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It's a whole new timeline.
Turn images into layers
Turn a static ad or screenshot into editable layers. Rebuild the design in Butter, change the offer or headline, then add motion—all in the same project.
What exactly does "image to layers" mean?
Image to layers means rebuilding a flat picture as separate elements you can change. In a finished image, the headline, product and background appear together, but the original editing controls are gone. Butter rebuilds static images and screenshots into an editable project so you can revise the design and take it into motion. The result is a new working version of the image, not the original source file. Start with the change your campaign needs, then review the rebuilt elements before making more variations.
How to separate an image into layers
With Butter, it's remarkably easy to separate images into layers in a few easy steps.
Bring in your image
Choose a clear version of the design. Tell Butter what you want to keep and which part needs changing, such as the offer, headline or product placement.
1600×900Rebuild the design
Ask Butter to rebuild the image as editable layers. This AI step creates a working project from the reference; it does not recover an original design file.
1600×900Check and change
Review the result against your source. Retype the offer, move an element or resize the layout in the editor. Check small text and brand details before proceeding.
1600×900Bring it into motion
Add animation to the rebuilt design and adjust the timing. Preview the result as a complete ad, checking that your message is readable before you export.
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Give a static ad its next version
A useful ad idea should not stop at the exported image. You may want a different headline, a current offer or a motion version for another placement. Rebuilding the design gives you elements to work with instead of a single flattened picture. Make the specific change, review it in context and keep refining the same project. Use it when the only available asset is a finished static ad.
Change the design without rebuilding it (again and again)
After the AI rebuild, use the editor to move, delete, retype, retime and resize. Those manual edits do not cost credits; AI generation and rebuilding do. Treat the initial reconstruction as a starting point to review. A flat image does not contain the original layer names, hidden objects or design history, so do not expect a recovered source project. Check the text, spacing and visual details that matter for your brand before using the result in a campaign.
From a flat image to layers you can edit
The exported ad shows the finished design. Butter rebuilds it as a working project, so you can change the next version. Review the result first: text, spacing and visual details may need correction.
| What changes | Before: flat image | After: Butter rebuild |
|---|---|---|
| Your starting point | One finished picture | An editable Butter project |
| Text changes | Words are part of the image | Retype rebuilt text in the editor |
| Layout changes | Elements share one flattened image | Move or resize the rebuilt elements |
| Your next version | A static design | Add motion and adjust timing |
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Marketers refreshing a static ad
Start from the ad your team already uses. Rework the offer or message, check the design, and build a motion version without making a completely new concept.
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Agencies working from client assets
When a client sends a finished image, rebuild a working version for the next brief. Review it with the client before adapting the design for a new campaign.
What's under the hood
For designers, the useful distinction is reconstruction versus source recovery. Butter creates an editable project from the visible reference; the image does not reveal the original document structure or hidden content. Inspect the rebuilt layers, correct the hierarchy and refine the motion on the timeline. Keep a copy of the source beside the result while reviewing type and spacing. Rebuilding a flat image is a way to continue work when that source is unavailable, not a guarantee of an identical reconstruction.
Image to layers: your questions answered
Bring the image into Butter and ask it to rebuild the design as editable layers. Review the new project, then change the elements you need in the editor. The process reconstructs what is visible in the image; it does not restore the original source file or its editing history.
Give your static ad another move
Give your static ad another move
Start with the image you have. Rebuild, review and edit it, then take the design into motion.