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Customizing layer visibility

Last updated on 27 May 2025
1 min read

Note: Images, videos and some instructions on this page may not be accurate. Please bear with us as we update the Docs for Sketch’s new UI.

Custom layer visibility lets you show or hide a layer when you hover, tap or press it — which is especially useful when you want to add buttons, menus or similar interactive elements to your prototype.

Select a layer, switch to the Prototype tab in the Inspector, and choose from the options in the Layer Visibility section. From here, you can choose whether a layer is visible or hidden, and whether an interaction changes this:

Default keeps the same visibility in the Layer List Custom overrides the Default setting with:

  • A Trigger that decides what causes the layer’s visibility to change, and
  • An Action that determines how the layer’s visibility will change

How to enable custom visibility for a layer

The Action menu controls what the layer’s visibility will be after the trigger: Show Layer, Hide Layer, or Toggle. The Toggle options change the layer’s visibility every time you click on it in the prototype.

How to add an action to a layer

Next, choose Hover or Press as a trigger — or select both:

  • Hover changes a layer’s visibility when the cursor is within its bounds
  • Press changes a layer’s visibility when you press on the layer with your cursor or finger (if you’re playing a prototype on the iOS app, for example)

How to assign hover and press triggers to a layer

Once you’ve added custom visibility to a layer, preview your prototype to see the result.

A prototype preview of three buttons with custom layer visibility: show on hover, hide on press, and hover