Edited: September 30, 2024
The Combine tools, Slice, and Weld allow you to use two (or more) images to create a completely new one. Select links below for information about using Combine tools, Slice, and Weld in Design Space.
Combine tools
Combine tools provide four actions – Unite, Subtract, Intersect, and Exclude – which allow you to combine objects in Design Space to make completely new shapes, while keeping all shapes in the group completely editable – every action can be adjusted or undone. Find instructions on how to use these features below.
How combine tools work
Combine is located at the bottom of the Layers panel on Desktop, and in the Actions menu on Mobile. It will activate when you have two or more objects selected on the Canvas. Select Combine to open the tool menu.
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Mobile
Unite
Unite joins two or more shapes together into one new shape.
Subtract
Subtract removes shapes from the last or bottom layer of any selected group of objects. Unlike Slice, you can Subtract multiple objects all at once.
Intersect
Intersect gives us a new cut shape consisting of only the overlapping parts of two or more shapes.
Exclude
Exclude gives us a new cut shape consisting of only the non-overlapping parts of two or more shapes. It "excludes" or removes the overlapping sections.
Editing a Combine group
Once a Combine action is completed, you can see in the Layers panel that you can still access each object within the group. To edit size, rotation, position, or even hide or delete an object, simply select it in the Layers panel, then perform the desired edit.
You can also simply double-click / double-tap on the group on the Canvas to access and edit the shapes within the group.
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Mobile
When you’re done editing and release your mouse or click/tap out of the group, the Combine action will again take effect and show you your new cut shape.
Undo a Combine action
To revert objects in a Combine group to their original state, select the group on the Canvas, then select Combine > Undo [action].
Note: Objects do not return to their original color when you use Undo, but you can reassign colors through the Edit bar.
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Mobile
Merge Layers
Merge Layers allows you to make a Combine action permanent, and turns a Combine group into a single-layer object. Once Merge Layers has been applied, the shape will no longer function as a Combine group.
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Mobile
Weld
Weld allows you to permanently join two or more separate images, words, or shapes on the Canvas into a single-layer object. While the resulting cut shape is similar to that of a Unite result, unlike Unite Weld is a permanent action - objects used in a Weld are no longer editable after Weld is applied.
Tip: You can Weld a group of images all at once. If you only want to Weld specific layers together, ungroup your images or layers first.
- Make sure the images you would like to weld overlap with each other.
- Select all images that will be welded together. Once two or more layers are selected, the Weld tool will become active.
- Click Combine > Weld in the Layers panel to merge the selected images. Wherever cut paths have intersected, only the exterior cut path will remain.
- You will know that your images are welded when they change to the same color and the new image appears in the Layers panel. If needed, arrange your layers back to their original position.
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Make sure the images you would like to weld overlap with each other.
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Select all images that will be welded together. Once two or more layers are selected, the Weld tool will become active.
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Click Actions > Combine > Weld to merge the selected images. Wherever cut paths have intersected, only the exterior cut path will remain.
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You will know that your images are welded when they change to the same color and the new image appears in the Layers panel.
Slice
The Slice tool splits two overlapping images or text into different parts. Slice creates new cut paths from two images, resulting in three or more completely new shapes. Each of the new shapes will show up in the Layers panel as an individual layer.
- You can use the Slice tool to cut out a shape from another shape, cut overlapping shapes from one another, or to cut text from a shape.
- The Slice tool will only be available when exactly two non-hidden layers are selected.
- If you are using a multilayered image, you can either hide or ungroup the other layers to activate the Slice tool.
- On mobile when the Slice function is performed with hidden layers, all hidden layers will be removed from the design screen and the Layers panel.
- On mobile if you would like to use those image layers with your project, ungroup before using the Slice tool.
Note: Text works a little differently with the Slice tool. If the text is multilayered and one layer is hidden, you can use the Slice tool. However, if you ungroup text from its shadow layer, it becomes an image and will no longer work with the Slice tool unless the text is ungrouped to individual letters.
Step 1: Arrange the images so that they are overlapping.
Step 2: Select both the images.
- Windows/Mac: Select both images by holding the Shift or the Ctrl key on your keyboard while clicking on each layer. A bounding box will appear around both images, and the individual layers will be highlighted in the Layers panel. Once two layers are selected, the Slice tool will become active.
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iOS/Android: Select both images by tapping on the screen and dragging a selection box around both layers. Then tap on the Actions button at the bottom of the screen to see that the Slice option is available.
Step 3: Click “Slice” at the bottom of the Layers Panel if using a computer, or in the Actions menu at the bottom of the screen in the iOS and Android app. The new images will be reflected in the Layers panel as sliced images. If on mobile, any hidden layers will be removed from the Layers panel.
Step 4: Separate the layers to review your new shapes. When using Design Space on a computer, there will be duplicates of the sliced sections — a cutout from each layer. Edit or delete the images individually. From here you can continue to layer and slice the images until you reach your desired design.