Working in Designer and Blurring in Designer or Photo

[dave2017]

Currently I'm trying to do some photo editing, but also to annotate the photos. I find that mostly Affinity Designer is the tool I want to use, but sometimes once I've used a photo as a layer I want to go in and modify that - for example blur out faces and even car number plates.

 

Can I do that within Designer, or do I have to go out and do the blur in Affinity Photo or some other tool, then re-import the photo, and maybe even have to do all the layers which have been stacked up all over again? I'm hoping that either it will be able to do some photo operations (including blurring) for selections within layers in Designer, or alternatively that a photo in a layer can be exported quickly to a photo app (could be Photo - but not necessarily), which can then be used for doing the photo bit, then re-importing the edited photo back into the same layer.

 

The point is that sometimes one doesn't notice that this is necessary until most of the detail has been worked out, so it would be good not to have to redo all the work just to get some part of a photo dealt with.

 

[MEB]

Hi dave2017,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

To blur a selection in Designer, switch to Pixel Persona, select the layer you want to blur, create your selection, press ⌘ (cmd) + J to duplicate the selected part to a new layer an apply a Layer FX Gaussian Blur to that layer. You have to duplicate the layer because the the Layer effects are applied at a layer level and cannot be performed on a selection inside a layer.

 

Regarding changing to Affinity Photo, yes you can switch to it going to menu File ▸ Edit in Photo... and doing the same in Photo to return back to Designer. Note that after you apply a live filter in Photo and get back to Designer, there's no need to go again to Photo to adjust the live filter. Double clicking its layer inside Designer will also let you edit/change it directly in the program.

[dave2017]

Thanks for that. I'll check out the method outlined in the first paragraph tomorrow - not enough time tonight.

 

Using the File ->Edit in Photo then File ->Edit in Designer method worked a treat. Thanks very much for that help.

 

I will try out the other method though, as I need to become more familiar with the tools.

[dave2017]

MEB:

 

Thanks again for message #2. I have now tried the blur using only Designer and that works too - as you described.

 

I think the only thing left to try is the filter persistence which you mention when using Photo to do the filter, and then reverting back to Designer.

 

Some users may only have Designer, so would find the tips on blurring in Designer useful by themselves.

 

I have both tools as I figured they'd be useful to me - and I was right. They are very good working cooperatively, and enable me to work faster on some projects. I do still use other tools as well, though.

 

I'm not sure that I have a preference for one method of blurring (or applying filters in general) over the other yet. What do others who have both programs think?

[Guest]

Hi,

In AD I can blur an area (rectangular only) in Persona Vector by using the "Vector Cropping" tool.

If I am in Pixel Persona, I can not. I duplicate the image, I select the zone to blur and when I apply the Gaussian blur it applies to the whole image and not to the selection.

I must miss something but I do not know what.

I'm running Windows 10; 64 bits.

 

Thanks.

[MEB]

Hi reglico,

In Pixel Persona (Designer) you have to create a selection before duplicating the layer. This will create a new layer with just the selection area which you can them blur with the Blur layer FX (keeping the whole original layer below). Make sure you are working with a Pixel layer.

[carl123]

 

....but sometimes once I've used a photo as a layer I want to go in and modify that - for example blur out faces and even car number plates.

 

......

 

In AD, assuming you do not mind the blur being permanent just switch to Pixel Persona and the Blur Brush Tool should be able to do what you want.

[Alfred]

I duplicate the image, I select the zone to blur and when I apply the Gaussian blur it applies to the whole image and not to the selection.

 

I must miss something but I do not know what.

 

The selection will be ignored if you're working on an Image layer. If that's what is happening, you need to right-click the layer in the Layers panel and choose 'Rasterize...' to turn it into a Pixel layer so that you can manipulate it at the pixel level.

[Guest]

Hi reglico,

In Pixel Persona (Designer) you have to create a selection before duplicating the layer. This will create a new layer with just the selection area which you can them blur with the Blur layer FX (keeping the whole original layer below).

Hi MEB, thank you for your reply.

 

I did not apply the method in the right order and in addition, as Alfred points out, I was on an "Image" layer and not "Pixel".

I could not do it! Thanks again.

[Guest]

The selection will be ignored if you're working on an Image layer. If that's what is happening, you need to right-click the layer in the Layers panel and choose 'Rasterize...' to turn it into a Pixel layer so that you can manipulate it at the pixel level.

Hi Alfred,

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

I was actually on an "Image" layer. I had created a new layer "Pixel" and tried to drag the picture but without success.

I had not thought of "Rasterize" the layer at all. Also, as MEB pointed out, I selected the area to be blurred on the copy and not on the original.

I was starting to believe in a bug with Windows, but it was rather a bug with my brain! :(

 

Thanks again.