MerlinImage

Split an image into layers and export a PSD

Open a flat image, such as a poster, a product shot, a slide, a logo or a photo, and MerlinImage splits it into layers with real transparency, like a Photoshop file. Pick how many layers you want, or let Auto count the objects and text blocks for you. The background behind each object is filled in, so you can move, hide or delete one object without leaving a hole.

Then edit the layers in MerlinImage, or export them as a layered PSD and carry on in your usual editor.

Three ways to make layers

The cloud model is far too big for a laptop's graphics card, which is why full decomposition uses a service you pay for by the run. MerlinImage shows the estimated cost before every cloud run, asks before the first upload, and keeps a running total of your month's spend in Settings.

Is it for you?

It's a good fit if you get flat images and need them as layers, want to move or remove one object or swap a background without redrawing what was behind it, or make thumbnails, social posts and mock-ups and want a head start on the layers.

It's probably not for you if you need pixel-perfect retouching of photographs. The background behind a removed object is generated, not recovered, so busy photos can look soft where they've been filled.

Features

Making layers

• Pick a layer count from 3 to 50, or Auto. Up to 10 layers is one cloud run; more takes extra runs that split the biggest layers further, and MerlinImage shows the runs and the cost as you move the slider (50 layers: 11 runs, about $0.55).
• Decompose this layer: split one layer further, in place.
• Batch: decompose a list of images with the same settings, with the total estimated cost shown first.

Editing

• Show and hide layers, set opacity, rename, reorder, duplicate, merge down and delete.
• Move a layer by dragging or with the arrow keys, with undo and redo for the last 100 steps.

Opening and exporting

• Opens PNG, JPEG, WebP, BMP and TIFF, or paste from the clipboard, up to 64 megapixels.
• Exports layered PSD, OpenRaster (.ora), a folder of PNG layers, or a ZIP of them.
• Saves a MerlinImage project (.merlinimg) to come back to later.

Price and license

Free beta until January 31, 2027. After that, a license is $39, one time, covering every 1.x version. Licenses go on sale January 1, 2027. It's one payment, not a subscription.

• The key arrives by email. Choose Help, License, paste the key and click Activate. It's checked on your PC.
• Without a license after January 31, you can still open, edit, save and export. Only new decompositions stop.
• The license doesn't include cloud runs. Those are always billed by fal.ai to your own API key.

Privacy

• Quick mode, Auto and Box to layer run entirely on your PC. Your image never leaves it.
• Cloud decomposition uploads the image to fal.ai, scaled to at most 1024 pixels on its longest side, and MerlinImage asks fal.ai to delete the upload and results after an hour. fal.ai's own terms apply.
• Your API key is stored encrypted for your Windows account and only ever sent to fal.ai. MerlinImage collects no usage data.

Requirements

Install

1. Download the zip, extract it, and run the setup file inside. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway. The app isn't code-signed yet.
2. If the Visual C++ runtime is missing, Setup offers the download link. Cloud decomposition, editing and export work without it.
3. Open an image, choose Quick (local) for a free first try, or add your fal.ai key in Settings, then click Decompose.

SHA-256 of the setup file inside the zip:

06879C92ED7E47BBB705B18A5D3478193DC4D21AB7DF7C19DB398EA16C6CF8AA

Known limitations

• Backgrounds behind removed objects are generated, not recovered, so busy photos can look soft.
• Cloud layers come back at about 0.4 megapixels and are scaled up, so very large images come back softer than Quick mode's full-size layers.
• Exports are 8-bit sRGB with no color profile and no layer groups.
• WebP needs Microsoft's WebP Image Extensions, which may be missing on Windows 10.