MANUAL / EFFECTS

Layer Styles

Photoshop-style drop shadow, inner shadow, glows, bevel, color and gradient overlays and stroke, in a fixed order.

Layer styles are a fixed set of eight decorations that follow the layer's shape. Unlike effects, their order is fixed (After Effects' order), and each slot is either on or off. They come across from PSD and Figma imports.

How to open them

  • Click the ƒ icon on a layer's row in the Layers panel.
  • Click the Styles button in the Layers panel toolbar.
  • Right-click a layer and use Layer Styles ▸. Picking a style there opens the popup with that style turned on.

The popup is titled "Layer Styles — layer name". Press Escape or click outside it to close.

Using the popup

  • The switch in the popup header mutes every style without touching their own switches, so turning it back on restores the same set.
  • Each style has its own switch and a twirl. Turning a style on opens it.
  • Color swatches open the color picker, which includes an eyedropper for picking from the viewer.
  • Blend menus preview as you hover and commit on click.
  • The ƒ badge on the layer row shows that the layer has styles.

Drop Shadow

NameWhat it doesDefault
BlendBlend mode.Multiply
OffsetX and Y offset, px.8, 8
BlurSoftness, px (0–2048).12
Opacity75%
ColorBlack
Shadow OnlyHides the layer and keeps just its shadow.Off

Inner Shadow

NameWhat it doesDefault
BlendBlend mode.Multiply
OffsetX and Y offset, px.0, 6
BlurSoftness, px (0–2048).10
Opacity75%
ColorBlack

Outer Glow and Inner Glow

NameWhat it doesDefault (Outer / Inner)
BlendBlend mode.Screen / Screen
TechniqueClassic is one blur. Bloom uses the Bloom effect's light falloff: a bright core with a long tail.Classic
RadiusSize of the glow, px (0–2048).20 / 12
IntensityStrength, % (up to 10000%).80% / 75%
ColorWarm white

Bevel & Emboss

NameWhat it doesDefault
SizeWidth of the bevel, px (0–250).8
DepthStrength of the bevel, % (up to 1000%).100%
SoftenSmooths the bevel, px (0–64).0
DirectionUp or Down.Up
AngleLight direction, degrees.120°
AltitudeLight height, degrees (0–90).30°
HighlightHighlight color.White
Hl. BlendHighlight blend mode.Screen
Hl. OpacityHighlight opacity.75%
ShadowShadow color.Black
Sh. BlendShadow blend mode.Multiply
Sh. OpacityShadow opacity.75%

Color (Color Overlay)

NameWhat it doesDefault
BlendBlend mode.Normal
Opacity100%
ColorFill color.Red

Gradient (Gradient Overlay)

NameWhat it doesDefault
BlendBlend mode.Normal
StopsEach stop has a position (%) and a color. + Add Stop adds one at the midpoint; × removes one (at least two remain).Black to white
TypeLinear or Radial.Linear
RampSmooth (perceptual) or Light (linear light) interpolation.Smooth
AngleGradient direction, degrees.90°
ScaleGradient size, %.100%
OffsetX and Y shift, % (−100 to 100).0, 0
ReverseFlips the gradient.Off
Opacity100%

Stroke

NameWhat it doesDefault
BlendBlend mode.Normal
SizeStroke width, px (0–250).4
PositionOutside, Inside or Center of the edge.Outside
Opacity100%
ColorWhite