• Registered: 2022-03-10
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Converting png to vector

I have been very curious about something in Ca2 as related to Affinity Designer. Hope it is ok to post this here.

In CA2 I can drag an ordinary, plain old png file with transparent background into the box where Punches reside and it becomes a shape and a curve, I believe. In my understanding it has become a vector where it was a png file before. Pure Magic!

If I then drag it out of the box and put it on an image, I can punch (boolean divide?) or punch through (boolean subtract?). The image I am punching into, doesnt seem to have to be converted to curves in CA2 for the punch to work.

I am very curious to know how an ordinary png file with transparent background can magically become a vector shape by doing the above in CA2.  Of course, I would like to do this in Affinity Designer, but I don't think that kind of magic is in Affinity Designer, lol. For a png file with transparent background to become a vector in AD, I have to trace around it and then fill to make it a solid silhouette. Is that correct?

I'm wondering if the Asset panel in AD is somewhat like that "Punches" box in CA2.

Thanks in advance!
Shirley

  • Registered: 2023-01-17
  • Posts: 2

Re: Converting png to vector

It's handled completely differently. Let's start with the fact that everything that was possible in any Plus or Craft Artist program is now possible in the Affinity series. Coming back to your question. There is no magic png vectorization for punch purposes in Craft Artist. There is no vectorization for the punch at all. In CA, we deal with an ordinary mask, which is represented in the CA interface as a vector-like object. Exactly the same, applying a mask from an object will give you a punch effect in Affinity.

  • Registered: 2022-03-10
  • Posts: 3

Re: Converting png to vector

Awesome! Took me awhile to find how that masking works in AD like I'm used to in CA2, but this website makes it super clear:
https://www.svgator.com/help/getting-st … g-masks-in

  • Registered: 2022-02-03
  • Posts: 45

Re: Converting png to vector

Didn't DrawPlus have  a good vector tracing program which worked very well for designs and logos?
John