LayerLifter PL

LayerLifter PL product artwork

For use with Adobe® InDesign® 2026 or newer on Mac or Windows.

LayerLifter PL offers an alternative to the Layers panel for moving objects between layers. Select objects, open the context menu and pick the destination layer.

It also has an optional layer-shifter feature for moving all items on a layer across the current spread or throughout the document.

Installing LayerLifter PL

LayerLifter PL needs APID ToolAssistant PL, a free helper plug-in.

  1. Download, install and start PluginInstaller. Close InDesign. Clicking the following two links will trigger PluginInstaller.
  2. Click this link to fetch APID ToolAssistant PL: APID ToolAssistant PL . Then click the Install… button or click the … button to see all install options.
  3. Click this link to fetch LayerLifter PL: LayerLifter PL . Then click the Install… button, or click the … button to see all install options.
  4. Restart InDesign and open or create a document.

PluginInstaller installs the files for you. If you install LayerLifter PL before APID ToolAssistant PL, PluginInstaller will warn you that APID ToolAssistant PL must also be installed before it will work.

Alternatively, you can install this software directly from PluginInstaller. Select Available Software, then scroll through the list and/or use the Search box to locate APID ToolAssistant PL or LayerLifter PL.

Earlier InDesign versions

Installing SPLNs through PluginInstaller requires InDesign 2026 or newer. For earlier versions, install the SPLN files manually; PluginInstaller is still required for activation. See the earlier-version LayerLifter page for manual installation information.

Using LayerLifter

Select one or more objects on a spread, then right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac) and pick a destination layer from the LayerLifter context menu.

Optional layer shifter

The optional layer-shifter feature requires a licensed copy of APID ToolAssistant. It lets you shift all items on a layer across the current spread or throughout the document.

  1. Go to API → LayerLifter → Preferences. Select Drag Attached Layer On All Spreads for a document-wide shift, or leave it off to affect only the current spread.
  2. Select a page item on the layer you want to shift and choose API → LayerLifter → Attach To Layer. A small paperclip appears next to the item.
  3. Move the attached item. The other items on the same layer move by the same amount.
  4. Choose API → LayerLifter → Detach From Layer when you are finished.

For more detail, see the LayerLifter manual.

Supporting LayerLifter

LayerLifter PL is free. Donations help cover ongoing development, maintenance and support.

To donate, find LayerLifter PL in PluginInstaller’s Available Software list and use its donation option. Register an account if you do not already have one. Keep your unlock code written down in a safe place: if you lose it, it cannot be retrieved.