To batch export variants with the same background in Affinity on Mac, build each complete version on its own artboard, use a symbol for the repeated background, and export the artboard slices together through the Slice Studio.

This workflow is for someone who needs separate finished graphics—for example, three geometric card designs with an identical background. It follows the current Affinity desktop help, which uses the names Vector Studio and Slice Studio. Affinity documents the Slice Studio as the workspace for exporting multiple assets in one operation. Slice Studio

Why exporting each variant group can omit the background

The important distinction is how a slice gets its content. Affinity says a slice created from an item in the Export Layers panel includes only content belonging to that source layer. A slice drawn with the Slice Tool includes content from all visible layers inside its area. Exporting using the Slice Studio

Consequently, creating a slice from a foreground variant group does not automatically combine it with a separate background layer elsewhere in the document. Drawing several overlapping slices over one composition also does not establish a different visibility combination for each export: the documented behavior includes the visible content within each area. This is a practical consequence of the two slice behaviors, rather than a separate variant-generation feature.

For predictable batch output, give each variant a complete artboard containing its foreground and a background instance. The background can remain linked for editing through Affinity’s symbols, which synchronize changes across multiple artboards. Symbols

Your starting arrangement Preparation for this workflow
Several foreground groups overlapping one background Move each foreground to its own artboard and include a background symbol instance there.
Separate artboards already containing complete designs Check the background instances and export the artboard slices.
One composition with variants shown by toggling visibility Assemble separate complete artboards before running the batch.
Only a few files needed, without preparing artboards Export each visible combination individually, checking the export area each time.

The official slice instructions describe exporting areas and items; they do not document a control that automatically pairs every sibling variant group with one designated background. The artboard arrangement supplies those combinations explicitly.

Build complete variants with a linked background

Create the first artboard

Start with one finished composition at the intended output proportions. For a new document, choose File > New, select a preset or enter your custom settings, enable Create artboard, and click Create. Affinity also supports adding artboards to an existing document. Adding and removing artboards

For an illustrative project, use three 800 × 800 px cards named circle, square, and triangle. Each contains a pale background rectangle and one foreground shape. These dimensions and names are example choices, not Affinity requirements.

Keep the background and foreground inside the artboard’s hierarchy in the Layers panel. A useful arrangement is one background object or group beneath one foreground group. The background should cover the intended output area; any decorative background objects should belong to that same background group.

Turn only the shared background into a symbol

Select the background object or group, then choose Layer > Create Symbol, or click Create in the Symbols panel. Affinity allows symbols to be created from selected objects or groups. Symbols

Keep variant-specific shapes outside this symbol. Otherwise, editing a foreground object inside the synchronized symbol could propagate that change to the other instances. The shared component should contain exactly the material you intend to repeat.

Duplicate the artboard and change its foreground

Select the completed artboard and choose Edit > Duplicate > Selection. On Mac, Affinity also documents Command-dragging an artboard with the Move Tool or Artboard Tool to duplicate it. Rename each artboard by double-clicking its name above the canvas or in the Layers panel. Adding and removing artboards

Replace the foreground on each duplicate while retaining its background symbol instance. Before preparing exports, make a small background edit to confirm the link: expand a Symbol entry in Layers and edit an object within it. With synchronization enabled, the corresponding background objects should update across instances. Affinity specifically notes that editing the objects inside a multi-object symbol is how changes propagate. Symbols

For the example, the document should now contain three complete cards. Each artboard can be viewed independently with its own shape and the same background design. This preparation makes the desired export combinations visible and inspectable before any files are written.

Configure and export the artboard slices together

Open the Slice Studio and select complete artboards

Open the Studio Manager and enable Slice Studio; it is hidden by default, and you may need to scroll to find it. Slice Studio

Inspect the artboard entries in the Slices panel. Affinity’s multiple-artboard export instructions use these artboard slices directly. If you need to create a slice explicitly, select the complete artboard in Export Layers and click Create Slice. Choose the artboard rather than its foreground group so the source includes the assembled composition. Exporting artboards, Export Layers panel (Slice Studio)

If a panel is missing, the documented Mac menu paths are Window > General > Slices, Window > General > Export Layers, and Window > General > Export Options. Slices panel, Export Layers panel (Slice Studio), Export Options panel

Set formats, dimensions, and filenames

Expand an artboard slice to inspect its export setup. Affinity supports additional formats, multiple size scalings or absolute sizes, and export filename changes for artboard slices. Choose PNG for the first example export, and use an explicit width such as 800w when you need a specific pixel width. Exporting artboards

Do not assume that 1x always equals the document’s stated pixel dimensions. Affinity documents a relationship between document DPI and slice scaling: its example shows a 64 × 64 px document at 144 DPI producing 32 × 32 px at 1x and 64 × 64 px at 2x. Check the displayed output dimensions or use an absolute size for a defined deliverable. Exporting using the Slice Studio

Once the first slice is configured, use Copy export setup to clipboard and Replace export setup from clipboard to apply the same setup to another target slice. Recheck each filename afterward. These controls copy export settings; they do not assemble background-and-foreground combinations. Slices panel

Check the intended slices and run the batch

Enable the slice entries you want to export and disable unwanted entries, including any whole-page entry you do not need. Export Slices (n) exports all checked panel items; selecting a row is a separate action from checking it for export. Slices panel

Click Export Slices (n), choose the destination folder, and click Export. A slice can contain several formats and sizes, so three checked artboards may produce more than three files. For example, three artboards with two PNG sizes each produce six outputs. Affinity’s export instructions confirm that the batch includes all configured formats and sizes for checked slices. Exporting slices

For a first pass, use one format and one size per artboard. Open all three files in Finder and confirm their dimensions, backgrounds, and foregrounds before adding more output variations.

Choose formats with their export limits in mind

The shared-background arrangement determines what belongs in each output. The file format and export settings determine how that content is represented. Affinity’s available controls change with the selected format or preset. Export Options panel

Requirement Relevant documented behavior
SVG output with vector content SVG export offers a rasterization choice; unsupported properties may require rasterization.
No rasterization in SVG, PDF, or EPS Rasterize: Nothing omits unsupported elements rather than converting them. Inspect the result for missing content.
Preserve unsupported appearances Rasterize: Unsupported properties rasterizes the unsupported elements; Everything rasterizes all elements.
SVG text that displays without the original font Export text as curves preserves its drawn appearance but removes text editability and may increase file size.
Very large raster output Affinity says output exceeding a format’s maximum dimensions is scaled to fit; the Export dialog warns before proceeding.

These conditions are described in Affinity’s Export Settings.

If you need SVGs, inspect the format choices and settings in the slice setup rather than assuming a PNG preset configures vector output. Affinity distinguishes the slice’s file format selector from its preset and scaling controls. Where a required format or setting is unavailable in that setup, the Export dialog is the documented route with access to all supported formats and full export settings. Slices panel, About exporting

To export one prepared variant through that dialog, choose File > Export > Export, select the required format or preset, and set Area to the named artboard. Inspect the preview before exporting. For a selection-based export, Selection Area includes overlapping layers, while Selection Only excludes other overlapping layers—including a separately selected-out background. Export dialog

For this task, named artboards give each output an explicit composition. Use the documented Export Slices command for separate batch files rather than relying on Whole document: Affinity’s artboard help describes that option as exporting concatenated artboards. Exporting artboards

Diagnose missing backgrounds and unexpected outputs

Check the source structure before changing format settings. If the background is absent, confirm that the slice was created from the whole artboard and that its background instance belongs inside it. A foreground-group slice only includes its own source content. If several variants appear together, check whether a manually drawn slice is including all visible overlapping variants. Exporting using the Slice Studio

Also inspect Make item visible in export in the Export Layers panel. Affinity distinguishes this from Make item visible: an item’s on-screen visibility and its export visibility are separate controls. Parent settings can also affect child objects. Export Layers panel (Slice Studio)

If the composition is correct but files have unexpected names, counts, or sizes, inspect the checked slice entries and expand their format and size rows. Remove unintended outputs before exporting again. For repeated edits, Continuous can re-export checked slices after changes once you have used Export Slices (n); Affinity notes that the export folder is remembered only for the current editing session. Exporting slices

The useful stopping point is a verified set of separate files, each containing one intended foreground and the complete shared background. Keep the background linked in the source document, keep each variant complete on its artboard, and reuse the checked slice setups for subsequent exports.

Sources