Add effects

Using effects, you can completely change the look of images, shapes, and text in a range of different ways. All Pixelmator Pro effects are available from the Effects Browser where you can search for the effects by name or browse the categories that place similar or related effects together, such as Blur, Tile, and Stylize. The Blur category, for example, includes the Gaussian, Box, Disc, Motion, Zoom, Spin, Bokeh, Tilt-Shift, and Focus blur effects.

Because the effects in Pixelmator Pro are nondestructive, you can apply any number of them to your graphic, combining them to develop artistic or special effects of your own. The presets feature lets you save effect combinations, reuse them in any of your images, and even share them with other Pixelmator Pro users.

Turn effects on or off

You can apply effects to layers directly or add them as effects layers. Adding effects directly will automatically link them with the layer to which they are applied. This means that when editing, the changes applied to the layer will also affect the effect and vice versa. For instance, if you try painting on a layer that has some of the Distortion effects applied, the brush stroke have the same distortions as well.

1. Choose the Effects tool by doing one of the following:

   • Choose Effects in the Tools sidebar.
   • Choose Tools > Effects from the Tools menu at the top of your screen.

   • Press the F key on your keyboard.

2. Select the layer or layers you would like to edit.

3. Turn the switch next to the effect you want on or off. If you don't see any effects, click Add Effect and choose an effect from the Effects browser.

Keep in mind that the effects will show only on that layer or layer group to which they are applied. If you'd like to add effects to multiple layers in a composition, create an effect layer.

Add effect layers

Effects layers work as individual elements you can add to a project and edit separately from the layer (or layers) to which they are applied. Just like applying effects to a single layer, creating effects layers let you work completely nondestructively. Effects layers can be moved freely up or down the layers list and will change the appearance of all other layers below them. Other than that, all the effects controls function the same way as they do when editing layers directly.

To add an effects layer, do any of the following:

• Choose Insert > Effects from the Insert menu at the top of your screen.

• Click the Add at the top of the Effects pane.
• Click the Insert Layer at the top of the Layers sidebar and choose Effects.
• Click the Add Layer in the Toolbar and choose Effects.
• Press Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + F on your keyboard.

💡 Tip: If you'd like to apply an effects layer to only one layer or layer group below it, you can do that using a clipping mask. See Use clipping masks to learn more about working with clipping masks.

Rearrange the order of effects

If you apply two or more effects to a single layer, you can rearrange the order in which they are combined. For example, if you apply a Gaussian blur effect and a Kaleidoscope effect, putting the Gaussian effect on top will mean your original layer is tiled first, then the result is blurred.

To rearrange effects, click and drag the effect up or down the list of effects.

Copy an effect from one layer to another

A quick way to apply the same effect to multiple layers is by using effect presets. However, you can apply the same effect to multiple layers by copying it over.

1. Select the layer with the effect you’d like to copy.

2. To copy the effect, do one of the following:

   • Choose Format > Effects > Copy Effects from the Format menu at the top of your screen.

   • In the Layers sidebar, Control ⌃ – click the layer from which you’d like to copy an effect and choose Effects > Copy Effects.

3. Select the layer to which you’d like to apply the copied effect.

4. To paste an effect, do one of the following:

   • Choose Format > Effects > Paste Effects from the Format menu at the top of your screen.

   • In the Layers sidebar, Control ⌃ – click the layer to which you’d like to paste the effects and choose Effects > Paste Effects.

Reset all effects applied to a layer

Do one of the following:

• In the Layers sidebar, Control ⌃ – click a layer and choose Effects > Reset Effects.

• Choose Tools > Effects and click the Reset Effects button at the bottom of the Tool Options pane.

Flatten effects

Flattening all the effects applied to a layer can be useful when you’re happy with the way it looks and you’d like to resize the layer without the effect repeating beyond the edges of the layer (which happens with Tile effects, for example).

Do any of the following:

• In the Layers sidebar, Control ⌃ – click a layer and choose Effects > Flatten Effects.

• Choose Format > Effects > Flatten Effects.

• Option ⌥ – click the Reset button at the bottom of the Tool Options pane.

Temporarily see the original layer without any effects

When editing effects, you can quickly compare what an image looked like before and after you applied any effects to it.

There are a few ways you can compare or turn on the Split Comparison view:

1. In the Layers sidebar, click to select the layer you'd like to see without any effect.

2. Do any of the following:

   • Click and hold the Show Original button at the bottom of the Tool Options pane, or press Control ⌃ + M on your keyboard.

   • Option ⌥ – click the Show Original button at the bottom of the Tool Options pane.

   • Press Control ⌃ + C on your keyboard.

   • If you're using a trackpad, force-click the canvas or two-finger tap the canvas and choose Split Comparison.

💡 Tip: If you're editing an effects layer, you can also click its visibility checkbox in the Layers sidebar to hide all effects.

Remove an effect

1. In the Layers sidebar, click to select the layer that has an unwanted effect.

2. Click Remove next to the effect you want to remove.