How to Add Layers in Illustrator
Open your Adobe Illustrator application., Open an existing document or create a new print or web document in the dialogue box that pops up. , Click "Window" on the horizontal toolbar at the top of the page., Select a layer in the box to allow it to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Open your Adobe Illustrator application.
Select "Layers" from the drop down menu.
A box will appear to the right of your document that lists all the layers you have so far.
If you have opened a new document it will show that you have 1 layer. , You can also click the box next to the layer to turn layers off so that they can't be edited. , The first box will tell you how many layers you have.
Hover over the other icons and you will see what the buttons do.
You should see "Create New Sublayer" and "Create New Layer" buttons.
There will also be a button that pertains to masks and a delete button.
Those are not needed right now. , A new layer should pop up above your first Adobe Illustrator layer.
It will be characterized by a different color, so that you can differentiate between the layers you have. , For example, some people add symbols as a sublayer or parts of an illustration, like shading, that depend entirely on the parent layer. , This becomes extremely important as you add more and more layers to your document. -
Step 2: Open an existing document or create a new print or web document in the dialogue box that pops up.
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Step 3: Click "Window" on the horizontal toolbar at the top of the page.
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Step 4: Select a layer in the box to allow it to be changed and to appear on top of the other layers.
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Step 5: Find the 3 icons at the bottom of the Layers box.
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Step 6: Click on the "Create New Layer" button to add a new layer above your current layer.
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Step 7: Click on "Create New Sublayer" to create a layer that is connected to 1 of your layers.
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Step 8: Name your layers so that you can distinguish between the elements of your Illustrator document.
Detailed Guide
Select "Layers" from the drop down menu.
A box will appear to the right of your document that lists all the layers you have so far.
If you have opened a new document it will show that you have 1 layer. , You can also click the box next to the layer to turn layers off so that they can't be edited. , The first box will tell you how many layers you have.
Hover over the other icons and you will see what the buttons do.
You should see "Create New Sublayer" and "Create New Layer" buttons.
There will also be a button that pertains to masks and a delete button.
Those are not needed right now. , A new layer should pop up above your first Adobe Illustrator layer.
It will be characterized by a different color, so that you can differentiate between the layers you have. , For example, some people add symbols as a sublayer or parts of an illustration, like shading, that depend entirely on the parent layer. , This becomes extremely important as you add more and more layers to your document.
About the Author
Grace Davis
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow organization tutorials.
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