Split an image into layers

Last updated: October 11, 2026

Turn a flat image into a layered Photoshop file, with the character, props, shadow and background each on their own layer, when you need to move, hide or repaint one element without touching the rest.

Before you start

  • The image is in a session, or in your library ready to add to one.
  • Splitting costs Creative Units for each layer it produces. The cost shows on the submit button before you run it.

Steps

  1. You run this from the image's full-size view, so start by putting the image on the board. In the session, press ⌘K (Ctrl+K on Windows) and choose Add asset….

  2. Select the image, then click Select 1 asset. It lands on the board.

  3. Hover the image on the board and click View to open it full-size.

  4. In the Actions panel on the right, choose Split image into layers. You can describe what is in the image in the Describe what's in the image box; it is optional.

  5. Click Split into layers.

  6. Wait while the split runs. The viewer stays open, and the layered file appears in the strip beside the original.

Result

The result is a new Photoshop (.psd) file that opens in the viewer with a Layers panel listing each element it found. The original image is unchanged: both sit in the strip on the left of the viewer, and the new file is also added to the session's board.

Production tips

  • Check the stack before you export. Use the eye icons in the Layers panel to hide each layer in turn and look for holes or leftovers behind it. Edit the stack there (move, group, merge or delete layers), then click Save a copy to keep the cleaned-up version as a new file.
  • Edit one layer at a time. Select a layer in the Layers panel, then describe the change in the box under the image (Describe the change you want). The edit targets that layer, so the rest of the composition stays as it was.
  • Need each element as its own image? Use Explode layers from the Actions panel to place every layer on the board as a separate file, ready for a sprite atlas or a rig.
  • Help it find the parts you care about. Name the elements in the optional description (character, walking staff, backpack, ground shadow, background). Models that support it also show a Layers setting for how many layers to produce.
  • Start from a clean plate. A character on a plain background splits more cleanly than one in a busy scene. For cut-out characters, the background layer can be deleted outright.
  • Take it into your tools. Click Download to get the .psd and open it in Photoshop or any editor that reads PSD layers.

If something goes wrong

  • Two elements ended up on one layer. Name both in the description and run the split again, or try another model from the model menu at the top of the tool.
  • A layer has a gap where another element used to cover it. Select that layer and describe the fill you want in the box under the image, or use Inpaint image on the gap.
  • The split failed. The new version shows the failure in the strip. Try again; if it fails again, try another model.
  • You are out of Creative Units. The split will not start. Top up from your workspace's billing settings, or ask a workspace admin.

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