<a name="1003215"> </a><font color="" >Using Layers and Layer Masks</font>
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<a name="1001673"> </a>When you open a new document and create an image, your work appears on a background layer known as the canvas. You can add additional layers to a document, which allows you to manipulate the visual elements in the image independently of the canvas.
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<a name="998929"> </a>Layers provide one of the great advantages of creating images in a digital workspace-the freedom to experiment with different compositions and effects without risking an unwanted, permanent edit. The Corel Painter RIF file format preserves layers when you save a document, so you can easily make changes at a later time. There's no need to re-create the entire composition-just modify one or more layers. The result is a dynamic and flexible design environment.
<a name="1023184"> </a><i>Think of layers as sheets of clear material, such as acetate. Painting on a layer obscures the image below it. Areas of a layer that don't contain imagery remain transparent.
