Layer Management

Ordering, grouping, and organising objects on the canvas.

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Layers Panel

The Layers panel, located at the bottom right, displays all objects in your design in a hierarchical list.

┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ LAYERS                      │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│    Logo               │ ← Top (front)
│   T  Heading Text       │
│     □  Background Shape  │
│      Photo              │ ← Bottom (back)
└─────────────────────────────┘

Panel Icons

Icon	Meaning
	Visibility (click = hide)
	Lock status
T	Text object
□	Shape
	Image
	Group

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Layer Ordering

Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+]	Move forward one level
Ctrl+[	Move backward one level
Ctrl+Shift+]	Bring to front
Ctrl+Shift+[	Send to back

Drag and Drop

Drag an object in the Layers panel to change its position in the stack.

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Grouping

Creating a Group

Advantages of Groups

• Move and scale as a single object
• Easy alignment
• Easy copy/paste
• Tidy appearance in the Layers panel

Ungroup

• Ctrl+Shift+G shortcut
• Right-click → Ungroup

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Locking

Locking an Object

To prevent accidental changes:

Method	How
Shortcut	Select the object + Ctrl+L
Panel	Click the icon in the Layers panel
Menu	Object → Lock

Properties of a Locked Object

• Cannot be selected
• Cannot be moved
• Cannot be resized
• Visible
• Exported

Unlocking

• Click the icon in the Layers panel
• Object → Unlock All

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Visibility

Hiding

To temporarily hide an object:

• Click the icon in the Layers panel

Properties of a Hidden Object

• Not visible on the canvas
• Not exported
• Remains in the project
• Can be shown again at any time

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Alignment and Distribution

Alignment

Select two or more objects:

Alignment	Description
⬅ Left	Align left edges
⬌ Centre Horizontal	Align horizontal centres
Right	Align right edges
⬆ Top	Align top edges
⬍ Centre Vertical	Align vertical centres
⬇ Bottom	Align bottom edges

Distribution

Select three or more objects:

Distribution	Description
⬌ Horizontal	Equal horizontal spacing
⬍ Vertical	Equal vertical spacing

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Smart Guides

Automatic alignment lines appear when moving objects:

     ┆
     ┆  (Vertical alignment)
  ───┼───
     ┆
     ┆

Magnetic Snapping

Objects snap to:

• Edges of other objects
• The canvas centre
• Guide lines
• Grid points

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Naming

Name your layers with meaningful labels:

1. Double-click the object in the Layers panel
2. Type the new name (e.g., "Main Logo", "Background")
3. Press Enter

Tip: Consistent naming makes it much easier to navigate complex designs.

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