Affinity Designer: How to re-colour in Pixel Persona

Question

I would like to know how to re-color a pixel layer (after using the brush tool) in Pixel Persona. Is this even possible?

Example: I'm doing some shadowing on a pixel layer with the brush tool in yellow but then I realise it would look better in blue. Is it possible to change that yellow colour into blue?

When I try to do this, I select the pixel layer in question and try to change its colour in the colour picker (as you would do for a vector layer) but this doesn't seem to work on Pixel Persona.

Answer 1

I'm not an Affinity Design user, however in raster image editing generally, you can apply the alpha lock and then fill or paint on a layer with any colour. This will change its colour while protecting the alpha areas in the layer. Obviously, this technique relies on the layer having alpha transparency, and the colour you are trying to change being the only pixels on that layer. If you have other colours on that layer, then this technique won't work.

After a quick google search, it would appear Affinity Designer also has this functionality according to this post on the Affinity forum where user DM1 reveals it is called "Protect Alpha".

Answer 2

If you have inserted yellow to a pixel layer which already had a bitmap image and the yellow partially mixed with other already existing colors you are out of luck. The only ways out are Undo, revert to a backup or redraw the destroyed layer from a start.

If the inserted yellow is the only color in the pixel layer and you do not want to repaint that layer you can insert effect Color overlay which changes the color of the non-transparent area. Effect can have layer mask which gives a possibility to keep intact those areas which have not got yellow.

You can also recycle (copy & paste) the content of the yellow layer via Affinity Photo which has well working Hue & Saturation adjustment. There you can make a selection if the yellow isn't mixed with other colors in the same layer, but is a separate island.