either way so it would be interesting to know why the software is removing the first underscore from the displayed name in the first place.

[S4nd3r]

I'm completely lost here, in Photoshop it seemed so easy.

Basically what I need to do is draw a color for what is to be the underlayer for my artwork (My artwork is some solid colored shapes on a transparent background and I obviously only want the white ink under the shapes).
In photoshop I could just select the artwork, duplicate the layer give it a color overlay and make a channel out of that. I would then name that channel RDG_WHITE as that is what ROLAND's versaworks software sees as spot color white.

In Affinity Photo 2 I can't even make a Channel from a duplicate layer like that, or even a channel where I can just draw in and then rename to RDG_WHITE

[walt.farrell]

Have you tried simply defining a Spot Color, and giving it a name of RDG_WHITE, and assigning it to your background layer? Perhaps, in Affinity Photo, you don't need to use Channels at all. (I can't try this myself, lacking access to the Roland equipment.)

https://affinity.help/photo2/en-US.lproj/pages/Clr/spotClr.html

 

[GripsholmLion]

Oh, if I had a pound for every time someone writes "In Photoshop..." I could retire early. Clear your mind of Adobe. The recolouring task is easier than you may be thinking.

I can sort of understand your requirement – I have been involved in designing waterslide decals and that often uses a white base. However, I didn't need to do exactly what you described: I mostly just provided the artwork.

If you need to use channels for this task, you may get what you want with a spare channel, which can be renamed easily, as you can see. I don't know if that helps at all.

 

[GarryP]

1 hour ago, GripsholmLion said:

which can be renamed easily

Just out of interest, which OS are you using there?

I only ask as yours looks different to mine and, as the original problem suggested, there can can be problems with underscores in the name (on Windows at least)?

[S4nd3r]

12 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

Have you tried simply defining a Spot Color, and giving it a name of RDG_WHITE, and assigning it to your background layer? Perhaps, in Affinity Photo, you don't need to use Channels at all. (I can't try this myself, lacking access to the Roland equipment.)

https://affinity.help/photo2/en-US.lproj/pages/Clr/spotClr.html

 

Unfortunately it doesn't recognize that, not sure if this is because how the file is saved when Exported (I can't get the .PDF to recognize it and .tiff just straight up says it's corrupted or glitches).
 

12 hours ago, GripsholmLion said:

Oh, if I had a pound for every time someone writes "In Photoshop..." I could retire early. Clear your mind of Adobe. The recolouring task is easier than you may be thinking.

I can sort of understand your requirement – I have been involved in designing waterslide decals and that often uses a white base. However, I didn't need to do exactly what you described: I mostly just provided the artwork.

If you need to use channels for this task, you may get what you want with a spare channel, which can be renamed easily, as you can see. I don't know if that helps at all.

 

And I could easily retire if I got $1 for everytime someone tells me why don't you just use Photoshop?
When creating/using a software alternative to Phososhop that's what you'll get, and imo if you want to break the monopoly PS has you need to make it easy to switch.
I really want to see Affinity succeed but it just feels so unnatural in many ways, and I spend hours trying to figure out if something is even possible at all or not.

As for the rename layer, I can't just rename it RDG_WHITE due to the underscore being taken out. I added in a second one to get the layer name to show correct but unfortunately it still doesn't do the trick. As GarryP mentioned maybe it's due to the OS? I'm using windows 10, Affinity Photo 2 with the latest update installed.