Change the display of the Layers panel

Last updated on Sep 11, 2025

Learn how to customize the Layers panel’s appearance to navigate efficiently and improve performance when working with complex artwork.

Adobe Illustrator deeplink

Try it in the app
Use the Layers panel to modify artwork in a few simple steps.

Select Window > Layers to open the Layers panel.

Select Panel Options from the Layers panel menu .

In the Layers Panel Options dialog box, select Show Layers Only to hide paths, groups, and collective elements in the Layers panel.

Screenshot of the Layers Panel Options dialog box in Illustrator showing Medium row size and thumbnail options selected, with artwork and layer items visible.
Use the options in the Layers Panel Options dialog box to modify the display of the Layers panel.

In the Row Size section, select an option to specify the height of rows. To specify a custom size, enter a value between 12 and 100.

In the Thumbnails section, do the following:

  • Select a combination of Layers, Groups, and Objects to display thumbnail previews.
  • Select Top level Only to show thumbnails for parent layers excluding sublayers, groups, or individual objects.
Caution

The Layers thumbnail can slow performance when working with complex files. Turn off the Layers thumbnail from the Layers Panel Options dialog box to improve performance.