How to Use the Affinity Designer Corner Tool

This Affinity Designer tutorial is a continuation of our free beginner's guide to Affinity Designer. You can watch the whole video explaining all the Affinity Designer basics on the Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel.

Previously, we learned how to use the Pen and Node Tools in Affinity Designer. In this installment, we'll focus on how to use the Affinity Designer Corner Tool. If you'd rather follow the video, here it is:

Watch the Lesson: How to Use the Corner Tool

Why Should You Learn to Use the Affinity Designer Corner Tool?

Have you ever had a design with straight, sharp corners that you wish you could transform to produce a different effect? The Corner Tool in Affinity Designer is the solution. It helps you bend lines and corners to your will so you can create the design you want. It's an easier alternative to creating curvature with nodes.

How to Use the Affinity Designer Corner Tool

As you may remember from previous tutorials on Affinity Designer tips and tricks, we were working on a bear design. In this case, we want to add some curvature to our bear around the feet and head. Here's how to do it:

Step 1

To start with this basic Affinity Designer tips and tricks tutorial, hit the Corner Tool button on the toolbar in Affinity Designer.

Step 2

To add curvature to the bottom of the bear, click on the node and drag it. You'll see a red circle around the node, which means the tool is working.

Step 3

Finally, you can let go of the node, and you'll have a beautiful, perfectly symmetrical curve.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Affinity Designer Corner Tool

Let's dig into a couple of questions you may have about the Affinity Designer Corner Tool.

Do I have to click on each individual node to modify that spot?

Yes! If you want to alter the line on a specific point, you need to click and drag on the individual node. It's a handy Affinity Designer trick to have under your belt.

Can I choose the type of corner effect?

Yes. Once you've clicked on the Corner Tool button, you'll find a toolbar at the top where you can select the Corner Type you want. There's the Rounded corner (which is the default), Concave corner, Cutout, and others.

What about the size of the effect?

The size of the effect will depend on how much you drag the node. For a soft effect, you can zoom in and add a small amount of rounding to each node. Or, if you want a very noticeable corner design, drag the node further and see how it turns out.

Fortunately, the Corner Tool gives you a lot of control over how rounded the corners are. You can keep the lines fairly sharp, and for others, you can add a lot of roundness.

How can I tell which nodes I've modified?

To figure out which nodes you've applied the Corner Tool effects to, hit the Node tool once more. There, small circles will appear around the nodes that have corner adjustments applied.

Can I move the effect around?

Yes! Once you're in the Node tool, you can click on an individual node. You'll notice that the square inside the circle will turn blue. This means you've selected the node, and you can move it around and edit the corner effect without having to go back to the Corner Tool.

As another Affinity Designer tip, you can also add new nodes and modify the corner effect in relation to them.

Check Out Our Final Result!

Here's the end result of using the Corner Tool to modify the corners on our bear design. As you can see, we added a concave effect to the bottom of the bear. We also gave it a rounded edge around the neck and on the feet, nose, and ears. Isn't it beautiful?

Continue reading these Affinity Designer tutorials to learn new skills and see how the bear design will turn out! In the next tutorial, we'll cover how to use the Pencil Tool in Affinity Designer.

Learn More About Affinity Designer

If you need premium Affinity Designer graphics, check out Envato for unlimited downloads! Eager to learn more about Affinity Designer? Here are other Envato Tuts+ tutorials for different skill levels: