This is typically a situation where I print different samples on the same page to better compare.
Then I'll archive this page in my "typographical herbarium" and print a real page of my current work with these settings to verify it's really appropriate to this use case.
I prefer doing this way than modifying my document, print, check, fine-tune, and so again and again…
It's not an exhaustive specimen book. I just collect samples of things I've already printed for a reason or another. However, indeed, it can become a huge collection… 🤭
Welcome here! 🙂
When paper is thin, it helps to put a strong white paper over it before scanning.
However if it's already scanned, this option is probably out of scope.
If the 'ghost' handwriting is not the same colour as the lines you want to keep, there are some tools to be more selective about colours than BW levels.
It would help us to help you if you could post here some sample page (if possible in a zip file so the forum engine will not modify it).
to avoid printing constantly to check if the words size is ok
FWIW, for this use, I keep in a file (a physical one) a diversity of printed pages with different fonts, sizes and leadings. This helps me when I have to choose one or check how it looks.
Our layout teacher named that "a typographic herbarium".
Apparently A4 (which is a standard international format, ISO 216). It measures 210 × 297 mm (8" 1/4 x 11" 11/16 or 595 × 842 pts).
Yes. You can choose A3 or whatever format close to what you want (if you're in the US you could prefer Letter for example, so the default units will be in inches…). It will keep that name (you can't change the presets names) but you can change all the other settings. I suggest you chose page width and height according to the paper size you can have. For the other options, you can follow my screenshot.
Then you can click on the "Save to My Presets" button and give it the name you want ("Postcard" for example).
pls share how I reach that RGB when I first open a new document in Affinity
Pls C my scrnsht above: https://creofora.com/index.php?file-download/3360/
once I've started creating content in a "draft" of this Comment Card can I then save all that I've created as a Comment Car size (W: 148 mm H: 105 mm)? Or must I start with that chosen Size first and then add all my content - e.g. illustrations, text, etc?
You can modify at any time the size of your document and its Colour Format (i.e.RGB) in the Document menu > Setup > Document Setup.
However, it could be easier for you to create a new file with the right settings, then select all the content already created and copy it into your new file.
RE: how to create 4-5 horizontal lines repeating in the Comment Card.
[…]
All the lines would be designed so I could adjust their widths (length of the line across the page) as well as the spacing between each line as I've created in the uploaded MS Word mock up.
• Create a first line:
• Duplicate this line the times you want:
Beside the Duplicate command I explained above (i.e. ctrl-j, move the duplicated line, repeat ctrl-j several times), you can:
• If you're not satisfied with the result, you can use the Alignment button in the TopToolbar:
• If you need to move or resize all the lines at once:
N.B. I certainly don't suggest you should do that, but with Snapping options correctly setup you can of course draw manually each line and space them easily — but surprisingly, it won't probably be as easy to do as using the built-in features I described here.
(Snapping options are numerous and mastering them can be a challenge until one takes the time to learn them.)
Pour ma part, je n'ai aucun de ces fichiers sur mon Mac.
AI directs me to create an A6 card by opening a New Document > choose the Print option (I don’t readily see that)
Once again, AI probably gives you advices based on the previous V2 version where the presets for new documents were divided in Printer (for home/small business printers) which require RGB documents and Press-Ready (for professional large scale printing) which require CMYK files.
Thus, chose or define any appropriate size for your paper (A6 is 148 mm × 105 mm, it's not anymore in the predefined formats) and chose RGB/8 colour format. Check also the appropriate icon for Portrait or Paysage orientation.
For tracing shapes, once you have selected the appropriate tool (like rectangle round corners), you have to click on the document and then drag, from one corner of the desired shape to the opposite corner. If you want to have a square and not a rectangle, keep the Shift-key down.
Windows functions don't seem to work well in Affinity. Ctrl + C then Ctrl + V doesn’t seem to work
When you copy-paste an existing object, the same object is pasted on the exact same place, so you don't see there's a new object — unless you look at the Layers panel I already recommended you to leave open and check regularly.
So you only need to copy, paste and move the selected object (called a layer). It will move the newly pasted object and leave the original in place.
If you want to repeat that multiple times, select the original, press ctrl-j and move it (= duplicate and move). Repeat ctrl-j as much you want.
How did you type in the text "Beginner Sewing" so it tilted?
You can see that by selecting this text frame and looking at the Layers panel (always useful to check…).
You'll find Toblerone uses a Mesh Warp to distort the text. Double-clicking on it let you modify it. He also added some Layers effects. Double-click on the FX aside the layer's name to see more about it.
— All of this is non-destructive and can be removed or hidden.
Here, I hid the other layers:
I suggest you experiment by hiding/showing layers (click on the eye button on the right of the layer's name) so you can see what are the different elements and how they interact.
In the top left of the Colors panel, you have two circles: one is for stroke color (in your screenshot it's white with a red line, which means no color) and the other is for fill color (in your screenshot it's in black). You have to toggle them (with the double arrow) in order to use the fill color for the text.
Please check the two options Marquee Selection Behavior and Move Tool Aspect Constrain under Settings > Tools.
These settings affect how selection with the Move Tool behaves and whether proportions are kept when scaling. Adjust them there accordingly. After that, the frame or content should be selectable again as expected, and you should be able to move or scale everything together.
This is either to be found under Settings or Preferences.
I chose Text > Paragraph leading but that just allows for increase/decrease - not a precise setting amount.
Choose Exactly in Paragraph > Spacing > Leading:
Here's a link to the help topic (in German, my browser insists on linking to the german help page, sorry)
At the very bottom of help pages, it's possible to change the language used (hence having the correct URL for that language).
I'm sorry for my poor English. I meant slowness could be related to some of these elements.
In regard to your second post, relaunching an app or rebooting the computer is part of a standard investigation procedure in case of unexpected behaviour. Some corruption of caches or overuse of RAM can certainly sometimes happen.
Depending of the macro, the hardware and the document composition, a macro can be slow to react…
Perhaps there is something in link with that all?
is there a way to get back to one pattern that was previously applied, and edit it, like changing the scaling, or the angle? I cannot figure out how to do it, if it is possible.
If a select a previous letter (with the text tool activated) and then use the Vector Fill tool, I can change the angle or size for this letter. Is it what you want to do?
N.B. The control handles are always placed in the center of the frame but it applies only to the selected letter(s).
For such a case, the best way to post attachments here is to zip all the files (PNG + Affinity). Otherwise, the forum engine can modify the image.
Also, do you need to do this in Photo? At first sight, a vectorial file looks more appropriate.
thinking about things that have a vanishingly small chance of becoming real is a waste of time
I'd call that… a dream.
And I believe dreaming is good for the brain. YMMV.
And use the option "linked" and not "embedded".
In my own experience — your mileage may vary — I generally prefer to use "embedded" images (unless there are too many heavy ones). It's easier to manage when I move, copy or send files and I experienced less corrupted files.
However "linked" files have their own advantages: they can be maintained externally and later updated,. Files are lighter, especially when different files use the same illustrations (notably for versioning).
I thought the Touchbar was for the MacBooks with the weird strip above or instead of the function keys. It would change according to whatever application was running.
Oh, indeed. It could well be so… Touch bar is a pretty old technology so that I never thought about it. I always thought that "barre tactile" (as it's named in the French version I use) was about trackpads and graphic tablets.
