Publisher 2 - Images in image frames not updating when files updated externally

[Jamesx1]

I’m having a difficulty in Affinity Publisher 2 where images placed inside image frames do not update when I replace the external file. It may well be that I don't know how to do this...

My Situation:

• This frame's size and position is set in a master page template, and there are 12 instances of this master template throughout the booklet whereby I have replaced the actual image with different images. 
• My preferences are set to "Prefer Linked" and "Automatically Update Linked Resources."
• However, when I update or replace an external file in my folder, the image inside Publisher does not change.
• The images also do not appear in Resource Manager—only the one I placed in my Master Page shows as linked.
• If I rename these external file, Publisher still shows the old images, suggesting there is no link at all for these 12 images.
• Currently, I need to click on each of the image frames and 'Replace image' every time there is a change to display the updated image file within the frame.

 How can I ensure that images placed in image frames are properly linked and update automatically when the file is modified?

Appreciate any help.

[Pšenda]

Screenshot of the full application - master page selected and Layers panel.
Alternatively, it is best to upload a document for review.

[GarryP]

13 minutes ago, Jamesx1 said:

I’m having a difficulty in Affinity Publisher 2 where images placed inside image frames do not update when I replace the external file.

I’ve tried to replicate the problem as much as I can given your description of the problem, and the fact that I’m not using the same document and images that you are, but everything is working okay for me – see attached video.

Would you be able to Package the document (so we get the document and linked images together) and share the package with us so we can look at it?

[Pšenda]

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

I’ve tried to replicate the problem as much as I can given your description of the problem

In your example, the images are inserted into the Image frame on each page. However, from the OP's description, I assume that he has the images inserted directly into the Image frame on the Master page.

Edit: In your example, the images are inserted up to the Picture frame on individual pages (the Master page contains only the Picture Frame). However, from the OP's description, I assume that the Master page has the Picture Frame including the image, and only on individual pages are the images replaced with others ("whereby I have replaced the actual image with different images").

[GarryP]

I wasn’t sure how the OP had organised their document, the wording was a little bit vague, so I thought I’d show how I would do it and they could maybe use that to see if they were doing the same sort of thing or something different.

[Jamesx1]

Thank you all for your assistance.

Yes, I have a master page template for a product, for which there are 12 instances - 12 pages using that master template. They require different product photos, so I have performed 'replace image' individually for each of the 12 instances of the image frame, since I don't want the demo image used in the master template to be repeated 12 times. The image frame on the master is great because I can set global alignment and adjustment layers, etc.

Since the 12 product images will be getting frequently updated, I just need them to update when the file updates. Eg. Export an updated image of a product photo from Affinity Photo into a folder on my PC that contains all the images that Publisher is using (.i.e the external file with the same file name is updated/overwritten). This really should update the image as it appears in Publisher, but for me it does not. And none of the images other than the one I used for the master page template appear in Resource Manager. I'm actually perplexed as to how they are appearing at all, given Resource manager sees them as neither linked nor embedded.  

[Jamesx1]

But I have other pages with image frames I've added directly - eg. not via a page template - and they appear as they should in the Resources Manager.

It's as if the images are invisible to the Resource Manager if added to an image frame that is part of a page template.

[thomaso]

50 minutes ago, Jamesx1 said:

(…) images placed inside image frames do not update (…)

• The images also do not appear in Resource Manager (…)

This sounds like the images are used as Bitmap Fill of the "Image frame". A Bitmap Fill is rasterized & embedded and does not appear in the Resource Manager and thus it can't get 'updated' manually and does not auto-update.

In Affinity there aren't layers ot objects of type "Image frame" but "Picture Frame" as separate, possibly empty objects – whereas an "Image" layer can get a stroke applied but without a separate frame layer/object.

[GarryP]

1 minute ago, Jamesx1 said:

It's as if the images are invisible to the Resource Manager if added to an image frame that is part of a page template.

Until we can see how your document has been constructed there might not be much more that we can help you with (unless thomaso's advice above helps).

We need to be able to look at, and preferably modify, how the various layers (across different types of pages) are organised and how they interact with each other to be able to see what the root cause of the problem might be.

[Jamesx1]

Sorry, yes, Picture Frames. I use the Picture Frame on the master to position the image. This then appears on the 12 instances. Then I 'replace image' for each of the 12 picture frame instances to show the correct image. None of these changes show the files I add in the Resource Manager. Only the original one used in the template appears in the Resource Manager.

If you need a file example, I'll need to just rework the file, get the file size down and replace with dummy info etc.

[thomaso]

16 minutes ago, Jamesx1 said:

Then I 'replace image' for each of the 12 picture frame instances to show the correct image. None of these changes show the files I add in the Resource Manager.

Do you mean you 1. select one of the 12 instances in the Resource Manager -> 2. press "Replace" in the Resource Manager and then -> 3. the image disappears from the Resource Manager but remains unchanged and visible in the Picture Frame of the layout?

A screenshot of the entire interface would help to understand, including the Pages Panel + Layers panel with unfolded layers + the opened Resource Manager Window with unfolded list entry of the master page object.

[Jamesx1]

1 minute ago, thomaso said:

Do you mean you 1. select one of the 12 instances in the Resource Manager -> 2. press "Replace" in the Resource Manager and then -> 3. the image disappears from the Resource Manager but remains unchanged and visible in the Picture Frame of the layout?

No, the 12 instances don't appear in the Resource Manager at all. Well, 11 don't. One does because it is the one I used in the actual page template. The other 11 do not appear in the Resource Manager at all. No files disappear in the artwork. They just aren't in the Resource Manager, and do not update automatically when the file changes in the folder. It's as if they are just in some cache somewhere.

Basically, I believe the Picture Frame or Resource Manager is behaving differently for images added to a picture frame that is fed from a template, as opposed to Picture Frames added directly to a page.

[Pšenda]

Master Page with Picture frame and inserted image.

Pages (1 and 3) with replaced image from Master page.

Resource manager:

 

P.S. if you are not willing/able to provide any additional information (see previous posts), there is not much to discuss - everything works as it should for everyone else.

[Jamesx1]

Thank you for all your effort. I think I am getting closer to the issue now, probably a knowledge error as I alluded to with my first post.

What are these 'unlinked attributes' including 'Resource' associated with the images that are not appearing in my Resource Manager? How can I change/remedy that by linking the resource and ensuring all other attributes are as per the page template?

[thomaso]

26 minutes ago, Jamesx1 said:

the 12 instances don't appear in the Resource Manager at all. Well, 11 don't. One does because it is the one I used in the actual page template. The other 11 do not appear in the Resource Manager at all. No files disappear in the artwork. They just aren't in the Resource Manager,

Somehow I am able to reproduce the issue. It seems to be related to an issue with the Placement Policy of the document and causes confusion with either not appearing in the Resource Manager or forcing "embedded" for a replaced, initially linked item of the Master. Sometimes re-applying the master (migrate) can fix a missing entry and make the replaced image appear in the Resource Manager, sometimes migrate does return to the master's un-replaced image.

I vaguely remember a logged issue with the Placement Policy and Master page objects but don't remember the details or thread.

[Jamesx1]

7 minutes ago, thomaso said:

Somehow I am able to reproduce the issue.

Many thanks for testing it out and letting me know about the bug lodgment.

I can work around it manually for now.

Is there definitely no user error involved? If I hover over the image in layers, I get this tooltip:

 

 

I didn't see any way to re-link attributes though. I wonder if this is related to Layer > Master Page > Edit Detached/Linked/Frame Content? Maybe I'm grasping at straws now.

[thomaso]

4 hours ago, Jamesx1 said:

Is there definitely no user error involved?

I am not sure because I don't know all details of your setting and workflow. And also because from my own experience the issue seems confusing as it is not fully reliable -> 100% repeatable.

4 hours ago, Jamesx1 said:

If I hover over the image in layers, I get this tooltip:

 

I didn't see any way to re-link attributes though. I wonder if this is related to Layer > Master Page > Edit Detached/Linked/Frame Content?

As far I understand this tooltip belongs/refers to the Master Page object, not to the "placement policy" of an image. It appears if you changed an instance of master page object on a document's page and informs about unlinked attributes.

Note that e.g. 'Size (w/h)', 'Rotation', 'Shear' or 'Coordinates (x/y)' are not listed and these attributes still react if they get changed on the master -> which means that the listed 'Transform' may confuse, too.

[Pšenda]

1 hour ago, thomaso said:

informs about unlinked attributes

I don't know what led the OP to make such an edit and damage the link to the Master page, but I certainly wouldn't want to keep the document in this state. It's just a matter of time before it all falls apart.

[thomaso]

3 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

I don't know what led the OP to make such an edit and damage the link to the Master page, but I certainly wouldn't want to keep the document in this state. It's just a matter of time before it all falls apart.

Why? I would expect specific attributes to be un-linked as soon I modify a master's object on a document page.
Compare text style for instance: Once it got changed on a page then a style change on the master does not appear on the document's page.

However, in my test (V1) the same tooltip appeared (see screenshot 1/3). – Don't you get this or any tooltip for a changed ("Replace") master's picture frame image on a document's page when hovering over the Picture Frame or image layer?

====

I just noticed a relevant difference between the OP's/mine and your example: The OP's & mine failing versions show the Picture Frame layer with a straight marker and the image layer with a dashed marker, indicating the image was modified, i.e. replaced. <–> Whereas your Layers panel shows NO marker at the image, as if this image never was a part of the master page. (by the way, none of your screenshots show the blue (master) image on the document pages at any state)

 • dashed marker at image: +

• NO marker at image: 

[Pšenda]

5 minutes ago, thomaso said:

Why?

Why? So that links and image updates work as they should - as GarryP also presented.

[thomaso]

1 minute ago, Pšenda said:

So that links and image updates work as they should - as GarryP also presented.

As mentioned before I understand this tooltip as an info about the connection to a master object, not as an info about a linked resource. Once the master object got changed (i.e. image replaced) this attribute ('Resource') is expected not to get updated if you change the image on the Master page, right?

As you noticed (and mentioned) GarryP's example is different: There the image never has been a part of the master page and the Master page has empty Picture Frames.

[Jamesx1]

2 hours ago, thomaso said:

Once the master object got changed (i.e. image replaced) this attribute ('Resource') is expected not to get updated if you change the image on the Master page

It is possible that I changed the master page image placeholder at some point from what I originally had. I don't know if this is the problem. I simply expect that the Picture Frame contains the attributes and the image is interchangeable, and I would assume that any image used in the document would either be linked or embedded regardless of any workflow.

[Pšenda]

1 hour ago, thomaso said:

As you noticed (and mentioned) GarryP's example is different: There the image never has been a part of the master page and the Master page has empty Picture Frames.

In my example, I did it as the OP mentioned, i.e. Picture Frame with an image on the Master Page, and replace this image on the Page.

[thomaso]

2 hours ago, Pšenda said:

In my example, I did it as the OP mentioned, i.e. Picture Frame with an image on the Master Page, and replace this image on the Page.

The app behaviour when replacing the image seems to be unreliable, or variable at least. Or it depends on another parameter or step. For instance its currently unclear why your  test does not show the green bar as master marker at the image layer, straight or dashed, whereas it is displayed in both screenshots of the OP (green) or me (orange, V1) and both dashed, indicating the change.

===========
Another oddity: When I select the image layer on the Master page then the Context Toolbar offers the "Replace Image" button…

… but this does not appear when the image is selected on the document page. Instead I need to select the parent Picture Frame, although this will not get replaced (but its child only):

Just noticed: the "Replace Image" button appears for the selected Image layer on the document page IF the master layer has been set to "Edit Detached" before selecting the image layer. This feels odd, too. Why does the option appear for the Picture Frame without "detached" mode? Why does it need "detached" mode for the image which is actually content, similar to text in a text layer which does not require "detached" mode to get edited?

[Jamesx1]

On 2/27/2025 at 11:43 AM, thomaso said:

The app behaviour when replacing the image seems to be unreliable, or variable at least. Or it depends on another parameter or step.

Thanks again for looking into it. I'm just going to deal with it manually for now...but I wouldn't want to be working on a huge document with many instances. Luckily I'm just dealing with 12.