Affinity Designer: How to enlarge a vector shape uniformly, without using a stroke?

[Pyanepsion]

Hello,

 

I have a vector shape in Affinity Designer, and I’d like to enlarge it uniformly by 10 px all around, a bit like adding a 10 px border.

 

However, adding a stroke does not meet my needs, as the ends then become pointed, rounded or broken, which changes the appearance of the shape.

 

What I’m looking for is a real extension of the shape itself, with a clean, regular and controllable edge, without resorting to a line or a temporary effect.

 

Is there a specific method in Affinity Designer for achieving this? I would like to keep a vector shape at the end, not an image or a styling effect.

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

stroke.afdesign

[Alfred]

Can’t you simply use the controls in the Transform panel to increase the width and the height by 10 px each?

[Pšenda]

Draw shape, set stroke (20px with centre align), color same as fill, Expand stroke, select both result layers and Geometry Add.

expanded stroke.afdesign

Edited March 21 by Pšenda

[Bryan Rieger]

You could use a contour (see below, file attached). In this case the contour is 13px, same as the stroke (which I removed for clarity). Using the contour tool you can still edit the original shape with the contour applied, as well as adjust contour settings, corner/mitre, etc. Once you're happy with the shape just expand it to curves.

stroke.afdesign

[Pyanepsion]

Contour, that's a tool I didn't understand. Thank you very much, @Bryan Rieger.

• The stroke tool is an adjustable but non-destructive wrapping around a line.
• The contour tool modifies or creates a new vector shape, enlarged or reduced as required.

[lepr]

1 hour ago, Pyanepsion said:

Contour, that's a tool I didn't understand. Thank you very much, @Bryan Rieger.

• The stroke tool is an adjustable but non-destructive wrapping around a line.
• The contour tool modifies or creates a new vector shape, enlarged or reduced as required.

 

Contour Tool (and stroke expansion) in the current Affinity has a tendency to produce polygonal edges which should be smoothly rounded. Version 2.4.2 was the last to produce good results.

The example below shows the bottom right of your shape when it is given a contour.

 

[thomaso]

2 hours ago, Alfred said:

Can’t you simply use the controls in the Transform panel to increase the width and the height by 10 px each?

It is a common misconception that magnifying 🔎 an object produces the same result as increasing its outline .

[Alfred]

16 minutes ago, lepr said:

Version 2.4.2 was the last to produce good results.

Previous versions for Windows can be downloaded via links on the following page:

https://store.serif.com/update/windows/designer/2