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Layers, groups, and effects

Layers are drawn from the bottom of the list to the top. A frame behind the artwork belongs lower in the stack; labels and icons that must remain visible belong higher.

Organise the layer list​

  • Rename layers as soon as their purpose is clear.
  • Drag to reorder them or use the forward/back quick actions.
  • Group related elements such as a cost icon and value.
  • Collapse groups to make a long design easier to scan.
  • Lock settled layers to prevent accidental movement.
  • Hide a layer when testing an alternate layout. Hidden layers are not included in normal output.

A design supports up to 2,000 layers. Repeated decorative details are usually easier to maintain as one image or a referenced design than hundreds of individual shapes.

Three places effects can appear​

Image appearance​

Image layers can change crop, fit, focal point, and other image-specific appearance. These settings affect that image layer only.

Layer effects​

Layer effects travel with the selected layer or group. Use them for treatments that belong to one object, such as a shadow, outline, blur, or colour adjustment.

Side effects​

Design settings can apply a treatment to the complete face or back after its layers are combined. This is useful when the whole side needs one consistent finish.

Frames and clipping​

Frames establish a visual boundary for artwork or a group. Check the result with images of different aspect ratios: a crop that works for a portrait may hide the important part of a landscape image.

Turn on print margins while arranging the piece:

  • Extend backgrounds and edge artwork through the bleed.
  • Keep rules text, icons, and important faces inside the safe area.
  • Treat the cut line as an expected variation, not an exact pixel boundary.

Run Export QA after binding real data because long text and low-resolution images may only appear on particular generated cards.