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BLBlender

Paintlayer Pro

by Skava·Workflow

Images © Skava. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

PaintLayer Pro earns its place in the Superhive library by bringing a layer-based painting approach, familiar from Photoshop, Krita, and Substance Painter, natively into Blender.

What is Paintlayer Pro?

PaintLayer Pro is a Blender add-on that brings a layered texture-painting workflow into the software. Instead of flattening every stroke onto one image, it lets you stack paint layers, blend them, mask them, group them, and merge when you choose. Blend modes include Mix, Multiply, Screen, Overlay, Soft Light, Add, and Subtract, and each layer carries its own opacity, visibility, and lock controls.

The add-on offers layer masks you paint separately, layer groups that collapse and toggle multiple layers at once, and both direct and stencil paint modes. A Live Preview toggle in the main panel updates the viewport texture as you change opacity, blend mode, or visibility, while an update-on-edit approach keeps the UI responsive with deep stacks. A custom snapshot-based undo system maintains per-image history independent of Blender's global undo.

As of v1.1.0, painted layers are automatically wired into the material so work appears on the object in Material Preview or Rendered viewports. The release also fixes mixed-resolution layers and masks, blend math on darken-style layers, and flattened export. The add-on is Python only, with no DLL, and ships with a README quick-start guide.

Who is Paintlayer Pro best for?

Paintlayer Pro is best for blender texture artists who want a stacked, non-destructive paint-layer workflow with blend modes and masks.

How much does Paintlayer Pro cost?

Paintlayer Pro is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Layer stack with full blend mode list including Mix, Multiply, Screen, Overlay, Soft Light, Add, and Subtract
  • Per-layer opacity, visibility, and lock, plus layer masks you paint separately and mix freely
  • Layer groups to collapse and toggle multiple layers at once
  • Direct and stencil paint modes
  • Custom snapshot-based undo system with per-image history, independent of Blender's global undo
  • Live Preview toggle that updates the viewport texture instantly as you change opacity, blend mode, or visibility
  • Non-destructive layers whose original images stay separate until you explicitly merge

Tags

#texture-painting#paint-layers#blend-modes#layer-mask#non-destructive#stencil#blender-addon#substance-alternative

Frequently asked questions

What Blender versions does PaintLayer Pro support?

PaintLayer Pro supports Blender 3.2 and later, and the listing notes compatibility spanning versions 3.2 through 5.2. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The add-on is Python only with no DLL. If you are on an older build than 3.2, you would need to update Blender before installing. Check the developer's page for the most current version and any additional notes on newer Blender releases.

How do I install PaintLayer Pro in Blender?

PaintLayer Pro installs like a standard Blender add-on. Open Preferences, go to Add-ons, choose Install, pick the downloaded ZIP file, and enable it. Once active, press N in the 3D Viewport and open the PaintLayer tab to access the layer stack and controls. The package includes a README with a full quick-start guide to walk you through setup, and support is available through marketplace messaging if you run into problems.

Does PaintLayer Pro show painted layers on the object automatically?

PaintLayer Pro, as of v1.1.0, automatically wires painted layers into the material, so your work shows on the object right away. To see it, set the viewport to Material Preview or Rendered. The same update also fixes mixed-resolution layers and masks, corrects blend math on darken-style layers, and improves flattened export. The Live Preview toggle in the main panel additionally updates the viewport texture instantly as you adjust opacity, blend mode, or visibility.

Is PaintLayer Pro free, and what is the license?

PaintLayer Pro is listed as free here, so check the developer's page for current licensing details. The add-on is released under the GPL-3.0 license, which is standard for Blender add-ons. The package includes free updates for the v1.x series and support through marketplace messaging. For the latest terms and any changes to how it is distributed, the developer's page is the place to confirm before you download.

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