{"id":105148,"date":"2026-09-01T14:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T04:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elements.blog-cms.envato.net\/?p=105148"},"modified":"2026-09-04T11:38:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T01:38:10","slug":"separate-an-image-into-editable-layers-with-envato-layers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/separate-an-image-into-editable-layers-with-envato-layers","title":{"rendered":"How to separate an image into editable layers with Envato Layers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You know the feeling: you\u2019ve found an image that\u2019s almost<\/em> perfect. The subject works, the lighting is right, and the overall look fits the brief. There\u2019s just one problem. An object is sitting exactly where your headline needs to go. Or the foreground element is too large. Maybe one detail needs changing, but regenerating or rebuilding the whole image feels like creative overkill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where Envato Layers comes in. It uses AI to break a flat image into editable layers, giving you control over individual elements without forcing you to start again. Move something, resize it, change its stacking order, remove it entirely, or use AI to transform a single layer while leaving the broader composition intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll show you how to separate an image into layers with Envato Layers, rework the composition, and take those layers into the tools you already use. If you\u2019re starting even earlier in the creative process, you can also create your starting point with Envato\u2019s AI Image Generator<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Envato Layers?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Envato Layers is an AI-powered image editing feature that breaks a flat image into separate, editable layers. Instead of treating the entire image as one fixed canvas, you can work with individual elements independently, giving you more control over how the final composition looks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can start with an image from Envato\u2019s stock catalog or upload your own. Once the image has been separated, you can make two broad types of changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image
Explore new editing possibilities with the ‘Layers’ feature, highlighted in this image editing toolbar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

First, you can rearrange the composition<\/strong>. Move an element somewhere else, resize it, place it above or below another layer, hide it, or remove it altogether. These edits change how the existing pieces of the image fit together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, you can reimagine an individual element with AI<\/strong>. Rather than regenerating the whole image because one detail isn\u2019t working, you can select that layer and transform it independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of the difference this way: rearranging changes where<\/em> an element is, while reimagining changes what<\/em> that element is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when you\u2019re finished, you\u2019re not locked into one workflow. You can save the layered composition in Envato, copy an individual layer into another tool, or export the composition as a layered PSD, SVG, or flat image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to separate an image into layers with Envato Layers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Choose an image to work with<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Start<\/strong> by choosing the image you want to edit. You can select an image from Envato\u2019s stock catalog or upload an image of your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The important thing here is that you don\u2019t need to begin with a layered design file. Envato Layers is designed to start with a flat image and break its composition into editable pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This changes how you can think about choosing stock imagery. Instead of searching endlessly for a photo where every object is in exactly the right position, you can start with an image that has the right overall visual direction and then adjust its composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A vibrant spread of delicious breakfast and brunch dishes, featuring pancakes, smoothie bowls, avocado toasts, and more.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Imagine you\u2019re designing a social ad, for example. You find a food image with exactly the mood you want, but a glass occupies the cleanest area for your headline. Previously, that positioning might have been a reason to keep searching. With Envato Layers, you can start with the image and see whether separating the composition gives you the control you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Images with multiple distinct visual elements can also make useful starting points when learning the feature, as there\u2019s more scope to experiment with the resulting composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Open the image editor and separate the image into layers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Open<\/strong> your chosen image in the AI image editor<\/a>, then select Layers<\/strong> to begin separating it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Envato Layers uses AI decomposition to analyze the flat image and break it into individual editable layers. This is what turns a finished image from something you can only edit as a whole into a composition you can pull apart and work with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"Screenshot
UI panel for splitting an image into editable layers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Once the process finishes, you\u2019ll see the resulting layers in the layer view. Select one, and you can begin working with that element independently from the rest of the composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This distinction is important: Envato Layers isn\u2019t recovering an image\u2019s original design file or original layers. It takes a flat image and uses AI to create a new editable layer structure from its contents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Move individual layers to rework the composition<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Select<\/strong> a layer and move it around the canvas to start changing the composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where the creative value of separating an image into layers becomes much clearer. You\u2019re no longer limited by where every element happened to sit in the source image. Instead, you can start making deliberate layout decisions around your actual brief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Overhead
A delightful spread of sweet and savory breakfast and brunch dishes, from chocolate-covered pancakes to salmon bagels, perfect for a festive morning.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Say you\u2019re adapting an image for an ad with a headline and a call to action. If an element occupies the cleanest area for your text, try moving it rather than choosing another image. You could shift the main subject to one side, move a smaller element towards the edge, or simply remove elements to create more negative space around the part of the design that needs to communicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal isn\u2019t to move elements simply because you can. Ask what the composition needs to do, then use the layers to get it there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Resize and reorder individual elements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Resize<\/strong> a selected layer when an element needs more or less visual weight. Scale can dramatically change hierarchy. A foreground element that felt balanced in the original image might dominate once you add typography or other design elements. Making it smaller can redirect attention towards your subject or create breathing room elsewhere in the layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also reorder layers to change which elements sit in front of or behind one another. This gives you another level of compositional control. Moving an element changes its position on the canvas; changing its layer order changes how it relates spatially to other parts of the image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Used together, position, scale, and layer order let you rethink the hierarchy of an existing composition rather than accepting the original arrangement as fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Hide, remove, or copy a layer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Experiment<\/strong> with individual elements by hiding, removing, or copying their layers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hiding a layer is useful when you\u2019re not yet sure whether an element belongs in the final composition. Temporarily switch it off, assess the design without it, and bring it back if the image feels too empty. It\u2019s a quick way to test a simpler composition without immediately committing to the change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you know an element no longer serves the brief, you can remove its layer. That can be particularly useful when adapting an existing image for a different format or purpose, and you need to simplify what\u2019s competing for attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Overhead
The same brunch spread but with layers removed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You can also copy an individual layer. The copied element becomes a static, transparent image that you can paste into another compatible destination. This gives you a quick way to take an isolated visual element beyond the current composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s an important distinction here: copying a layer doesn\u2019t transfer the entire editable layered document. You\u2019re copying that individual element as a static transparent image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Reimagine one layer at a time with AI<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Select<\/strong> the layer you want to change when the problem isn\u2019t its position, but the element itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where Envato Layers goes beyond rearranging a composition. You can use an AI prompt to transform an individual layer rather than asking AI to regenerate the entire image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, perhaps the overall composition of an image works for your campaign, but a particular object doesn\u2019t suit the concept. Instead of throwing away everything that does<\/em> work, select that layer and prompt a transformation. You could swap an object, change a character, or tweak a specific visual detail while keeping the broader composition intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Overhead
The main dish of the edited brunch spread with the central dish replaced.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This creates a useful rule of thumb:<\/p>\n\n\n\n