Moving and hiding objects using Layers panel in Muse
Create and use Layers in Adobe Muse
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Muse includes a Layers panel that you can use to structure your page elements and organize your site designs. In this article, you'll learn about the Layers panel and find strategies to make your projects easier to update.
By default, each page of a Muse site contains at least one named layer. Using multiple layers, you can create and edit specific areas or kinds of content on the page without affecting other areas or accidentally changing other content. For example, you can use layers to display main page content and sidebar information in the same web design. Or you can place content that rarely updates in one layer, while keeping content that you'll update frequently on a different layer of the same page.
Think of layers as transparent sheets that are stacked on top of each other. If a layer doesn’t have objects on it, you can see through it to any objects that exist on the layers behind it.
Review the Layers panel and take a moment to consider how the stacking order works.
The Layers panel in Adobe Muse.
In the example above, Layer 1 has a text field that displays 1, Layer 2 has a text field that displays 2, and Layer 3 has a text field that displays 3.
Any elements placed on Layer 3 (the top layer) will display above the elements in Layer 2 and Layer 1. This behavior is similar to the stacking order that occurs when you select an object and choose Arrange & Bring to Front. Except when you place elements on specific layers, they are organized in a way that allows you to control the stacking order of groups of elements.
To change the stacking order, you can select a layer and drag it, to reposition it in the order of the Layers panel. In this example, Layer 1 has been dragged to the top of the Layers panel and Layer 3 has been repositioned to the bottom of the stack.
Rearrange the order of the layers to change which element is on top.
Each layer can contain multiple elements, and the stacking order of the elements in each layer also dictates whether items display above or below other items on the page.
Layers give you unprecedented control over the arrangement of page elements in your Muse site projects.
Even if you've previously worked with Layer panels in other tools, such as image editors, it's important to consider how layers work in Muse:
Expand and collapse layers. Each layer has a triangle to the left of the layer name. When collapsed, you can click the triangle to expand the contents of the layer and see the list of objects and their stacking order on that layer for the active page. Groups, widgets, and certain widget parts also have triangles that can be clicked to expand the set, to display their contained objects. You can re-order these objects, lock and unlock them, and add or remove them from groups. Layers that do not contain objects on the current page do not display a triangle because they are already expanded.
Objects on master pages appear at the bottom of each layer. Master items can appear in front of document page objects if the master page objects are placed on a higher layer, but by default they are located on the bottom of the stacking order.
Layers involve all pages of a site, including masters. For example, if you hide Layer 1 while editing the Home page of your document, the content on Layer 1 is hidden on all pages until you choose to show it again.
The Layers panel is very powerful and includes many helpful features that can help you work more efficiently. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the key features:
Create new layers
Set layer options
Add objects to layers
Select, move, and copy objects on layers
Paste objects into different layers
Duplicate a layer
Change the order of layers
Show or hide layers and objects
Lock or unlock layers
Delete layers
Merge layers in a document
These features are described in more detail in the sections below. The key elements of the Layers panel are highlighted below.
The itemized features in the Layers panel.
Target layer B.
Delete layer C.
New layer D.
Help about layers F.
Locked layer G.
Hidden layer H.
Visible layer
You can add layers at any time by clicking the New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel. The number of layers a document can have is limited only by the amount of RAM available to Muse. The new layers you create will always appear at the top of the Layers panel, but you can drag them to reposition them.
Follow these steps to create a new layer:
Click the Layers tab to make the Layers panel active, or choose Window & Layers to open the Layers panel if it is closed.
Click the New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel.
Note: If you'd like to create a new layer and also open the Layer Options dialog box, press Alt/Option as you click the New Layer button.
You can update the attributes of layers in the Layers panel, to change the color coding associated with that layer, show or hide layers, show or hide guides, and lock layers to prevent them from being accidentally selected and edited. Follow these steps to update the layer options:
Right-click or double-click an existing layer. (Or press Alt/Option while clicking the New Layer button).
In the Layer Options dialog box that appears, specify the layer options, and then click OK.
Update the settings in the Layer Options dialog box.
You can update the following settings:
Layer name: Enter a descriptive name for the layer, to help organize your page content.
Color: Assign a color to identify the objects that exist on that layer. Assigning a color to a layer makes it easier to distinguish the layers of different selected objects. When selected on the page, each object displays the color of its layer in its bounding box, shape selection handles, text frames, and image frame edges. The layer color does not appear when objects are deselected.
Show Layer: Select this option to make a layer visible. Selecting this option invokes the same behavior as clicking the eye icon to make the layer visible in the Layers panel.
Lock Layer: Select this option to prevent changes to any objects on the layer.
Any new object is placed on the target layer, the layer
with a bold label displaying the triangle in the top right corner of the
layer in the Layers panel. Target a specific layer by clicking it.
You can add objects to the target layer by doing any one of the following:
Creating new objects with the Text tool or Rectangle tools.
Importing, placing, or pasting text or graphics.
Selecting objects on other layers, and then moving them to the new layer.
You cannot draw or place a new object on a hidden
or locked layer. When you select a drawing tool or the Type tool, or
place a file when the target layer is hidden or locked, the pointer
displays the crossed-out pencil icon when it is positioned over the page
in Design view. Either show or unlock the target layer, or target a
visible, unlocked layer.
If you choose Edit & Paste when the target
layer is hidden or locked, an alert message appears, giving you the
choice of showing or unlocking the target layer.
When you click a layer in the Layers panel to
target it, a triangle appears at the top right on the layer you clicked,
the layer label becomes bold, and the layer also highlights to indicate
that it is targeted.
By default, you can select any object on any layer. In
the Layers panel, colored squares on the far right mark layers that
contain selected objects. A small square indicates that at least one
object is selected on that layer and a large square indicates that all
objects on that layer are currently selected. The layer’s selection
color helps you identify an object’s layer. To prevent selecting objects
on a specific layer, lock (or hide) the layer.
To select individual objects on a
layer, click the triangle icon to the left of the layer name to expand
the layer, and select the target element in the list. You can also drag
the target object to a different location without selecting it.
To select all objects on a specific layer, click the square to the right of the layer name.
To move or copy objects to
another layer, use the Selection tool to select one or more objects on a
page or master page. In the Layers panel, drag the colored square on
the right side of the layer list to move the selected objects to the
other layer.
The Paste Remembers Layers option affects how objects pasted from other locations interact with existing layers.
If the “Paste Remembers Layers” option is enabled,
objects cut or copied from different layers retain their layer
assignments when pasted to a new page or position. If you paste an
object to a page that doesn’t have the same layers as the page from
which is was copied, Muse adds the object's layer name to the Layers
panel in the second document, and pastes the object on its corresponding
If the Paste Remembers Layers option is not
selected, objects cut or copied from different layers are pasted
together on the current target layer.
Make sure that Paste Remembers
Layers is deselected in the Layers context menu that appears when you
right-click anywhere in the panel.
Select objects and choose Edit & Copy or Edit & Cut.
In the Layers panel, click a different layer to target it.
Choose Edit & Paste.
When you duplicate a layer, you copy its contents and
settings. The duplicate layer then appears above the original layer in
the Layers panel.
In the Layers panel, do one of the following:
Select the layer name and choose
Duplicate Layer in the Layers context menu that appears when you right
click (context click) on a layer (or selected layers).
Drag a layer name and drop it on the New Layer button.
Change the stacking order of layers in your document by
rearranging the layers on the Layers panel. Rearranging layers changes
the order of layers on every page in the site, not just the current page
in Design view.
You can also change the stacking order of objects within a layer by repositioning objects within the layer.
In the Layers panel, drag a layer up or down in the list. You can also drag multiple selected layers.
You can hide or display any layer at any time, and you can hide or display objects on a layer. Hidden layers and objects can’t be edited, and don’t appear on screen in Design view, Preview, Publish, or after exporting sites. Hiding layers can be useful when you want to do any of the following:
Hide objects when you design sites using responsive layout. You can optionally hide objects while you design your page for various devices in a single canvas. For example, you can choose to hide a traditional menu and instead opt for an accordian while laying out a site for mobiles. To learn how to hide objects in responsive layout, see .
Hide parts of a document that are not meant to appear in the final document.
Hide alternate versions of a document.
Simplify the display of a document, to make it easier to edit other parts of the document.
Prevent a layer from exporting.
Speed up screen redraw when a layer contains high-resolution graphics.
Note: Hidden layers or hidden page items do not export. However, the page still appears in design view as if the items are present. For example, a hidden text frame would still push items below it down the page. This prevents the page from shifting content as you hide/show layers.
Hide or show layers by doing one of the following options:
To hide or show one layer at a time, in the Layers panel, click the square at the far left of a layer name to hide or show the eye icon for that layer.
To show or hide individual objects in a layer, click the twirl down disclosure triangle to the left of the layer name to view all objects in a layer, and then click the eye icon to show or hide the object.
Locking is useful for preventing accidental changes to a
layer. A locked layer displays a crossed-out pencil icon in the Layers
panel. Objects on locked layers cannot be selecte
however, if objects on locked layers have attributes that can be edited
indirectly, they will change. For example, if you edit a tint swatch,
objects on locked layers using that tint swatch will reflect the change.
You can also use the Layers panel to lock or unlock objects in a layer. To unlock and lock layers, do the following:
To lock or unlock one layer
at a time, in the Layers panel, click a square in the second column from
the left to show (lock) or hide (unlock) the layer.
Remember that each layer is site-wide—it appears on
every page of a site. Before deleting a layer, consider hiding all other
layers first, and then review each page of the site to verify that it
is safe to delete the remaining objects. When you are sure you want to
delete a layer, do the following:
To delete a layer, drag a layer
from the Layers panel to the Delete icon at the bottom right of the
layers panel or right-click and choose Delete Layer from the context
To delete multiple layers, press
and hold Control/Command while you click the layers to select them.
Then, drag the layers from the Layers panel to the Delete icon or
right-click and choose Delete Layers from the context menu.
To delete an object on a layer, select the object in the Layers panel, and then click the Delete icon.
You can reduce the number of layers in a site without
deleting any objects by merging layers. When you merge layers, objects
from all selected layers are moved to the target layer. Of the layers
you merge, only the target layer rem the other
selected layers are deleted. You can also flatten a site by merging all
Note: If you merge layers containing a mix of page
objects and master page items, the master items move to the back of the
resulting merged layer.
In the Layers panel, select any
combination of layers. Be sure to include the layer you want to target
as the merged layer. If you’re flattening the site to a single layer,
select all layers in the panel.
Right-click on the Layers panel, and then choose Merge Layers in the context menu.
&Twitter(TM) and Facebook posts are not covered under the terms of Creative Commons.18 Exceptionally Useful Photoshop Shortcuts
18 Exceptionally Useful Photoshop Shortcuts
A Post By:
This guest post was submitted by Brian Auer from .
Working with Photoshop can be quite time consuming for both beginners and advanced users. Once you&ve worked with it for a while, you begin to find that you&re constantly going back and forth between the same menu items or palette buttons. If you&re anything like me, you&re switching tools so often that most of your time spent in Photoshop isn&t even on the photo & it&s messing with the vast array of editing tools. Fortunately there&s a way to help streamline your Photoshop workflow.
Keyboard commands, or shortcuts, are simply a way to bypass a few mouse clicks when doing tool changes or tool property adjustments. They&re a little awkward and cumbersome at first, but once you pick up a couple of commands on the keyboard you&ll never go back. The whole idea is that while one hand is running the mouse, the other hand might as well be doing something too. This method of working with Photoshop can really decrease your time spent on the computer and give you more time to get behind the camera.
The following are 18 of my most commonly used shortcuts, broken out into three groups: simple, intermediate, and advanced. The simple commands are pretty easy to pull off, and they&re heavily used. The advanced commands take a little coordination, and I don&t use them quite as often. The intermediate commands are somewhere between the two. Again, these are MY most used Photoshop shortcuts. I&m also only showing the commands for Photoshop CS3 (thought CS2 should be almost identical) on a PC (sorry Mac users). So if you want to learn more about this topic, read to the bottom of the article for additional resources.
Simple Photoshop Shortcut Commands
H (Hand Tool) & When zoomed in to a portion of your photo, this command brings up the hand tool which allows for quick panning. Also, if the hand tool is active and you hold down the Ctrl key, you can zoom in without changing to the zoom tool. Likewise, if you hold down the Alt key, you can zoom out without changing tools.
Z (Zoom Tool) & This command just brings up the zoom tool, which allows you to zoom in. Like with the hand tool, if you hold down the Alt key, it temporarily switches to the zoom out mode.
Ctrl + 0 (Fit on Screen) & This is a quick-and-dirty command to get the entire photo in front of your eyes. That&s Ctrl + zero, not the letter &O&.
B (Brush Tool) & The brush is an extremely useful tool when working with masks, and I&m constantly using this command along with the hand and zoom tools.
Ctrl + Z (Undo) & Very useful for the little mistakes we all make.
Tab (Hide/Show Palettes) & Hiding the palettes gives you a little more working room, thus decreasing your need to pan and zoom while editing.
Intermediate Photoshop Shortcut Commands
[ (Decrease Brush Size) & Quickly decrease your brush size to get into those tighter spots.
] (Increase Brush Size) & Quickly increase your brush size for the larger areas.
Shift + [ (Decrease Brush Softness) & Decrease the softness of the brush by 25%.
Shift + ] (Increase Brush Softness) & Increase the softness of the brush by 25%.
1-&0 (Tool Opacity) & I usually run my brush opacity around 5% or 10%, but some things require a bit more opacity. Just press one of the numbers from 1 to 0 and your tool opacity will change from 10% up to 100%. If you want finer control, press a second number quickly after the first, and you can get any percentage you want. So pressing 4 will get you 40% opacity, while pressing 4 then 3 will give you 43% opacity.
Shift + 1-&0 (Tool Flow) & This works exactly like the opacity changer, but you just have to hold the Shift key down while you hit the numbers.
Ctrl + Tab (Next Point on Curves Adjustment) & When using the curves adjustment dialog, you can place multiple points on the curve and adjust them accordingly. Sometimes you want to make very minor shifts in those points by nudging with the keyboard, but clicking on the point to activate it usually moves it to an undesired location. Use this command to switch focus from point to point without moving them around.
Advanced Photoshop Shortcut Commands
Ctrl + Shift + N (New Layer) & This will bring up the new layer dialog box and place a new layer on top of the active layer.
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N (New Layer No Dialog) & This command skips the dialog box and just places a new layer on top of the active layer.
Ctrl + Shift + C (Copy Merged) & This works basically like the copy command, except you get a merged copy of the composite image sent to the clipboard. This command only works if you&ve made a selection on the image first (use Ctrl+A to select all), otherwise you&ll get a copy of nothing. This is useful if you want to duplicate what you see on the screen into another image file or even another layer.
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E (Stamp Visible) & This is actually one of my favorite commands. First, I&ll create a new empty layer on top of the stack. Then I&ll select that new layer and use this command. It does basically the same thing as the copy merged command, except it places the copy right into the new layer. I use this for creating layer blends, sharpening, and any other type of editing that can&t be done non-destructively.
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + K (Show Keyboard Commands) & If you forget any of these commands, or if you want to check on other commands, use this to bring up the help dialog on keyboard shortcuts.
These are only the Photoshop keyboard shortcuts that I commonly use during post-processing, but there are certainly a lot more of them that may be useful for you. Check out the Photoshop help topics for more information on this topic. In addition to that, I found a great resource at
where you can download PDF documents of all the shortcuts for each version of Photoshop all the way back to PS5, plus he has documents for Bridge and Camera Raw. I find that his documents are much easier to use than the Photoshop documentation.
So did I miss any critical photoshop shortcut commands? Which others do you find useful and use?
Update: We&ve added another
post to the blog.
Brian Auer is a photography enthusiast of four years, and he is the author of the
which written to provide a photography resource for the aspiring hobbyist.
Read more from our
is the editor and founder of
He lives in Melbourne Australia and is also the editor of the . Follow him on , on Twitter at
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I never use the Zoom tool, or Hand – I use the Navigator panel for panning/ sometimes zooming, and alt+scroll to zoom in/out (mostly). My fingers are constantly on V, B and M because that way, 95% of the time I don’t need to move my hand to switch to a tool I need. (Oh, and when I need to undo/redo, I have macro buttons on my mouse for that, which is brilliant…)
Read more: http://digital-/photoshop-shortcut-commands#ixzz2e85SgOBb
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