How do I put one photo on top of another?

Copy the first image, open the second and choose Edit > Paste. It arrives as its own layer you can move and resize.

How do I merge layers?

Use Layer > Merge Down to merge a layer into the one below it, or Flatten Layers to merge everything into one.

Are layers kept when I save?

Saving a copy as JPEG or PNG flattens them. Use File > Save Project to keep layers, masks and text editable.

Photo Editor Intermediate 5 min read Updated Oct 23, 2026 Pluto Photos 2.5.2

How to Use Layers: Combine Photos and Cutouts into One Image

Short answer

Copy a photo or cutout, then choose Edit > Paste in another photo. It arrives as a movable layer. Drag its corner to resize, drag inside to move, and manage it in the Layers panel.

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#1. Start with a background photo

Open the photo that will be the base. It becomes the Background layer. This one is a view over a fjord.

A landscape photo of a fjord with cliffs and clouds — The background photo.

#2. Paste another image as a layer

Copy an image first. It can be a cutout from another photo or a copied selection. In the editor, choose Edit > Paste (Ctrl+V). It appears as a new layer called Pasted Layer, with a dotted frame and handles. To bring in a file instead, use File > Place Image… or Layer > Place Image….

A camper van cutout pasted over the fjord photo with a dotted frame and a round handle — The pasted layer is selected and has a frame.

#3. Resize and move it

With the Move tool active, drag the round handle at the corner to resize the layer, and drag inside the frame to move it. The top handle rotates it. Each change shows up in History as Resize layer or Move layer.

The camper van now small, sitting on the rocky ledge in the fjord photo — The van scaled down and moved onto the ledge.

#4. Use the Layers panel

The Layers panel is on the right. Each layer has an eye to show or hide it, a lock, and up and down arrows to reorder it. At the top, the blend mode menu (Normal by default) and the opacity slider apply to the selected layer. The buttons along the top add a new layer, place an image, add an adjustment layer or add a group. The row of icons below the list handles masks, duplicates, effects, merging and deleting.

The Layers panel with a Pasted Layer above the Background, a blend mode menu and an opacity slider — The Layers panel.

#5. Know where everything else is

The Layer menu has the full list: New Layer, Paste as Layer, New Adjustment Layer…, Group Layer, Duplicate Layer (Ctrl+J), Delete Layer, Lock Layer, Add Layer Mask, Layer Effects…, Merge Down, Merge Visible and Flatten Layers.

The Layer menu listing New Layer, Place Image, Paste as Layer, New Adjustment Layer, Group Layer, Duplicate Layer, Delete Layer, Lock Layer, Add Layer Mask, Layer Effects and Merge Down — The Layer menu.

#Tips

Save a project (File > Save Project) to keep layers editable. Saving a copy as JPEG or PNG flattens them.
To soften the join between layers, use a layer mask or a drop shadow.
Open several photos at once. Each gets its own tab, so you can copy from one and paste into another.

#Questions

How do I put one photo on top of another?: Copy the first image, open the second and choose Edit > Paste. It arrives as its own layer you can move and resize.
How do I merge layers?: Use Layer > Merge Down to merge a layer into the one below it, or Flatten Layers to merge everything into one.
Are layers kept when I save?: Saving a copy as JPEG or PNG flattens them. Use File > Save Project to keep layers, masks and text editable.

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