Layers

Keep different kinds of work apart — the lesson on one layer, today's notes on another — and hide, fade or delete one without touching the rest.

The Layers window

Click the Layers slot to open Am_sketch — Layers. The top layer is listed first.

To	Do this
Make a new layer	New — it is added on top as Layer N and becomes the active layer.
Choose the active layer	Click its row. The active layer is in bold; new strokes, shapes and text go there.
Hide or show a layer	Click its eye.
Rename a layer	Double-click its name, type, press Enter (Esc cancels).
Set its opacity	Click the % and type a value, or middle-drag on it (Ctrl slow, Shift fast).
Delete layers	Select one or more rows and press Delete. The last layer cannot be deleted.

Layers cannot be reordered: a new layer always goes on top.

How tools use layers

• New strokes, shapes and text go on the active layer.
• The eraser erases on the active layer only.
• Selection reaches every layer, hidden ones included.
• Delete / Ctrl+Shift+X clears every layer but keeps the layers themselves.
• Within each layer, highlights sit behind ink, and shapes and text sit on top.

Layer changes are not undo steps

Adding, deleting, renaming, hiding and changing the opacity of a layer cannot be undone with Ctrl+Shift+Z. Be sure before you delete a layer.

In class

Put the worked example on Layer 1 and do the class's suggestions on a new layer on top. Hide the top layer to compare, or delete it to start the discussion again — the worked example stays.