Layers Studio

About the Layers Studio

The Studio can be used to build up your design as multiple layers, with each layer devoted to a particular facet (e.g., brush strokes, images, adjustments, vector shape, curves and text).

From the Layers Studio you can:

• Create or delete pixel or fill layers
• Apply blend modes (or blend ranges) to layers
• Arrange and reorder layers
• Select layers
• Show and hide layers
• Group layers
• Lock layers
• Clip layers
• Link layers
• Create masks

• Studio Preferences menu which offers:
  • Select All—selects all objects across all layers.
  • Lock—locks the selected layer(s).
  • Unlock—unlocks the selected layer(s).
  • Unlock All—unlocks all layers.
  • Hide—hides the selected layer(s).
  • Show—displays the selected layer(s).
  • Show All—displays all hidden layers.
  • Show Unlocked—displays all unlocked hidden layers.
  • Show Links—displays all linked layer attributes for the currently selected linked layer.
  • Edit All Layers—tick this checkbox to allow selection across all layers (not just the selected layer). This is ticked by default.
  • Checkerboard background—displays layer thumbnails on transparent backgrounds for better contrast in light-background documents.

Tap the pin icon in the top right of the Studio to hide the Studio automatically.

Layer options include:

• Opacity—Adjusts opacity of the selected layer(s).
• Blend Mode—Changes how the applied pixels interact with existing pixels on the layer below.
• Visible—Disable to hide the layer; Enable to make it visible again.
• Lock—Tap to lock or unlock selected layers to prevent or allow editing.
• Solo—Tap to hide all layers apart from the selected layer, for focused editing of layer content without any distraction.
• Blend Ranges—The blend Gamma, Channels and Source / Dest spline graphs let you alter how tones blend between the selected layer and the layer below.
• Tag—allows you to tag layers with a choice of colours.
• Pattern—with a pattern layer selected, allows you to toggle a mirrored effect and select a sampling method for your pattern.

Merge and Rasterise—Allows you to either:

• Merge Down—Merges the currently selected pixel layer with the layer directly below it.
• Merge Selected—Merges the currently selected pixel layers.
• Merge Visible—Merges all visible layers, including vector and pixel layers. Merging vector layers will automatically rasterise the objects within those layers.
• Rasterise—Rasterises the selected vector layer.
• Rasterise To Mask—Rasterises the selected vector layer as a mask layer.

Group—Groups or ungroups the currently selected layers.

Add pop-up menu—Creates either an empty Pixel Layer or Fill Layer above the currently selected layer, a mask based on the current selection (Mask Layer) or an empty mask that ignores selections (Empty Mask Layer). Use Empty Group to allow layer content to be subsequently dragged and dropped into it.

Remove—Deletes the currently selected layer.

• Expand/Collapse—Tap to expand/contract the layer, revealing child layers, or group layer to expand the group's content.
• Layer entry—The created layer, showing a thumbnail of layer contents and the layer name.
• Layer effect—Indicates that a layer effect(s) has been applied to the layer; tap to jump to the Layer FX Studio to view the effect settings.
• Visible—Uncheck to hide the layer; Check to make it visible again.
• Links—displays the link attributes for the currently selected layer. Linked layers share layer attributes between linked layers so they all update simultaneously if any one of the layer attributes of any linked layer is altered. The Links pane lets you unlink and relink specific attributes for just that selected linked layer.