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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/GraphiteEditor/Graphite/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Graphite supports raster image compositing through its node graph — import photographs or painted imagery and process them with color adjustments and blend operations, all nondestructively. Rather than editing pixels directly, Graphite treats images as data flowing through a pipeline of nodes. This means every adjustment is a reversible operation you can modify or remove at any time, and the document remains resolution-independent until export.
Raster compositing in Graphite is experimental and actively being developed. The feature set described here represents current alpha capabilities. Scalable raster rendering — where content is always redrawn at the current viewing resolution — is a core architectural goal that is still maturing.

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Importing Images

To bring a raster image into your document:
  1. Go to File > Import and select a PNG, JPG, or BMP file.
  2. The image appears as a new raster layer in the Layers panel.
  3. In the node graph, an Image node is created automatically, holding a reference to the imported file.
  4. The image is positioned on the canvas and can be moved, scaled, and rotated with the Select tool (S).
Graphite redraws raster content at the current viewport resolution rather than storing a fixed pixel grid. This means you can zoom in and export at any resolution without the source content becoming blurry — the document stores the image data, not a fixed-size render.

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Compositing Multiple Images

To layer multiple images on top of each other:
  • Layers panel — Stack raster layers in the Layers panel. Layers higher in the list appear on top of layers below. Drag to reorder.
  • Blend modes — With a layer selected, choose a blend mode from the dropdown in the control bar at the top of the Layers panel. Available blend modes include Normal, Multiply, Screen, Overlay, and others.
  • Opacity — Adjust the opacity slider in the control bar to control how transparent a layer is relative to those beneath it.
  • Node graph compositing — Open the node graph to wire layers together with explicit compositor nodes for more advanced effects. The Merge node combines two graphic inputs with a chosen blend mode, giving you precise control over the compositing order independently of the layer stack.

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Color Adjustments

Nondestructive color corrections are applied by inserting adjustment nodes into the layer’s node graph pipeline. Select a raster layer, open the node graph, and add nodes from the relevant categories. Color adjustment nodes currently available include operations that modify the hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, and tonal levels of image data. Because these are nodes rather than destructive edits, you can:
  • Reorder adjustments by rearranging nodes in the graph.
  • Disable a correction by hiding its node (click the eye icon on the node or press CtrlH).
  • Delete an adjustment node to fully remove the correction.
  • Change any parameter value at any time.
Use Alt+click on any node to preview its output in isolation. This is useful for checking what a color adjustment is doing before it reaches the final composite.

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The Brush Tool

Graphite includes a prototype Brush tool (B) that enables basic freehand pixel painting directly onto raster layers. It is intended for quick sketches and doodles.
The Brush tool is a prototype and has significant known limitations. Performance may degrade with complex strokes or large canvas sizes. There are multiple known bugs affecting brush behavior and rendering. The tool will be fully rewritten in a future release with proper pressure sensitivity, blend modes, and performance. For now, treat it as a very early preview of raster painting capability — avoid relying on it for production work.
To use the Brush tool in its current state:
  1. Select a raster layer in the Layers panel (or create one via File > New Raster Layer).
  2. Press B to activate the Brush tool.
  3. Set brush color in the control bar.
  4. Click and drag on the canvas to paint. Use the size slider in the control bar to adjust the brush radius.

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Scalable Raster

One of Graphite’s architectural goals is scalable raster — raster content that is always rendered at the current viewing resolution rather than being stored as a fixed-size pixel grid. In practice this means:
  • Zoom without blurring — Zooming into the canvas redraws content at higher detail; you never see a blocky pixel grid caused by zooming past the document resolution.
  • Export at any size — When exporting, choose any output resolution. The full fidelity of brushes, masks, filters, and effects is preserved regardless of the export dimensions.
  • Compact documents — Because the document stores a description of operations rather than pixel data, .graphite files can remain small even for complex compositions (especially when source assets are linked externally).
Scalable raster compositing is still experimental. Some raster operations may fall back to fixed-resolution rendering internally. GPU-accelerated raster rendering is planned for Beta 1.

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Known Limitations

Graphite’s raster toolset is an early-stage alpha capability. Keep the following in mind:
  • The Brush tool has known performance issues and will be fully rewritten.
  • The selection toolset (marquee, magic wand, etc.) is not yet available — it is planned for Beta 2.
  • Comprehensive raster adjustments, filters, and effects (equivalent to a full image editor’s adjustment layer set) are planned for Beta 2.
  • Raw photo processing (RAW file support, lens correction, etc.) is a future roadmap item.
  • Stylus and touch input for pressure-sensitive painting is planned for Beta 1.

Node Graph Overview

Understand how the compositor graph processes your imagery

Features and Limitations

Full overview of what works and what is still in development

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