Applying filters

Filters can be applied to layers within your document for corrective or creative purposes.

About filters

In Affinity Photo 2, filters are available in both non-destructive and destructive forms. A variety of filters are available as live filters which are non-destructive.

As well as to pixel layers, you can apply destructive filters to mask layers, adjustment layers, live filter layers and masked fill layers; spare channels can also take destructive filters too.

For destructive filters, it's a great idea to make a duplicate layer of the layer you planned to work on. By applying a filter to the duplicated layer, you preserve the original layer's contents, with the option to hide the 'filter' layer as needed.

Available filters

Filters are organised into the following categories.

Settings

The following general settings are available from all filter dialogs:

Live filters have these additional settings:

To apply a filter:
  1. On the Layers panel, select a layer (we recommend that this is a duplicate layer).
  2. Select the filter from the Filters menu.
  3. If a dialog appears for the filter, follow the steps below:
    1. Adjust the settings in the dialog. (The strength of some filters, including most of the Blur category, can be set higher than their dialog allows. To do so, drag right on the canvas.)
    2. Click Apply.
To fade a filter's results:

The Fade command becomes available when the most recent edit to the selected layer was made using a destructive filter or tool. The command blends the result of that edit with the layer's previous appearance. The result replaces the layer's current contents.

  1. On the Layers panel, select a suitable layer.
  2. Select the Fade command from the Layer menu.
  3. In the dialog that appears, use the Fade slider to control the blend between the layer's current and previous appearances.
    • Set a value closer to 0% to make the layer's previous contents more visible than its current contents.
    • Set a value closer to 100% to make the layer's current contents more visible than its previous contents.
  4. (Optional) Select an alternative Blend Mode to alter how the pixels of the layer's previous and current contents interact.
  5. Click Apply.
Add live filter To apply a live filter from the Layers panel:
  1. On the Layers panel, select a layer.
  2. Click Live Filters and select a filter from the pop-up menu.
  3. If a dialog appears for the filter, follow the steps below:
    1. Adjust the settings in the dialog. (The strength of some filters, including most of the Blur category, can be set higher than their dialog allows. To do so, drag right on the canvas.)
    2. Close the dialog to apply.

The filter is clipped to the selected layer, restricting its effect to just that layer.

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