MAC Folks ONLY, I just want to copy the blacks in my image

[blackxacto]

So I turn the image into CMYK. How the heck do I select the black channel? I click on the black channel there is no way to copy the channel. I have selected, I have selected and copied. I Apple+Clicked the black channel, nothing. I searched AP help, got blank results.

[firstdefence]

In the Channel Panel, you can right click on the Background Black and set a greyscale layer, You will probably need to invert it first

[blackxacto]

Firstdefence, thanks for your reply, why is the channel breakdown duplicated, what can I do with one that I can’t w other?

[firstdefence]

14 minutes ago, blackxacto said:

Firstdefence, thanks for your reply, why is the channel breakdown duplicated, what can I do with one that I can’t w other?

This gives a general overview: https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/Panels/channelsPanel.html

As to why they are split into Composite and Background channels I'm not sure. I think the composite channels work primary with pixel actions.

This gives a bit more info: https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/GetStarted/channels.html

[blackxacto]

Thanks, firstdefence

[R C-R]

3 hours ago, blackxacto said:

why is the channel breakdown duplicated

Composite, as the name suggests, is the composite of all layers. If no layer is selected, there will be no other set of channels in the Channels Studio panel. When a pixel layer is selected, there will be a second set of channels for that specific layer. It will have the same name as that layer's name in the Layers panel.

So for example, in a document with a single pixel layer with the name "Background," with that layer selected you will see a second set of channels, each of which will be identified with the "Background" layer name. If you change the name of that layer to something else, the name will change in the Channels panel to that name.

EDIT: Note that in Affinity Photo, the layer name "Background" is just a default name automatically assigned to an existing single layer raster image file if you open it in the app. It doesn't indicate anything special about that layer or its position in the layer stack. You could have two or more layers named "Background," a "Background" layer that is above another layer you have added to the document, or even no layer named "Background."