Decorative Layers (Decor)

Some visual texture is tedious to build by hand — a field of scattered dots, a radiating sunburst behind a headline, a halftone gradient across a background. Decorative layers, or decor layers, are Lega's answer: procedurally generated patterns that render as real, editable layers rather than baked-in raster textures.

What decor layers are

A decor layer is defined by a generator (which pattern), a seed (which specific variation of that pattern), and a set of params (size, density, color, spacing, and other pattern-specific controls). Change the seed and you get a different arrangement of the same pattern; change the params and you get a different look entirely. Because the pattern is generated from this compact description rather than stored as pixels, it stays crisp and adjustable at any size — resizing a decor layer regenerates its geometry at the new scale instead of stretching a fixed image.

Available generators

Lega currently ships five active decor generators, with a sixth in development:

• Sunburst — radiating lines or wedges from a center point, good for drawing attention behind a headline or badge, or evoking a retro/vintage energy.
• Wave lines — flowing, parallel wave patterns, useful as a soft background texture or a section divider with more personality than a straight line.
• Halftone — dot-pattern gradients reminiscent of print halftone screens, effective for a textured background or a retro/editorial treatment.
• Scatter — randomized (but seed-controlled, so reproducible) distribution of small shapes across an area — confetti-like accents, texture fields, background noise with intention behind it.
• Ribbon — flowing ribbon or banner-like shapes, useful for accent sweeps or dynamic diagonal elements.
• Wire sphere — a wireframe sphere generator, currently stubbed and not yet fully available in the editor.

Both of Lega's rendering paths — the live Canvas2D view and the export pipeline — draw decor generators from identical seeded geometry, so what you see while editing a decor layer is exactly what you get in the exported file, down to the same dot positions and wave curves.

Adding and editing a decor layer

Decor layers most commonly show up as part of an AI-generated layout — the AI reaches for a decor generator when a composition calls for texture or visual energy that a static shape can't easily provide. Once placed, a decor layer is selectable and editable in the layers panel like any other layer: reposition it, resize it, restyle its color, or adjust its params through the Properties panel.

If you want to try a different variation of the same pattern without changing its overall character, regenerating with a new seed (via the Properties panel or by asking the AI) gives you a fresh arrangement while keeping the generator and general params the same.

When to reach for decor vs. shapes

Decor and shape layers solve overlapping but distinct problems:

• Reach for a shape when you need exact, deliberate geometry — a specific rectangle, a precisely placed circle, a line at an exact position.
• Reach for decor when you want a generated pattern or textural effect that would take dozens of individual shapes to approximate by hand — a scattered field of dots, a radiating burst, a halftone gradient.

Combining the two is common: a decor sunburst as a background texture, with a shape layer or two placed deliberately on top for structure.

Decor and Perfect-It

Lega's motif and polish engine, Perfect-It, frequently reaches for decor generators as part of its recipe-based enhancements — adding a halftone texture behind a headline, a scatter accent in a corner, or a ribbon sweep across a banner, chosen to match the design's existing motif rather than applied generically. If you're seeing decor layers appear in a design after running Perfect-It, that's the recipe engine doing exactly what it's meant to: layering in polish that would otherwise take manual decoration work.

A note on restraint

Decorative patterns are easy to overuse — a sunburst behind every headline stops reading as intentional and starts reading as a tic. Because decor layers are cheap to add, remove, or swap, it's worth treating them as adjustable seasoning rather than a default: add one where it earns its place, and don't hesitate to delete it if a design reads better without it.