How to Show Hidden Dockable Panels in Krita

Krita is powerful. But it can also feel confusing at first. You open it. You see brushes. A canvas. Some panels on the side. And then you read a tutorial that says, “Open the Advanced Color Selector docker.” Wait… where is it?

Don’t worry. You are not lost. Krita hides many useful panels by default. They are there. Just not visible. In this guide, you will learn how to show hidden dockable panels in Krita. In a simple and fun way.

TLDR: Krita’s hidden panels are called Dockers. You can show them by going to Settings → Dockers and checking the ones you want. Dockers can be moved, resized, grouped, or reset if things get messy. If your workspace looks strange, use Window → Workspace → Default to fix it fast.

Now let’s explore.

What Are Dockable Panels in Krita?

In Krita, side panels are called Dockers.

They “dock” to the sides of your screen. Like little control centers. You can attach them. Move them. Stack them. Or hide them.

Common dockers include:

Layers
Brush Presets
Color Selector
Tool Options
Advanced Color Selector
Animation Timeline
Reference Images

Some are visible when you open Krita. Some are not. That’s normal.

If you don’t see what you need, it is probably just hidden.

How to Show Hidden Dockers

This is the most important part. Ready?

Follow these steps:

Go to the top menu.
Click Settings.
Hover over Dockers.
A long list will appear.
Click the docker you want.

That’s it.

When you click one, it appears instantly. Usually on the right side of your screen.

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You can repeat this for any panel you need.

Why Some Dockers Are Hidden

Krita is used by many types of artists.

Illustrators
Comic artists
Concept artists
Animators
Texture designers

Not everyone needs the same tools.

An animator needs a timeline. A painter might not. A comic artist needs a reference tool. Others may not.

So Krita keeps the interface clean. It only shows basic dockers at first.

You turn on the rest as needed.

Think of it like a toolbox. You only take out the tools you use.

Popular Hidden Dockers You Should Try

1. Advanced Color Selector

This one is amazing for painting.

To enable it:

Go to Settings → Dockers
Click Advanced Color Selector

You get more control over hue, saturation, and value.

It feels professional. And powerful.

2. Reference Images

This docker lets you add images inside Krita.

Perfect for:

Character references
Poses
Landscapes
Color inspiration

You do not need to switch between windows anymore.

3. Animation Timeline

Want to animate?

You need this panel.

Enable it using the same method:

Settings → Dockers → Animation Timeline

The bottom of your screen will transform.

Now you can create frames. Play animations. And feel like a studio animator.

How to Move Dockers Around

So you turned on a docker. But it is in the wrong place.

No problem.

Look at the top of the docker panel. You will see a small title bar.

Click and hold it.

Now drag it.

As you move it, you will see blue highlight areas. These show where it can dock.

You can:

Attach it to the left
Attach it to the right
Attach it to the top or bottom
Let it float freely

If you release it in the middle of the screen, it becomes a floating window.

This is great if you use two monitors.

How to Stack Dockers Together

Here is a cool trick.

You can stack dockers like browser tabs.

Drag one docker on top of another.

Drop it when the entire panel highlights.

Now they share the same space.

You can switch between them using tabs.

This keeps things clean.

Professional artists often stack:

Layers + Channels
Brush Presets + Brush History
Advanced Color Selector + Palette

It saves screen space.

How to Resize Dockers

Sometimes panels are too big.

Or too small.

Move your mouse to the edge of the docker.

When the resize cursor appears, click and drag.

That’s it.

Make Layers bigger. Make Presets smaller. Adjust until it feels right.

Your workspace should feel comfortable. Not crowded.

What If You Close a Docker by Mistake?

It happens.

You click the little “X.”

The panel disappears.

Do not panic.

Just go back to:

Settings → Dockers → Click the docker again

It returns instantly.

Krita is forgiving.

Resetting Your Workspace (The Panic Button)

Sometimes things get messy.

Dockers everywhere.

Floating windows.

Nothing makes sense.

You want to go back to normal.

Here is the magic fix:

Click Window
Go to Workspace
Select Default

Boom.

Everything resets.

Back to the original layout.

This is very helpful when learning.

Using Different Workspaces

Krita has preset workspaces.

These are layouts made for specific tasks.

Go to:

Window → Workspace

You may see options like:

Default
Animation
Big Paint
Minimal

Click one.

The entire arrangement changes.

This automatically shows or hides certain dockers.

For example:

Animation workspace shows the Timeline docker.
Minimal workspace hides most panels.

It is fast. And powerful.

Saving Your Own Custom Workspace

Once you create a layout you love, save it.

Here’s how:

Arrange your dockers.
Go to Window → Workspace → New Workspace
Give it a name.
Click Save.

Now you can switch back to it anytime.

This is perfect if you:

Paint sometimes
Animate sometimes
Sketch sometimes

Create one workspace for each activity.

Switch with one click.

Tips for a Cleaner Krita Layout

Here are some simple ideas:

Only enable dockers you actually use.
Stack similar tools together.
Resize large panels.
Use floating windows on a second monitor.
Reset if things feel chaotic.

Less clutter means more creativity.

Your canvas should feel like open space.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Let’s save you some frustration.

Mistake 1: Thinking a feature is missing.

It is probably just hidden in the Dockers menu.

Mistake 2: Accidentally floating every panel.

Dock them back using the blue highlight guides.

Mistake 3: Closing something important.

Re-enable it in Settings.

Krita rarely “loses” a panel forever.

It is almost always recoverable.

Final Thoughts

Hidden dockable panels in Krita are not scary.

They are simply optional tools.

To show them:

Settings → Dockers → Click what you need

That is the core idea.

From there you can:

Move them
Stack them
Resize them
Float them
Reset them
Save them

Krita is flexible. Very flexible.

Once you understand Dockers, the interface stops feeling overwhelming.

It starts feeling customizable.

And powerful.

Now open Krita. Try enabling one new docker today. Explore it. Move it around. Make the workspace yours.

Because the best creative setup… is the one that works for you.