Keep edits revisable with masks, fill layers, gradients, smart filters, layer styles, channels, and a persistent docked, split, or floating panel workspace.
Where: Open an image in the image editor → Layers / Window panels
Key ideas
- Editable layer systems: Pixel/vector layers, masks, solid/pattern fills, live gradients, smart filters, and layer styles separate source content from effects.
- Order matters: Layer order, clipping/masks, blending, opacity, filter order, and style settings combine to produce the composite.
- Workspace docking: Panels can be tabbed, split, docked, or floated; the image-editor workspace layout persists so specialized setups can be reused.
Steps
- Duplicate or preserve the source layer before a destructive operation.
- Use a mask or fill/gradient/adjustment system instead of erasing/painting directly when the change may need revision.
- Add smart filters/layer styles and reorder or reopen their settings to tune the result.
- Arrange panels from Window/docking controls, then save and reopen the document to verify both content and workspace persistence.
A practical non-destructive stack
- Source pixels or vector shape.
- Mask/channel-based isolation.
- Editable fill or gradient layers.
- Smart filters for blur/sharpen/color/effects.
- Layer styles and blend/opacity.
- Exported composite after all editable stages.
Crop, smart objects, channels, and large-image fixes
The Image Editor now exposes ratio/straighten cropping with optional destructive pixel trimming, smart-object embedded-content operations, a layer filter bar, component-channel viewing, and a live histogram. The focused guides below describe the actual controls and boundaries.
- 4K brush strokes and masks persist more reliably; live changes to brush settings apply without restarting the tool.
- GPU-pressure handling protects mask/brush work, but browser memory and hardware still limit large documents.
- SVG/path vertex editing supports multi-selection, segment movement, and resynchronization after undo.
- Deep duplication keeps masks and nested effect data independent between copies.
Troubleshooting
An effect changes more of the image than expected
Check the active layer, mask, clipping relationship, smart-filter mask, and whether the effect sits above a group rather than one layer.
Related guides
- Image editor tools, selections, paths, and channels
- Use the expanded image editor tools
- Photopea: In-Browser Image Editing
- Image Editor: crop ratios, straighten, and canvas transforms
- Image Editor: smart objects, embedded contents, and layer filtering
- Image Editor: component channels and the live histogram