"Release mask" like in Illustrator?

[joevasion]

Is there a way to "release mask" like in illustrator? The file I have is a return shipping label a company sends you as a pdf. They always attach it to a sheet with other instructions that I don't need, I just want to be able to select the things I need on the actual label and paste them onto my 4 x 6 thermal label template I made. Once again, a simple thing Affinity is lacking. Thanks in advance.

[R C-R]

Is there actually a mask in the document? Or are you talking about transparency or something else? When you say they attach it (a PDF?) to a sheet with other content, how is it "attached"?

[joevasion]

12 minutes ago, R C-R said:

Is there actually a mask in the document? Or are you talking about transparency or something else? When you say they attach it (a PDF?) to a sheet with other content, how is it "attached"?

So it is the type of thing where an outsider sends you a document (like a pdf or svg or something like that) where it looks like normally you could click it and go to ungroup and everything separates, but there is no ungroup option. so then you go to release mask and then pretty much everything separates, it’s one of those things but there is no release mask in affinity to do that.

[thomaso]

7 hours ago, joevasion said:

sends you as a pdf.

Note, if you open a PDF in Affinity it can contain a slightly different layer hierarchy with masking layers that where not created as such in the initial layout document.

4 hours ago, joevasion said:

but there is no ungroup option.

Is this layer a vector or a rasterized layer? – Can you upload a sample PDF and/or a screenshot of your Affinity screen with the Layers panel and its layers unfolded?

[loukash]

10 hours ago, joevasion said:

I just want to be able to select the things I need on the actual label and paste them onto my 4 x 6 thermal label template I made

The Layers panel is your best friend. Just inspect the vertical layer hierarchy there and select the layers – or blocks of layers – you need. The PDF layer hierarchy tends to nest lots of blank rectangles inside other blank rectangles – which is what you likely mean by "masks".