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Affinity Designer Export Fonts as Vectors to .svg File?


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Hi,

First, I'm a newbie... probably won't know half of the "industry terms". And my question relates to a laser printer .svg file (not web pages, paper printer, etc.).

QUESTION: is there a way to export any or all fonts (mostly truetype, but I'd get any that work) to a .svg file that will work as a vector path for a laser printer. Currently, I use the .svg export function selecting the "Export text as curves for font independence." But when I import the file into FLUXStudio (the application to speak to the laser engraver/cutter) the text so exported comes in as a raster file. Aggravating because: 1) to engrave a name will take 5 minutes instead of 10 seconds for a true vector file); 2) It doesn't look nearly as good as vector graphics do.

RELATED: Someone suggested if this can not be done that perhaps Affinity is working on creating the capability. If that is true can you have it done, ready, and the upgrade importable by Monday? Seriously, are you looking at creating the capability? And if so, any idea of when it might be available? I'm fairly desperate. 

RELATED: I'd welcome a suggestion on how to accomplish my goal if it is free or really cheap and will work with Affinity Designer files and readable as a vector .svg file. I can't find anything that will do this other than for web pages. Web page files are editable; but the .svg files are not (at least not for me).

Thanks in Advance.

cheers,
Jim

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When you export a .svg file it should all be vector unless you've done something (applied an effect, for example) that requires rasterization.

So, it might be helpful for you to provide a sample .afdesign file and the exported .svg file that don't work, so we can look at them and see what you're doing.

You might check the export dialog, though, and see if you get this message:

image.png.07582dbdc98820e3742d2b6d8da43756.png

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
PC:
    Desktop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 64GB memory, AMD Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core @ 3.00 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 

    Laptop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 32GB memory, Intel Core i7-10750H @ 2.60GHz, Intel UHD Graphics Comet Lake GT2 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU.
iPad:  iPad Pro M1, 12.9": iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard 
Mac:  2023 M2 MacBook Air 15", 16GB memory, macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

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Agree sir, but my software for the laser printer will NOT accept fonts. They require that I convert it (and even text I enter in their software) to a "path". Its my guess that is the check box below your red line where it says "Export text as curves for font independence". When I do what you suggest it changes my entire .svg file to a bitmap. When I select the "Export text as curves for font independence" the rest of my graphic converts to .svg but the text (fonts) print as bit mapped/raster. It appears that is intentional on Affinity Designers part. . 

First file is the vector w/ fonts file in native AD format (.afpub)
Not a supported format in FluxStudio and requires I convert to .svg... this I understand.

Second file is the AD exported as a .svg without the text converted to path (as you indicate in your picture; ends in NTC.svg)
Opens in FluxStudio with the cat outlines in vector format and nothing where the text occurs

Third file is the AD exported as a .svg WITH the text converted to path (with the box below your red line checked)
Opens in FluxStudio WITH the text showing but converted to raster; the cat transfers as vector. Cat prints in 30 seconds; the raster prior text takes 6 minutes and is not nearly as nice as the cat (as one would expect with raster v. vector)

I was hoping there was some app (maybe Affinity Designer, now or in the future) that would take the text/fonts and convert them to a vector .svg file. I can open .svg files in Affinity Designer and that would be a way to bypass this whole raster conversion thing.

This is the same thing in FluxStudio... I can add graphics and they print as vectors, fast and clean. I add text, using the FluxStudio "insert text" feature and it requires me to "convert text to path" and I get the same result... the text prints as a slow raster with lower contrast.

Thanks for looking at my problem. I did not add the FluxStudio file with exports as a .bvg file... I don't think that is helpful. Bottom line, FluxStudio does not accept "standard fonts" of any sort and so I need a font that is already in .svg format or something that can convert text to a vector format importable to an .svg file. (I think).

 

MongoldManor 10-0-1 TC.svg

MongoldManor 10-0-1 NTC.svg

MongoldManor 10-0-1 NTC.afpub

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Thanks for the files. I do not see any sign of raster data in your TC.svg file (the one with text converted to paths); it all looks vector to me. But I don't have much SVG experience yet, so I'm going to hope that someone who knows more than I can help further.

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
PC:
    Desktop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 64GB memory, AMD Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core @ 3.00 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 

    Laptop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 32GB memory, Intel Core i7-10750H @ 2.60GHz, Intel UHD Graphics Comet Lake GT2 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU.
iPad:  iPad Pro M1, 12.9": iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard 
Mac:  2023 M2 MacBook Air 15", 16GB memory, macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

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And it is possible what I sent was the file with the font/lettering stripped out. Rest assured, when I converted font/text to "curve" it came across (just the text/fonts) as a raster layer while the rest came across as vector layers. 

What I really would like is for Affinity Designer to write and say "here is how you do in in Affinity Designer" or, alternatively, no Jim, sadly we do not have that function but we recognize your's and others need for exactly that feature and we have it as priority one "A" in our agile software development heap and based upon that priority and the input of our experts you should have the needed upgrade by November 17, 2019." (or perhaps something like that).

IF Affinity Design team is going to address that issue then they maybe they can also similarly address the missing capability to convert a non-.svg, non-vector file (i.e, bit-map, jpeg, .pdf, etc.) into a vector file that can then be exported as a vector .svg component/file... if I can import it into Designer then Designer should be able to 'trace' the graphic and produce a vector result. In my mind this is not dissimilar to the font to vector translation above.

But then, I'm a newbie. Love Affinity Designer as so much cheaper and quite capable compared to Adobe and Corel products... from my position it is just missing these two major items. The UI is amazingly mature and I say well done.

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  • Staff

Hi jmongold,

Welcome to the forums :)

19 hours ago, jmongold said:

Currently, I use the .svg export function selecting the "Export text as curves for font independence."

That's the correct setting to be using for your workflow and you should be seeing a full vector file, provided none of your elements require rasterising as previously explained by Walt.

19 hours ago, jmongold said:

Someone suggested if this can not be done that perhaps Affinity is working on creating the capability. If that is true can you have it done, ready, and the upgrade importable by Monday?

This is possible with Affinity, but even if it weren't we certainly don't work to timescales such as these. Any change in our code has to be approved by multiple developers, tested internally with our QA team, then externally with our beta testers, before finally being released to the public and this requires much longer than 2 working days.

17 hours ago, jmongold said:

file is the vector w/ fonts file in native AD format (.afpub)

Just to let you know, the .afpub file format is the default for Affinity Publisher. Affinity Designers file format is .afdesign - however any Affinity are fully compatible with any Affinity app, so this doesn't affect your document - more of a 'heads up' :)

17 hours ago, jmongold said:

This is the same thing in FluxStudio... I can add graphics and they print as vectors, fast and clean. I add text, using the FluxStudio "insert text" feature and it requires me to "convert text to path" and I get the same result... the text prints as a slow raster with lower contrast.

I believe you have found the cause of your issue here - FluxStudio - if text created and converted to a path in FluxStudio prints at the same rate that text from an Affinity document prints, then the issue is with your printing software and not the .svg itself.

I've downloaded your .afpub file, and the SVG where text has been converted to a path. Firstly I opened Affinity Designer, opened your .afpub document and exported out to SVG, choosing the SVG (for export) option, then ticking the aforementioned text option. I then reopened both SVGs in multiple applications, Affinity Designer, Illustrator + a text editor and in all 3 I can confirm the file is fully vector with no pixel (raster) content at all.

As far as I can see, your document is set correctly within Affinity and you're using all the correct export options. I'd recommend contacting FluxStudio to see if they can assist further when it comes to printing these files. I hope this clears things up for you!

Please Note: I am now out of the office until Tuesday 2nd April on annual leave.

If you require urgent assistance, please create a new thread and a member of our team will be sure to assist asap.

Many thanks :)

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The time frame suggestion was tongue-in-cheek; I'll give you a week from next Friday (also tongue-in-cheek). My suggestion about vectorized fonts was basic fonts not in truetype, etc., but rather graphic characters that are organically vectors (only useful in a vector graphic program; not a word processor.. in fact, I thought (with no research) that TrueType and similar fonts WERE essentially vectors. You indicate that the fonts changed to path in my posted file are fully "vectorized" and should print as any other vector component. I will have to investigate further. And you're right, FluxStudio is an immature software product but it is all that I've got to talk to the laser engraver/cutter. Thank you for the thorough response. 

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  • Staff
14 hours ago, jmongold said:

I'll give you a week from next Friday

We'll get right on it ;)

No problem at all - happy to help :) 

Please Note: I am now out of the office until Tuesday 2nd April on annual leave.

If you require urgent assistance, please create a new thread and a member of our team will be sure to assist asap.

Many thanks :)

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