Layers and Stacking Order

When two pieces of media overlap, one is in front. Stacking order decides which, and it is the same concept everywhere in Docuslice — only the surface for changing it differs by platform.

Newly added media goes on top of what is already there.

Changing the order

Browser and desktop — the layers panel

The layers panel lists everything on the current canvas, front at the top. Drag an entry up or down to move that media forward or back. Selecting an entry selects the media on the canvas, which is often the fastest way to grab something buried under a full-bleed background.

There are also keyboard shortcuts, which act on the current selection:

ShortcutAction
Cmd/Ctrl + ]Bring forward one step
Cmd/Ctrl + [Send backward one step
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + ]Bring to front
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + [Send to back

These four exist as shortcuts only — there is no button for them. See keyboard shortcuts.

Android and iOS — the reorder screen

Open the media sort screen and drag entries into the order you want. Same result, a surface built for a touchscreen rather than a mouse.

What stacking order affects

  • What you see on the canvas — the front-most media wins where they overlap.
  • What gets printed — the export renders in the same order, so anything hidden on screen is hidden on paper.

It does not affect tiling. The poster is composed first and sliced afterwards, so a piece of media that straddles four sheets is stacked identically on all four.

A note on the printed guides

Cut lines, scissor marks and page numbers are drawn by the export, not by your layers, so they are never covered by your media. You cannot send a cut line behind a photo — see cut lines and scissor marks.