Find Edges on Text

[Elizapainter]

I need to create large documents average 2 x 4 feet at 300 dpi for sign graphics.  I place the text and then “find edges” in Photoshop, but my computer died and I want to be able to do this all on my iPad Pro and Dropbox it to my printer.  I’ve tried several different ways in Affinity.  Can anyone tell me how to do this please?  I don’t want my printer to have to use a ton of ink for a graphic that I’m just going to transfer to a sign and then throw away.  Would also Love to just use Affinity for everything and skip Photoshop all together if possible but I must be able to do this.  Thanks so very much!  Joanne Hopper

[Gabe]

Hi @Elizapainter,

Welcome to the forums. 

We have got a tool that does a similar job. It's called "detect edges". You can find that in Filters Studio > and select Colours or All filters from the list. If the image is black, you can invert the colours by going to Filters > Select Adjustments > Invert. 

Thanks,

Gabe. 

[toltec]

3 hours ago, Elizapainter said:

 I place the text and then “find edges” in Photoshop, 

Hi Joanne

Both Affinity apps have a solution that is probably much better for your needs ?

You could set the text with just an outline and no fill?.

Then there is no need to use a filter like Find Edges or Detect Edges and as it is still text, the print quality will be better. Should you print it out and notice you made a spelling mistake or need to change something, the text is still editable, even as outlines, so you only need to edit the text. You don't need to go through the whole 'find edges' routine again.  What is more, the file sizes will be much smaller and will save you iPad memory 

You can adjust the thickness of the line as you like and you could even set a Style and use that, rather than having to convert the text to outline and no fill each time. Just set the text as normal, select it, then tap the Style and it's all done, literally a one click, outline solution. Well, maybe two taps 

An outline Style with a red outline.

You could use the same Style on a shape, should you need to.

 

[Alfred]

4 hours ago, Elizapainter said:

I need to create large documents average 2 x 4 feet at 300 dpi for sign graphics.

Why do you need 300 ppi? No one is going to read a 2′ × 4′ sign from less than two feet away, so 150 ppi should be more than adequate.

[Elizapainter]

No - but having that kind of detail for making pounces - and ancient but extremely efficient way to transfer large images to surfaces - makes my next steps much easier.  

I Love love Love the style idea - where do I find that?  Will need to learn more.  Is there a tutorial that specifically addresses Style and outline - which personas....etc....  So excited - Thank you toltec - you made my day!!!!❣️

[toltec]

Hi @Elizapainter

There is a tutorial for Designer which is the same as Photo for Styles.

https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/tutorials/designer/ipad/video/273649742

Watch the video first!

Styles are in the Layer Effects Studio, (fx) right down the very bottom. Tap Styles and there is a burger menu in there on the top right, which you will need. As shown in the video,

The following is a little bit complicated, but you will only ever need to do it once.

The first thing is to go to Styles and create a new Styles category. Use the Styles burger menu and tap ‘Add category’ then go to the burger menu again and tap  ‘Rename category’ to give it a name, like ‘Fred’.

Set some Art text, then select the Pen Tool. You can use the Pen Tool to set an outline around the text by swiping across the Width controller on the Context Toolbar (at the bottom). In the Colour studio, set the fill colour of the text to Transparent, which will leave just the outline.

Make sure the text is selected and go back to Styles, make sure Fred is showing (it should be) and in the burger menu, tap ‘Add Style from Selection’. Your outline will now be added. Unfortunately, there will be a minor problem. Because of Serif’s rather unprofessional obsession with black interfaces, you probably won’t be able to see it. Black on black is a bit too subtle for most users and as 99.9 percent of professional designers and professional printers use black ink on white paper, not black ink on black paper . . . 

The best option is to change the display mode in Fred. Tap on the four squares icon next to the category name (i.e. Fred) and it changes to a list view. As shown in the video. If you long press on the outline style you just created, you can rename it to something like ‘black outline’, then although you perhaps can’t see the icon, it is pretty obvious where it is because of the name.

Now, whenever you start to type, place the text cursor on screen, tap the 'black outline' style in Fred and all text is outlined . Or select any text on the page and tap the style to outline the text. Fred and your style will appear in any new document you create, which makes life easy.

If you use the outline style once to type with, you might find everything you type in the current document now appears with just the outline. If so, and you want normality, just go to the Document menu, tap Defaults, then tap Revert. You will be back to normal solid black text.