diff --git a/src/containers/paint-editor.jsx b/src/containers/paint-editor.jsx
index 172b78f0..4ed6cfca 100644
--- a/src/containers/paint-editor.jsx
+++ b/src/containers/paint-editor.jsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {changeMode} from '../reducers/modes';
 import {undo, redo, undoSnapshot} from '../reducers/undo';
 import {clearSelectedItems, setSelectedItems} from '../reducers/selected-items';
 
-import {getGuideLayer} from '../helper/layer';
+import {getGuideLayer, getBackgroundGuideLayer} from '../helper/layer';
 import {performUndo, performRedo, performSnapshot} from '../helper/undo';
 import {bringToFront, sendBackward, sendToBack, bringForward} from '../helper/order';
 import {groupSelection, ungroupSelection} from '../helper/group';
@@ -41,7 +41,9 @@ class PaintEditor extends React.Component {
     handleUpdateSvg (skipSnapshot) {
         // Hide guide layer
         const guideLayer = getGuideLayer();
+        const backgroundGuideLayer = getBackgroundGuideLayer();
         guideLayer.remove();
+        backgroundGuideLayer.remove();
         const bounds = paper.project.activeLayer.bounds;
         this.props.onUpdateSvg(
             paper.project.exportSVG({
@@ -53,6 +55,8 @@ class PaintEditor extends React.Component {
         if (!skipSnapshot) {
             performSnapshot(this.props.undoSnapshot);
         }
+        paper.project.addLayer(backgroundGuideLayer);
+        backgroundGuideLayer.sendToBack();
         paper.project.addLayer(guideLayer);
     }
     handleUndo () {
diff --git a/src/containers/paper-canvas.jsx b/src/containers/paper-canvas.jsx
index beb0d8d7..5548db6b 100644
--- a/src/containers/paper-canvas.jsx
+++ b/src/containers/paper-canvas.jsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import paper from '@scratch/paper';
 import {performSnapshot} from '../helper/undo';
 import {undoSnapshot, clearUndoState} from '../reducers/undo';
 import {isGroup, ungroupItems} from '../helper/group';
+import {setupLayers} from '../helper/layer';
 
 import styles from './paper-canvas.css';
 
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ class PaperCanvas extends React.Component {
         paper.setup(this.canvas);
         // Don't show handles by default
         paper.settings.handleSize = 0;
+        // Make layers.
+        setupLayers();
         if (this.props.svg) {
             this.importSvg(this.props.svg, this.props.rotationCenterX, this.props.rotationCenterY);
         } else {
@@ -31,7 +34,9 @@ class PaperCanvas extends React.Component {
     componentWillReceiveProps (newProps) {
         if (this.props.svgId === newProps.svgId) return;
         for (const layer of paper.project.layers) {
-            layer.removeChildren();
+            if (!layer.data.isBackgroundGuideLayer) {
+                layer.removeChildren();
+            }
         }
         this.props.clearUndo();
         if (newProps.svg) {
diff --git a/src/helper/blob-tools/blob.js b/src/helper/blob-tools/blob.js
index 0ed06d6e..d19c9276 100644
--- a/src/helper/blob-tools/blob.js
+++ b/src/helper/blob-tools/blob.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import log from '../../log/log';
 import BroadBrushHelper from './broad-brush-helper';
 import SegmentBrushHelper from './segment-brush-helper';
 import {MIXED, styleCursorPreview} from '../../helper/style-path';
-import {clearSelection} from '../../helper/selection';
+import {clearSelection, getItems} from '../../helper/selection';
 import {getGuideLayer} from '../../helper/layer';
 
 /**
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ class Blobbiness {
         const blob = this;
 
         // Get all path items to merge with
-        const paths = paper.project.getItems({
+        const paths = getItems({
             match: function (item) {
                 return blob.isMergeable(lastPath, item) &&
                     item.parent instanceof paper.Layer; // don't merge with nested in group
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ class Blobbiness {
 
         // Get all path items to merge with
         // If there are selected items, try to erase from amongst those.
-        let items = paper.project.getItems({
+        let items = getItems({
             match: function (item) {
                 return item.selected && blob.isMergeable(lastPath, item) && blob.touches(lastPath, item);
             }
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ class Blobbiness {
         // and deselect the selection
         if (items.length === 0) {
             clearSelection(this.clearSelectedItems);
-            items = paper.project.getItems({
+            items = getItems({
                 match: function (item) {
                     return blob.isMergeable(lastPath, item) && blob.touches(lastPath, item);
                 }
diff --git a/src/helper/layer.js b/src/helper/layer.js
index 2cd811ab..40d197b6 100644
--- a/src/helper/layer.js
+++ b/src/helper/layer.js
@@ -15,4 +15,70 @@ const getGuideLayer = function () {
     return guideLayer;
 };
 
-export {getGuideLayer};
+const getBackgroundGuideLayer = function () {
+    for (let i = 0; i < paper.project.layers.length; i++) {
+        const layer = paper.project.layers[i];
+        if (layer.data && layer.data.isBackgroundGuideLayer) {
+            return layer;
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+const _makePaintingLayer = function () {
+    const paintingLayer = new paper.Layer();
+    paintingLayer.data.isPaintingLayer = true;
+    return paintingLayer;
+};
+
+const _makeBackgroundGuideLayer = function () {
+    const BLOCK_WIDTH = 4;
+    const guideLayer = new paper.Layer();
+    guideLayer.locked = true;
+    for (let i = 0; i < 500 / BLOCK_WIDTH; i += 2) {
+        for (let j = 0; j < 400 / BLOCK_WIDTH; j++) {
+            const rect = new paper.Shape.Rectangle(
+                new paper.Point((i + (j % 2)) * BLOCK_WIDTH, j * BLOCK_WIDTH),
+                new paper.Point((i + (j % 2) + 1) * BLOCK_WIDTH, (j + 1) * BLOCK_WIDTH)
+            );
+            rect.fillColor = '#E5E5E5';
+            rect.guide = true;
+            rect.locked = true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    const vLine = new paper.Path.Line(new paper.Point(0, -7), new paper.Point(0, 7));
+    vLine.strokeWidth = 2;
+    vLine.strokeColor = '#ccc';
+    vLine.position = paper.view.center;
+    vLine.guide = true;
+    vLine.locked = true;
+
+    const hLine = new paper.Path.Line(new paper.Point(-7, 0), new paper.Point(7, 0));
+    hLine.strokeWidth = 2;
+    hLine.strokeColor = '#ccc';
+    hLine.position = paper.view.center;
+    hLine.guide = true;
+    hLine.locked = true;
+
+    const circle = new paper.Shape.Circle(new paper.Point(0, 0), 5);
+    circle.strokeWidth = 2;
+    circle.strokeColor = '#ccc';
+    circle.position = paper.view.center;
+    circle.guide = true;
+    circle.locked = true;
+
+    guideLayer.data.isBackgroundGuideLayer = true;
+    guideLayer.sendToBack();
+    return guideLayer;
+};
+
+const setupLayers = function () {
+    _makeBackgroundGuideLayer();
+    _makePaintingLayer().activate();
+};
+
+export {
+    getGuideLayer,
+    getBackgroundGuideLayer,
+    setupLayers
+};
diff --git a/src/helper/selection-tools/scale-tool.js b/src/helper/selection-tools/scale-tool.js
index 5b85db13..6cc585d7 100644
--- a/src/helper/selection-tools/scale-tool.js
+++ b/src/helper/selection-tools/scale-tool.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import paper from '@scratch/paper';
+import {getItems} from '../selection';
 
 /**
  * Tool to handle scaling items by pulling on the handles around the edges of the bounding
@@ -55,9 +56,9 @@ class ScaleTool {
         const modOrigSize = this.origSize;
 
         // get item to insert below so that scaled items stay in same z position
-        const items = paper.project.getItems({
+        const items = getItems({
             match: function (item) {
-                if (item instanceof paper.Layer || item.data.isHelperItem) {
+                if (item instanceof paper.Layer) {
                     return false;
                 }
                 for (const scaleItem of scaleTool.scaleItems) {
diff --git a/src/helper/selection.js b/src/helper/selection.js
index 7c810559..a5a403b0 100644
--- a/src/helper/selection.js
+++ b/src/helper/selection.js
@@ -5,6 +5,21 @@ import {getItemsGroup, isGroup} from './group';
 import {getRootItem, isCompoundPathItem, isBoundsItem, isPathItem, isPGTextItem} from './item';
 import {getItemsCompoundPath, isCompoundPath, isCompoundPathChild} from './compound-path';
 
+/**
+ * Wrapper for paper.project.getItems that excludes our helper items
+ * @param {?object} options See paper.js docs for paper.Item.getItems
+ * @return {Array<paper.Item>} items that match options
+ */
+const getItems = function (options) {
+    const newMatcher = function (item) {
+        return !item.locked &&
+            !(item.data && item.data.isHelperItem) &&
+            (!options.match || options.match(item));
+    };
+    const newOptions = {...options, match: newMatcher};
+    return paper.project.getItems(newOptions);
+};
+
 /**
  * @param {boolean} includeGuides True if guide layer items like the bounding box should
  *     be included in the returned items.
@@ -389,6 +404,7 @@ const shouldShowSelectAll = function () {
 };
 
 export {
+    getItems,
     getAllRootItems,
     selectAllItems,
     selectAllSegments,
diff --git a/src/helper/snapping.js b/src/helper/snapping.js
index 595bab6a..95d00401 100644
--- a/src/helper/snapping.js
+++ b/src/helper/snapping.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import paper from '@scratch/paper';
+import {getItems} from './selection';
 
 /**
  * @param {paper.Point} point1 point 1
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ const touching = function (point1, point2, tolerance) {
  *     tolerance distance of the given point, or null if none exists.
  */
 const endPointHit = function (point, tolerance, excludePath) {
-    const lines = paper.project.getItems({
+    const lines = getItems({
         class: paper.Path
     });
     // Prefer more recent lines