QA Graphic

Tables in Affinity Designer via Omnigraffle

Combine tools to be more creative!

It's great when two separate applications complement each other. This is the case with OmniGraffle and Affinity Designer.

In particular, the ability to create beautiful tables. Affinity Designer doesn't have any ability to create tables. However, it's easy to create tables using OnmiGraffle, and then Copy/Paste into Affinity Designer as individual objects.

Not All Apps Work the Same

I tried copy/paste tables from Apple Pages and Microsoft Word. The tables don't copy in as full objects.

The table cells are broken into different layers making it really hard to do any customizations in Affinity Designer.

OmniGraffle Cost

OmniGraffle isn't free. In order to create tables, you need the Pro Version of OmniGraffle. The Pro version costs $249.99 or $12.24 / month subscription.

Yikes!

Obviously that's a pretty expensive piece of software to use just to create tables. There's a lot of cool things that you can do with OmniGraffle and Affinity Designer.

On Wednesdays, in the month of March, I'll give you some examples of more ways to use the two applications.

Tables Designer

Creating Tables

In OmniGraffle, you have to create the base object first, then convert it to a table.

in Omnigraffle:

  1. Using the Shape tool, create a rectangle that will represent the first cell.
  2. Type in Shift-Command-T short cut to convert the shape to a table. You'll see some additional black line appear in the shape.
  3. Using the select tool, select the black lines to add new columns or rows.
  4. Add text, change color, even make the stroke different.
  5. Once your done, using the select tool, select the table and type in Command-C to copy the table to the Clipboard.

In Affinity Designer:

  1. Create a new document and paste the clipboard content.
  2. Type in Command G to group the pasted content - this makes it easier to manipulate the content of the table in Affinity Designer.
  3. Now make the changes that you want.

 

About

Welcome to the Affinity Blog, your ultimate resource for mastering the art of digital design and photo editing with Affinity products. Whether you're a professional designer or a creative enthusiast exploring the realms of graphic design, this blog is dedicated to unlocking the full potential of Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer.

Here, we delve deep into the nuances of these powerful tools, sharing insightful tips, time-saving tricks, and innovative techniques to enhance your creativity. From detailed tutorials on how to achieve stunning effects in Affinity Photo, to expert advice on vector graphics and layout design with Affinity Designer, our content is crafted to help you elevate your projects. We also keep you updated with the latest features and updates from the Affinity suite, ensuring you always have the edge in your creative endeavors. Whether you're looking to refine your skills, discover new functionalities, or simply seek inspiration, the Affinity Blog is here to guide you through every brush stroke and pixel. Join us, and transform your digital creations into works of art!

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