How to remove vector checkerboard background?

[Old Bruce]

6 minutes ago, Sherri said:

I'm having the exact same problem. I've downloaded PNG files from FReepik with subscription. they show checkerboard transparent background but I can't get rid of the background in Affinity Photo. I try to export without background etc... Would love "steps for dummies" on how to do this in AP?!!??

Wow, that file is a mess. The transparent background checkerboard pattern is actually a series of curves, you'll have to go through and find them.... actually it might be easier to just build your own using Designer. You can copy and paste the basic shapes and go from there with fills and strokes and effects.

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, Sherri said:

I've downloaded PNG files from FReepik with subscription. they show checkerboard transparent background but I can't get rid of the background in Affinity Photo.

If you downloaded a PNG then why did you upload an EPS file in your post?

[Alfred]

1 hour ago, Old Bruce said:

Wow, that file is a mess. The transparent background checkerboard pattern is actually a series of curves, you'll have to go through and find them.... actually it might be easier to just build your own using Designer. You can copy and paste the basic shapes and go from there with fills and strokes and effects.

The file consists of a layer containing five groups. Most of the junk is in the bottom four groups, so deleting those takes you a large part of the way toward getting the file into a usable state. It looks as though each curve in the remaining group has a gradient fill which is achieved by using that curve to mask a gradient-filled rectangle. Very messy indeed!

[Sherri]

Oops. I meant I downloaded EPS & JPG from Freepik. So if it's that complicated to extract the background for a newbie like me, are there free files somewhere of these kinds of speech & thought bubbles I can download??

 

[Alfred]

3 hours ago, Sherri said:

Oops. I meant I downloaded EPS & JPG from Freepik. So if it's that complicated to extract the background for a newbie like me, are there free files somewhere of these kinds of speech & thought bubbles I can download??

I’ve attached a tidied up version of your EPS file, saved in *.afphoto format. It isn’t quite there but it should be considerably easier to work with.

37.afphoto

[Sherri]

Thank you Alfred! I import it into AP, now what do I do? Unclick all the layers except the 1 object I want, and then export as PNG with --No Background box checked?

[walt.farrell]

36 minutes ago, Sherri said:

now what do I do? Unclick all the layers except the 1 object I want, and then export as PNG with --No Background box checked?

How do you intend to use the object? Did you really just want a picture of an empty speech bubble? If so, yes, you could export it as you mention.

But if you're actually going to use it in your designs then you might want to drag it into the Assets panel, where you could easily access it to add speech on top of it.

[Sherri]

I want to place it over another image and then add text to him, so i guess i want a transparent PNG of each bubble? Sorry for the dumb questions -- I'm a total newbie at AP and never used photoshop or anything before.   I can probably send the image to Fiverr and have someone do it for $5, but I'd like to learn if it's not too complicating!?

[v_kyr]

1 hour ago, Sherri said:

I want to place it over another image and then add text to him, so i guess i want a transparent PNG of each bubble?

Honestly that Freepik one is crap. - You better draw/create these things yourself on the image with the Affinity Photo vector shape tools ...

• ...
• Cloud Tool
• Callout Rounded Rectangle Tool
• Callout Ellipse Tool
• Tear Tool
• Heart Tool

... and then apply some FX layer effects to them like 3D, shadow etc. Then place your text on them!

[Alfred]

10 hours ago, Sherri said:

I want to place it over another image and then add text to him, so i guess i want a transparent PNG of each bubble?

 

10 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

How do you intend to use the object? Did you really just want a picture of an empty speech bubble? If so, yes, you could export it as you mention.

But if you're actually going to use it in your designs then you might want to drag it into the Assets panel, where you could easily access it to add speech on top of it.

 

9 hours ago, v_kyr said:

You better draw/create these things yourself on the image with the Affinity Photo vector shape tools ...

Whichever way you decide to do it, don’t export to PNG unless and until you have to! Since Affinity Photo allows us to work with vector objects it’s best to take full advantage of that.

[Sherri]

Well, thanks for suggesting I make it myself!!!  I discovered that Affinity actually has a CALLOUT ellipse shape!  You just click on the little toggle arrow in the SHAPE TOOL ICON and all sorts of handy shapes come up including a speech bubble!! They after you draw it, you click on CONVERT TO CURVES and you can totally reshape your shape!  and add effects etc…So EASY!  

 

[Alfred]

1 hour ago, Sherri said:

after you draw it, you click on CONVERT TO CURVES and you can totally reshape your shape!

It’s well worth spending some time experimenting with the parametric shapes to see just how much reshaping can be done without converting them to curves. The ‘Callout’ shape is admittedly somewhat limited in this respect but the ‘Cog’ shape offers a huge amount of variation.