Layer basics

Active layer and order

Drawing operations affect the active layer. Layers higher in the stack appear above lower layers. Add, rename, duplicate, reorder, or delete layers in the Layers panel.

Visibility and locking

Visibility hides or shows a layer; opacity controls its contribution to the image. Layer locking prevents edits. Alpha lock preserves the layer’s existing transparency during painting.

Merging and flattening

Merging combines layer contents. Flattening combines the document into a single image and removes the separate layer structure. A layered copy is required to retain independent editing of the original layers.