Group, align and space layers precisely

Good layouts depend on things lining up. This article shows you how to select several layers at once, keep related layers together in groups, align and space them evenly, and use snapping and guides so edges meet exactly where you intend.

Shortcuts below use Ctrl. On a Mac, press Cmd instead.

Select several layers#

• On the canvas with the Move tool (V): Shift-click each layer, or drag a box across empty canvas to pick every layer it touches.
• In the Layers panel: Shift-click to select a range, Ctrl-click to add or remove one.

Drag any selected layer and the rest come with it. With two or more selected, a box with four corner handles appears around them all: drag a corner to scale the whole selection together. Text sizes, shape outlines and rounded corners scale with it, so the set keeps its proportions.

Groups#

A group keeps layers that belong together, such as a logo lock-up or a price badge, as one unit you can move, hide, fade or lock.

1. 1Select the layers you want to group.
2. 2Press Ctrl+G, or click New group at the bottom of the Layers panel, or choose Layer, Group layers. Properties also offers Group these layers when several are selected.
3. 3Double-click the group name in the Layers panel to rename it.

• Click a group header to select everything in it. The arrow on the header collapses or expands the group.
• The group's eye hides the whole group, and its padlock locks every layer inside.
• Groups can hold other groups. Grouping layers that already fill a group moves that group inside the new one, so nesting is kept.
• Select a layer inside a group and the panel header shows the group's own blend mode and opacity. A group starts on Pass through, meaning its layers blend with the design as if they were not grouped.
• Ungroup with Ctrl+Shift+G, Layer, Ungroup, or the Ungroup button in Properties. The layers stay where they are.

Link layers (Layer menu, or the chain button in the Layers panel) is a lighter option: linked layers move together but stay where they are in the stack.

Align and distribute#

With the Move tool, the options bar has six align buttons: left, centres, right, tops, middles and bottoms. The same buttons are in the Properties panel and in Layer, Align.

• One layer selected: it aligns to the page. Aligning centres and then middles puts it dead centre. (The floating action bar's More menu has Centre on page for exactly this.)
• Several layers selected: they align to each other, using the box around all of them.
• Distribute horizontally and Distribute vertically need three or more layers. The two outer layers stay put and the ones between are moved so the gaps are equal.

For exact numbers, select one layer and open Position in Properties. Type into X, Y, W or H and press Enter.

Smart guides and snapping#

As you drag a layer, it snaps to the edges and centre of the page, to your guides, and to the edges and centres of other layers. A line shows what it snapped to. Distances to the nearest neighbouring layers are shown in pixels while you drag, which makes even spacing easy to judge by eye.

Snapping checks the last 40 layers in the stack for edges, which keeps it quick in big designs. Distances can be switched off under Move settings.

Rulers and guides#

1. 1Press Ctrl+R (View, Rulers) to show the rulers.
2. 2Drag from the top ruler to make a horizontal guide, or from the left ruler for a vertical one.
3. 3To move a guide, drag it with the Move tool. If a layer is under the guide, hold Ctrl as you press.
4. 4To delete a guide, drag it back onto its ruler.

For a grid, choose View, Guides, New guide layout…. Set Columns, Rows, Margin (px) and Gutter (px), or start from a preset: 12 column web, Thirds, 2 columns print or Safe margins. New guide… places a single guide at an exact position, and Clear guides removes them all.

At 800% zoom and above a pixel grid appears, useful for icons and small graphics. Turn it off with View, Pixel grid. Guides are saved with the design.

Common problems#

• A layer will not move or align. It is probably locked. Look for a padlock on its row in the Layers panel.
• Things jump when I drag. That is snapping. Hold Alt while dragging, or turn off View, Snap.
• Distribute is greyed out. It needs at least three layers selected.
• Align moved my layer to the page edge, not the other layer. With one layer selected, alignment is to the page. Select both layers first.