Layers, groups, rulers, guides, alignment and keyboard shortcuts
Updated 2026-09-04
For precise work Studio has the tools a desktop editor has. The Layers panel lists every element on the page in stacking order with a thumbnail; drag to reorder, group into folders, hide, lock, rename and set opacity. Rulers and guides give you lines to snap to. Align and tidy commands line things up in one click.
Shortcuts follow the conventions you know from Canva and Figma, so nothing needs relearning.
How to do it
Open the Layers panel
Click Layers in the left rail or press ⌥1. Each row is an element with a thumbnail; the top row is front-most. Drag rows to change stacking, click the eye to hide, the lock to protect, and double-click the name to rename.
Group and ungroup
Select several elements (⇧-click, or drag a marquee on empty canvas) and press ⌘G to group them into a folder; ⇧⌘G dissolves it. Groups move, hide and lock together.
Show rulers and drag guides
Press ⇧R for rulers. Drag from a ruler onto the page to create a guide; elements snap to it while you move them. Guides are saved with the design and never exported.
Align and tidy
With two or more elements selected, use the align controls in the context toolbar to align edges or centres, distribute evenly, or tidy a set into a neat grid.
Use the shortcuts
⌘Z undo, ⇧⌘Z redo, ⌘C/⌘V copy and paste, ⌘D duplicate, ⌘G / ⇧⌘G group and ungroup, Delete to remove, arrow keys to nudge (⇧ for larger steps), ⌥1 layers, ⇧R rulers. Text keys: ⌘B bold, ⌘I italic, ⌘U underline.
Tips
- Lock the background and any full-bleed photo first, then everything else is easy to select.
- Name layers in a multi-page design you will hand to someone else; the names show in version previews too.
- Copy to page in the layer’s menu moves an element to another page without the clipboard.
- Marquee-select on empty canvas selects everything the rectangle touches; ⇧ adds to a selection.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I lock just the position but still edit the text?
- Yes. Lock modes let you lock position only, so the text stays editable while it cannot be dragged.
- Do guides show in exports?
- Never. Guides, rulers, selection handles and print overlays are editor chrome and are dropped from every export.
- Is there a way to select an element that is behind another?
- Use the Layers panel and click the row, or ⌘-click on the canvas to select through.
Try it on your own design
Free to start, nothing to install.