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Convert a Background Layer to a Regular Layer

 

Double-click on the name “Background” in the Layers panel, and then click OK, or press Return (PC: Enter) in the New Layer dialog to accept the new name.  Or, even better, you can hold down the Option (PC: Alt) key, double-click on the Background layer’s name in the Layers panel and that bypasses the New Layer dialog.

8 Comments

  1. Dave Clayton said on — August 12, 2009 @ 11:16 am

    or just click on the padlock on the background in the layers palette and drag it to the trash and it’s a layer !!

  2. Mike Hoffman said on — August 12, 2009 @ 11:31 am

    Or, yet another way: drag the “lock” icon from the background layer to the trash can! Makes sense, in a weird sort of way. Photoshop is so multi-dimensional! mh++

  3. Henk said on — August 12, 2009 @ 2:40 pm

    Even easier, just drag the lock, in the layer, to the delete bin. This is a tip from Julieanne Kost.

  4. Mike Jenkins said on — August 12, 2009 @ 2:58 pm

    You can also just drag the lock icon from the Background layer to the trash can and it becomes a regular layer.

  5. Karl-Franz said on — August 12, 2009 @ 3:00 pm

    Or, even better, you can drag the little padlock icon in the background layer onto the trash icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.

  6. Kathy A said on — August 12, 2009 @ 8:15 pm

    I LOVE the trick of dragging the padlock to the trash!!! It may only save a second or two, but every second counts! :)

  7. Notable NAPP Links for August 16, 2009 | My Home Sweet Home Pingback on — August 16, 2009 @ 12:00 am

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  8. Convert a Background Layer to a Regular Layer « photoshop tutorials Pingback on — August 19, 2009 @ 8:15 pm

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Create A Composite Layer

If you have a multilayer composition and you
want to apply an effect to all the layers at once, don’t flatten the layers–use a composite layer instead. Hide the layers you want excluded, and press Shift-Command-Option-E (PC: Shift-Ctrl-Alt-E). A new layer will be created at the top containing a merged copy of all the visible layers.

Another option is to create a new layer at the top of the stack and make it active. Command-click (PC: Ctrl-click) each layer you want to include to make those layers active, as well. Press Option-Command-E (PC: Alt-Ctrl-E).
by Colin Smith

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