Working with Layers
The Layers panel provides tools for managing your layers.
Creating a Layer
Click the + button in the Layers panel header to add a new layer above the current one. The new layer becomes the active layer.
Renaming
Click the pencil icon (✎) next to a layer name to edit it. Press Enter to confirm or Escape to cancel.
Visibility
Click the eye icon next to a layer to toggle its visibility. Hidden layers are not drawn on the canvas and are excluded from exports. This is useful for comparing versions or temporarily hiding elements.
Locking
Click the lock icon to lock a layer. A locked layer cannot be edited — drawing, erasing, and filling tools have no effect on it. This protects finished sections from accidental changes.
Reordering
Use the up and down arrow buttons to move a layer in the stack. Layers higher in the list appear in front of layers below them.
Deleting
Click the delete button to remove a layer. A confirmation dialog appears if Confirm Layer Delete is enabled in Preferences. You cannot delete the last remaining layer — your pattern must always have at least one.
Duplicating
Click Duplicate to create an exact copy of the selected layer. This is useful for experimenting with changes while keeping the original intact.
Merging
Merge combines the active layer with the layer directly below it. The stitches from both layers are combined into one, with the upper layer's stitches taking priority where they overlap.
Flatten All merges every layer into a single layer. Use this when you are finished organizing and want to simplify your design.
Multi-Select
Hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and click multiple layers in the panel to highlight them together. Note that layer operations — delete, move, merge, duplicate, and flatten — always act on the active layer only, not on the whole multi-selection.
Text Layers
Layers created by the Text tool are marked with a T badge. These layers have an Edit button that reopens the text editor, allowing you to change the text, font, size, or color without starting over.
Auto-Flatten and the Layers Toggle
Whether the app keeps separate layers or auto-flattens everything into one is controlled by the master Layers ON/OFF toggle in the Layers panel header (with the Layers Default setting deciding the starting state for new patterns). Layers are off by default, which means auto-flatten is on by default. With layers off, drawing is flattened into a single layer and the +, Duplicate, Merge, Flatten, and Delete controls and the layer list are all hidden. Turn Layers on to reveal these controls and work with multiple layers.