Layered image editing, by hand or by API.

A real layer editor, not a template filler

Most banner generator APIs swap a text and a picture on a fixed design. Nordic Layers gives you the tools of a desktop image editor, and every one of them is an API call.

• Layers and blend modes

  Image, text, shape, colour fill, linear or radial gradient and adjustment layers. Twenty blend modes, from multiply and screen to soft light, colour and luminosity, plus opacity on every layer.

• Non-destructive adjustments

  Levels, curves, hue/saturation, exposure, brightness/contrast, gradient map, black & white, colour balance, invert and grain. Change or remove them at any time: the source pixels are never touched.

• Masks and clipping

  Layer masks from a rectangle, an ellipse, a gradient fade or another image, with feathering and invert. Clip a photo to the shape below it, exactly as in a desktop editor.

• Text in every script

  Arabic and Urdu right to left, Hindi, Bengali and Tamil with proper shaping, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Box width, alignment, leading, bold and italic in 12 font families.

• Filters and layer effects

  Gaussian and motion blur, noise, vignette, sharpen and pixelate. Drop shadow, stroke, outer glow and colour overlay on any layer, text included.

• Same document, two ways in

  What you build in the browser editor is a JSON document the API can open, change and export, and the other way round. Designers draw the template, code fills it.

Examples rendered by the real engine

Each image below came out of the Nordic Layers engine from the JSON next to it. The photos are test images; asset_id is the ID that POST /v1/assets returns for each upload.

• 

  Canvas 1200×628 · 8 layers

  E-commerce product banner

  A product photo with a drop shadow on a gradient, a price badge and the offer. Swap the asset and the text for each product of the catalogue and export them all in one script.

  Show the JSON that made it

  // POST /v1/projects
  {
    "name": "Serum banner",
    "width": 1200,
    "height": 628,
    "background": "#F4EDE4",
    "steps": [
      {"op": "layer.addFill", "name": "Backdrop", "gradient": {"colors": ["#F7F1E8", "#E6D6C1"], "angle": 0}},
      {"op": "shape.add", "shape": "ellipse", "rect": [700, 64, 500, 500], "color": "#DCC5A6", "name": "Disc"},
      {"op": "layer.addImage", "asset_id": "serum_bottle", "rect": [806, 70, 288, 480], "fit": "contain", "name": "Product"},
      {"op": "effects.set", "layer": "Product", "shadow": {"color": "#3B2A1A", "opacity": 0.35, "angle": 120, "distance": 22, "size": 34}},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "Vitamin C serum", "fontName": "Georgia", "fontSize": 66, "bold": true, "color": "#2B2118", "origin": [72, 150], "name": "Title"},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "Brightening daily formula · 30 ml", "fontName": "Segoe UI", "fontSize": 30, "color": "#6B5A4A", "origin": [75, 245], "name": "Subtitle"},
      {"op": "shape.add", "shape": "rectangle", "rect": [72, 340, 300, 84], "cornerRadius": 42, "color": "#1E3A5F", "name": "Badge"},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "−30% this week", "fontName": "Segoe UI", "fontSize": 34, "bold": true, "color": "#FFFFFF", "alignment": "center", "boxWidth": 300, "origin": [72, 357], "name": "Offer"},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "Free delivery from €30", "fontName": "Segoe UI", "fontSize": 24, "color": "#6B5A4A", "origin": [75, 460], "name": "Note"}
    ]
  }

• 

  Canvas 1080×1080 · 5 layers

  Square social post

  A photo with levels, saturation and a vignette, a dark fill faded in with a gradient mask so the headline stays readable on any picture.

  Show the JSON that made it

  // POST /v1/projects
  {
    "name": "Weekend guide post",
    "width": 1080,
    "height": 1080,
    "background": "#0B1F33",
    "steps": [
      {"op": "layer.addImage", "asset_id": "photo_lake", "fitCanvas": "cover", "name": "Photo"},
      {"op": "adjust.levels", "layer": "Photo", "black": 8, "white": 245, "gamma": 1.05},
      {"op": "adjust.hueSaturation", "layer": "Photo", "saturation": 18},
      {"op": "filter.vignette", "layer": "Photo", "amount": -35, "midpoint": 55, "feather": 60},
      {"op": "layer.addFill", "color": "#0B1F33", "name": "Shade", "opacity": 0.9},
      {"op": "mask.add", "layer": "Shade", "from": [540, 1080], "to": [540, 560]},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "WEEKEND GUIDE · ISSUE 12", "fontName": "Segoe UI", "fontSize": 28, "bold": true, "color": "#9CC7EC", "origin": [84, 724], "name": "Kicker"},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "Slow mornings\nby the lake", "fontName": "Georgia", "fontSize": 92, "color": "#FFFFFF", "leading": 1.05, "origin": [80, 770], "name": "Headline"},
      {"op": "shape.add", "shape": "line", "from": [86, 1000], "to": [300, 1000], "color": "#FFFFFF", "lineWidth": 4, "name": "Rule"}
    ]
  }

• 

  Canvas 1080×1920 · 7 layers

  Story in Arabic

  A 9:16 story with Arabic text shaped right to left, a blurred backdrop, and the photo clipped to a rounded card with a clipping mask.

  Show the JSON that made it

  // POST /v1/projects
  {
    "name": "Sale story (Arabic)",
    "width": 1080,
    "height": 1920,
    "background": "#120A1E",
    "steps": [
      {"op": "layer.addImage", "asset_id": "photo_ribbons", "fitCanvas": "cover", "name": "Backdrop"},
      {"op": "filter.gaussianBlur", "layer": "Backdrop", "radius": 28},
      {"op": "adjust.brightnessContrast", "layer": "Backdrop", "brightness": -20, "contrast": -10},
      {"op": "shape.add", "shape": "rectangle", "rect": [90, 230, 900, 1000], "cornerRadius": 48, "color": "#FFFFFF", "name": "Card"},
      {"op": "effects.set", "layer": "Card", "shadow": {"color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.55, "angle": 90, "distance": 24, "size": 60}},
      {"op": "layer.addImage", "asset_id": "photo_ribbons", "rect": [90, 230, 900, 1000], "fit": "cover", "name": "Photo"},
      {"op": "layer.clip", "layer": "Photo"},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "تخفيضات نهاية الموسم", "fontName": "Segoe UI", "fontSize": 92, "bold": true, "color": "#FFFFFF", "alignment": "right", "boxWidth": 900, "origin": [90, 1310], "name": "Headline"},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "خصم حتى ٤٠٪ على المجموعة كاملة", "fontName": "Segoe UI", "fontSize": 50, "color": "#E9D8FF", "alignment": "right", "boxWidth": 900, "origin": [90, 1460], "name": "Offer"},
      {"op": "shape.add", "shape": "rectangle", "rect": [610, 1610, 380, 110], "cornerRadius": 55, "color": "#FFFFFF", "name": "Button"},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "تسوّق الآن", "fontName": "Segoe UI", "fontSize": 46, "bold": true, "color": "#120A1E", "alignment": "center", "boxWidth": 380, "origin": [610, 1628], "name": "Button label"}
    ]
  }

• 

  Canvas 1280×720 · 4 layers

  Video thumbnail

  Big type with a stroke and a drop shadow over a flipped, scaled and brightened photo, and a rotated tag. The kind of thumbnail you make every week.

  Show the JSON that made it

  // POST /v1/projects
  {
    "name": "Tutorial thumbnail",
    "width": 1280,
    "height": 720,
    "background": "#0D1117",
    "steps": [
      {"op": "layer.addImage", "asset_id": "photo_glow", "fitCanvas": "cover", "name": "Photo"},
      {"op": "transform.flip", "layer": "Photo", "axis": "horizontal"},
      {"op": "transform.scale", "layer": "Photo", "factor": 1.4},
      {"op": "transform.move", "layer": "Photo", "dx": 240},
      {"op": "adjust.exposure", "layer": "Photo", "exposure": 0.4},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "COLOUR\nGRADING", "fontName": "Impact", "fontSize": 168, "leading": 0.98, "color": "#FFFFFF", "origin": [70, 110], "name": "Title"},
      {"op": "effects.set", "layer": "Title", "stroke": {"color": "#0D1117", "size": 10, "position": "outside"}, "shadow": {"color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.7, "angle": 120, "distance": 14, "size": 20}},
      {"op": "shape.add", "shape": "rectangle", "rect": [70, 520, 470, 92], "cornerRadius": 14, "color": "#FFCC00", "name": "Tag"},
      {"op": "transform.rotate", "layer": "Tag", "angle": -3},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "IN 5 MINUTES", "fontName": "Impact", "fontSize": 66, "color": "#0D1117", "alignment": "center", "boxWidth": 470, "origin": [70, 526], "name": "Tag text"},
      {"op": "transform.rotate", "layer": "Tag text", "angle": -3}
    ]
  }

• 

  Canvas 1200×630 · 7 layers

  Open Graph link preview

  A 1200×630 card for a blog post: gradient background, a photo faded in with a gradient mask and a gradient-map adjustment layer over everything.

  Show the JSON that made it

  // POST /v1/projects
  {
    "name": "Blog link preview",
    "width": 1200,
    "height": 630,
    "background": "#1E3A5F",
    "steps": [
      {"op": "layer.addFill", "name": "Backdrop", "gradient": {"colors": ["#24476F", "#0F2238"], "angle": 120}},
      {"op": "layer.addImage", "asset_id": "photo_shore", "rect": [560, 0, 640, 630], "fit": "cover", "name": "Photo"},
      {"op": "mask.add", "layer": "Photo", "from": [900, 315], "to": [580, 315]},
      {"op": "adjustmentLayer.add", "kind": "gradientMap", "shadows": "#0F2238", "highlights": "#E8F1FA", "name": "Duotone", "opacity": 0.35},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "THE NORDIC NOTEBOOK", "fontName": "Segoe UI", "fontSize": 24, "bold": true, "color": "#64B5F6", "origin": [72, 96], "name": "Kicker"},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "Five quiet lakes for a long weekend", "fontName": "Georgia", "fontSize": 62, "color": "#FFFFFF", "boxWidth": 560, "leading": 1.12, "origin": [70, 150], "name": "Title"},
      {"op": "shape.add", "shape": "ellipse", "rect": [72, 470, 64, 64], "color": "#64B5F6", "name": "Avatar"},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "A. Writer · 6 min read", "fontName": "Segoe UI", "fontSize": 26, "color": "#D6E2EF", "origin": [156, 484], "name": "Byline"}
    ]
  }

• 

  Canvas 1080×1080 · 5 layers

  One template, every language

  One project, four exports. Each export call carries two text.set steps, so English, Spanish, Hindi and Japanese come from the same design without saving copies.

  Show the JSON that made it

  // POST /v1/projects
  {
    "name": "Collection launch",
    "width": 1080,
    "height": 1080,
    "background": "#1E3A5F",
    "steps": [
      {"op": "layer.addImage", "asset_id": "photo_dunes", "fitCanvas": "cover", "name": "Photo"},
      {"op": "adjustmentLayer.add", "kind": "gradientMap", "shadows": "#1E3A5F", "highlights": "#F6E7D8", "name": "Brand tone", "opacity": 0.55},
      {"op": "layer.addFill", "color": "#0F2238", "name": "Shade", "opacity": 0.75},
      {"op": "mask.add", "layer": "Shade", "from": [540, 0], "to": [540, 520]},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "New collection", "fontName": "Segoe UI", "fontSize": 96, "bold": true, "color": "#FFFFFF", "alignment": "center", "boxWidth": 960, "origin": [60, 120], "name": "Title"},
      {"op": "text.add", "content": "Available from 1 November", "fontName": "Segoe UI", "fontSize": 54, "bold": true, "color": "#D6E2EF", "alignment": "center", "boxWidth": 960, "origin": [60, 250], "name": "Subtitle"}
    ]
  }
  
  // POST /v1/projects/{id}/export  (es)
  {
    "format": "webp",
    "steps": [
      {"op": "text.set", "layer": "Title", "content": "Nueva colección"},
      {"op": "text.set", "layer": "Subtitle", "content": "Disponible desde el 1 de noviembre"}
    ]
  }
  
  // POST /v1/projects/{id}/export  (hi)
  {
    "format": "webp",
    "steps": [
      {"op": "text.set", "layer": "Title", "content": "नया कलेक्शन"},
      {"op": "text.set", "layer": "Subtitle", "content": "1 नवंबर से उपलब्ध"}
    ]
  }
  
  // POST /v1/projects/{id}/export  (ja)
  {
    "format": "webp",
    "steps": [
      {"op": "text.set", "layer": "Title", "content": "新コレクション"},
      {"op": "text.set", "layer": "Subtitle", "content": "11月1日から発売"}
    ]
  }

What you can use it for

• Product images in bulk

  Banners and catalogue images for every product: one template, the product photo and price swapped by a script.

• Social posts and stories

  Posts and stories in every language from one design, with text shaped correctly in Arabic, Hindi or Japanese.

• Video thumbnails

  A thumbnail template per channel or series: change the title and the photo, keep the style.

• Open Graph images

  Link preview cards generated when you publish a page, with the title of the article on them.

• Marketing variants per locale

  The same campaign in each market: translated text, local prices, another photo, all from one project.

• Agents and automations

  n8n, Make, Zapier, a cron script or an AI agent: anything that can send an HTTP request with JSON can edit images.

• Editing in the browser

  Retouch a photo, build a layout or fix a template by hand when you need to, without installing an editor.

Plans and prices

Start free, without a card. Previews are always free; only exports count. Prices exclude VAT, billed in pounds in the UK and in euros elsewhere.

• Free

  0 € per month

  Free, no card needed

  • 50 renders a month
  • Canvas up to 4 megapixels
  • Up to 10 layers per project
  • 3 saved projects
  • 250 MB of storage
  • Exports kept 3 days
  • API keys: 1
  • Renders at once: 1
  • Small watermark on exports
  Start free

• Starter

  19 € per month

  £17 UK

  • 1,000 renders a month
  • Canvas up to 12 megapixels
  • Up to 30 layers per project
  • 50 saved projects
  • 2 GB of storage
  • Exports kept 14 days
  • API keys: 2
  • Renders at once: 2
  • No watermark
  Choose Starter

• Pro

  49 € per month

  £43 UK

  • 5,000 renders a month
  • Canvas up to 25 megapixels
  • Up to 100 layers per project
  • 500 saved projects
  • 10 GB of storage
  • Exports kept 30 days
  • API keys: 5
  • Renders at once: 4
  • No watermark
  Choose Pro

• Business

  129 € per month

  £112 UK

  • 20,000 renders a month
  • Canvas up to 50 megapixels
  • Up to 200 layers per project
  • 5,000 saved projects
  • 50 GB of storage
  • Exports kept 60 days
  • API keys: 20
  • Renders at once: 8
  • No watermark
  • Priority rendering
  Choose Business