Default settings for beauty retouching in Affinity Photo

AffinityPhoto is a powerful tool for photo editing, especially when it comes to beautyretouching. It is crucial to make the right settingsfrom the start to optimize the workflow and achieve the best results. In this guide, I will show you step by step how to make helpful settings in Affinity Photo to work more efficiently.

Key Insights

• Settings simplify image editing and enable faster adjustments.
• You can easily zoom in and out with the mouse wheel.
• Keyboard shortcuts help speed up the work and execute intuitive commands.

Step-by-Step Guide

To open the image you want to edit in Affinity Photo, go to the menu bar and click on "File" and then "Open". Select the desired image from your hard drive, or simply drag and drop the file into the Affinity window to open it. Your image is now visible as a background layer in the layers panel.

To see the various panels, go to "View" and then "Studio". Here you can show or hide all the necessary panels, including the layers panel and the adjustments panel. Now you will have access to all the tools needed for image editing.

Before you start editing, it is advisable to set some preferences that will make your work easier. Click on "Edit" and then select "Preferences". Here you can customize various options to optimize your workflow.

First, we will take care of the mouse wheel function to zoom in and out of the image. Select "Tools" and activate the option "Use mouse wheel to zoom". If this option is not active, simply click on it. After that, you can comfortably zoom with the mouse wheel.

Next, we want to set a convenient keyboard shortcut for resetting the foreground and background colors to black and white. Go to "Photo", select "Miscellaneous", and look for the entry "Set Fill to Black and White". Click in the field and press the D key. This works without problems unless the D key is already assigned to another function. In that case, you will see a warning symbol.

A useful feature is setting the fill to 50% gray. Click again in the input field and think of a new keyboard shortcut, for example "Alt + D", to set this setting. If the keyboard shortcut is already assigned, it will be indicated by a warning symbol. Choose an alternative shortcut that is not already in use.

To test the new keyboard shortcuts, you can simply use the mouse wheel to zoom in. A double click on the hand symbol fits the image to the program window. A double click on the magnifying glass symbol reaches a 100% zoom level.

Moreover, you can change colors by adjusting the foreground and background colors. If you want to quickly switch to black and white, just press D. Switching between foreground and background color is done with X.

If you want to adjust the size while working with a brush, hold down the ALT key and drag with the left and right mouse buttons. Move the mouse up or down to regulate the hardness of the brush.

One last tip: If you want to undo an action, you can assign the undo function to a single key. Go to "Edit" and select the F1 key for the undo function. You can use F2 for redo. These adjustments simplify your work tremendously.

Finally, you are now well prepared for the beauty retouching that we will perform together in the next step.

Summary – Effective Settings for Beauty Retouching in Affinity Photo

The settings made in Affinity Photo are crucial for a smooth workflow. By actively using the mouse wheel and customizing keyboard shortcuts, you can significantly speed up and ease your image editing. With simple tricks and quickly accessible functions, you can achieve impressive results in beauty retouching.