How to make outline of text transparent

[Calecari]

Hi,

I am totally new to Affinity Designer and graphic design in general. I want to know how to make the outline of a text transparent to there will appear to be a space between the text an other objects. I tried adding an outline, converting it to a shape by Expand Stroke, and then using Subtract. It did not work because it's the fill that became transparent.

Kindly see the attached sample.

I had no luck searching the forums for alternative steps. Thanks for the help.

 

[v_kyr]

Hi, not sure what you concrete (more specific) mean here? - Since if that image (your shown one) would be made out of several stacked layers and you make the black outline of TO transparent, then the underneath red or whatever background would be shown through here. So there will in that case not be any visual space between the TO and other underneath objects.

If it's instead a bitmap or merged flat one layer vector image, applying transparency to the black outline of TO will give you something like this here ...

... which is probably not what you want.

[Alfred]

2 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

Hi, not sure what you concrete mean here?

I’m not sure what you mean by “concrete” here!

[v_kyr]

11 minutes ago, Alfred said:

I’m not sure what you mean by “concrete” here!

Then I can't help you!

[Alfred]

9 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

Then I can't help you!

You already have helped me, by adding “(more specific)” to your post.

I would usually say “not sure exactly what you mean”.

[v_kyr]

5 minutes ago, Alfred said:

You already have helped me, by adding “(more specific)” to your post.

I would usually say “not sure exactly what you mean”.

You should already know, that English is not my native language.

[Alfred]

6 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

You should already know, that English is not my native language.

Yes, I did already know that, but it didn’t help me work out what you meant!

[v_kyr]

Ok, well as far as it hasn't gone this extreme route then with my writing ...

[v_kyr]

Back to topic and the OP's problem, maybe this is what you want to do (?), see the parallel outlines tutorial from Mensch Mesch here ...

• Affinity Designer - Parallel outlines

[Guest]

Hello Calecari,

If your text is BLACK and only in this case (this does not work for other colors).
You can type the text with a white border.
Then add an fx "Outline in the colour of the text (or other) thick enough so that it is visible around the edges of the letters.
Then switch the "Blend" of the layer from "Normal" to "Darken".

[Pariah73]

if you prefer white, type white text with a black stroke. Then add an fx "Outline in the colour of the text (or other) thick enough so that it is visible around the edges of the letters.
Then switch the "Blend" of the layer from "Normal" to "Lighten". 

This is for white text. 

[Pariah73]

[Calecari]

Thank you so much, v_kyr, reglico, and Pariah73!

Will try these techniques and see what works. Looks like Parallel Outlines is very promising.