Locking Layers In Paint Tool Sai: A Step-By-Step Guide

Paint Tool SAI is a popular image editor with artists and cartoonists. It offers a range of tools and features to help users create their artwork, including the ability to lock layers. Locking a layer is a useful feature that safeguards the visibility of the layers from any effects that may be added later on. This is how you do it: First, load an existing project or a new image into the program. Then, select the layer you want to lock from the Layers window in the bottom left corner of the program. Next, adjust the layer's transparency level by dragging the Opacity slider to the left or right. Finally, lock the layer by clicking on the lock icon. This will secure the layer and maintain its opacity.

Accessing the layer panel

In Paint Tool SAI, the Layer Panel is located on the left side of the screen. This is one of the two main panels you work with in the software, with the other being the Color and Tool Panel on the right. You can change the location of these panels in the Window (W).

The Layer Panel is where you'll find the layers window, which is unlabelled but located in the bottom left corner of the program. Here, you can click on the layer you want to lock.

Before locking a layer, you can adjust its transparency by dragging the Opacity slider to the left or right. This sets the layer's transparency level, which will be maintained once the layer is locked.

Locking a layer is useful for safeguarding the visibility of the layer from any effects you may add later. It preserves the opacity of the objects on the layer, ensuring that any subsequent changes to the image do not alter the locked layer.

In addition to the Layer Panel, Paint Tool SAI also has a Paint Effects panel, which includes Texture and Effect. Below this, you'll find Layer Mode and Opacity, with various layer tricks and settings to experiment with.

Selecting the layer to lock

In Paint Tool SAI, the Layer Panel is located on the left. To lock a layer, first, select the layer you want to lock in the Layers window, which is located in the bottom left corner of the program.

The Layers window is unlabelled, but you can identify it by its location and the fact that it displays the layers of your project. Once you have located the Layers window, simply click on the layer that you want to lock.

You can also use the Select and Deselect tools to choose the layer you want to lock. These tools work like brushes, allowing you to cover all the areas you want to be selected or deselected. After making your selection, you can move to another layer and continue working within the selected area until you hit "Clear Selection" on the Quick Bar.

Another way to select the layer you want to lock is by using the Preserve Opacity setting. This setting is located below the Layer Mode and Opacity options. When you enable Preserve Opacity, all lines and fills of a layer are locked, ensuring that you stay within the edges and paint inside the lines. This is particularly useful when you want to change the colour of your line art or modify blocks of colour without affecting other colours and areas.

Adjusting the opacity

To adjust the opacity of a layer in Paint Tool SAI:

• Launch Paint Tool SAI and select the "Open" option from the "File" heading to load an existing project or a new image.
• Click on the layer you want to adjust in the Layers window located in the bottom left corner of the program.
• Drag the "Opacity" slider to the left or right to increase or decrease the transparency of the layer.
• Once you're happy with the opacity level, you can lock the layer to secure it and maintain its opacity.

It is important to note that adjusting the opacity of a layer in Paint Tool SAI works differently than in some other image editors. For example, in AzPainter2, you can lower the opacity of a brush, and when you cross over, the opacity will stack. This functionality is not available in Paint Tool SAI.

Using the preserve opacity setting

The "Preserve Opacity" function in Paint Tool SAI is a useful feature for artists and editors. It allows you to maintain the opacity of objects on a layer, safeguarding the visibility of the layer from any effects you may add later. This function is similar to the "clipping group" function, but it applies to just one layer. By masking or deleting the layer, you also mask or delete everything on it.

To use the "Preserve Opacity" setting effectively, follow these steps:

• Launch Paint Tool SAI and open an existing project or a new image by selecting the "Open" option from the "File" menu.
• Identify the layer you want to work with. You can find the layers window in the bottom left corner of the program.
• Before locking the layer, you can adjust its transparency. Drag the "Opacity" slider left or right to set the desired transparency level.
• Click on the layer you want to lock.
• Look for the locking modes in SAI. The button that protects pixel transparency is the one that preserves opacity. Click on it to activate the preserve opacity setting.
• With the "Preserve Opacity" setting enabled, you can now directly blend colours with the base colour. This setting ensures that any modifications to the layer will not affect the opacity of the objects on it.

The "Preserve Opacity" setting in Paint Tool SAI is a valuable tool for anyone working with image editing and creative projects. It provides the flexibility to experiment with effects while maintaining the desired opacity of the objects on the layer. This feature streamlines the editing process and helps artists and editors achieve their desired results efficiently.

Applying layer modes

Paint Tool SAI is a lightweight Japanese digital painting program that is very popular among artists due to its simplicity and vast range of tools. The Layer Panel can be found on the left side of the screen, beside the tools panel.

Layer modes allow users to blend two or more layers together. The Normal Mode, for instance, allows users to cover the layer beneath with a new layer on top without mixing their colours. The Overlay mode combines Multiply and Screen modes, making lighter parts of the image lighter and darker parts darker. Lumi&Shade works similarly, but adds even more brightness and glow.

The Binary mode is the easiest to use, as it simply covers everything in black. However, changing the opacity of the layer with Binary mode will change its colour completely. Below Mode and Opacity, you can find two interesting settings: Preserve Opacity and Clipping Group. Preserve Opacity locks all lines and fills of a layer, ensuring that you always paint inside the lines. Clipping Group acts like a mask, and when you paint on the top layer with Clipping Group turned on, your strokes will always be just inside the painted area of the layer beneath.

Paint Tool SAI also offers a range of textures and effects that can be applied separately to each layer. Users can also change the intensity, scale, width and intensity of these textures and effects.

Frequently asked questions