How to Flip a Canvas in Affinity Photo?

Flipping your canvas in Affinity Photo is a quick way to view your design from a mirrored perspective, often used to check balance and composition. Unlike rotating the view temporarily, flipping permanently reverses the canvas content horizontally or vertically.

The most direct method, as indicated by the reference, is through the Document menu.

Steps to Flip Your Canvas Horizontally

Flipping your canvas horizontally creates a mirror image across a vertical axis. This is a common technique artists and designers use to spot flaws or areas needing adjustment that might not be apparent when viewing the original orientation for extended periods.

Here's how to do it:

1. Navigate to the Document Menu: In Affinity Photo, locate the Document menu in the top menu bar.

2. Select Flip Horizontal: From the dropdown options, choose Flip Horizontal.

   • Reference Insight: The provided reference specifically highlights this path: "From the Document menu, select Flip Horizontal." This confirms it is the standard method for horizontal flipping.

Once selected, your entire canvas content will be reversed horizontally.

Flipping Vertically

Similarly, you can flip your canvas vertically, which mirrors the content across a horizontal axis. This is achieved through a similar process in the same menu:

1. Navigate to the Document Menu: Go to the Document menu.
2. Select Flip Vertical: Choose Flip Vertical from the dropdown list.

Why Flip Your Canvas?

Flipping is a valuable tool in your workflow for several reasons:

• Composition Checks: It helps you see your work with fresh eyes, revealing imbalances or awkward elements you might have overlooked.
• Identifying Errors: Asymmetry, proportion issues, or directional problems can become more apparent when the image is reversed.
• Drawing/Painting: Artists often flip their canvas while working to maintain accuracy and prevent becoming too comfortable with a single viewpoint.

This flipping action directly alters the image data, unlike temporary view rotations which only change your perspective without modifying the content. If you wish to rotate your view temporarily for easier drawing at a specific angle without changing the document itself, this is done via the View menu or trackpad gestures (as mentioned in the reference's note about Rotate document view).

To revert a flip, simply perform the same flip action again (e.g., flipping horizontally a second time will return it to the original horizontal orientation).