ON1 Photo RAW 2026: plan edits with a notes layer

This tutorial demonstrates a handwritten notes layer in ON1 Photo RAW 2026 for planning photo edits before adjusting sliders. The presenter marks areas to brighten or darken and circles the subject for further work. The method uses a color fill layer and masking controls rather than a dedicated notes feature.

To build the overlay, he selects a red fill in the Layers pane, opens its mask controls and inverts the mask to hide the color. He then adds a brush, switches it from Erase to Paint and sets its size to about 25. Painting on the mask reveals red annotations over the photo. He uses a mouse but says a Wacom tablet would make handwriting easier.

The demonstration includes a useful correction: the presenter initially applies an exposure adjustment to the notes layer. He disables that adjustment, selects the actual image layer and repeats the edit there. He then uses gradients to adjust exposure around the edges and adds exposure and structure near the subject.

The notes remain available as a reference while editing. Turning off their layer hides the annotations without affecting adjustments made to the image layer. Renaming the overlay to "notes" makes it easier to identify later. The example also shows that the plan can change: the presenter reconsiders a brightened corner when it draws attention away from the subject.