The Layered Image Trick That Makes Your Squarespace Site Look Custom

Last Updated:
December 1, 2022

Transform your Squarespace site by layering images for a unique, professional look that captivates visitors and enhances your brand's credibility.

Combining Canva with Squarespace – Part Four

Welcome back to our free course series on combining Canva with Squarespace. If you’re new here, this is part four, where we dig into creating layered image effects for your website. Missed parts one, two, or three? Do have a look; links are at the bottom of this post. If you’re following along, stick the kettle on and let’s get hands-on.

This time, we’re using our Pixelhaze “Greening and Co” Squarespace template. Our goal is to create the effect of a foreground image (like a mug) floating naturally over a background texture (like a wood grain or desktop), while keeping everything flexible and crisp, no matter the screen size. This approach is ideal for ‘About Us’ pages, service highlights, or any section that suffers from flat, lifeless graphics.

Why This Matters

A website’s first impression comes from its visual punch. You might have spent hours fiddling with colours, trimming images, and shifting layouts, only to end up with something that looks like an afterthought at an office party. All too often, you settle for clashing backgrounds and “floating” images that either blend in too much or stick out like a sore thumb. This is an aesthetic problem that directly causes conversions to drop.

If your imagery falls flat, your credibility nosedives. Potential customers won’t stay around if your site looks thrown together, and your own frustration builds up with every attempt that doesn’t look quite right. Worse, you sink hours into fruitless tweaking, only to find your site won’t play nicely on tablets or mobile. When this happens, it’s easy to see why so many people give up on a redesign altogether.

When you get it right, layered graphics will make your website inviting and professional. They also work everywhere, from widescreen desktop to your phone.

Common Pitfalls

Nine times out of ten, people trip up by dropping a PNG straight onto a page, slap it over a busy background, and wonder why it looks like a sticker at a car boot sale. Others use photos with tricky crops or heavy filters, which refuse to blend with the rest of the site.

Here is what else tends to go wrong:

Foreground images without transparency, so you end up with awkward boxed edges
Drop shadows that are either heavy-handed or nowhere to be seen, making the object either float unnaturally or disappear altogether
Background textures so detailed they fight for attention (the ultimate squabble)
Not checking how it all looks on mobile, which leads to endless scrolling and ugly overlaps

Avoiding these pitfalls is a matter of learning to work thoughtfully with the images you have. The tools are available; learning the right process makes all the difference.

Step-by-Step Fix

Here’s how to nail the layered effect, starting with image choice, through editing, and finishing with placement in Squarespace. Everything here is done with free or stock tools. If you get stuck on an image search, there are always fallbacks. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Set Up Your File in Canva

Start in Canva by opening a new custom-sized design.

Pick 800×800 pixels as your dimensions. This gives you room to work and a decent amount of pixels so things look sharp (without taking an age to load later).

Now, you need a foreground image. For this example, search Canva’s photo library using “top down mug”. You’ll want an overhead shot of a mug, since a recognisable shape works for a floating effect.

A couple of things to keep in mind:

Avoid images with Instagram-style filters. They’re harder to match up with backgrounds later.
Steer clear of any that are too zoomed in; having some edge around your subject lets you crop and rotate as needed.

If Canva draws a blank, Unsplash and Adobe Stock have solid choices. The mug is just our example. You can also use notepads, phones, plants, or whatever suits your site’s vibe.

Once you’ve found a candidate:

Click on the image to add it to your canvas.
Double click to enter crop mode.
Zoom out so you see the full image, then crop close to the object, trimming any boring wall or messy desk outside the area you’ll need.

Move, crop, and rotate the image until it sits nicely in the centre.

Pixelhaze Tip: Many images require a little work. If your mug seems a bit like a magnifying glass or your plant looks a touch lopsided, see this as a design opportunity. Try different orientations to see what fits your site best.

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Step 2: Remove the Background

With your object in place, click “Edit image” in Canva’s sidebar. Use the built-in background remover. It usually does a good job clearing away the unwanted background. Wait for the spinner. Your mug should now sit on a checkerboard pattern, signifying transparency.

If you end up with a few ghostly spots or missing handles, you can use Canva’s “Erase” or “Restore” brush to tidy up rough edges.

Pixelhaze Tip: Don’t panic if it’s not pixel-perfect. Zoom out to see how it’ll really appear on screen. At website size, tiny imperfections are almost always invisible.

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Step 3: Add a Subtle Drop Shadow

Time to give your mug a little lift. A good drop shadow is the difference between an object that “floats” on purpose and one that appears hastily added.

In Canva, go to “Elements” and search for “radial gradient”. Pick one with two or three colour stops.

Make sure it’s on top of the mug at first.
Drag it and enlarge it until the gradient peeks out from behind your mug, forming a soft halo.
Right-click on the gradient and “Send to back” so it sits under the mug but above the blank canvas.

Edit the colour stops so both the edges and centre of the gradient are solid black (or very close to it). This gets rid of any strange colours showing through your shadow.

Lower the opacity of the shadow. Click the transparency tile at the top right, and start with about 60%. The goal is to have the shadow present without making it look like the mug’s burning a hole in your worktop.

If you want a realistic effect, move the shadow slightly to one side. This mimics the way real shadows fall, especially if your website background suggests a light source.

Pixelhaze Tip: The more subtle, the better. If in doubt, take the opacity down even further. A shadow should be barely noticeable.

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Step 4: Enhance Your Foreground Image

Before sending your mug image to Squarespace, do a final pass to make it pop.

Go to “Edit Image” again.
Bump up saturation and contrast a bit to help your mug stand out against most backgrounds.
Dial back the brightness if your image feels a little washed out. Use the slider with restraint to avoid a mug that looks out of place.

Feel free to explore filters; choose something mild that enhances the image but avoids heavy styling. Canva’s “Dare” filter set around intensity 30, for example, can add warmth. Add it sparingly so your mug does not overpower the rest of the content.

Check your mug’s interior (usually the coffee or tea surface). If the filter has affected the colour in an unusual way, try a different filter or manually adjust the colours.

Pixelhaze Tip: Save versions frequently. Canva’s auto-save is reliable, but it helps to name your files incrementally so you can roll back if you need to.

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Step 5: Download and Prep for Squarespace

Now for the crucial moment: set your PNG settings properly.

Click “Download”.
Choose PNG as the format.
Check “Transparent background” (this is essential).
Download.

Setting transparency lets you layer your mug onto any background in Squarespace, avoiding white or coloured boxes appearing behind your image.

Pixelhaze Tip: Keep a folder for these PNGs and label them clearly. This helps you stay organised for future tweaks or project updates.

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Step 6: Layer It All in Squarespace

Jump into your Squarespace site and get started.

Log in, then go to the page or section that needs this effect (our example: the “About Us” hero unit in Greening and Co).
Click “Add Section” and pick a layout with a headline and space for an image.
In the section settings, under “Format”, set the height to “medium” (or as needed).
Go to “Background”, remove any pre-loaded images, and click “Add Image”.

Look for free stock images using search terms like “wood surface”, “desk texture”, or “slate”. Pick an option with visible grain or texture, but avoid backgrounds that distract from the foreground image.

Upload your background. If your chosen “desk” image doesn’t fit the look of your website, swap it until you land on one that works. Subtle backgrounds are often more effective.

With your background set, click “Edit” to tweak brightness, contrast, and saturation. The aim is for the mug to stand out, while the surface underneath looks authentic.

Reduce brightness and contrast so the background fades out of focus.
If the background still dominates, reduce saturation more, or increase overlay opacity using Squarespace’s colour overlay controls.

If necessary, download the background, adjust it in Canva, and re-upload.

Portrait backgrounds receive a strong zoom in Squarespace. Click “Crop” at the top right and set a landscape ratio (16:9 works well). Rotate and move as needed.

Next, add your foreground image. Press “+”, select “Image”, and upload your mug PNG. Move and resize as needed, adding spacers for neat alignment.

Pixelhaze Tip: Always check mobile view. In Squarespace’s editor, switch preview modes to see your layout on mobile and tablet. If elements overlap or look strange, resize images or adjust spacers to maintain breathing room.

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What Most People Miss

Something many users overlook is how essential it is to check the design on multiple devices. Your layout on a desktop monitor is only one scenario. The effect needs to hold up everywhere—on big screens, mobiles, and every random window size in between.

Combining the background and foreground into one flat image removes flexibility. On mobile, your carefully-placed mug shrinks or sits awkwardly over your text. Keeping background and foreground separate in Squarespace makes sure your design adjusts, keeping everything sharp and natural at any screen size.

Drop shadows often cause trouble as well. Many people leave them too harsh or accidentally add hard edges, which looks amateur. That’s why we adjust the opacity, reposition the effect, and refine anything that spills over. It can be tricky to get the shadow just right, but it is worth taking the extra time.

Review your site in both desktop and mobile preview. If your layout does not resize smoothly, go back and separate your design components rather than merging everything into a flat image.

The Bigger Picture

Web designers and DIY website owners often experience a big leap forward after practicing this workflow. You will soon move past the “drag and drop and hope” approach and start assembling sections that respond well to any device size.

You gain modularity. Want to change just the background? You can, and your foreground image stays the same. If you need the mug brighter for a winter promo, go back into Canva, adjust, export, and update in Squarespace instantly.

This method means your images won’t limit your designs. Instead, you have the freedom to try new shadows, swap out surfaces, or run themed campaigns without re-uploading dozens of composite images.

From a branding perspective, strong visuals work hard for you. Your site reflects your attention to detail, inspiring greater trust from visitors.

Wrap-Up

In this part of our Canva and Squarespace journey, you’ve learned how to combine background photo textures with floating, transparent images. This technique leads to crisp, adaptable visuals that look great on any device.

Keep experimenting, and remember that much of great web design is trial and error, a few do-overs, and a mug of something strong nearby.

Want more helpful systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.

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If you’ve enjoyed this chapter, check out the rest of our free tutorials, or hop over to our YouTube channel for more behind-the-scenes design know-how. See you in the next lesson!