Creating a "linoleum" pattern with Affinity Photo?

[CaroleA]

Many years ago, I stumbled upon an effect ACCIDENTALLY when working with PaintShop Pro. It creates a sort of "linoleum" effect (I can't think of another way to describe it). It uses the Displacement Map. I tried to replicate this with Affinity Photo (on Windows) but I have not found anything that would yield something close to it.

Here is the process in PSP:

https://www.loom.com/share/8b70fe70da8d4d6bab436d3fee7afd66?sid=81c20385-3831-43b2-b55c-0d04b9a3bc2f

Would anyone have a way to get this effect in Affinity Photo?

[thomaso]

In the direction only but maybe a starter: 1. rectangle with green fill colour –> 2. Filters > Noise > Perlin Noise –> 3. Live Filter > Colour > Voronoi. (Colours need separate adjustments)

[CaroleA]

15 minutes ago, thomaso said:

In the direction only but maybe a starter: 1. rectangle with green fill colour –> 2. Filters > Noise > Perlin Noise –> 3. Live Filter > Colour > Voronoi. (Colours need separate adjustments)

I tried that, but it looks more like uneven tiling (a good effect) than the bubble effect I am looking for.

[thomaso]

For experienced mathematicians, it may be possible with Procedural Texture.

https://affinity.help/photo2/English.lproj/index.html?page=pages/Filters/filter_proceduraltexture.html&title=Procedural Texture

 

By the way: If your ultimate goal is an image file made with foam or bubbles, there are quite a few around.

[CaroleA]

48 minutes ago, thomaso said:

For experienced mathematicians, it may be possible with Procedural Texture.

I certainly don't want to require users to be mathematicians to get this effect!

I just know that, in PSP, changing the color, the amount of noise and the type of noise will yield different results, and that seems to be the beauty of it.

  

51 minutes ago, thomaso said:

By the way: If your ultimate goal is an image file made with foam or bubbles, there are quite a few around.

No, i am not looking for realistic foam/bubble effect. I just love the randomness of this texture.

This is a tutorial I shared for PSP users for years, and Affinity Photo users would love to replicate it, and I can't find a way to do so.

[NotMyFault]

Like so?

linoleum effect.afphoto

[NotMyFault]

New version with PT filter. Allows to adjust noise pattern, and move point of origin.

color is given by rectangle layer,

linoleum effect.afphoto

[CaroleA]

35 minutes ago, NotMyFault said:

Like so?

That is interesting, but not what I am looking for.

[CaroleA]

Those are interesting effects, but not what I am looking for (and I would terrify viewers who don't understand that math thingie, like me).

[NotMyFault]

Well, you expressed that no answer satisfy you so far. 
I don’t get what you want to say by 

29 minutes ago, CaroleA said:

and I would terrify viewers who don't understand that math thingie, like me

You or any viewer (forum users? Consumers of your artwork?) don’t need to understand the math, playing with sliders would be all you need to do as creator.

Viewers of your exported image won’t get exposed to any harmful math. 
 

 

[NotMyFault]

On 4/23/2025 at 8:30 PM, CaroleA said:

and Affinity Photo users would love to replicate it, and I can't find a way to do so.

There is no way to use the workflow from your tutorial to get identical results.

what is the primary need from your side, getting a similar looking result, using different workflows in Photo?

Or do you request your PSP workflow should provide identical results in Photo? This won’t happen.

[CaroleA]

I am looking for the end result of a random "linoleum" (or oil film) that would have smooth shapes. And I am looking for a process where my viewers can replicate it with different colors. I won't be the one doing it (otherwise, the math thing would work) but I want to teach it. That is a tutorial I already share with my PSP viewers, so I wanted the Affinity users to also be able to make something comparable.

[NotMyFault]

Ok, I think I got it now.

• you want us to provide a method, working in Photo, so you can create a tutorial for your creator channel.
• it should not expose your tutorial viewers to math.
• it must use noise and colors as input.
• it should give a similar result as PSP

Is this correct?

[CaroleA]

Close to that, yes. It does not have to start with the noise, but it should have a way to create something different with different settings. In my example, i was using color and noise settings since the color could match someone's project and the noise because it can be so random, but if there is another way, I am fine with that.

[NotMyFault]

In Photo, procedural texture filters are the way to go. They allow to create different noise types and other textures.

to get the darker edges, live blur or sharpen filters may help.

Displace in Photo works different than other apps and is plagued by unfixed bugs (in live filter version).

Finding a way to get same results requires lots of testing and experimenting. I gave my 2 cents before, tried again today for an hour and couldn’t find a easy way. Sorry to disappoint in this matter, others may find the holy grail.

 

[CaroleA]

8 minutes ago, NotMyFault said:

Finding a way to get same results requires lots of testing and experimenting. I gave my 2 cents before, tried again today for an hour and couldn’t find a easy way. Sorry to disappoint in this matter, others may find the holy grail.

Thanks for trying.