Is it possible to quickly cut 70 cards from a single file using Affinity 2?

[Yurembo]

I have files, each containing around 70 cards, and I need to separate them into individual cards.
I've already learned how to export using Persona

But I'm unsure how to split each card quickly. Maybe it can be done using a grid? I'd really appreciate any help.

[Meliora spero]

Guides should be an obvious choice. Perhaps you’ve even used them to align cards neatly in rows.

In Designer Persona:

• Enable snapping from the toolbar or via View -> Snapping (make sure to activate Guides here and possibly All Candidates under Candidates).
• Also enable View -> Show Guides.
• Enable View -> Show Rulers.
• If guides haven’t been created yet, you can easily drag them out from the ruler using the Move Tool or define them precisely via View -> Guides.

Switch to Export Persona:

• Select the Slice Tool.
• Now you should be able to mark your slices with precision.

Isn't that roughly what you're asking for? 🙂

[Yurembo]

28 minutes ago, Meliora spero said:

Guides should be an obvious choice. Perhaps you’ve even used them to align cards neatly in rows.

In Designer Persona:

• Enable snapping from the toolbar or via View -> Snapping (make sure to activate Guides here and possibly All Candidates under Candidates).
• Also enable View -> Show Guides.
• Enable View -> Show Rulers.
• If guides haven’t been created yet, you can easily drag them out from the ruler using the Move Tool or define them precisely via View -> Guides.

Switch to Export Persona:

• Select the Slice Tool.
• Now you should be able to mark your slices with precision.

Isn't that roughly what you're asking for? 🙂

@Meliora spero Thank you, I was able to position everything successfully! I also used the grid with snapping, which made alignment more precise. However, the result is still a single image. Could you kindly explain how I can split it into 70 separate pieces? I'm a bit confused.

need remove.afdesign

[Meliora spero]

Check this out:

https://affinity.help/designer2/en-US.lproj/index.html?page=pages/ExportPersona/exportSlices.html&title=Working with slices

and the slices panel in export persona. 🙂

[Yurembo]

@Meliora spero Are you suggesting that each card needs to be selected individually?

[Meliora spero]

Yes, I haven’t used slices myself in my work, but I would think you need to define one slice per card, specify the file name and format, etc. But in the end, you can export all files in one operation, over and over again.

[Yurembo]

@Meliora spero Yes, I tried, but selecting 70 cards in each file doesn’t seem like a quick solution It would be great if there were a way to drop a grid and have everything cropped with just a few clicks. However, from what I gather from your hints, this feature isn’t available in Affinity 2 Perhaps you know of alternative programs that can handle this? 

[Meliora spero]

No, it’s not a quick method. If I were in a situation where I had to do it with many files, I would probably create it as a template to allow for reusability. I haven’t done that kind of work with cards or icons, so I’m inexperienced in this area. 🙂

This is the kind of tedious, time-wasting work I dream of AI being implemented to handle - much like how I already save time with it in my other professional tasks - with AI.

[NotMyFault]

Quick Method to export all in one step:

1. Create a rectangle in size of one card. Ensure whole integer position and size.
2. use move tool
3. duplicate and move to 2nd card
4. duplicate to get 10 columns in total
5. select row of 10
6. duplicate and move down to 2nd row
7. duplicate further to get 7 rows
8. select all 70 cards
9. set bitmap fill, choose your png of all cards, adjust so fill covers all cards perfectly
10. choose export persona
11.  all 70 cards should be still selected, if not select them
12. create slices from layers
13. export in chosen format and size

In the screenshot the cards are not aligned correctly, I hope you know the exact size to get perfect result.

[Yurembo]

@NotMyFault That sounds much easier! I’ll definitely give it a try. Thanks!

[carl123]

On 1/2/2025 at 2:15 PM, Yurembo said:

But I'm unsure how to split each card quickly. Maybe it can be done using a grid? I'd really appreciate any help.

 

In the example Designer file you have supplied you have a pixel layer. We first need to convert this to a Curve layer

If you have Publisher you can use...

Layer > Convert to Image Resource
Layer > Convert to Curves

If you only have Designer. Export your Pixel layer to a PNG file, then...

File > Place that PNG file into your existing document and delete the original pixel layer
Layer > Convert to Curves

Now that we have a curve layer you can proceed

With the pen tool set to 1px stroke

Draw 9 vertical lines, from top to bottom, to "separate" the cards into 10 columns
Since you have guides in this document, the pen tool will snap to those guides making this very easy.

Now draw 6 horizontal lines, from left to right, to "separate" the cards into 7 rows
Since you have guides in this document, the pen tool will snap to those guides making this also very easy.

Note: Your original design should be at the bottom of the layer stack, in the layers panel, if not drag it to the bottom now

Now that you have a grid of lines (curves) across your base design, select ALL layers in the Layers panel, and do...

Layer > Geometry > Divide

You should now have all the cards separated onto individual layers and you can use the export persona to export them.

Note: If you don't like drawing the horizontal and vertical lines you can just draw one line (for each horizontal and vertical grid) and use the Move/Duplicate feature to draw the other lines for you

[Yurembo]

@carl123 I’m so glad I have an AP2! I tested your approach, and it worked perfectly. Thanks a bunch!

[anto]

Another way look at video

 

 

 

 

[Yurembo]

@anto thank you!

[Yurembo]

Could you please help me fix the issue where my rectangles appear white instead of showing the image when exporting? Just a heads-up, I’m a beginner and not a native English speaker, so I’d really appreciate a simple explanation. Thank you! 😊
@Meliora spero @NotMyFault @carl123 @anto

test.afdesign

[anto]

29 minutes ago, Yurembo said:

Could you please help me fix the issue where my rectangles appear white instead of showing the image when exporting? Just a heads-up, I’m a beginner and not a native English speaker, so I’d really appreciate a simple explanation. Thank you! 😊
@Meliora spero @NotMyFault @carl123 @anto

 

test.mov 25.28 MB · 2 downloads

test.afdesign

Select all your curves, then gradient tool - bitmap, select your image

 

 

 

[Yurembo]

@anto So this is how this bitmap should be used, it's pure magic! Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and for the intuitive examples. I really appreciate it!