Layers

Keep parts of your pattern separate: background, text, backstitch, experiments. Hide/show, reorder, duplicate.

Location: Left toolbar → Layers
Keyboard & modifiers
Escape
Close Layers panel

Basics

Layers are like transparent sheets stacked on top of each other. Each layer holds its own stitches, so you can edit one part without accidentally touching the rest.

Layers overview — add, reorder, toggle visibility

If two layers have stitches in the same spot, the layer higher in the stack is what you'll see.

Core workflows:

  • Separate concerns: Background on the Base Layer, motif on Layer 1, text on Layer 2.
  • Experiment safely: Duplicate a layer, try something bold, delete it if it doesn't work.
  • Selective export: Hide layers you don't want in the final PDF or image.
  • Merge when ready: Flatten layers down to simplify before export.

The base layer

Every pattern starts with a Base Layer at the bottom. It's special:

  • It's always there — can't be deleted.
  • It always stays at the bottom — can't be reordered.
  • You can still rename it, hide it, and paint on it like any other layer.

When you create or import a pattern, everything begins on the Base Layer. Add layers on top to keep things organized.

Base Layer — locked at the bottom with a lock icon

Adding layers

Click + to add a new layer. It appears at the top and becomes your active layer, automatically named "Layer 1", "Layer 2", etc.

Stitchmate supports up to 10 layers (plus the Base Layer). If you hit the limit, delete or flatten a layer to make room.

The footer shows your current count: X/10.

Adding layers — click +, new layer appears at top

Selecting & switching layers

Click a layer to make it active — you'll see a checkmark.

Everything you draw, erase, or edit affects only the active layer. Stitches on other layers are untouched, even in the same spot on the canvas.

Note: You can work on the Base Layer too — it's only locked in position, not locked for editing.

Visibility

Toggle the eye icon to hide or show a layer.

Great for:

  • Hiding text while you adjust the motif underneath.
  • Comparing "before vs after" on experiments.
  • Excluding helper or reference layers from the final export.

Hidden layers won't appear in PDF or image exports. Use visibility as an export switch.

Toggle visibility — hide a layer, stitches disappear from canvas

Pro tip: Hide the Base Layer temporarily to see only your overlay layers in isolation. Great for checking alignment.

Renaming layers

Double-click a layer name to edit it. Type the new name and press Enter to confirm, or Escape to cancel.

Rename layers to what they mean: "Background", "Border", "Face detail", "Backstitch", "Experiment".

Rename — double-click, type, Enter

Reordering layers

Drag layers up or down to change what sits on top.

If something is covering something else, reordering is usually the fix. Move a layer higher and its stitches will appear above the layers below.

The Base Layer can't be reordered — it always stays at the bottom.

Drag to reorder — layer moves up, overlapping stitches update

Duplicating a layer

Right-click a layer → Duplicate Layer. A full copy appears at the top of the stack, named "Original Name copy", and becomes your active layer.

Perfect for risky changes:

  1. Duplicate.
  2. Experiment.
  3. Keep the better one, delete the rest.

Note: Duplicating counts against the 10-layer limit. If you're at the limit, free up a slot first.

Flatten (merge down)

Right-click a layer → Flatten to Layer Below. This merges one layer into the layer directly underneath it.

What happens:

  • Stitches on the upper layer replace stitches below where they overlap.
  • Empty space on the upper layer does nothing to what's below.
  • The upper layer disappears after the merge.
  • Undo restores everything in one step.

Flatten is great when you're done layering and want to simplify before export.

Right-click context menu — Flatten to Layer Below

You can't flatten the Base Layer because there's nothing under it.

New layer from selection

Got a selection? You can lift it into its own layer.

New Layer from Selection:

  • Moves the selected stitches onto a new layer.
  • Removes them from the original layer.
  • Activates the new layer immediately.

Great for separating a face, border, text, or any area you want to tweak independently.

Deleting layers

Two ways:

  1. Trash icon in the panel footer — deletes the active layer.
  2. Right-click → Delete Layer on any layer.

Both ask for confirmation. Deleting removes the layer and all its stitches. If the deleted layer was active, the editor switches to the Base Layer.

You can delete any layer except the Base Layer. Deleting is fully undoable — Cmd/Ctrl+Z brings the layer and all its stitches back.

Delete layer — confirm, stitches removed, switch to Base Layer

UI overview

  • + Add layer — in the panel header.
  • Layer list — top = front, bottom = back. Drag to reorder.
  • Eye toggle — hide/show each layer.
  • Active layer checkmark — shows which layer you're editing.
  • Layer count — X/10 in the footer.
  • Right-click menu — Duplicate, Rename, Flatten, Delete.
Layers panel — layer list, visibility toggles, footer counter

Tips & gotchas

  • Edits only affect the active layer. Check the checkmark before painting — accidentally editing the wrong layer is the most common layers mistake.
  • If layers overlap, the higher layer is what you see. Reorder to change priority.
  • Hidden layers won't export. Use visibility as an export switch.
  • Base Layer can't be deleted or moved, but you can still rename it, hide it, and paint on it.
  • Flatten merges down one step at a time. There's no "merge all visible." Flatten from top to bottom to collapse everything.
  • Layer limit is 10 (plus Base). Flatten or delete to make space.
  • Everything is undoable. Add, delete, rename, reorder, duplicate, flatten — all one-step Undo.
  • Right-click for power moves. Duplicate and Flatten are only in the context menu, not in the panel buttons.