How do I cut Text or objects from another shape?

[Mediafuel]

Hello. Not sure of the correct terminology to use for a forum search, but I would like to cut text out from a shape that has a solid colour fill? Any ideas where to look for info on this type of technique?

 

Much appreciated.

 

Cheers

[marsofearth]

Hmm If I understand you correctly; you have a shape with solid fill and you have a text layer above this shape?

 

If you wish to CUT the Text layer OUT of the SOLID fill layer,

 

1. select BOTH the Text Layer and Shape Layer.

2. Either Go to the Main Tool Bar and find "OPERATIONS" and select SUBTRACT

    OR Go to the Layers Menu find Geometry/Subtract

 

Should do the trick if I understand you correctly.

[Mediafuel]

Hmm If I understand you correctly; you have a shape with solid fill and you have a text layer above this shape?

 

If you wish to CUT the Text layer OUT of the SOLID fill layer,

 

1. select BOTH the Text Layer and Shape Layer.

2. Either Go to the Main Tool Bar and find "OPERATIONS" and select SUBTRACT

    OR Go to the Layers Menu find Geometry/Subtract

 

Should do the trick if I understand you correctly.

YES! Thank you. So easy. I have learned a new technique  :D

 

Cheers

[Bri-Toon]

Hello Mediafuel,

If you use the geometry options frequently, the "Operation" buttons are the ones that look like this.

 

[Mediafuel]

Hello Mediafuel,

If you use the geometry options frequently, the "Operation" buttons are the ones that look like this.

 

Geometry.png

Wow! Thanks for that tip as well! Works perfect  :D

[Mediafuel]

As an addition to the original question, what is the proper term for this technique?

 

Cheers

[MEB]

Hi Mediafuel,

I wouldn't call it a technique. It's a standard feature of any vector application. It's commonly referred as Boolean Operations (adding, subtracting, intersecting etc shapes). You can also do this non-destructively in Affinity apps. Before clicking on the icons on the main toolbar, press and hold alt on your keyboard. The result will be a Compound which you can expand in the Layers panel to access the original (individual) objects used to perform the boolean operation. Changing them will update the compound accordingly.

[Bri-Toon]

Wow! Thanks for that tip as well! Works perfect  :D

 

Well that's very nice of you to add that as an attachment.  :)

 

I learned what booleans actually meant back at the beginning of this year when I first became a member of the forum. Before, I just knew the term as pathfinders, as Illustrator calls it, but I'm realizing booleans is the accurate term.

 

Before clicking on the icons on the main toolbar, press and hold alt on your keyboard. The result will be a Compound which you can expand in the Layers panel to access the original (individual) objects used to perform the boolean operation. Changing them will update the compound accordingly.

 

Well I just learned something new. Good to know. In addition to this, Mediafuel, hold Ctrl and click to select part of a compound shape separately. Ctrl + Click will also select individuals in a group and a clipped object.

[Alfred]

Well I just learned something new.

 

I thought you already knew that, Brian. I must have been thinking of something else: I wonder what it was!

[Bri-Toon]

I thought you already knew that, Brian. I must have been thinking of something else: I wonder what it was!

 

I remember we discussed the difference between how clipping and cropping works. It may have been that.

[Alfred]

I remember we discussed the difference between how clipping and cropping works. It may have been that.

 

Yes, it may well have been. Or maybe something related, like 'Paste Inside'.

[jer]

Hi Mediafuel,

I wouldn't call it a technique. It's a standard feature of any vector application. It's commonly referred as Boolean Operations (adding, subtracting, intersecting etc shapes). You can also do this non-destructively in Affinity apps. Before clicking on the icons on the main toolbar, press and hold alt on your keyboard. The result will be a Compound which you can expand in the Layers panel to access the original (individual) objects used to perform the boolean operation. Changing them will update the compound accordingly.

Just learned this "Alt" trick from the Affinity Workbook Chapter 2! This Workbook is probably going to make me into a semi-almost-nearly-adequate-AD-Pro!  :D

[Mediafuel]

Hi Mediafuel,

I wouldn't call it a technique. It's a standard feature of any vector application. It's commonly referred as Boolean Operations (adding, subtracting, intersecting etc shapes). You can also do this non-destructively in Affinity apps. Before clicking on the icons on the main toolbar, press and hold alt on your keyboard. The result will be a Compound which you can expand in the Layers panel to access the original (individual) objects used to perform the boolean operation. Changing them will update the compound accordingly.

Brilliant! Thanks! The Compound was my next question as I could not see a way to edit without blowing it all away and starting again.

[Mediafuel]

Just learned this "Alt" trick from the Affinity Workbook Chapter 2! This Workbook is probably going to make me into a semi-almost-nearly-adequate-AD-Pro!  :D

Just waiting for my workbook to arrive. I received notification 2 days ago that it had been shipped. Looking forward to checking it out...

 

Cheers

[Mediafuel]

In addition to this, Mediafuel, hold Ctrl and click to select part of a compound shape separately. Ctrl + Click will also select individuals in a group and a clipped object.

Most helpful! Glad to have these skills highlighted. Thanks again.

[brightspotinmyday]

I've learned SO MUCH from this site! Thank you!!!

I'm trying to cut text out of a shape then cut the result out on a cutting machine such as Circut or Silhouette, etc. For example, I made a heart shape, typed in the word "love" in a cursive font, then when I cut it out the whole word is cut out but the little bits inside of the loops of the "L", "O" and "E" are, of course, not there. Just the outline of "love" is there. This changes the entire look and detracts from what it needs to be. How do I make it so the final result still looks like the original word?

 

I hope it's possible! Thank you!

[Old Bruce]

35 minutes ago, brightspotinmyday said:

I've learned SO MUCH from this site! Thank you!!!

I'm trying to cut text out of a shape then cut the result out on a cutting machine such as Circut or Silhouette, etc. For example, I made a heart shape, typed in the word "love" in a cursive font, then when I cut it out the whole word is cut out but the little bits inside of the loops of the "L", "O" and "E" are, of course, not there. Just the outline of "love" is there. This changes the entire look and detracts from what it needs to be. How do I make it so the final result still looks like the original word?

 

I hope it's possible! Thank you!

I can't not get the result in your screenshot.

I make a heart shape, I type the word Love and then using the move tool place the word in the heart. The word is above the heart in the Layers Panel. I select both and choose subtract front from the Layer > Geometry > Subtract. Do other fonts work?

[h_d]

If I understand correctly, you want solid red material in the counters (loops) of the letters "o" and "e" and in the swashes, and you want to cut the heart out on a cutting machine with the word punched out of it. I'd have thought you'd need a physical connection between the outer red area and the inner loops (like a stencil). I did this with some extra rectangles:

 

Otherwise the loops are just going to fall out of the letters.

 

To make the word transparent rather than white, select both the heart and the word (I used Artistic text, not Frame Text). Pull down the Layers menu and choose Geometry >Subtract:

 

 

Edited December 7, 2019 by h_d
Added detail on making the word transparent.

[brightspotinmyday]

Thank you for your replies, Old Bruce and h_d. You are both correct in that I have used geometry and subtract to punch out the Love and swirl. The picture is of the punch out effect. All fonts produce the same effect. They are beautifully punched out and as h_d said, I think I need to break the letters to make the red background stay attached to the rest. I am now trying to use a few rectangles but can't quite get them lined up. I'll keep trying and post a solution. Thank you both! Your replies are much appreciated!!!

I'm not sure how to reply to each one of you so I did it for both in this post...I hope that worked. I haven't replied before. I'm quite new to all of this!

[brightspotinmyday]

It worked! I made tiny rectangles which allowed the color to be continuous. Thanks, both of you!

[RTC21]

Just FYI - if you are using a Cricut machine, you don’t need to ‘punch out’ the lettering on Affinity. You can just leave the lettering in white and then when you upload the image to Cricut, it gives you the option to erase/remove bits you don’t want. So, if you just click inside the lettering (just the white bits) it will erase it and you’ll have the image you want, with the ‘punch out’ lettering and it will be ready to cut on your machine. - just in case you aren’t able to do it on Affinity.