Pixelmator Pro "best practices" with layers....

Talk about Pixelmator Pro, share tips & tricks, tutorials, and other resources.
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2022-06-26 15:37:32

Having just switched from "O" and "L" to Pixelmator Pro, I am finding grouping and merging of layers a little baffleing from my previous experiences. Thus I am searching for advice on when to do what (i.e., grouping, merging, etc.) and when processing one layer carries through to other layers. My typical workflow is crop, repair (remove blemishes and distractions), adjust (ML), effects (if they improve) and finally, overall things like selective sharpening, dodge and burn, etc. Overall, I am looking for a list of the best practices to use with layers (fully realizing there are probably several such lists).
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2022-06-30 10:20:14

Thanks for the question, Pieter. As most features in Pixelmator Pro are nondestructive, there should no longer be a big need for creating many duplicate layers when editing images. For instance, you can crop your image and apply color adjustments and effects nondestructively, in any order that you like. If you happen to use destructive tools in combination with the nondestructive ones, (the retouching tools — Darken, Lighten, Repair — are destructive) a good rule of thumb is to start with the destructive edits first and apply all the nondestructive edits later. Hope this helps!