How to Create and Edit Symbols in Affinity Designer
Posted on 19th June 2023
Creating Symbols
To create a symbol, simply select the object or objects you wish to turn into a symbol and click New Symbol from the Symbols palette. This will open the New Symbol dialog where you can name your symbol and choose whether it is an instance or a master. You can also choose whether the symbol is exportable, which is useful if you only want to use the symbol within the current document.
Editing Symbols
To edit a symbol, simply double-click on the symbol in the Symbols palette. This will open the Symbol dialog, where you can edit the symbol’s name, export settings, and more. You can also click the Edit button to open the symbol in the main workspace, where you can make changes to the symbol itself.
Deleting Symbols
To delete a symbol, simply select the symbol in the Symbols palette and click the Delete button. This will remove the symbol from the palette and from any objects that are using the symbol.
Affinity Designer is a powerful vector graphic design app that’s perfect for creating detailed icons, logos, and illustrations. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to create and edit symbols in Affinity Designer.
To create a new symbol, select the object or objects you want to include in the symbol and click the “Create Symbol” button in the toolbar.
In the “Create Symbol” dialog, give the symbol a name and click “Create”.
Now the symbol has been created and added to the “Symbols” panel. To edit the symbol, double-click it in the “Symbols” panel.
Make the changes you want to the symbol and click the “Update Symbol” button in the toolbar.
To delete a symbol, select it in the “Symbols” panel and click the “Delete” button.
Now that you know how to create and edit symbols in Affinity Designer, you can use them to quickly create complex graphics. For example, you could create a symbol of a character and then use that symbol to create a whole scene. Or you could create a symbol of a background and use it to create different variations of the background. The possibilities are endless!
When you have finished, post the HTML code in the discussion area below.
How to Create and Edit Symbols in Affinity Designer
Symbols in Affinity Designer are vector-based, meaning they can be infinitely resized without losing quality. This makes them ideal for use in web and app design, where icons and other interface elements need to be sharp on screens of all sizes.
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to create and edit symbols in Affinity Designer. We’ll also share some tips on how to use symbols effectively in your designs.
How to Create a Symbol
To create a symbol in Affinity Designer, first select the object you want to turn into a symbol. Then go to the ‘Layer’ menu and select ‘New Symbol’ from the ‘Symbol’ sub-menu.
You can also create a symbol by dragging an object from the ‘Layers’ panel onto the ‘Symbols’ panel.
Once you’ve created a symbol, it will appear in the ‘Symbols’ panel. You can double-click on a symbol in the ‘Symbols’ panel to open it up for editing.
How to Edit a Symbol
When you edit a symbol, any changes you make will be applied to all instances of that symbol in your design. This means you can quickly and easily update multiple elements at once.
To edit a symbol, double-click on it in the ‘Symbols’ panel to open it up for editing. Make your changes, then click the ‘Done’ button in the top-right corner of the ‘Symbol Editor’ window.
How to Use Symbols in Your Designs
Once you’ve created some symbols, you can start using them in your designs. To insert a symbol into your design, simply drag it from the ‘Symbols’ panel onto the ‘Canvas’.
You can also insert a symbol by selecting the ‘Insert Symbol’ tool from the ‘Tools’ panel, then clicking on the ‘Canvas’ where you want to insert the symbol.
When you insert a symbol into your design, it will appear as an instance of that symbol. This means that it will inherit any changes you make to the symbol itself.
If you want to insert a symbol but break the link to the original symbol, you can do so by holding down the ‘Alt’ key (Windows) or ‘Option’ key (macOS) as you insert the symbol.
Tips for Using Symbols in Your Designs
Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of symbols in your designs:
1. Use Symbols to Create Repeatable Elements
One of the best ways to use symbols is to create repeatable elements, such as icons or patterns. This can save you a lot of time, as you can simply update the symbol once and have the changes propagate across your design.
2. Use Symbols to Create Flexible Layouts
Symbols can also be used to create flexible layouts. For example, you could create a symbol for a grid system, then insert instances of that symbol into your design and quickly rearrange them to create different layouts.
3. Use Symbols to Create Libraries
If you work on multiple design projects, you can use symbols to create libraries of reusable elements. This can save you a lot of time, as you won’t need to recreate common elements from scratch each time you start a new project.
4. Use Symbols to Organize Your Designs
Symbols can also be used to organize your designs. For example, you could create a symbol for each page of a website, then insert instances of those symbols into a master document. This can help you keep track of your progress and make it easier to make changes later on.
Conclusion
Symbols are a powerful tool that can save you a lot of time in your design projects. In this tutorial, we’ve shown you how to create and edit symbols in Affinity Designer. We’ve also shared some tips on how to use symbols effectively in your designs.
