Panels

Opens a dropdown of the 16 blend modes and applies the chosen one to the active layer. As you hover each option the canvas live-previews the result; clicking commits it, while clicking away or pressing Escape reverts to the mode you started with.

Tip. Hover a mode to preview it before you click.

A slider that sets how transparent the whole active layer is, from 0 (invisible) to 100 percent (solid). The live number to the right shows the current value; releasing the slider records one undo step.

Shows the layer exactly as it is, with no interaction with the layers below (only its opacity affects the mix). This is the default for every new layer.

Multiplies the layer colors with the ones below, so the result is always darker. Pure white disappears and black stays black, which makes it ideal for shadows, ink, or darkening a photo.

The opposite of Multiply: it always lightens. Pure black disappears while white stays white, so it is the go-to mode for glows, light leaks, and highlights.

Multiplies the dark areas and screens the light areas, boosting overall contrast while keeping midtones. Good for punchy contrast passes and texture overlays.

Compares the layer and the layers below channel by channel and keeps whichever pixel is darker. Lighter areas of the top layer drop out.

The opposite of Darken: it keeps whichever pixel is lighter, per channel. Darker areas of the top layer drop out, useful for combining highlights.

Brightens the layers below based on the brightness of the top layer, producing intense, blown-out highlights. Great for glints and bright light effects.

Darkens the layers below based on the darkness of the top layer, producing deep, saturated shadows. The counterpart to Color Dodge.

Like Overlay but driven by the top layer instead of the base: dark areas multiply and light areas screen, giving a strong, harsh contrast.

A gentle version of Hard Light that softly dodges light areas and burns dark ones, like shining a diffuse light through the layer. Good for subtle contrast and tinting.

Subtracts the darker color from the lighter one per channel, so identical areas turn black and differences show as inverted color. Handy for comparing or aligning layers.

Similar to Difference but with lower contrast and softer, greyer midtones. A gentler inversion effect.

Takes only the hue of the top layer while keeping the saturation and brightness of the layers below. Shifts colors without changing their intensity or shading.

Takes only the saturation of the top layer, keeping the hue and brightness below. Boosts or mutes color richness without changing the actual colors.

Takes the hue and saturation of the top layer while keeping the brightness below. This is the standard way to tint or colorize a black-and-white photo.

Takes only the brightness of the top layer while keeping the hue and saturation below. The exact opposite of the Color mode.

Type here to show only the layers whose name contains your text (case-insensitive). It searches the rows that are currently on screen, so layers inside a collapsed group are not found until you expand it. Clear the box to show every layer again.

Click the heading to expand or collapse the list of saved comps. The triangle (▸ or ▾) shows the open state and a number in parentheses shows how many comps you have.

Saves the current layer arrangement as a new comp. You are prompted for a name (it suggests Layer Comp 1, Layer Comp 2, and so on).

Tip. Use it to bookmark a version before trying a different layout.

Clicking a saved comp's name restores your layers to that snapshot. It adds one undo step so you can go back.

Overwrites the saved comp with the document's current state, keeping the same name. Use it after you tweak a layout you want the comp to remember.

Removes the saved comp. Your current layers are not changed, only the stored snapshot is deleted.

Clicking a row makes that layer the active layer, so the header, tools, and properties all act on it. Press Enter on a focused row to do the same.

Hold Shift, Cmd, or Ctrl while clicking to add or remove a layer from a multi-selection. Selecting several layers lets Group, Convert to Smart Object, and other actions work on all of them at once.

The eye icon toggles the layer's visibility on the canvas. A hidden layer is dimmed in the list and is not exported. Each toggle is a separate undo step.

Only groups show this triangle. Click it to open the group (revealing its indented children) or close it. Non-group rows show an empty gutter so thumbnails stay aligned.

A small preview of the layer's content (groups show a folder icon instead). Double-click a thumbnail to zoom the canvas to that layer's area.

Tip. Double-click: zoom to layer.

A small badge on the thumbnail marks a layer as a Smart Object, meaning its original content is preserved and can be edited non-destructively. Hovering shows the label Smart Object.

A link badge on the thumbnail shows the layer is bound to dynamic content (such as {{post.title}}). Hovering reveals which field it is linked to.

A small down-arrow to the left of a clipped layer shows it is being masked by the layer directly beneath it. Set or remove it with Create/Release Clipping Mask.

A colored bar on the left edge of a row shows the color label assigned to that layer, for visually sorting or grouping related layers. Set the color from the right-click menu's Label row.

Shows the layer's name. Double-click the row to turn it into an edit box; type a new name and press Enter (or click away) to save, or Escape to cancel.

Tip. Double-click a layer to rename it.

Appears only when the layer has a layer mask. Click it to enter mask-edit mode (the tool switches to a brush): paint white to reveal, black to hide, with a red overlay marking hidden areas. Alt-click the chip to disable or re-enable the mask; a disabled mask is shown dimmed.

Tip. Entering a mask hands you a brush automatically.

Toggles a lock that protects the layer from edits and moves on the canvas. It is not a write protection for everything: the Transform fields in the Properties panel and Delete still act on a locked layer. The icon shows a closed padlock when locked and an open one when unlocked.

Removes just this layer immediately. This is the per-row trash button; the toolbar and context menu also offer a Delete that respects the current multi-selection.

Drag a row up or down to restack it. A line above or below the target shows where it will land; dragging onto the middle of a group (a dashed outline appears) drops the layer inside that group. Remember the top of the list is the front of the image.

Creates a new, empty raster layer the size of the document and places it just above the active layer. New layers are named Layer 1, Layer 2, and so on.

Creates a new group folder. If layers are selected, they are moved into the new group so you can organize related layers together.

Adds a layer mask to the active layer. With no selection it adds a white (reveal-all) mask; with an active selection the selected area becomes visible and the rest is hidden. Disabled when no layer is active.

Makes a copy of the active layer (or the whole selection, groups included) directly above the original. Disabled when no layer is active.

Brings the active layer one step forward in the stack (up the list, toward the front of the image). Disabled when no layer is active or it is already on top.

Sends the active layer one step backward in the stack (down the list, toward the back of the image). Disabled when no layer is active or it is already at the bottom.

Removes the active layer or the whole current selection. Disabled when no layer is active.

A row of six color swatches plus a No-label option (∅) that tags the layer with a color stripe for visual sorting. Choose a color to set it or the empty swatch to clear it.

Appears only on a QR-code layer. Reopens the QR editor so you can change the encoded text, colors, or style. The layer re-renders when you finish.

Appears only on a generated background layer. Reopens the Background studio to change the pattern, gradient, or colors of that background.

On groups inserted by a data-bound studio (for example Dynamic Showcases), Refresh <studio name> re-runs the saved query and swaps the cards in place with one click, no dialog. Appears next to the Edit entry whenever the studio supports live refresh.

Appears only on a mockup layer. Reopens the Mockup editor so you can swap the artwork or change the device or scene.

Appears only on a Smart Object layer. Opens the object's contents in a nested editing session; saving updates every place the object is used. This is the non-destructive way to change embedded content.

Appears only on a chart or table layer. Reopens the chart or table editor to change the data, type, or styling. The label reads Edit Table for table types and Edit Chart otherwise.

Appears on layers created by an installed extension (the label shows the generator's name, for example Edit Pattern). Reopens that extension so you can regenerate or tweak the layer.

Makes a copy of the layer or selection, placed directly above the original. Groups duplicate as a whole.

Flattens the active layer into the single layer directly below it, combining them into one raster layer. Use it to permanently commit a layer onto the one beneath.

Merges every layer in the document into one flat image. This is destructive: separate layers can no longer be edited afterward.

Wraps the selected layer(s) or group into a single Smart Object, preserving the originals so you can re-edit them later without losing quality. Groups convert together with their whole contents.

Turns the active layer into plain pixels, baking in text, shapes, effects, or a Smart Object. Do this when you need to paint directly on the layer, but note it can no longer be edited as text or a shape afterward.

Opens the Properties tab in the right sidebar for the active layer, where its detailed settings live (including Smart Filters and effects).

Clips the layer to the shape of the layer directly beneath it, so it only shows where that base layer has pixels. The label toggles to Release Clipping Mask when the layer is already clipped. Clipping a top-level pair wraps them in a group so they move together. It is offered on groups too, but does nothing there: a group cannot be clipped.

Adds a layer mask to the active layer (shown only when it has none yet). With a selection active the selected area becomes visible and the rest hidden; otherwise it adds a white reveal-all mask.

Bakes the mask into the layer's pixels: hidden areas become truly transparent and the mask itself is removed. Shown only when the layer already has a mask.

Swaps the mask's hidden and visible areas. Shown only when the layer has a mask; handy when you masked the wrong side.

Temporarily turns the mask off (showing the whole layer) or back on, without deleting it. The label reflects the current state. Same as Alt-clicking the mask chip.

Removes the mask entirely and restores the layer to full visibility. Shown only when the layer has a mask.

On a normal layer or multi-selection this creates a group folder around them; on a group it dissolves the folder and frees its children. The label switches based on what you right-clicked.

Removes the layer or the current selection. Shown in red as a destructive action.

Remembers the active layer's whole appearance: its opacity, blend mode, photo filter, adjustments, and layer effects, plus type-specific styling. The copied look is shared across tabs, so you can paste it onto a layer in another open document.

Applies the last copied look to every selected layer. Universal fields (opacity, blend, filter, adjustments, effects) always land; text or shape paint (fonts, colors, strokes, gradients, patterns, text effects) transfers only when the target matches the source layer's type.

The text field for naming the layer comp you are about to save. It is pre-filled with a running name like Layer Comp 1 that counts up with each new comp, and you can type over it with anything you like. Confirming with an empty name cancels the save.

Tip. The name shows on the comp's Apply button in the list.

Six preset colors you can assign to a layer as a visual tag. Click a swatch to stripe that layer's row in the chosen color. From left to right the colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

Tip. The stripe appears as an inset bar on the left edge of the layer row.

The empty swatch marked with ∅ at the end of the Label row. Click it to remove any color label and return the row to its normal, unstriped look.

Double-click a layer's name to turn it into an editable field, then type a new name. Press Enter or click away to keep the change; press Escape to cancel. Renaming is saved in history so it can be undone.

Tip. While you are renaming, the row cannot be dragged.

Double-click a layer's thumbnail to zoom the canvas so that layer fills the view. The editor frames it with roughly 15% padding on each side. This is a quick way to jump to a small element without scrolling and zooming by hand.

Tip. Only image and content layers have a zoomable thumbnail; groups show a folder icon instead.

Right-click any layer row to open its context menu, which holds actions like Duplicate, Merge Down, masks, grouping, and Delete. If you right-click a layer that is part of a multi-selection, the whole selection is kept so the action applies to all selected layers; right-clicking a layer that is not selected picks just that one first.

Hold Alt and click a layer's mask chip to disable or re-enable its mask without deleting it. A disabled mask dims to about 40% and stops hiding pixels. A plain click instead enters mask paint mode and hands you the Brush, where white reveals and black hides, with hidden areas shown under a red overlay.

Tip. The same enable/disable also lives in the right-click menu.

While dragging a layer, hover over the middle of a group row until it shows a dashed outline, then release to move the layer inside that group. Dropping near the top or bottom edge of a row instead places the layer above or below that row.

A layer row can take keyboard focus; press Enter while it is focused to make that layer the active layer. This lets you move through the list and pick a layer without using the mouse.

Groups do not show a picture thumbnail. Instead they show a folder icon in the thumbnail slot, so you can tell groups apart from image and content layers at a glance.

Tip. Use the caret next to it to expand or collapse the group's contents.

One-click tonal fix that stretches each color channel (red, green, blue) to use the full black-to-white range. Use it to instantly brighten a flat, dull or slightly washed-out photo.

Tip. On a Smart Object this lands as a re-editable Smart Filter; on other layers it is applied to the pixels.

Stretches overall brightness to the full range using a single luminance curve, so color relationships stay intact. Choose this over Auto Levels when Auto Levels introduces an unwanted color cast.

Automatic white balance using a gray-world estimate, damped so it never overshoots. Use it to neutralise a color cast (for example an overly orange indoor shot or a blue snow scene).

Lightens or darkens the whole layer evenly. Move right to brighten, left to darken.

Increases or decreases the difference between light and dark tones. Higher values make shadows deeper and highlights brighter; lower values flatten the image.

Controls how intense every color is, uniformly. Drag right for richer color, drag all the way left for grayscale.

Rotates every color around the color wheel by the chosen number of degrees. Use it to shift the whole palette (for example turn reds toward orange or blue toward teal).

Warms or cools the image. Positive values push toward warm orange tones, negative values toward cool blue tones.

Simulates giving the shot more or less light, biased toward the highlights. Use it to rescue an under- or over-exposed image.

A gentler saturation that boosts muted colors more than already-saturated ones, protecting skin tones from going neon. Reach for this before Saturation when you want a natural lift.

Bakes the current slider settings into a new full-canvas Adjustment Layer placed above the active layer, then clears the layer's own adjustments. Use it to grade everything below it and keep the grade editable and re-orderable in the Layers panel.

Clears all seven sliders on the active layer back to zero in one step, removing the whole adjustment. Disabled when no layer is selected.

The embedded picker with an HSV field, hex / RGB / HSL inputs, an alpha (transparency) control and every swatch group. Drag in the field or type a value to choose a color; it applies immediately to the selected shape fill, text color, or the foreground color.

A grid of ready-made gradient swatches that appears only when a shape or text layer is selected. Click one to fill the layer with that gradient in a single step; shapes receive a linear gradient by default.

The unfiltered layer. Click it to remove any preset filter and return to the untouched look.

Full black-and-white by removing all color. Use it for a clean monochrome look.

A warm brown antique tone with slightly boosted contrast, for an aged photo feel.

Pushes colors warmer and richer with a small brightness lift. Good for cosy, sunlit scenes.

Shifts colors toward cooler blue-green and dims very slightly. Suits crisp, modern or wintry looks.

Strongly boosts saturation and contrast for a punchy, colorful result.

Lowers saturation and contrast and lifts brightness for a soft, washed-out matte look.

A retro film treatment: mild sepia, reduced saturation, added contrast and a slight warm hue shift.

High-contrast black-and-white with a slightly darker exposure, for a dramatic cinematic mood.

Adds contrast and saturation with a tiny brightness lift for a crisp, energetic image.

A fresh green-leaning look with a warm hue shift and gentle contrast and brightness lift. Suits nature and outdoor shots.

A cooler, moodier evening grade: reduced saturation, warm-to-cool hue shift, higher contrast and lower brightness.

A bright, over-exposed summer look: low saturation and contrast, strong brightness lift and a touch of sepia.

A cold, airy blue grade with a hue shift, extra brightness and slight contrast. Good for snow and icy scenes.

A rich warm-brown tone with boosted saturation and contrast and a slightly darker exposure.

An extreme saturation and contrast boost with a warm hue shift for a bold, electric look.

A soft, hazy look: low saturation and contrast with lifted brightness, as if seen through fog.

A movie-style teal-and-warm grade with added contrast, gentle saturation, slightly darker exposure and a hint of sepia.

Smoothly blurs the layer using a high-quality Gaussian (three box-blur passes). Use it to soften detail, create depth, or build a backdrop.

Increases edge crispness with a Laplacian sharpen. Use a light amount to recover detail; high amounts add bite but can look harsh.

Professional sharpening that boosts only edges above a threshold, using a blurred copy as the mask. Gives cleaner, more controllable sharpening than plain Sharpen.

A fast, uniform box blur. Cheaper than Gaussian and gives a slightly boxier softening; handy for quick backgrounds.

Adds random grain. Keep size at 1 for fine digital noise, or raise it for chunkier film grain. Turn on Monochrome so the grain has no color speckle.

Averages the image into square blocks for a blocky, low-resolution mosaic. Larger cells give bigger pixels; often used to censor a region.

Reduces each channel to a small number of tone levels, flattening smooth gradients into bands for a poster or screen-print look.

Converts the layer to pure black and white by cutting at a brightness level: pixels brighter than the level go white, the rest go black.

Inverts every color to its opposite, creating a photo-negative. Applies instantly with no settings.

Brightens or darkens the midtones without moving pure black or white. Values above 1 lift midtones; below 1 deepen them.

Maps the layer's brightness between two chosen colors: shadows take the shadow color, highlights the highlight color. Great for two-tone poster art.

The classic Levels control: remap the input black/white points and midtone gamma, and clamp the output range. Use it for precise contrast and tonal placement.

The Curves tool: bend a smooth tone curve through your own control points for fine, arbitrary tonal and contrast control. Starts as a straight identity line.

Darkens (or lightens) the edges toward the corners to draw the eye to the centre. A positive amount darkens; a negative amount brightens the edges.

Keeps a horizontal band in sharp focus and blurs above and below it, faking a shallow-depth miniature look. Position the band and set how wide and how strong the blur is.

Keeps only colors near a chosen hue and turns everything else grayscale. Pick the hue to preserve and how wide a range around it survives.

Recreates a printed halftone: brightness becomes a grid of black dots that grow in dark areas. Set the dot spacing and the screen angle.

A digital-corruption look: shifts the red and blue channels, slices rows sideways in random blocks, and can darken alternate lines. Change the seed for a different random variant.

Adds a soft luminous bloom by screening a blurred copy back over the image, making bright areas glow. Set the spread (radius) and how strong the glow is.

Turns the image into a gray relief where edges look raised or carved, lit from a corner. Strength controls how pronounced the relief is.

Finds and highlights outlines with a Sobel filter, drawing edges bright on black. Use it for line-art or sketch bases.

Independently lifts or deepens the darkest areas and recovers or boosts the brightest, weighted by how dark or light each pixel is. Ideal for opening up shadow detail while taming blown highlights.

Removes speckle and noise with a median filter, smoothing flat areas while keeping edges. Raise strength for more passes on very noisy images.

The same per-channel auto tone stretch as the Adjust panel's button, offered here as an effect chip. Applies instantly with no settings.

The same luminance contrast stretch as the Adjust panel's button, as an effect chip. Applies instantly with no settings.

The same gray-world white balance as the Adjust panel's button, as an effect chip. Applies instantly with no settings.

Applies a 3D color lookup table (a .cube LUT) for a one-shot cinematic grade. This effect is hidden from the grid and is added through the Load LUT (.cube) import rather than clicked here; its intensity mixes the graded result back with the original.

Tip. The LUT table itself comes from the imported .cube file, not from a slider.

Strips every text effect, outline, shadow and gradient back to a clean solid fill. Use it to start over.

A red fill wrapped in a white-then-dark double outline, like a cut-out sticker.

Bold yellow letters with a dark outline, a double ring and a halftone dot shadow, for a comic-book caption.

A polished gold gradient fill with a dark-gold outline and a soft bevel for a metallic sheen.

A cool silver chrome gradient with a dark outline and bevel, for a shiny metal finish.

White letters with a hot-pink neon glow, mimicking a glowing sign or tube light.

A yellow-to-red flame gradient with an orange glow, for a hot, burning headline.

A cool blue gradient with a white outline and a pale blue glow, for a frozen, icy look.

Cream letters extruded into a teal 3D block shadow and slightly skewed, for a retro poster feel.

A blue fill with a long, flat 45-degree drop shadow, the classic flat-design long-shadow look.

A dark fill with a cyan mis-registered offset and a small echo, imitating a risograph print.

Soft gray letters pressed inward with a debossed highlight and shadow, like ink stamped into paper.

Rainbow-cycling colors with bouncy per-letter jitter, for a fun, kid-friendly title.

White letters with a mirrored reflection below and a soft shadow, for a glossy glass look.

Blue outlined letters warped into a wave with a small drop shadow, for a flowing banner.

Pale letters with chromatic RGB fringing and sliced glitch distortion, for a broken-signal look.

Cyan-tinted letters with chromatic offset, scanlines and a soft glow, imitating an old VHS tape.

Red letters with a rough grunge texture and a slight skew, like an inked rubber stamp.

Warm gradient letters with a bevel, a diagonal shine and a slanted ground shadow, so the text appears to stand upright on a surface.

Hollow tube letters with a glowing pink neon-tube stroke and no solid fill, like a wired sign.

Pixelated yellow letters extruded into a short 3D block, for a retro arcade game title.

Green letters with dripping blobs and an inner glow, for a gooey slime effect.

Red outlined letters with a horizontal motion blur and forward skew, so the text looks like it is rushing past.

Dark letters over a rough yellow marker highlight, as if swiped with a highlighter pen.

Dark letters sitting on a soft rounded paper card with a subtle drop shadow, for a layered paper-craft look.

Rainbow letters with jitter and scattered confetti, for a celebratory, festive title.

Pink letters with diagonal candy stripes and a double ring outline, for a sweet, playful look.

Dark red letters studded with glowing golden bulbs, straight off a casino front.

Red LED pixels on a dark chip, the stadium display look.

Pale hollow glyphs with a technical grid inside, like a construction drawing.

Blue letters with a white inline and a red outer outline, the college-jersey classic.

The text punched as holes out of a dark rounded panel.

Sky-blue paper facets with a teal block shadow, like folded paper.

TV static inside the letters with color-fringed ghosting and scanlines.

Bright comic lettering with a dark halftone shade, outline and block depth.

A black-and-white checker fill with a clean outline.

Deep green letters ringed by contour lines, like a trail map.

Gold foil with white star glints on top.

A soft rose metal ramp with a gentle gloss streak.

A cool chrome ramp with subtle sparkles.

A pink-to-cyan gradient with color fringing and scanlines, the retro-web aesthetic.

Acid yellow with glitch slices and a cyan offset ghost.

Spray-grain orange with a heavy outline, drips and a tag-style slant.

Saddle-brown letters with a cream inline and block depth, the saloon-poster look.

A glowing blue neon tube on hollow glyphs.

A glowing mint-green neon tube on hollow glyphs.

Glossy pink candy letters with inner glow and a dotted offset shadow.

An amber gradient with dripping edges and a syrupy shine.

A fire gradient with a hot glow and molten red drips.

A black-and-red misprint: the ink plate shifted off its outline plate.

Weathered red ink with a stitched outline, like a rubber stamp.

Pastel pink with white-and-blue rings, sparkles and a soft inner glow.

A lilac chrome ramp with purple speed rays and sparkles.

A checkered-flag fill with a slant and a motion blur trail.

A deep blue gradient under tiny white stars with a soft blue glow.

Icy pale blue with a white inner glow, cold outer glow and frost sparkles.

A warm sunset gradient over stacked retro offset shadows.

Wavy blue water bands inside the letters with a reflection below.

Teal-to-violet wave bands with sparkling glints.

An orange fizz gradient full of rising bubbles.

Warm gold foil with fine rising bubbles.

A gray rock ramp with cracks and a chiselled bevel.

Pale ice with blue fracture lines and a cold glow.

White text on a red starburst badge, ready for price tags.

Dark text on a yellow starburst, the supermarket price flash.

Plain dark text whose shadow is drawn as diagonal hatching.

Pink letters filled with tiny white hearts.

Navy letters filled with little golden stars.

Green circuit traces on a dark board with a phosphor glow.

Green LED pixels on black, the retro terminal screen.

A camouflage fill with a weathered stencil edge.

A red-and-navy tartan weave fill.

A light red-and-white picnic check.

An aqua gradient warped by a gentle water ripple.

A desert-heat gradient that shimmers and fades upward.

Dark letters wrapped in a golden gradient outline.

Dark letters wrapped in a cyan-to-magenta gradient ring with a violet glow.

Cream letters with a maroon inline and a teal offset shadow, 50s diner style.

Bold yellow-and-black horizontal stripes.

Diagonal yellow-and-black warning stripes with block depth.

Red-and-white candy stripes with a green dotted shadow.

A violet nebula gradient with star glints and a purple glow.

A fine indigo twill fill with orange stitch dashes.

Rough white strokes with a dusty, hand-drawn edge.

Blood-red letters dripping over a dark aura.

Dark text on a golden starburst with sparkles.

Comic-yellow letters on red speed rays with a tilted block shadow.

Casts a long, solid drop shadow at an angle behind the text, the flat-design long-shadow look.

Extrudes the letters into a solid 3D block projected at an angle, for depth and weight.

Adds a soft colored glow (outer halo) around the letters.

Repeats fading copies of the text stepped in one direction, for a trailing echo effect.

Slants the whole text horizontally and/or vertically for an italic or leaning look.

Draws a single colored stroke around the letters.

A bright glowing neon halo in a chosen color, stronger than the plain Glow.

Offsets a colored copy of the letters and knocks it out where they overlap, for a sliced two-part look.

Casts a shadow made of halftone dots offset behind the text, for a printed comic feel.

Mirrors a fading copy of the text beneath it, like a reflection on glass.

Wraps the text in two to five concentric colored outlines (rings). The first three carry their own color; further rings continue the outermost one.

Adds a beveled highlight-and-shadow edge so the letters look raised.

Presses the letters inward with a subtle top shadow and bottom highlight, like ink debossed into paper.

Fills the letters with an image or texture of your choice instead of a flat color. Pick the image in the settings card.

Randomly rotates and offsets each letter for a lively hand-placed look. Change the variant for a different arrangement.

Colors the letters across a rainbow gradient. No settings; it just switches on.

Splits the red and blue channels apart for a chromatic-aberration RGB fringe.

Slices the letters into shifted horizontal bands for a digital glitch. Change the variant for a new random cut.

Sweeps a bright diagonal shine band across the letters, like a glint on metal or glass.

Overlays evenly spaced horizontal lines across the text for a CRT screen or retro look.

Eats away at the letters with a rough noise texture for a distressed, worn look.

Draws a dashed outline around the letters, like a sewn stitch or cut line.

Adds a colored glow inside the edges of the letters rather than outside.

Turns the letters into hollow glowing tubes, like bent neon-sign glass.

Smears the letters in one direction to suggest speed or movement.

Draws a rough hand-drawn highlighter swipe behind the text. Change the variant for a different rough stroke.

Draws a rough hand-drawn circle or ellipse around the text, as if circled by pen.

Adds a rough hand-drawn scribbled underline beneath the text.

Places the text on a rounded card with a soft shadow, for a layered paper-cut look.

Pixelates the letters into blocky low-resolution squares for a retro game look.

Redraws the letter outlines as loose hand-sketched pen strokes with multiple passes.

Scatters small colorful confetti pieces around the text for a festive feel.

Fills the letters with repeating diagonal stripes in up to three colors.

Drops liquid drips down from the bottom of the letters, like paint or slime.

Lays a squashed, slanted, blurred shadow on the ground under the text so it appears to stand up.

Fills the letters with a two-color gradient at any angle.

Gives the letters a shiny reflective chrome finish with adjustable shine, contrast and tint.

Fills the letters with halftone comic dots over a solid background color.

Sprays a grainy stippled texture over the letters, like airbrush or spray paint.

Places a clean rounded highlight block behind the text, like a highlighted label.

Adds an underline beneath the text with a choice of styles, thickness and offset.

Wraps the text in a thick colored sticker border with a drop shadow, like a cut-out sticker.

Radiates comic-style burst lines outward from the text for energy and impact.

Splits the letter fill into two colors across an adjustable dividing line.

Adds a metallic gold-foil tint with small sparkle highlights. Change the variant for different sparkle placement.

Stacks up to three offset color copies behind the text for a layered retro poster shadow.

Offsets a thin colored outline copy off-register, imitating a misaligned print run.

Fades the text to transparent across a chosen direction for a soft dissolve.

Applies a gentle blur to the whole text, for a soft or out-of-focus look.

Renders the letters as a full 3D extrusion with separate top and bottom face colors, a depth (side) color and a shine border.

Scatters seeded four-point star glints across the letter faces, like catchlights on something shiny.

Draws a thin contour line inset inside the glyph edges, the classic varsity-jersey lettering look.

Rings the letters with up to four concentric hollow outlines marching outward, like elevation lines on a map.

Places glowing light bulbs along the glyph edges, the fairground and casino marquee look.

Punches the letters as holes out of a rounded panel, so whatever lies beneath shows through the text.

Fills the letters with a two-color checkerboard pattern.

Shades the letters with a comic dot screen that grows denser toward one side.

Fills the letters with seeded monochrome noise, like an analog TV with no signal.

Rebuilds the fill as glowing round pixels on a dark chip, like a stadium scoreboard.

Lays alternating light and dark facets across the letters, like folded paper catching the light.

Replaces the fill with hollow outlined glyphs and a fine technical grid inside, the construction-drawing look.

Fills the letters with alternating wavy horizontal bands, a stylized water look.

Fills the letters with a repeating little shape of your choice: hearts, stars, plus signs or rings.

Fills the letters with seeded organic camouflage blobs in four earthy tones.

Fills the letters with repeating circuit traces and solder pads on a dark board.

Fills the letters with a woven tartan of crossing translucent bands and thin accent lines.

Scatters fizzy little bubbles with highlights inside the letters, like a fresh soda.

Runs seeded branching fracture lines across the letters, for stone, ice or shattered looks.

Displaces the finished text in a sine wave, like its reflection in moving water or heat haze.

Puts a starburst badge panel behind the text, the classic price-sticker and quality-seal shape.

Casts the drop shadow as diagonal line shading instead of a solid shape, an editorial-illustration touch.

Wraps the letters in an outline filled with a two-color gradient ramp.

Removes any warp and returns the text to a straight baseline.

Bends the whole line of text along a circular arc, curving it up or down as one piece.

Arches the text like a rainbow, raising the middle while the ends stay lower.

Curves only the bottom edge of the text into an arc while the top stays flat.

Swells the middle of the text outward so it looks fatter in the centre.

Pinches the middle of the text inward, narrowing it toward the centre.

Ripples the text in an S-shaped wave, like a flag waving in the wind.

Sends the text along a smooth up-and-down wave.

Tilts the text upward so it rises from left to right in a slanted ramp.

Bulges the text as if seen through a fisheye lens, enlarging the centre.

Rotates the text progressively along its length for a twisting ribbon effect.

Flares the text wider at one end and narrower at the other, like a cone or funnel.

Distorts the text into a fish or eye shape, pointed at the ends and full in the middle.

Pushes the bottom of the text into a bouncing curve while the top stays put.

Adds repeating small ripples across the text for a rippled-water look.

Stretches the bottom of the letters downward as though the text is melting.

Tilts the text into a perspective plane so one end looks farther away.

Pulls the text inward toward a central point for a pinched, sucked-in distortion.

The color block in the Adjust panel changes the fill of the selected shape, or the color of the selected text layer. With no shape or text layer selected, it sets the foreground color instead.

Tip. Pick a shape or text layer first if you want the color to land on that layer.

If the selected layer currently uses a gradient or pattern fill, choosing a solid color switches its fill type back to solid so the color actually shows.

Tip. Use Gradient fill again afterwards to return to a gradient.

When a shape or text layer is selected, a grid of gradient preset swatches appears under the color block. Click one to fill the layer with that gradient. Shapes also receive a linear gradient direction.

Tip. Only shows when a shape or text layer is selected and gradient presets exist.

The Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Hue, Temperature, Exposure and Vibrance sliders apply live to the selected layer and stay non-destructive. Create Adjustment Layer moves them onto a separate full-canvas layer, and Reset clears them.

Tip. Positive slider values show with a leading plus sign in the value readout on the right.

The seven adjustment sliders and the Auto Levels, Auto Contrast and Auto Color buttons are disabled until you select a layer, because they act on the active layer.

Every filter, effect, text style and warp tile shows a small thumbnail rendered from your actual selected layer, so the tile previews the real result before you click.

Tip. Previews are cached per layer, so re-selecting a layer shows them instantly.

Clicking an effect that has adjustable parameters opens a settings dialog so you can tune it before applying. On a plain raster layer an effect without parameters applies immediately; on text, shape, group, generator and QR layers it first asks whether to convert the layer to a Smart Object, keeping it editable, or to bake it to pixels.

When the selected layer is a Smart Object, effects are added as Smart Filters that stay non-destructive. This note appears under the Effects grid so you know the effects can be re-edited or removed later.

Tip. Convert a layer to a Smart Object first to keep its effects editable.

On a normal (non-smart) layer, effects are baked into the pixels. For a vector layer such as text or a shape you are asked first: convert it to a Smart Object and the effect stays editable along with the text, or choose Apply to pixels and the layer is rasterized, which fixes its content. This note appears under the Effects grid for non-smart layers.

The Text Styles, Text Effects and Warp sections only appear when a text layer is selected. The Filters and Effects sections are always shown for any renderable layer.

Tip. Text Styles are one-click looks that you can fine-tune afterwards in Character, Text Effects and Warp.

With nothing selected, the Effects panel shows this prompt instead of the tiles. Select a layer to enable the filters, effects and text looks.

Bend sets how strongly the chosen warp shape distorts the text. Higher values curve, arch or wave the text more. The text stays fully editable because the warp is a render-time mesh distortion.

Tip. Pick a warp shape tile first, then the settings card with the Bend control opens over the canvas.

Choosing any warp shape opens a small settings card floating over the canvas that holds the Bend control. Re-picking the active shape re-opens the card, and choosing None removes the warp entirely.

Horizontal position of the layer's top-left corner, in canvas pixels. Type a number or drag the X label to scrub. For a group it shifts every member by the same amount so their spacing stays intact.

Tip. Drag the X label left or right to nudge the value without opening a slider.

Vertical position of the top-left corner, in canvas pixels. Type or scrub the Y label. Moving a group shifts all its members together.

Width of the layer in pixels. Type a value or scrub the W label. Disabled for groups, because a group has no real box of its own; resize a group with the Scale slider instead.

Height of the layer in pixels. Type or edit directly. Disabled for groups.

Rotates the layer around its own centre. 0° is upright, negative values turn it counter-clockwise. For a group the slider is a relative nudge that spins every member around the group's shared centre and snaps back to 0° when you release it.

Tip. On a group there is no single stored angle, so the slider always returns to 0° after each turn.

Grows or shrinks the layer about its centre as a live percentage, then snaps back to 100% on release so it reads as a relative nudge rather than a fixed size. Text scales its font size along with the box, and a group scales all members about their shared centre so the whole group grows uniformly.

Tip. This is the way to resize a group, since W and H are disabled for groups.

Mirrors the layer left to right. On a group it mirrors every member about the group's centre. Click again to flip back.

Mirrors the layer top to bottom. On a group it mirrors all members about the group centre. Click again to undo.

Clears rotation and both flips in one click, returning the layer to upright and unmirrored. Its tooltip reads Reset rotation and flips.

Tip. Also clears any stored 90-degree quadrant rotation on the layer.

Chooses how the shape is filled. Solid is one flat color, Gradient blends between color stops, and Pattern tiles a repeating motif. Switching to Gradient or Pattern the first time seeds sensible defaults (a two-stop gradient, or the dots pattern).

The solid fill color, shown when Fill is set to Solid. Click the swatch to pick a color, or type a CSS color value (for example a hex code) in the text box next to it.

The gradient style, shown when Fill is set to Gradient. Linear runs in a straight line, Radial spreads out from the centre, and Angle (conic) sweeps around like a color wheel.

The gradient bar with draggable color stops. Drag a stop to move it, click the bar to add a stop, and click a stop to recolor it. This defines the colors the fill blends between.

Direction of a linear or angle gradient, in degrees. Hidden for radial gradients (which have no direction). Slide from 0° to 360° to rotate the color flow.

Picks the repeating motif used to fill the shape, shown when Fill is set to Pattern. Choosing None falls back to the dots pattern.

Zooms the pattern tile in or out as a percentage of its natural size. Higher values make the motif larger and more spaced out.

The outline color drawn around the shape. Click the swatch to pick a color or type a value; leave it empty (placeholder none) for no outline.

Thickness of the outline in pixels. Scrub the label or type a number; 0 means no visible stroke. Values are clamped to whole pixels and never go below 0.

Rounds the corners of a rectangle shape. Only shown for rectangles. Larger values give softer, more pill-like corners.

How many points a star has, or how many sides a polygon has. The label reads Points for a star and Sides for a polygon. Only shown for those two shapes.

Solid, Dashed or Dotted outline for the shape, with Dash and Gap fields appearing for the dashed styles. Text outlines offer the same choice next to the outline width.

For line shapes (v1.300): two dropdowns pick a decoration for the start and the end of the line - Arrow, Triangle, Dot or Bar. Heads render in canvas output and SVG exports alike; dashes stop at the shaft, the heads stay solid.

A selected line shows two round grips on its ends instead of the eight resize handles (v1.299): drag either end to re-aim the line directly while the other end stays anchored; Shift snaps to 45° steps.

A two-row text box holding the layer's words. Edit here to change the copy without double-clicking on the canvas. You can also type dynamic tokens like {{post.title}} for templates.

The typeface picker. Opens the font library so you can choose a font family for the text (or the selected words while editing).

Font size in pixels. Type a number or scrub the Size label. While editing, it sizes only the selected characters.

Font weight (thickness), from Light to Black. Pick a numeric weight from the dropdown. Wt is short for weight.

Tip. 400 is regular, 700 is bold.

How the letters are filled: Solid color, Gradient, or Pattern. Choosing Gradient or Pattern reveals the same Type, gradient bar, Angle, Pattern and Pattern scale controls used for shapes.

Tip. See Fill & Stroke (shapes) for the gradient and pattern sub-controls.

The text color. Click the swatch to pick a color or type a CSS/hex value. While editing, it recolors only the selected words.

Letter spacing: extra space added between characters. Negative values tighten the letters, positive values spread them apart.

Tip. Also called letter-spacing.

Vertical spacing between lines, as a multiple of the font size. Lower values pack lines tighter, higher values open them up.

Bends the whole text into an arc. 0 is a straight line; positive values curve it one way, negative values the other. Hidden once text is attached to a path.

Where along a path the text begins, when the text is attached to a path. Slide to shift the text forward or backward along the curve.

Flips text-on-a-path to run along the other side of the curve (for example from inside to outside a circle). Only shown when text is attached to a path.

Removes the text from its path so it becomes normal straight text again. Only shown when text is on a path.

Draws a colored stroke around the letters. Pick an outline color with the swatch and set its thickness in the number box. Picking a color auto-sets a sensible width if none is set yet.

A hand-drawn highlighter behind the words. Pick a marker color with the swatch; the Remove button next to it clears the marker. It marks whole lines by default, or just the selected words while editing.

Tip. Select words during a live text edit to mark only them.

Drop shadow behind the text. Tick the checkbox to switch it on, then pick a shadow color with the swatch. Choosing a color also turns the shadow on.

A colored pill or box behind the text. Pick a background color with the swatch, set the corner radius in the number box, or press None to remove it.

Tip. Use a high radius for a rounded label or badge look.

For text imported from a PSD, this checkbox shows the original flattened pixel version instead of the live editable text. Only appears when a rasterized fallback exists.

Toggles bold on the text. Turning it on sets the weight to 700; turning it off returns to 400.

Slants the text into an italic style. Click again to turn it off.

Draws a line under the text. Click again to remove it.

Non-destructive all-caps toggle (v1.300): layout, canvas and exports render the text in capitals while the stored text keeps its original case - switch it off and the original casing returns.

Aligns each line of text to the left edge of the text box. This is the horizontal alignment for the lines within the layer.

Centres each line of text horizontally within the text box, so line starts and ends are balanced around the middle.

Aligns each line of text to the right edge of the text box.

Stretches lines so they fill the full width of the box, adding space between words to make flush left and right edges. Only shown for fixed-width text boxes, since point text has no fixed width to stretch to.

Vertical alignment: pins the text block to the top of its box. Use this when text should sit at the top and grow downward.

Vertical alignment: centres the text block between the top and bottom of its box. This is the default for auto-height (point) text.

Vertical alignment: pins the text block to the bottom of its box, so it grows upward from the baseline area.

Non-destructive paragraph lists (v1.301): every non-empty line gets a bullet or its running number in canvas renders, exports and SVG, while the stored text keeps its raw form. Toggle between none, bullets and numbering.

Lines up the selected objects so their left edges match. With two or more selected the reference is the selection's own bounding box; with a single object it is the canvas, so the object moves to the canvas edge.

Lines up the objects so their horizontal centres share the same vertical line. With two or more selected they centre on each other; with a single object it centres on the canvas.

Lines up the selected objects so their right edges match, snapping to the rightmost edge.

Lines up the objects so their top edges match, snapping to the highest edge in the selection.

Lines up the objects so their vertical centres share the same horizontal line. Objects shift up or down until centred on each other.

Lines up the selected objects so their bottom edges match, snapping to the lowest edge.

Spreads the selected objects out horizontally so the gaps between them are equal. Disabled until enough objects are selected to space apart.

Tip. Needs several objects; the button is greyed out otherwise.

Spreads the selected objects out vertically so the gaps between them are equal. Disabled until enough objects are selected.

The first choice in the Fill toggle. Fills the shape or text with one flat color. Pick it when you want a single solid color instead of a gradient or a repeating pattern. Choosing it shows the Color swatch below.

A gradient whose colors blend along a straight line from one side to the other. Use it for simple top-to-bottom or side-to-side color blends. When Linear is selected an Angle slider appears so you can set the direction.

Tip. The Angle slider is shown for Linear and Angle types.

A gradient whose colors radiate outward in rings from the center. Use it for a spotlight or soft glow look. It has no single direction, so the Angle slider is hidden for this type.

The conic (angular) gradient type: colors sweep around the center like a color wheel. This is the Angle choice inside the gradient Type toggle, not the Angle direction slider. An Angle slider still appears to set where the sweep begins.

Tip. Do not confuse this with the Angle slider that sets gradient direction.

The gradient type dropdown shown for a dedicated gradient layer (as opposed to a gradient fill inside a shape or text). Switches the whole layer between Linear, Radial, and Angle.

Many number fields have a draggable label. Press on the label text and drag left or right to scrub the value down or up without typing, then release to save the change. This works for X, Y, W, H, font Size, Stroke Size, Radius, and the Min size / Max size fit fields.

Tip. Drag right to increase, drag left to decrease.

Tooltip shown on the W and H boxes when a group is selected. A group has no box of its own, so its width and height fields are greyed out. Resize a whole group with the Scale slider instead, which grows every member together.

Label for the row of buttons that appears once text has been attached to a path. It groups the Reverse direction and Detach from path buttons. Shown only while the text layer is following a path.

Clears the color of the text background pill so the text sits on no fill. It sits next to the Background swatch and is greyed out when there is no background color set.

Sets how rounded the corners of the text background pill are. Higher values give a more pill-shaped highlight behind the text; zero gives square corners. It is the small number box in the Background row.

Removes the highlighter marker from the text. While editing, if you have words selected it clears the marker on just those words; otherwise it clears the marker for the whole layer. The button appears only when a marker is present.

Chooses which Brand Kit supplies the custom variables listed in this panel and which kit the post preview resolves with. The choice is stored on the document, so it travels inside saved templates. A run of the template can still override it.

Tip. Only shows when your site has more than one Brand Kit.

Binds the layer to a source such as a post title, excerpt, featured image, or the generated background. The list is grouped by source and only shows variables that match the layer type (text sources for text layers, image sources for image layers). Pick a variable to make the layer dynamic.

The first entry in the Variable list. Leaves the layer unbound so it keeps the exact text or image you placed. Selecting it also clears an existing binding.

A Variable entry, available for text layers only, that binds the layer to a WordPress custom field (post meta) by its key. Selecting it reveals the Meta key box below. Works on image layers too: a meta key holding an image attachment ID or URL swaps the image per post.

The custom-field key to read, for example my_field_key. Each post shows that field's value where the layer sits. This box appears only after you choose Custom field….

The smallest font size the auto-fit may shrink bound text down to when it is too long for its box. Text that still overflows at this size is shortened instead. Shown for bound text or text that contains variable tokens.

Tip. Drag the label to scrub, or type a value.

The largest font size the auto-fit will grow bound text to when it is short. Together with Min size it sets the range the text is allowed to move between. Shown for bound text or text that contains variable tokens.

Opens a variable picker so you can drop a token (like {{post.title}}) into the middle of the layer's own text. Use it to mix fixed words with dynamic values, for example Read more: {{post.title}}. Available for text layers that are not fully bound to a single Variable.

Tip. Mix variables into the text.

When the template runs, if every variable in a text layer resolves to empty, the whole layer is hidden for that post. This keeps designs tidy when a field is missing. It is a behaviour, not a control, and applies to text made of {{tokens}}.

Tip. Word-level styling resets on resolved text.

When you bind an image layer, it defaults to a centered Cover crop so an arbitrary source photo is not squashed into the box. You can change this afterwards in the Image Fit section. It is the default behaviour on first binding, not a button.

When a layer is bound to the generated background, the panel notes it will be replaced by that image at run time and suggests keeping a placeholder photo in it while you design. This is a helper message shown for the ai.background binding.

Stretches the image to fill the box exactly, ignoring its aspect ratio. It is fast but can squash or distort the picture. This is the legacy default for image layers.

Scales the image to fill the whole box and crops whatever overflows, while keeping the aspect ratio. Use it for photo backgrounds where the frame must be completely filled with no gaps.

Scales the image so the entire picture is visible inside the box, keeping the aspect ratio and leaving empty (letterbox) space on the short side. Use it when nothing may be cropped, for example a full logo.

With Cover or Fit, the image keeps a focal point that decides which part survives the crop, or where the letterboxed image sits. It defaults to the center. There is no grid here; double-click the layer on the canvas to drag the image and set that point freely.

Tip. Double-click the layer on the canvas to reposition the image freely.

On a raster layer that has baked pixels, a helper message reminds you the fit does not change the current pixels. It only controls how the layer's dynamic replacement image is placed when the template runs.

Segmented toggle that chooses how the shape is filled: Solid color, Gradient, or Pattern. Switching to Gradient seeds two stops if none exist; switching to Pattern seeds the dots pattern.

The solid fill color of the shape, shown when Fill is set to Solid. Pick from the swatch popover or type any CSS color into the text box next to it.

When Fill is Gradient, chooses the gradient shape: Linear (straight band), Radial (from a center point outward), or Angle (a conic sweep). The Angle slider below is hidden for Radial.

The color-stop bar for the gradient fill. Drag the handles to move stops, and click a stop to change its color and position. Extra room is left below the bar for the draggable handles.

Rotates a Linear or Angle gradient around the shape. Shown only when Type is not Radial. Zero degrees runs left to right.

When Fill is Pattern, picks the repeating pattern used to fill the shape (dots, stripes, and others). Choosing None falls back to the dots pattern.

Resizes the pattern tile inside the shape. Lower values make a denser, smaller pattern; higher values make a larger, sparser one.

The outline color drawn around the shape. Pick a color from the swatch, or type none (leave blank) to remove the outline.

The thickness of the shape's outline in pixels. Set it to 0 for no outline. Drag the label to scrub or type a value.

Rounds the corners of a rectangle shape. Higher values give softer, more rounded corners; 0 keeps sharp corners. Shown only for rectangle shapes.

Sets the number of sides for a polygon, or the number of points for a star. The label reads Points for stars and Sides for polygons. Shown only for polygon and star shapes.

Chooses the gradient shape for the layer: Linear (straight band), Radial (center outward), or Angle (conic sweep). The Angle slider below appears only for Linear; Size, Center X and Center Y appear only for Radial.

Sets how far a radial gradient reaches from its center out to its last stop. Drag it right to widen the fade, left to tighten it into a small spot. The readout at the right shows the reach as a percentage of the layer's diagonal, and the center stays where it is while you drag.

Tip. This is the control for template vignettes: shrink Size to pull the darkening in tighter around the subject.

Moves the center of a radial gradient sideways inside the layer. 0 puts it on the left edge, 50 in the middle, 100 on the right edge. The reach you set with Size is kept.

Moves the center of a radial gradient up and down inside the layer. 0 puts it on the top edge, 50 in the middle, 100 on the bottom edge. The reach you set with Size is kept.

Rotates a Linear gradient by moving its start and end points. Shown only when Kind is Linear. The value is read back from the stored from and to points.

The color-stop bar for the layer. Drag handles to move stops and click a stop to recolor it or change its position.

Flips the order of the color stops so the gradient runs the opposite way. Each stop's position is mirrored (position becomes 1 minus position) and the stops are re-sorted.

A read-only line at the top showing the Smart Object's source size, its kind (PSD or Image), and whether the original file is embedded. It helps you confirm what the Smart Object contains.

The checkbox beside each filter in the list turns that Smart Filter on or off without removing it. A disabled filter dims in the list and stops affecting the image. Use it to compare with and without an effect.

Moves the filter one place higher in the stack, changing the order effects are applied in. Disabled for the top filter. Order matters because each filter runs on the result of the one before it.

The X button deletes that Smart Filter from the stack. The source image is unaffected because filters are non-destructive.

A dropdown that appends a new Smart Filter to the stack. It lists all built-in effects plus any effects added by extensions (hidden ones are excluded). New filters start enabled with their default parameters.

Opens the Smart Object's inner document so you can edit its layers or image, then return and see the filters re-applied. This is the re-entry point for editing what is inside the Smart Object.

Swaps the Smart Object's source for a different image or file while keeping the layer's position, size, and filter stack. Use it to reuse a placement with new artwork.

Flattens the Smart Object and its live filters into a plain pixel (raster) layer. This bakes the current look permanently and removes the ability to edit contents or filters. Use it only when you no longer need the non-destructive stack.

Draws a colored outline around the layer's edge. Choose its thickness, color, and whether it sits outside, centered on, or inside the edge. Good for making text or shapes pop against a busy background.

Casts a soft shadow behind the layer to lift it off the background. Control its color, opacity, angle, distance, blur, and spread. The most common depth effect.

Casts a shadow inside the layer's edges, making it look recessed or cut into the surface. Control color, opacity, angle, distance, and blur.

Adds a soft glow radiating outward from the layer's edges. Set its color, opacity, blur, and spread. Use it for a halo or light-bloom look.

Fills the layer with a flat color on top of its content at the chosen opacity. Handy for tinting or recoloring a shape or image without editing it.

Adds a soft glow that spreads inward from the layer's edges toward the middle. Control its color, opacity, and blur. Good for a subtle inner light.

Adds highlight and shadow along the edges to fake a raised or carved 3D surface. Set the size, strength, and whether it looks raised (Up) or recessed (Down).

Overlays a soft, folded sheen inside the layer for a satin or cloth-like finish. Control color, opacity, angle, distance, and blur.

Lays a repeating pattern over the layer at a chosen opacity and scale. Pick the pattern and how large the tile is. Useful for texture or halftone looks.

Lays a gradient over the layer at a chosen angle and opacity. Edit the color stops on the bar and rotate with the angle. Good for tinted, directional color washes.

The color of the effect, chosen from a swatch popover. Appears for styles that use a single color, such as Stroke, Drop Shadow, Color Overlay, and glows.

The color-stop bar for Gradient Overlay. Drag and edit stops to build the gradient that is laid over the layer.

How strong or see-through the effect is. Lower values let more of the layer show through. Shown for most styles.

The overall thickness or reach of the effect, for example the width of a Stroke or the depth of a Bevel. Larger values make the effect bigger.

For the Stroke style, where the outline sits relative to the layer edge: Outside the shape, Centered on the edge, or Inside the shape. Inside keeps the outer silhouette crisp; Outside grows the visible size.

The direction the effect comes from, for shadows, satin, and gradient overlays. Rotate it to move a shadow around the layer or aim the gradient.

How far a shadow or satin is offset from the layer. Higher values push the shadow further away, making the layer feel more lifted.

How soft the effect's edge is. Zero is a hard edge; higher values give a softer, more feathered look. Shown for shadows, glows, and satin.

Grows the solid core of a shadow or glow before the blur is applied, making it thicker and more intense. Shown for Drop Shadow and Outer Glow.

How pronounced the Bevel & Emboss relief is. Higher values deepen the highlight and shadow for a stronger 3D feel.

For Bevel & Emboss, whether the surface looks raised or carved: Up (raised) pushes it toward you, Down (recessed) sinks it in.

For Pattern Overlay, the repeating pattern laid over the layer. Choosing None falls back to the dots pattern. Extensions can add more patterns.

For Pattern Overlay, how large the pattern tile is. Higher values enlarge the tile so the motif repeats less often.

A property section provided by an installed extension, appearing under the built-in sections when its condition matches the selected layer. Its title and controls come from the extension itself, so what you see varies by add-on. Extensions read live layer values so their controls stay in sync as you work.

Tip. If an extension section fails to load, it is skipped and the rest of the panel still works.

Fills the shape body with a single flat color, taken from the Color swatch below. This is the starting fill mode unless the layer already carries a pattern.

Tip. The exact color is edited with the Color swatch and hex field under the toggle.

Fills the body with a multi-stop color blend. Choosing it reveals the gradient Type, gradient bar, and Angle controls, and if the layer has no stops yet it seeds a two-stop blend from the current fill color to orange.

Fills the body with a repeating tile pattern. Choosing it reveals the Pattern picker and Pattern scale slider; if no pattern is set it starts on the dots pattern.

Blends the colors along a straight line across the layer. Use it for simple top-to-bottom or side-to-side fades. The Angle slider sets the line's direction.

Blends the colors outward in rings from the center to the edges, good for spotlights and soft glows. The angle control is hidden for this type because a radial blend has no single direction.

Sweeps the colors around a center point like a clock hand (a conic gradient). Use it for cone or pie-slice color effects.

Draws the stroke fully outside the shape's edge, so the fill stays untouched and the layer grows slightly. This is the default stroke position.

Straddles the stroke on the edge so half of its width sits inside the shape and half outside.

Draws the stroke fully inside the edge, so the layer keeps its size and the stroke eats into the fill.

Lights the top of the bevel so the layer looks raised toward you. This is the default direction for Bevel & Emboss.

Lights the bottom of the bevel so the layer looks pressed into the surface.

Shown under a bound text layer. It explains that text which does not fit first shrinks toward the Min size, then gets shortened, and points you to View, Preview with Post to test against real content.

Tip. Pair this with the Min size and Max size fields to control how far text is allowed to shrink.

Shown under a bound image layer. It explains that the image source is swapped in per post when the template runs and is placed into the box using the Image Fit settings.

The heading over the stacked list of non-destructive filters applied to this Smart Object. Filters render from top to bottom and can be reordered at any time without changing the embedded source.

Tip. Reordering with Move up changes the order filters are applied in, which can change the result.

Each row shows the applied filter's label between its on/off checkbox and the reorder and remove buttons. The label dims when the filter is switched off but stays in the stack.

The default placeholder text in the Add menu, shown before you pick an effect to append to the filter stack. Selecting any effect from the list adds it, enabled, to the bottom of the stack.

Switches the panel to the Layers list, where you stack, reorder, show or hide, group and blend the layers of your document. This is the default working view for building a design.

Opens the Properties panel, which shows the settings of the selected layer: position, size, text options, image fit and so on. Tool settings are not here, they live in the options bar above the canvas.

Opens the Adjust panel for color and tone corrections on the active layer: brightness, contrast, saturation, hue, temperature, exposure and vibrance. Curves and Levels are not here, they live under the Filter menu.

Opens the Effects panel for filters and visual effects applied to the active layer.

Opens the History panel: the list of every step you have taken, named snapshots you have saved, and the saved file versions of an existing image. Use it to jump back and forth in time.

Opens the AI panel (labelled AI Studio on the tab), with the prompt box plus all local and cloud AI tools. Use it to generate images, edit layers and run one-click AI helpers.

Installed extensions can add extra tabs to the right of the six built-in ones. Each extension renders its own controls into the panel body. If you have no extensions installed, no extra tabs appear.

Tip. Extension tabs use the sliders icon and are keyed by the extension id.

A thin handle on the left edge of the panel. Drag it left or right to make the whole right dock wider or narrower. The width you set is saved and reused next time.

Tip. The panel also widens on its own if a tab's content would otherwise scroll sideways.

The heading at the top of the AI panel. It marks the start of the AI tools and has a small status dot next to it.

Tip. The tab itself is labelled AI Studio; the panel heading reads AI Assist.

One pill per AI provider you have configured in Settings. Click a pill to choose which provider runs the cloud actions (Generate, Edit Layer, and the AI cloud grid). Only providers you have set up appear here.

Tip. The active provider is highlighted; the first configured provider is used if your saved choice is unavailable.

The message shown in place of the provider pills when you have not configured any AI provider. It tells you that only the key-free local tools will work until you add a provider in Settings.

The large text field where you describe what to generate or change, for example add soft morning light or make the background minimal and cream colored. The prompt feeds Generate, Edit Layer, From Sketch, From Post and the cloud actions that need instructions (Inpaint, Replace BG).

A small style picker above the prompt box that appends a look or art direction to your prompt text (for example a photographic or illustration style). Use it to steer the visual style without typing it out.

Tip. It edits the same prompt text, so you can still tweak the wording afterwards.

The small label above the aspect ratio row. It marks the set of buttons that choose the shape of the generated image.

The default aspect ratio choice. It matches the document's own aspect ratio, so the generated image comes out shaped like your current canvas.

Fixed shape choices for generation, next to Auto. Pick one to force the generated image into that ratio instead of matching the document. Providers work on fixed grids, so these cover the common ratios.

The primary button that creates a brand-new image from your prompt and adds it as a new layer. Needs a configured provider and some prompt text. Respects the chosen Format (aspect) and, if enabled, the brand details.

Sends the active layer to the AI and rewrites it according to your prompt, keeping it as the same layer. Use it to change an existing image (recolor, restyle, add or remove elements) rather than start from scratch. Needs a provider and prompt.

Turns your whole canvas (a rough, multi-layer sketch) into a finished image, using the flattened canvas as a reference and your prompt for direction. Use it to render a quick layout mock-up into a polished picture. Needs a provider and prompt.

Opens a post picker; the chosen post's title, excerpt and content ride along with your prompt so the AI can, for example, make a quick article infographic. If you leave the prompt empty it falls back to a generic illustrative prompt. Needs a provider.

Tip. Leave the prompt blank to let the article alone drive the image.

A checkbox (shown only when you have at least one Brand Kit) that appends the selected kit's colors and fonts to the prompt, and attaches its logo as a reference image, for Generate, Edit Layer, From Sketch and From Post. Turn it on to keep AI results on-brand.

A dropdown next to Include brand details that appears only when you have more than one Brand Kit. Pick which kit's colors, fonts and logo the AI should follow. It is disabled until Include brand details is checked.

Detects the main subject of the active image and turns it into a selection. Use it as a fast way to get a selection before cutting out, removing an object, or applying an edit to just the subject.

Erases the selected area and fills it from the surrounding pixels. First make a selection (Smart Select K, or Select Subject), then click this. For tricky fills the cloud version is stronger.

Tip. This is the local, key-free eraser; there is also a cloud Remove Object.

Cuts out the subject of the active image layer and makes the background transparent. Use it to isolate a product or person for compositing.

Keeps the subject sharp and blurs everything behind it for a portrait look. It asks you for the blur strength in pixels before running.

Opens a graduated background blur built from a depth map, with a focus and strength slider for a true depth-of-field effect. Use it when a single flat blur is not enough and you want the blur to increase with distance.

Finds every human face on the active layer with the local Florence-2 model and pixelates it beyond recognition, in one step and without a key. Use it before publishing photos of people.

Traces the active image into editable vector shapes (SVG paths) and places them as new shape layers. Use it to turn a logo or flat graphic into clean, scalable vectors.

Doubles the source resolution of the active image layer. The layer keeps its size on the canvas, but zooming in and exporting come out sharper.

Tip. It is not a no-op even though the on-canvas size does not change; the underlying pixels get finer.

A one-click automatic boost of color, contrast and sharpness on the active image layer. Use it for a quick overall improvement with no settings.

Smooths and slightly tightens the cutout edge of the active image layer. Use it to clean up fringes left behind by Remove BG.

Crops the canvas down to the detected subject, leaving a small margin. Use it to auto-trim empty space around the main object.

Cuts out the subject and adds a white sticker outline with a soft shadow. Use it to make a die-cut sticker style graphic in one click.

Builds the magazine look in one click: duplicates the active image layer, cuts out its subject locally and slides an editable headline between background and cutout. The headline is selected afterwards, ready to type.

Keeps the subject in color and turns everything else black and white. The same local subject mask as Remove BG drives it, with soft edges that blend instead of cutting, so hair and fur survive the border.

Cuts out the subject and centers it on clean white with a soft contact shadow, sized with comfortable margins. Every product photo looks like a catalog page; the original layer is replaced, undo brings it back.

Dims the background and wraps the subject in a glowing colored rim. The glow borrows the first vivid color of your Brand Kit when one is set, and falls back to neon cyan.

Zoom-blurs the background outward around the subject while the subject itself stays sharp - instant motion for cars, sports and action shots.

Adds atmospheric haze staged by a real depth estimate: clear up front, misty in the distance. Runs the same local depth model as Depth Blur.

Any AI tools added by installed extensions appear alongside the built-in local tools and run in the same progress and error handling. What you see depends on which extensions you have installed.

Sends the active layer to the AI and recreates it at much higher quality: sharper, cleaner and more detailed, while keeping the same subject, colors and composition. Use it when the local Enhance is not strong enough.

Flattens the whole canvas as a reference and redesigns it to a professional standard, keeping the layout, text and composition but making it noticeably more polished. The result is added as a new layer on top.

Erases the selected area and lets the AI reconstruct what was behind it. First make a selection (Smart Select K, or Select Subject), then click this. Stronger than the local version for tricky fills.

Repaints only the selected area from your prompt; everything outside the selection stays untouched. Steps: select an area, type what should go there in the prompt box, then click this.

Extends the picture outward, inventing more scenery. It fills empty canvas around your image, or enlarges the canvas by 25% per side if it is already full. An optional prompt steers what appears.

Adds natural, realistic color to a black-and-white photo on the active image layer. Use it to bring old monochrome photos to life.

Redraws the active image layer as a clean, vibrant cartoon illustration. Use it to stylize a photo into a drawn look.

Repairs an old or damaged photo on the active layer, removing scratches, dust and noise and improving clarity. Use it on scanned or aged photographs.

Cuts out the subject locally, then generates a brand-new background from your prompt behind it. Type the background you want in the prompt box first, then click this.

Generates alternative takes on the active layer and shows them in a chooser so you can keep the one you like. This tool appears only when an OpenAI provider is configured.

A vision model looks at the flattened document like an art director: one overall verdict plus three to six concrete findings (area, issue, suggested fix). The answer comes in the editor language from Settings, Help - independent of the WordPress locale.

Five stronger alternatives for the selected text layer, in the same language and about the same length as the original. Picking one replaces the layer text; undo restores the original.

A checkbox under the Format row: the image model draws the prompt as flat artwork and the local tracer converts it into editable shape layers - real paths, not pixels. Distinct from the Asset Generator, whose text model writes simple SVG directly.

A small card that floats over the top right of the canvas while an AI action runs. It names the current step (for example Generating image… or Editing layer…) and reminds you it can take a few seconds.

Tip. It floats over the canvas so it stays visible even if the AI panel scrolls.

Stops waiting on the current AI action and hides the status card. If a result still arrives after you cancel, it is discarded rather than applied.

The dialog that opens after Variations finishes. It shows the alternative results in a grid; click (or press Enter on) one to keep it as a new layer. The rest are discarded when you pick or close.

The header of the History panel. It shows how many steps are currently recorded in the session's undo stack.

Tip. N updates live as you work.

Saves a named marker of the current state so you can find and return to it easily later. It asks for a name (default Snapshot) and adds a pinned entry to the step list.

Tip. Snapshot entries are marked with a pin so they stand out in the list.

One entry in the step list, labelled with the action it represents (for example a text, shape, brush or crop operation) and a matching icon. Click it, or press Enter, to time-travel the document to that exact point.

The step you are currently sitting on is highlighted as the current one. It marks where in history the document is right now.

Tip. Steps after the current one are shown as future steps you can jump forward to.

Steps that come after the current one (because you traveled back in time). They are dimmed. Clicking one moves forward to it; doing new work from an earlier point may replace them.

A small floating image that appears when you hover over a history step, showing how the canvas looked at that step. It helps you find the right point before clicking. Previews are cached so re-hovering is instant.

A footer that appears only when you are editing an image already in the Media Library. It lists the file versions saved on the server, newest first, so you can roll the file back to an earlier save.

Tip. This is separate from the in-session history; it survives closing the editor.

One saved server version, showing its version number, the date and time it was saved, and its file size in kilobytes. Each has a Restore button.

Rolls the file back to that saved version. It asks you to confirm; the current file becomes a new version first (so nothing is lost) and then the editor reloads on the restored version.

Tip. Restoring reloads the editor page.

A badge on the last row of the Saved versions list marking the version the file is currently on. It has no Restore button because it is already active.

The top section of the panel, holding the record controls and the Save Look button. This is where you capture a new action.

Starts recording your edits into a new action. While recording, apply the filters, effects, adjustments and image operations you want to capture; they are listed live below the button.

Tip. Only recordable steps (filters, effects, adjustments, resize, rotate, flip, flatten) are captured.

Stops recording and asks for a name to save the action under (default My action). The button also shows the number of steps captured so far. If nothing was recorded it tells you and saves nothing.

Saves the active layer's current filter and adjustments as a reusable look (a single-step action). It suggests the filter's name as the default. Disabled when no layer is active, or if the layer has no filter or adjustments to save.

The live list shown while recording, with one bullet per captured step. Before you do anything it shows a hint reminding you to apply filters, effects, adjustments, resize, rotate, flip or flatten.

Tip. Watch this to confirm each edit was captured.

The middle section listing every action and look you have saved yourself. When it is empty it points at the bundled set below, which works right away: fifty-six ready-made actions in six groups (Web & Sizes, Photo Fixes, Looks & Styles, Artistic, Privacy & AI, Social Formats). Each item you saved can be played, deleted, and is included in Export; the bundled ones can only be played.

One saved action in the list. It shows a marker (a palette for a look, a play arrow for a recorded action), the name, and the chain of steps it will run. Has its own Play and Delete buttons.

Tip. Looks are marked differently from full recorded actions.

Runs the action's steps on the current document, in order. A spinner shows while it runs, and a success message names the applied action when it finishes. Only one action can play at a time.

Removes one of your own saved actions or looks from the list. It deletes immediately with no confirmation, so use it deliberately. The bundled actions have no delete button; they are part of the plugin.

Downloads the actions you saved yourself as a single JSON file (wpie-actions.json). Use it to back up your actions or share them with someone else. The bundled actions are not exported, since every installation already has them. Disabled when you have saved none of your own.

Loads actions from a JSON file (such as one exported earlier) and adds them to your list. It opens a file picker and reports how many actions were imported.

The bottom section, explaining that you can apply an action to many library images at once.

Opens the batch dialog, where you pick an action and run it across many Media Library images in one go. Use it to apply the same edit or look to a whole set of photos.

Heading over the first grid of quick actions. Everything under it runs entirely in your browser with no API key. The note under the heading reads These run entirely in your browser, no key needed, and your image never leaves your site. Use these for fast, private edits at no cost.

Tip. Extension AI tools also appear inside this Local tools grid.

Heading over the second grid of quick actions. These call your configured AI provider and may cost money; the note reads These run on your configured AI provider and may incur cost. If no provider is set up yet, the note instead says the tools need a provider key and shows an add one in Settings link.

Tip. The add one in Settings link opens the plugin settings in a new tab.

A small dialog that opens when you click Blur Background. Type how strongly to blur the background behind the subject, in pixels. Higher numbers give a stronger, softer out-of-focus look.

Tip. Confirm with your typed value; an empty or invalid entry falls back to 18 px.

Each image tile in the Choose a variation dialog is one AI alternative of the active layer. Click a tile to keep that one as a new layer; the other tiles are discarded.

Tip. Focus a tile with the keyboard and press Enter to pick it.

The subtitle under the dialog title. It reminds you that choosing one tile throws the other options away, so there is no way to keep several at once.

The X button in the top corner of the Choose a variation dialog. It closes the dialog without keeping any variation. Clicking the dark area outside the dialog does the same thing.

Tip. Closing here keeps your original layer unchanged.

The dialog that opens from the Snapshot button. Type a name in the Snapshot name field and confirm to pin a named restore point into the history list. The name is saved with a 📌 pin marker so snapshots stand out among ordinary steps.

Tip. Cancelling, or confirming with an empty name, adds nothing.

A confirmation box shown when you click Restore on a saved version. It warns Restore version vN? The current file becomes a new version and the editor reloads. Confirm with the Restore button to load that version; the whole editor reloads afterward.

Tip. Your current work is not lost; it is saved as a new version before the older one loads.

Under each saved version's vN name is a second line showing when it was saved (your local date and time) and its file size in kilobytes. Use it to tell versions apart before restoring.

The naming dialog shown after you press Stop & Save. Type a name in the Name for this action field and confirm to store the recorded steps as a reusable action. Cancel to discard the whole recording.

Tip. An empty name is saved as Action.

The field in the Save Look dialog that appears when you save the active layer's filter and adjustments as a reusable look. It is prefilled with the layer's current filter name, or Look if there is none. Confirm to save the look; cancel to abort.

Tip. An empty name is saved as Look.

Each item in the Saved Actions list is prefixed with an icon showing its type: a 🎨 palette for a saved look (a filter plus adjustments) and a ▶ triangle for a recorded action (a sequence of steps). It is a read-only hint, not a button.

The placeholder text shown in the Saved Actions section when you have not stored any actions or looks yet. It names the two ways to create one.

While the recorder is running but nothing has been captured yet, this hint tells you which operations get recorded. As you apply steps they replace the hint and appear as a bullet list. Pressing Stop & Save with nothing recorded shows a reminder to apply operations while recording.

Beyond the manual drag handle, the right panel remembers its width and can widen itself automatically. If a tab's content (for example a long translated label) would otherwise need a horizontal scrollbar, the panel grows just enough to fit. Your chosen width is saved and restored on your next visit.

Tip. Drag the left edge of the panel to set a width by hand; the value persists.