SimpleSnip tutorial

How to Use Layers

Learn how layers work in SimpleSnip: add, duplicate, reorder, group, and mask them, all in your browser.

1. Find the Layers panel

   On desktop it's docked on the left of the canvas. On a phone, tap the layers icon in the bottom bar.

2. Understand the stack

   Every canvas starts with a locked Background layer (solid color or transparent). Anything you add, such as a pasted image, text, or a shape, stacks above it. The layer nearest the top of the list is drawn last, so it sits on top.

3. Add, duplicate, or delete

   Use the + button to add a blank layer, the copy icon to duplicate the selected one, or the trash icon to delete it. Click the eye icon to hide a layer without deleting it.

4. Reorder and rename

   Move the selected layer up or down the stack with Ctrl+] and Ctrl+[. Double-click a layer's name, or use the pencil icon, to rename it.

5. Select more than one

   Hold Shift and click to select a range of layers, or Ctrl and click (Cmd on Mac) to toggle one at a time, so you can move, delete, or group several together.

6. Group and mask

   Select multiple layers and press Ctrl+G to fold them into a collapsible group. Add a layer mask from the panel's toolbar to hide part of a layer non-destructively: paint black to hide, white to reveal, then Invert, Apply, or Delete the mask whenever you like.

💡 Tip: A layer mask doesn't delete anything. You can repaint, invert, or remove it at any time without losing the pixels underneath.