Pattern overlay

[ProgSys]

I find it very tough in Affinity to apply simple patterns, espassely if you want to quickly swap or modify them.

It would be nice if there was a "Pattern overlay" layer effect, where you could select an image, with a blend mode and scale, which will be repeated on the layer.

As currently the only way to apply a pattern is to use a textured brush.

Thank you!

[Alfred]

Welcome to the Serif Affinity Forums, @ProgSys.

 

14 hours ago, ProgSys said:

currently the only way to apply a pattern is to use a textured brush

 

Not so! You can apply a bitmap fill using a saved image, or you can place the pattern image on the page and clip it to the shape that you want to fill.

[Mandu]

Pattern overlay is not in the layer effects simply because it is not needed. The way to use image (pixel) patterns is:

1. Create a fill layer (not pixel layer) and apply gradient>bitmap.

Now after you got your "pattern overlay" you can mask layer with it by dragging other layer/s inside it. This is exactly the same thing as Photoshop pattern overlay except this way is so much better because your image in the gradient fill remains editable in terms of scale, rotation and position, unlike Photoshop pattern overlay that has fixed all this and then you get nasty seams exactly where you don't want them.

OR

2. Draw curves and fill them with Gradeint>bitmap. this is just one of many reasons why Affinity>Adobe. You essentially have fully functional vector elements inside pixel based program.

[ProgSys]

I see, the fill layer worked! I was confused as Gradient>bitmap on a pixel layer didn't repeat the pattern, instead the border pixels were extended.

Thank you!

[Alfred]

56 minutes ago, ProgSys said:

I was confused as Gradient>bitmap on a pixel layer didn't repeat the pattern, instead the border pixels were extended.

 

When you use the Gradient Tool in Affinity Photo or the Fill Tool in Affinity Designer (oddly, or some would say stupidly, different names for the same tool!) you can choose a different 'Extend' method, depending on whether you want a repeat of the whole pattern or only the edges.

[ProgSys]

There are options for it for a fill layer or curve, but a pixel layer dosn't have any.

[Alfred]

You need to choose the Gradient Tool to access the 'Bitmap' option in Affinity Photo. (The 'Extend' options in both AD and APh seem the wrong way around to me. 'Repeat' repeats only the edges instead of the entire pattern, and 'Wrap' wraps the entire pattern instead of only the edges.)

[Polygonius]

BTW: If you have some bitmap-gradients (or "colorstop" gradients) stored as palette (not as style) you can easy switch between with the gradient tool. All other (blendmode, opacity, fx...) will keep.

 

 

 

You can also reach your palette-categorys from the gradient-context-tool-box with the "none" tab. Quite confusing, but it works.