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Affinity’s September 2026 update adds Scene Decomposition, shown in the interface as Decompose Layer. It analyzes a flattened image, separates visible elements into editable pixel layers, and attempts to rebuild pixels hidden behind foreground objects. The important catch is access: the workflow runs through Canva AI Studio, which requires a Canva Premium plan.
What Scene Decomposition does
A flattened PNG contains the final appearance of an image but not the separate text, objects, masks, backgrounds, or adjustment layers used to create it. Scene Decomposition gives Affinity a way to make an editable approximation of that missing structure.
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The feature identifies likely components—such as headings, text fragments, foreground objects, and backgrounds—then generates separate pixel layers. It also attempts to reconstruct portions of the scene that were hidden behind objects in the original composite. That can make an old campaign graphic, illustration, or photo composite practical to revise without manually cutting every subject and repainting every exposed background area.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Benjamin Viney, Affinity’s Enablement Lead, described the goal this way: “Scene Decomposition brings that flattened image back to life.” The phrase is apt, but it should not be read as a promise that Affinity has recovered the original source document.
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How to split a flattened image in Affinity
- Switch to Canva AI mode. Open Affinity’s Studio Switcher and select the Canva AI mode. Canva AI Studio features are unlocked through a Canva Premium plan.
- Open the flattened image. Import the PNG or other raster composite you need to revise.
- Choose Decompose Layer. Use the control labeled Decompose Layer to start Scene Decomposition.
- Review the generated layers. Affinity creates separate pixel layers based on its interpretation of the image. Rename them and switch visibility on and off to check the separation.
- Refine the result. Add masks, repaint missing areas, correct edges, and adjust layer content wherever the automatic separation is incomplete or inaccurate.
The generated result is a starting point for editing, not a recovered copy of the lost layered file. Keep the original PNG untouched and save the decomposed document as a new working file.
What it can reconstruct—and what it cannot
Affinity’s description covers editable elements and reconstructed content behind them. It does not promise recovery of the original vectors, live text objects, masks, blend modes, adjustment settings, layer names, or exact layer boundaries. Those details are not present in a flattened image, so the software has to infer them.
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That distinction matters for production work. A generated background may look convincing at the original size but show seams, repeated textures, or incorrect geometry when a subject is moved or the canvas is enlarged. Text may be separated into pixels rather than restored as editable typography. Fine hair, transparent objects, shadows, reflections, and anti-aliased edges can also require manual cleanup.
A secondary hands-on account reported sensible separations for headings, text fragments, objects, and backgrounds, while noting that some layers were stronger than others. That is an observation rather than a vendor accuracy test. Affinity has published no official success rate, accuracy score, or processing-time benchmark. The same account described processing of roughly two minutes in its own session; treat that timing as anecdotal and dependent on the image and hardware.
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Is the output accurate enough for production?
It can be useful when the alternative is rebuilding a composition from scratch, especially for social graphics, internal revisions, mood boards, archived marketing assets, and other work where an editable approximation is acceptable. It is less suitable as an unattended restoration step for high-value artwork that must preserve exact typography, legal copy, brand geometry, or pixel-perfect retouching.
- Good fit: moving or removing obvious objects, testing alternate layouts, isolating a subject, and recovering a workable background for further painting.
- Needs close inspection: small text, logos, intricate line art, transparent materials, complex shadows, and images that will be printed or enlarged substantially.
- Not guaranteed: recovery of the original document structure or every pixel hidden behind an object.
Plan for a review pass at 100% zoom. Check object boundaries, text edges, repeated background details, and areas revealed after moving a foreground layer. Use masks for transitions and repaint reconstructed regions rather than assuming every generated layer is clean.
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Do you need Canva Premium?
Yes. Affinity says most of the September 2026 release is free, but Canva AI Studio is unlocked with a Canva Premium plan. Because Scene Decomposition is part of that AI workflow, users should not assume that installing or updating Affinity alone provides access.
The subscription requirement is separate from the feature’s editing behavior: once available, the generated layers remain ordinary editable content that you can inspect and refine in Affinity. Check the current Canva account and plan status if the Canva AI mode or Decompose Layer control is missing.
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Privacy and local processing
Affinity’s September 2026 update states: “Your work in Affinity isn’t used to train AI features, and Affinity can’t access your files – they’re stored locally on your device.” This is Affinity’s stated handling for files in the application. Organizations with additional confidentiality, retention, or network-control requirements should still verify that their own Canva account and deployment policies permit the workflow.
How this feature fits Affinity’s wider AI tools
The September update contains more than 60 new features and improvements, including nine new color, sharpening, and detail adjustments. Affinity’s help content also lists machine-learning selection features covering 80 everyday object categories and eight scene-region categories. Those figures describe object and region detection, not a Scene Decomposition accuracy score, and they should not be used as a success-rate claim for layer splitting.
Affinity’s stated design principle is that AI should speed up tedious tasks while leaving creative decisions to the user. Scene Decomposition follows that model: it reduces the amount of manual selection, masking, and background reconstruction, but the editor remains responsible for deciding whether the result is acceptable.
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Affinity can now turn a single flattened image into a workable set of editable pixel layers and may recreate hidden background areas well enough to save substantial manual labor. It does not recreate the original layered file with certainty, and output quality varies by image. Treat Decompose Layer as an assisted reconstruction tool, budget time for inspection and repainting, and remember that Canva Premium is required for the Canva AI Studio workflow.
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