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Work with layers

  1. Adobe XD User Guide
  2. Introduction
    1. What's new in Adobe XD
    2. Common questions
    3. Design, prototype, and share with Adobe XD
    4. Color Management
    5. System requirements
      1. Hardware and software requirements
      2. Adobe XD, Big Sur, and Apple silicon | macOS 11
    6. Workspace basics
    7. Change app language in Adobe XD
    8. Access UI design kits
    9. Accessibility in Adobe XD
    10. Keyboard shortcuts
    11. Tips and tricks
  3. Design
    1. Artboards, guides, and layers
      1. Get started with artboards
      2. Use guides and grids
      3. Create scrollable artboards
      4. Work with layers
      5. Create scroll groups
    2. Shapes, objects, and path
      1. Select, resize, and rotate objects
      2. Move, align, distribute, and arrange objects
      3. Group, lock, duplicate, copy, and flip objects
      4. Set stroke, fill, and drop shadow for objects
      5. Create repeating elements
      6. Create perspective designs with 3D transforms
      7. Edit objects using Boolean operations
    3. Text and fonts
      1. Work with drawing and text tools
      2. Fonts in Adobe XD
    4. Components and states
      1. Work with components
      2. Work with nested components
      3. Add multiple states to components
    5. Masking and effects
      1. Create a mask with shapes
      2. Work with blur effects
      3. Create and modify gradients
      4. Apply blend effects
    6. Layout
      1. Responsive resize and constraints
      2. Set fixed padding for components and groups
      3. Create dynamic designs with stacks
    7. Videos and Lottie animations
      1. Work with videos
      2. Create prototypes using videos
      3. Work with Lottie animations
  4. Prototype
    1. Create interactive prototypes
    2. Animate prototypes
    3. Object properties supported for auto-animate
    4. Create prototypes with keyboard and gamepad
    5. Create prototypes using voice commands and playback
    6. Create timed transitions
    7. Add overlays
    8. Design voice prototypes
    9. Create anchor links
    10. Create hyperlinks
    11. Preview designs and prototypes
  5. Share, export, and review
    1. Share selected artboards
    2. Share designs and prototypes
    3. Set access permissions for links
    4. Work with prototypes
    5. Review prototypes
    6. Work with design specs
    7. Share design specs
    8. Inspect design specs
    9. Navigate design specs
    10. Review and comment design specs
    11. Export design assets
    12. Export and download assets from design specs
    13. Group sharing for enterprise
    14. Back up or transfer XD assets
  6. Design systems
    1. Design systems with Creative Cloud Libraries
    2. Work with document assets in Adobe XD
    3. Work with Creative Cloud Libraries in Adobe XD
    4. Migrate from linked assets to Creative Cloud Libraries
    5. Work with design tokens 
    6. Use assets from Creative Cloud Libraries
  7. Cloud documents
    1. Cloud documents in Adobe XD
    2. Collaborate and coedit designs
    3. Coedit documents shared with you
  8. Integrations and plugins
    1. Work with external assets
    2. Work with design assets from Photoshop
    3. Copy and paste assets from Photoshop
    4. Import or open Photoshop designs
    5. Work with Illustrator assets in Adobe XD
    6. Open or import Illustrator designs
    7. Copy vectors from Illustrator to XD
    8. Plugins for Adobe XD
    9. Create and manage plugins
    10. Jira integration for XD
    11. Slack plugin for XD
    12. Zoom plug-in for XD
    13. Publish design from XD to Behance
  9. XD for iOS and Android
    1. Preview on mobile devices
    2. Adobe XD on mobile FAQ
  10. Troubleshooting
    1. Known and fixed issues
      1. Known issues
      2. Fixed issues
    2. Installation and updates
      1. XD appears as not compatible on Windows
      2. Error code 191
      3. Error code 183
      4. Issues installing XD plugins
      5.  Prompt to uninstall and reinstall XD on Windows 10
      6. Issues with preferences migration
    3. Launch and crash
      1.  XD crashes when launched on Windows 10
      2.  XD quits when you sign out of Creative Cloud
      3. Issue with subscription status on Windows
      4. Blocked-app warning when launching  XD on Windows
      5. Crash dump generation on Windows
      6. Crash log collection and sharing
    4. Cloud documents and Creative Cloud Libraries
      1. Issues with XD cloud documents
      2. Issues with linked components
      3. Issues with libraries and links
    5. Prototype, publish, and review
      1. Unable to record prototype interactions on macOS Catalina
      2. Issues with publish workflows
      3. Published  links do not appear in browsers
      4. Prototypes do not render correctly in browsers
      5. Commenting panel suddenly showing up on shared links
      6. Unable to publish libraries
    6. Import, export, and working with other apps
      1. Import and export in XD
      2. Photoshop files in XD
      3. Illustrator files in XD
      4. Export to After Effects from XD
      5. Sketch files in XD
      6. Third-party apps not visible in Export

Learn how to view, create, group, lock, hide, and move layers in Adobe XD.

Access layers

Layers in Adobe XD is an adaptation of the layers in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop that you know and depend on but are reimagined for UX designers. Only the layers associated with the artboard you're working on are highlighted so your panel stays clean and uncluttered. You can view all the artboards in your document and immediately pan and zoom to a specific artboard from the Layers panel. Double-clicking an artboard icon contextually displays only the layers for that artboard. Reorder, rename, show/hide, and lock/unlock layers quickly and easily.

Access layers using the shortcut Cmd + Y ( macOS) or Ctrl + Y (Windows), or click the   icon in the toolbar. 

To expand or collapse all nodes in the Layers Panel at once, use Cmd + Click (macOS) or Ctrl + click (Windows), and save your time and effort.

Layers
View Layers

Search within layers

You can search the Layers panel by layer names, or filter layers by text, shapes, and image categories. Search experience is optimized to show only relevant layers and artboards containing the keyword, without the layers structure (example-expanded groups) in the context of using Auto-Animate. Recent search keywords are temporarily saved in the filter dropdown for easy access, like in the Assets panel.

Search in Layers panel
Search in Layers panel

Filter Search by type
Filter Search by type

By default, each object in your project resides on its own layer. For example, when you draw a rectangle, a new layer for this rectangle is created. When you draw another rectangle, a separate layer, with the default name 'Rectangle 2' is created. 

When you group objects on the artboard, the layers corresponding to the grouped objects are also grouped in the Layers panel. When you combine objects using Boolean operations, the layers of objects are replaced with a single layer, with the name of the Boolean operation.

You can manage layers, for example, group, rename, duplicate, or export layers, using the Layers panel:

  • To group layers, multiselect layers, right-click, and pick Group from the context menu.
  • To expand or collapse all nodes in the Layers Panel at once, use Cmd + Click (macOS) or Ctrl + click (Windows), and save your time and effort.
  • To rename a layer easily, press Cmd+Opt+R (macOS) or Ctrl+Alt+R (Windows), and type a new name. To edit the next layer or artboard name, press Tab while the current layer name is still in the edit mode.
  • To duplicate a layer, right-click the layer and select Duplicate.
  • To hide a layer, hover your mouse over the layer, and click . To show the layer, click . Hidden layers are not visible on the artboard.
  • To lock a layer, hover your mouse over the layer, and click . To unlock the layer, click the . Locked layers are excluded from all the editing operations that you perform on the artboard.
  • To export layers, select the layers, right-click, and select Export. Choose the export options in the dialog box that is displayed. 
  • To create a component using a layer or a group of layers, right-click the layer and select Make Component. For more information, see Work with components.
  • To delete a layer, right-click the layer and select Delete.
Note:

You can manage artboards easily using the Layers panel. For example, if you are working with layers, press Esc, and the Layers panel switches to the artboard view. You can also right-click the artboard names in the Layers panel to copy, paste, duplicate, rename, delete, or export artboards.

Objects that are not on any artboard and are placed on pasteboard, are grouped under 'Pasteboard' in the Layers panel.


Related resources

 Adobe

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