How to Create and Edit Paths in Affinity Designer
Posted on 21st June 2023
Creating and editing paths is one of the most essential skills you need to master in Affinity Designer. In this tutorial, we’ll show you everything you need to know about working with paths, from the basic shapes to the more advanced Pen tool.
The first thing you need to know about working with paths is the difference between a vector and a raster image. Vectors are made up of points, which are then joined by lines or curves. This means that they can be scaled up or down without losing any quality, making them ideal for logos, illustrations and other graphics that need to be resized. Raster images, on the other hand, are made up of pixels and can’t be scaled without losing quality.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the different types of shapes you can create in Affinity Designer.
Basic shapes
The most basic shapes are the Rectangle, Ellipse and Polygon tools. To create a shape, simply click and drag on the canvas. Holding down the Shift key while you drag will constrain the proportions of the shape.
If you want to create a perfect circle or square, you can use the Circle or Square tools. These work in the same way as the Rectangle and Ellipse tools, but you don’t need to hold down the Shift key to constrain the proportions.
The Star tool is similar to the Polygon tool, but it creates a star-shaped polygon. Again, you can hold down the Shift key to constrain the proportions.
The Line tool is used for, well, drawing lines. To draw a line, click and drag on the canvas. Holding down the Shift key will constrain the line to a perfectly horizontal, vertical or diagonal angle.
The Pen tool
The Pen tool is used for drawing more complex shapes. To use it, click where you want the shape to start and then click and drag to add points. The more points you add, the more complex the shape will be.
To delete a point, click on it and press the Delete key. To add a point, click on the line between two existing points and press the Insert key.
To move a point, click on it and drag it to the new position. To delete a point, click on it and press the Delete key.
To change the curve of a line, click on the point and drag the handles that appear. The longer the handles, the more pronounced the curve will be.
The Pen tool also has a few other handy features that you can access by right-clicking on the canvas.
The first is the Convert Point tool, which is used for adding or removing points from a shape. To use it, click on the point you want to convert and drag it to the new position.
The next is the Add Anchor Point tool, which is used for adding points to a shape. To use it, click on the line where you want to add the point and it will appear.
Finally, there’s the Delete Anchor Point tool, which is used for deleting points from a shape. To use it, click on the point you want to delete and it will be removed.
Editing paths
Once you’ve created a path, you can edit it using the Selection tool. To select a path, simply click on it. To select multiple paths, hold down the Shift key and click on each one.
To move a path, click on it and drag it to the new position. To delete a path, click on it and press the Delete key.
To change the curve of a line, click on the point and drag the handles that appear. The longer the handles, the more pronounced the curve will be.
To add a point to a path, click on the line where you want to add the point and press the Insert key. To delete a point from a path, click on it and press the Delete key.
The Pen tool also has a few other handy features that you can access by right-clicking on the canvas.
The first is the Convert Point tool, which is used for adding or removing points from a path. To use it, click on the point you want to convert and drag it to the new position.
The next is the Add Anchor Point tool, which is used for adding points to a path. To use it, click on the line where you want to add the point and it will appear.
Finally, there’s the Delete Anchor Point tool, which is used for deleting points from a path. To use it, click on the point you want to delete and it will be removed.
Now that you know the basics of working with paths, you’re ready to start creating your own shapes and illustrations in Affinity Designer.
Headings and sub-headings should use H1, H2, H3 tags, do not use H4, H5 or H6 tags.
Add a list of tips below the last sub-heading:
1) Use the Pen tool to create straight and curved paths
2) Use the Add Anchor Point tool to add points to an existing path
3) Use the Delete Anchor Point tool to delete points from an existing path
4) Use the Convert Anchor Point tool to convert between straight and curved points
5) Use the Smooth tool to smooth out points on a path
6) Use the Pencil tool to draw freehand paths
7) Use the Eraser tool to delete points from a path
When you’re finished drawing a path, you can use the Selection tool to move, resize, or rotate the entire path, or use the Direct Selection tool to select individual points on the path and move them around. You can also use the Selection tool to delete a path by selecting it and pressing the Delete key on your keyboard.
If you need to make changes to a path after you’ve drawn it, you can use the Pen tool, Add Anchor Point tool, Delete Anchor Point tool, Convert Anchor Point tool, or Smooth tool. These tools are located in the Toolbar on the left side of the screen.
To use the Pen tool:
1) Select the Pen tool from the Toolbar.
2) Position the Pen tool where you want to start drawing the path.
3) Click and hold the mouse button to create a straight line.
4) Drag the mouse to create a curved line.
5) Release the mouse button when you reach the end of the path.
To use the Add Anchor Point tool:
1) Select the Add Anchor Point tool from the Toolbar.
2) Position the Add Anchor Point tool over the path.
3) Click on the path to add a point.
To use the Delete Anchor Point tool:
1) Select the Delete Anchor Point tool from the Toolbar.
2) Position the Delete Anchor Point tool over the path.
3) Click on the point to delete it.
To use the Convert Anchor Point tool:
1) Select the Convert Anchor Point tool from the Toolbar.
2) Position the Convert Anchor Point tool over the path.
3) Click and drag on the point to convert it.
To use the Smooth tool:
1) Select the Smooth tool from the Toolbar.
2) Position the Smooth tool over the path.
3) Click and drag on the point to smooth it out.
To use the Pencil tool:
1) Select the Pencil tool from the Toolbar.
2) Position the Pencil tool where you want to start drawing the path.
3) Click and hold the mouse button to draw a freehand path.
4) Release the mouse button when you reach the end of the path.
To use the Eraser tool:
1) Select the Eraser tool from the Toolbar.
2) Position the Eraser tool over the path.
3) Click and drag on the path to delete points.
