Organize and manage layers in Pixelmator Pro on iPad
When working with more complex compositions that have many layers, you can use various layer management tools to make it easier to track all the layers in your composition. For example, you can group certain layers, hide them if you don’t currently need to see or edit them, or lock them if you’d like to keep them visible but prevent them from being edited. You can also name layers, merge layers, and more.
Rename a layer
In Pixelmator Pro on iPad, touch and hold a layer in the Layers sidebar, tap Rename, enter a new name, then press return.
If you don’t see the Layers sidebar, choose View > Show Layerstap
in the toolbar.
Delete a layer
In Pixelmator Pro on iPad, go to the Layers sidebar.
If you don’t see the Layers sidebar, tap
Do any of the following:
Select a layer, then tap Delete at the bottom of the Layers sidebar.
Swipe left on the layer, then tap Delete.
Arrange layers in the layer stack
You can change the order in which elements appear in the canvas. Layers that are higher in the Layers sidebar are further forward in the canvas, and layers that are lower in the sidebar are further back. Effects and color adjustments layers apply to all layers underneath them in the sidebar.
In Pixelmator Pro on iPad, go to the Layers sidebar.
If you don’t see the Layers sidebar, choose View > Show Layerstap
Drag a layer in the Layers sidebar up or down in the layer stack, then release it.
Group or ungroup layers
You can group layers to synchronize adjustments, move or resize layers together, and organize related content.
In Pixelmator Pro on iPad, select the layers you want to group in the Layers sidebar.
If you don’t see the Layers sidebar, choose View > Show Layerstap
Tap Group at the bottom of the layers sidebar.
To ungroup a group of layers, touch and hold a group in the Layers sidebar, then choose Ungroup.
Expand or collapse a layer group
When you create a group in the Layers sidebar, it’s collapsed by default. You can expand a group and access its layers, or collapse an expanded group.
In Pixelmator Pro on iPad, go to the Layers sidebar.
If you don’t see the Layers sidebar, choose View > Show Layerstap
Tap
next to the layer group to expand it or collapse it.
Move a layer to a group
In Pixelmator Pro on iPad, go to the Layers sidebar.
If you don’t see the Layers sidebar, choose View > Show Layerstap
Drag a layer to an existing group.
Note: You can also nest a group within another group by dragging one group to another in the Layers sidebar.
Merge multiple layers into a single layer
Merging (also called flattening) layers is a destructive action that combines a number of different layers. Any adjustments, effects, styles, and other formatting applied to those layers are no longer editable. Merging layers can be useful when you have a document with many different layers that you won’t necessarily need to edit in the future and you want to make the document more manageable or smaller in size.
In Pixelmator Pro on iPad, go to the Layers sidebar.
If you don’t see the Layers sidebar, tap
Select the layers you want to merge.
Swipe down from the top of the screen to show the menu bar, then choose Arrange > Merge.
Flatten all layers in a composition
You can also merge all layers into a single flattened layer. When you do so, adjustments, effects, styles, and other formatting applied to those layers are no longer editable.
In Pixelmator Pro on iPad, swipe down from the top of the screen to show the menu bar, then choose Arrange > Merge All.
Lock or unlock a layer or group
You can lock a layer or group to prevent accidental edits.
In Pixelmator Pro on iPad, go to the Layers sidebar.
If you don’t see the Layers sidebar, tap
Tap
on the layer, then choose Lock or Unlock.
Hide or show a layer or layer group
In Pixelmator Pro on iPad, go to the Layers sidebar.
If you don’t see the Layers sidebar, choose View > Show Layerstap
Select or deselect the visibility checkbox in a layer or layer group.