To Show and Hide the Sidebar
Click the Sidebar icon in the Toolbar to show and hide the layers list. The Sidebar can also be dragged open and closed using your cursor.
To Work with Layers
Think of Artboard’s layers like a stack of tracing paper (or transparent mylar). Just like drawing on paper, each layer can hold multiple graphics in your drawing. You can use each layer as its own "page" to organize your graphics. Within each layer, drawing objects have their own stack order and objects can be moved in front of or behind each other. Just like with a stack of tracing paper, your graphics on upper layers are shown “drawn on top” of objects in lower layers. Create your drawing with one or more layers. Use layers to stack objects in front of or behind each other, to organize for printing or exporting, and to hide or isolate objects for easy editing.
Click onto a layer name in the Layers list to activate the layer (designated by the white arrow). To keep your drawing organized, only objects in the currently active layer can be selected and manipulated. To select an object on a different layer, first click onto the layer to which it belongs to make the layer active. Note, multiple objects cannot be selected among different layers.
The active layer is highlighted and designated by a white arrow to the left of the layer name. A dot at the left of a layer name indicates that one or more objects within the layer that remain selected, even though the layer is no longer active.
Drag to re-order layers. Click the "+" and "–" icons to add or delete layers. Layers can be locked and unlocked by clicking the "Lock" icon, as well as made hidden or visible by toggling the “show” (eye) icon. Color-wells indicate the color of the selection handles when an object on that layer is selected. To set the color, click the well and choose a new color in the pop-up menu.
To rename a layer, double click the layer name in the Layer view and enter a new layer name, or right-click in the layer view and select “Rename” to change the name of the selected layer.
A Guide layer and Graph Paper layer are available in every drawing file. Click the "show" (eye) icon to make them visible.
To Use the Layer Menu
Layer behavior is also controlled in the Main Menu. Advanced layer behaviors, such as moving selected objects among new or existing layers, are available. To quickly move the selected object(s) from one layer to another, choose Layer > Move To > from the main menu. Moving to a new layer will both create a new layer and move objects. Only layers that are visible and unlocked will be active in the move-to list.
By default, you can select objects only within the currently active layer. To enable the ability to automatically switch active layers when selecting objects, choose Layer > Auto-Activate Clicked Layer from the Main Menu. Note, multiple objects cannot be selected among different layers.
