How to Add or Subtract From Objects in Affinity Designer

Adding and subtracting items in Affinity Design can open up your designs to the next level. It gives you the power to remove parts of a design or add something to an existing design to change the look of it.

These operations are known as Boolean Operations or Geometry.

How to Add to an object

We'll go through the step by step process for adding simple objects together to create a whole new shape. You can use any shapes or create your own using the Pen Tool in Affinity Designer.

You have the freedom to create any shape you want and manipulate them as needed.

Step 1. Create the objects

Locate the shape tools along the left hand tool bar and draw out your 2 shapes. I chose here to do 2 oblongs for simplicity purposes. If you need more information, check out how to use the Shape Tools in Affinity Designer.

Step 2. Convert the shapes to curves

Before you are able to add your shapes together they need to be converted to curves. You can find this operation at the top of the tool bar.

Step 3. Use the Boolean Operations Menu

Select both objects and the Boolean operations menu will be active in the top toolbar. I added a stroke to both objects so you can clearly see the two separate objects.

Step 4. Create a single object

Click on the Add button. It is shown as two shapes with a small + sign. Both object have now joined together to become one single object as you can see by the outline. You may be familiar with this process as it is known in other software as Weld or Union.

How to Subtract from an object

Follow steps 1-3 above for creating your shapes

The process follows the same steps as above for creating the shapes on converting them to curves for editing.

Step 4. Subtracting the shapes

Click on the Subtract Button. It is located next to the Add button and is shown as two shapes with a small - sign.

You can see from the outline that the top object has been subtracted from the bottom object. I like to think of it like a paper punch.

What else can adding and subtracting be used for?

Creating simple characters or illustrations.

While Affinity Designer does have lots of readily available shapes, sometimes you might need a shape that there isn't a preset for. You can create custom shapes by adding together multiple preset shapes.

Here I have created a simple character by adding and subtracting multiple shapes.

Creating script fonts as a single object

Step 1. Pick a font and type out your words.

Type out you chosen words in the font of your liking. I am using the fontWild Sage.I have removed the fill from the text so that you can see the outlines of the letters.

Step 2. Convert your text to curves

Under the Layer menu click on Convert To Curves

Step 3. Ungroup Text

Under the Layer Menu click on Ungroup

Step 4. Adding the letters to make a single object

Under the Boolean Tools use the Add button to weld all the letters into one continuous object.

Alsousing the Boolean Tools, you can make a Split Monogram in Affinity Designer, and make a Knockout Text Design.