How to Link Layers in GIMP

Linking layers in GIMP connects two or more layers so they move, scale, or transform together - without merging them or putting them in a group. It is a temporary connection you can break anytime. The chain link icon in the Layers panel is what controls this, and it is easy to use once you know where to look.

The Chain Link Icon Explained

In the Layers panel, each layer row has a small space between the visibility eye icon and the layer thumbnail. That space is the link column. When you click it, a chain link icon appears. All layers showing a chain link move as one unit.

The chain link is purely a movement/transform lock. It does not affect layer opacity, blend modes, visibility, or any painting operations. You can still paint on any individual layer independently - The link only kicks in when you use the Move or Transform tools.

How to Link Layers

1. In the Layers panel, find the narrow column between the eye icon and the layer thumbnail.
2. Click that space on the first layer you want to link. A chain link icon appears.
3. Click the same space on each additional layer you want to move with it.

All layers with the chain icon are now linked. Click any chain icon again to unlink that layer from the group. You can mix and match freely - Link three layers, unlink one, add another - The system is flexible.

Moving Linked Layers Together

With layers linked:

1. Press M to activate the Move tool.
2. In Tool Options, set the mode to "Move the active layer."
3. Click any of the linked layers in the Layers panel to make it active.
4. Drag on the canvas. All linked layers move by the same amount.

The same applies to the Scale, Rotate, and other Transform tools. If you scale the active layer, all linked layers scale by the same factor. This is useful for moving a shadow and its subject at the same time, or keeping a text label aligned with an element as you reposition the layout.

Linking vs. Grouping - When to Use Each

Use linking for quick, temporary movement connections - moving a text label with a button, repositioning a shadow with its subject. Use groups when you want longer-term organization, collapsing the panel, or applying a blend mode to the set as a whole. Groups and links also work together: you can link a layer outside a group to a layer inside it.

Linking a Layer to Its Mask

A separate type of link exists between a layer and its own layer mask. By default, when you add a layer mask, a small chain icon appears between the layer thumbnail and the mask thumbnail in the same row. This link means the mask moves with the layer when you reposition it.

Click that chain icon to break it. Now you can move the layer independently of the mask - useful when you want to slide the image content under a fixed mask shape (for a frame or spotlight effect).

Click the space again to re-link them. This layer-to-mask link is separate from the inter-layer chain link described above - They are two different systems using similar icons in the same panel.