Why I'm getting this issue trying to export in Designer?

[albertkinng]

Hey, I was trying to edit some gradients on an icon and ran into a weird issue with the export window. Usually, I just select the item, choose the "selection only" option, and it exports just that. But now, it’s only letting me export the whole document or a selection area. I tried quitting the app and reopening it, but that didn’t help. I even changed some settings and ungrouped everything, but nothing worked. Does anyone have any idea what's going on?

[GarryP]

My first guess is that the selected layer might have an Effect applied which could be causing the exported area to be larger than the boundary of the selected layer, such as Gaussian Blur, or an almost transparent Outline, etc.

But I can’t tell from the screenshot as there’s not enough information, for example, I can’t see enough of the Layers Panel.

You’re using the Passthrough Blend Mode on the selected layer but I don’t know if that could cause the problem in this case; you could try changing it to Normal and see what happens.

The thumbnail of the 'Artboard1' layer looks to be different to that which we can see on the canvas but I don’t know if I’m looking at the same 'Artboard1' layer in both.

Would you be able to share the document so we can examine it and see if we have the same problem?

[albertkinng]

On 5/1/2025 at 3:59 AM, GarryP said:

Would you be able to share the document so we can examine it and see if we have the same problem?

Here is a video: https://media.albertkinng.com/BlueKB75

Here is the file: http://drop.albertkinng.com/1f1ffa

[R C-R]

@albertkinng, FWIW, many users are unwilling to download files from other sites for various reasons so when possible it is best to attach your files directly to your posts.

Also not sure what file you mean -- from the URL it looks like a folder or directory, not an Affinity file.

[Alfred]

11 minutes ago, R C-R said:

from the URL it looks like a folder or directory, not an Affinity file

You can’t be sure of that, especially if there’s a URL shortener involved. For example, the free Core Skills download that complements the Affinity Designer workbook is at http://affin.co/coreskills but it acts as a download link for a zip archive.

[albertkinng]

22 minutes ago, R C-R said:

many users are unwilling to download files from other sites for various reasons

It's perfectly fine if you choose not to download it—if you believe that my SSL-registered domain isn’t a reliable indicator of a secure file, that’s your prerogative. That’s the beauty of having the freedom to make your own choices.

[R C-R]

44 minutes ago, Alfred said:

You can’t be sure of that...

True, & it is one of the reasons I am hesitant to click on the link to find out what it is.

EDIT: @albertkinng, I know you think this is funny, but maybe if you do a search on "How much info does a website get when I visit it?" or similar, you might better understand why some users hesitate to go offsite without first knowing if or how that info might be used.

[R C-R]

Just now, albertkinng said:

It's perfectly fine if you choose not to download it—if you believe that my SSL-registered domain isn’t a reliable indicator of a secure file, that’s your prerogative. That’s the beauty of having the freedom to make your own choices.

It isn't whether or not it is 'secure.' Even sites loaded with 'drive by' malware can be secure. (Please note that I am not saying anything of your is malevolent, just that it is one of the reasons some users are hesitant to go off-site for files that can be attached directly to posts.)

[albertkinng]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

is one of the reasons some users are hesitant to go off-site for files that can be attached directly to posts.

I said is perfectly fine, dude.

[albertkinng]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

I know you think this is funny

It is. This discussion focuses on a specific, uncommon issue with Affinity Designer’s selection tool, yet you’re trying to turn it into a debate over whether file attachments or links are better for the community. What’s unclear about 'it’s perfectly fine'? There’s no obligation to download—just take it easy.

[Old Bruce]

1 hour ago, albertkinng said:

It's perfectly fine if you choose not to download it—if you believe that my SSL-registered domain isn’t a reliable indicator of a secure file, that’s your prerogative. That’s the beauty of having the freedom to make your own choices.

I am by nature cautious, perhaps overly cautious. That is why I don't click on links like yours. So if you are fine with me and many others not offering you advice on your problem then that too is fine. 

[albertkinng]

1 minute ago, Old Bruce said:

That is why I don't click on links like yours.

See? No links need to be clicked. If something seems unsafe, we’re free—and well within our rights—to avoid it. I think that’s a good thing. Don’t you agree?

[R C-R]

2 minutes ago, albertkinng said:

yet you’re trying to turn it into a debate over whether file attachments or links are better for the community.

I am simply pointing out that if you attach your files directly to your posts, more users are likely to see what the issue is, if they can help solve it or benefit from others doing the same. Isn't it obvious that that is more beneficial to the user community?

[albertkinng]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

Isn't it obvious that that is more beneficial to the user community?

The fact that you want to continue this conversation shows how passionate you are about user preferences. If you don't trust a link, you don't click on it. That's reasonable. Various services like Dropbox, MS OneDrive, Cloud, Box, Google Drive, and AWS Amazon S3 all power eCommerce today by providing different options for users, including sharing files with a link.

I won't comment further on this because: first, it's off-topic from the original discussion, and second, there's an important distinction between making suggestions and imposing requirements.

[R C-R]

Nobody imposed anything. I simply suggested why it is beneficial to the user community to attach files to posts instead of linking to them.

But, hey good luck getting help with your issue, whether you attach or link. That is certainly your choice. 

[albertkinng]

When you open the artboard layer, you'll find a group inside. Some layers within that group are deselected. This raises a question: Can a deselected item affect the export selection of the layer you intend to export? Thanks in advance.

[Meliora spero]

The skepticism is justified. Among the many things I'm not allowed to do digitally at work, clicking on short URLs is one of them. I haven't used one in years without first running it through a URL expander — but that's a power move regular people usually don't know about.

Think twice before clicking on short URLs. In today's digital world, they can hide malicious links. Always check the source and use a URL expander if you're unsure. 

https://checkshorturl.com

[Old Bruce]

6 minutes ago, albertkinng said:

When you open the artboard layer, you'll find a group inside. Some layers within that group are deselected. This raises a question: Can a deselected item affect the export selection of the layer you intend to export? Thanks in advance.

Do You mean something like this

Which gives me the choice of exporting the selection only, things 1 and 2 or the whole document including the Not Selected  item.

[R C-R]

22 hours ago, Meliora spero said:

The skepticism is justified.

What I find so hard to understand is, given that this clearly is justified, why anyone posting to this forum would even go to the effort of creating the short URL, & hosting the file(s) it on some website when all that could be avoided simply by using this site's built-in facility to drag & drop the file(s) into the reply or using its choose files option. That should take no more than a few seconds, & almost certainly encourage greater participation & interest in the topic.

[albertkinng]

On 5/5/2025 at 7:39 PM, Old Bruce said:

Which gives me the choice of exporting the selection only, things 1 and 2 or the whole document including the Not Selected  item.

Exactly. The issue only happens in one specific project. I tried to replicate it elsewhere, but couldn’t. Something is preventing me from isolating the item. I ended up copying everything into a new document, which let me move on with my work. Still, I’d like to know if this is a glitch or something that can be identified and fixed. Like in your example, I do select a single item and have the “selection only” option enabled. But something keeps it from exporting that item alone. My theory is that the object beneath it isn’t being fully deselected, and the export command is picking it up too. Maybe it’s a bug.

[R C-R]

2 hours ago, albertkinng said:

Like in your example, I do select a single item and have the “selection only” option enabled.

Have you selected a single layer object? IOW, if you highlight just one item on the artboard in the Layers panel, does "Selection Only" still export more than that? (In your screenshot in the first post, the layers panel is mostly obscured so it is hard to tell what was selected.)

[str_a]

2 hours ago, albertkinng said:

Exactly. The issue only happens in one specific project. I tried to replicate it elsewhere, but couldn’t. Something is preventing me from isolating the item. I ended up copying everything into a new document, which let me move on with my work. Still, I’d like to know if this is a glitch or something that can be identified and fixed. Like in your example, I do select a single item and have the “selection only” option enabled. But something keeps it from exporting that item alone. My theory is that the object beneath it isn’t being fully deselected, and the export command is picking it up too. Maybe it’s a bug.

It looks like you've used the effect layers incorrectly. Look at the backgrounds of the effect layers

 

 

[albertkinng]

9 hours ago, str_a said:

It looks like you've used the effect layers incorrectly.

Thank you. 🙏🏼 you found the problem and the solution! You’re a genius. Thanks @Old Bruce for your help as well.