Make a layer the Background layer – You can’t convert a layer into the Background layer if the image already has a Background layer. In this case, you must first convert the existing Background layer into a regular layer.
- Select a layer in the Layers panel.
- Choose Layer > New > Background From Layer. Any transparent areas in the original layer are filled with the background color.
You can create a new group to prevent cluttering and organize the layers. Do one of the following:
- To create a new group with default settings, create Click A New Group icon in the Layers panel in the Expert mode.
- To create a new group with customized settings, follow these steps:
- Select Layer > New > Group.
- In the dialog box, specify a name and other options, and click OK.
Can we create multiple layers in an image?
Create layers in Photoshop Elements
- Introduction to Photoshop Elements
- Workspace and environment
- Fixing and enhancing photos
- Adding shapes and text
- Guided edits, effects, and filters
- Working with colors
- Working with selections
- Working with layers
- Creating photo projects
- Saving, printing, and sharing photos
- Keyboard shortcuts
Layers are useful because they let you add components to an image and work on them one at a time, without permanently changing your original image. For each layer, you can adjust color and brightness, apply special effects, reposition layer content, specify opacity and blending values, and so on.
- You can also rearrange the stacking order, link layers to work on them simultaneously, and create web animations with layers.
- Layers are like stacked, transparent sheets of glass on which you can paint images.
- You can see through the transparent areas of a layer to the layers below.
- You can work on each layer independently, experimenting to create the effect you want.
Each layer remains independent until you combine (merge) the layers. The bottommost layer in the Layers panel, the Background layer, is always locked (protected), meaning you cannot change its stacking order, blending mode, or opacity (unless you convert it into a regular layer). Transparent areas on a layer let you see through to the layers below. Layers are organized in the Layers panel. Keep this panel visible whenever you’re working in Adobe Photoshop Elements. With one glance, you can see the active layer (the selected layer that you are editing). You can link layers, so they move as a unit, helping you manage layers. Because multiple layers in an image increase the file size, you can reduce the file size by merging layers that you’re done editing. The Layers panel is an important source of information as you edit photos. You can also use the Layer menu to work with layers. Ordinary layers are pixel-based (image) layers. There are several other layer types you can use to create special effects: Contain a color gradient, solid color, or pattern. Enable you to fine-tune color, brightness, and saturation without making permanent changes to your image (until you flatten, or collapse, the adjustment layer). Type layers and shape layers Let you create vector-based text and shapes. You can’t paint on an adjustment layer, although you can paint on its mask. To paint on fill or type layers, you must first convert them into regular image layers. The Layers panel (Window > Layers) lists all layers in an image, from the top layer to the Background layer at the bottom. In Expert mode, if you are working in the Custom Workspace, you can drag the Layers panel out and tab it with other panels. The active layer, or the layer that you are working on, is highlighted for easy identification. As you work in an image, check which layer is active to make sure that the adjustments and edits you perform affect the correct layer. For example, if you choose a command and nothing seems to happen, check to make sure that you’re looking at the active layer. Using the icons in the panel, you can accomplish many tasks—such as creating, hiding, linking, locking, and deleting layers. With some exceptions, your changes affect only the selected, or active, layer, which is highlighted. 
Layers panel A. Blending mode menu B. Show/Hide layer C. Layer is linked to another layer D. Preview of a layer E. Highlighted layer is active layer F. Locked layer G. Layer has style applied In the list of layers, the panel shows a thumbnail, a title, and one or more icons that give information about each layer: The layer is visible. Click the eye to show or hide a layer. When the layer is hidden, the icon is, Hidden layers are not printed. The image contains layer groups and was imported from Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements doesn’t support layer groups and displays them in their collapsed state. You must simplify them to create an editable image. You use the buttons in the panel to perform actions:
- Delete a layer.
- Lock transparent pixels.
- Also at the top are the panel Blending Mode menu (Normal, Dissolve, Darken, and so on), an Opacity text box, and a More button displaying a menu of layer commands and panel options.
Newly added layers appear above the selected layer in the Layers panel. You can add layers to an image by using any of the following methods:
- Create new, blank layers or turn selections into layers.
- Convert a background into a regular layer or vice versa.
- Paste selections into the image.
- Use the Type tool or a shape tool.
- Duplicate an existing layer. You can create up to 8000 layers in an image, each with its own blending mode and opacity. However, memory constraints may lower this limit.
How do I Create a new layer with a selected object in Photoshop?
– The Duplicate Layer Method – With your selection active, all you need to do is duplicate the layer. Press Command + J (Mac) or Control + J (PC) to copy the selection’s contents and put it on a new layer. Alternatively, you can right-click on the selection and choose ‘Layer Via Copy’ to get the same result. This is the fastest way to make a new layer from a selection in Photoshop. All it takes is a single keyboard shortcut! With this duplicate layer method, you are making a copy of the original layer. This means that the original layer will remain untouched. Meanwhile, you gain an exact copy of the selection area on a new layer.
How do I put a picture into another picture?
How to insert image in Photoshop® – Photoshop® works differently from some other apps. In many apps, inserting a photo into another photo joins them together in a single image. In Photoshop®, though, when you insert a picture into a picture, it puts each image on a separate layer. That’s really useful because you can then do things to one layer without affecting the rest of the image, so for example, you might hide one layer while you’re working on another or apply filters or color adjustments to just part of your image.
Open the destination image, which is the image you want to add a photo to, in Photoshop®. Go to File > Place Embedded, Use the file browser to locate the photo that you want to add to the existing image. Select it and then click Place, This will add your new image to the background, which was the photo you already had open. Use the dragging points at the edge centers and corners to resize the image; drag it to move it around. You can now use the Layers inspector to move between the different layers of your image. Save your image.
How do I add layers together?
Use the Merge Layers keyboard shortcut. The easiest way to merge layers is to click on one layer, hold Shift, and click on another. Then press Ctrl+E on Windows or Command+E on Mac to merge the two layers.
Can you solo Layers in Photoshop?
You can ‘solo’ a layer or group to hide all other layers and groups in the project.
What is the difference between having Layers and without Layers in Photoshop?
Where to go from here. – And there we have it! We’ve barely scratched the surface here when it comes to all of the things we can do with layers, but hopefully you now have a better sense of what layers are and why they’re such an essential part of working with Photoshop.
- Layers allow us to keep all of the various elements in a composition separate so we can add them, move them, edit them, and even delete them without affecting anything else.
- And because layers keep our workflow flexible, they offer us a level of creativity that simply wouldn’t be possible without layers.
As I mentioned earlier, anything that has anything to do with layers in Photoshop is done from the Layers panel. So now that we have a basic understanding of what layers are and how they work, in the next lesson, we’ll learn all about Photoshop’s Layers panel ! You can jump to any of the other lessons in this Photoshop Layers series,
How do I make an image layer?
Photoshop layers basics Learn how to use layers in the Layers panel, resize the contents of a layer, add images to a layered file, and work with a background layer in Adobe Photoshop. Learn what layers are and why they are so useful. What you learned: To view and select layers in the Layers panel
- Layers contain the images, text, or objects that make up a layered file. They let you move, edit, and work with content on one layer without affecting content on other layers.
- Layers are arranged in a stack in the Layers panel, which is usually located in the bottom right of the work area. If the Layers panel is not visible, choose Window > Layers.
- In the Layers panel, click the eye icon to the left of a layer to hide its content. Click again in the same spot to reveal the content. This is a useful way to remind yourself what’s on a particular layer.
- A layer must be selected in order to make changes to it. In the Layers panel, click once to the right of a layer name to select that layer. To add more layers to your selection, hold Control (Windows) or Command (macOS) as you click other layers.
Change layer order, create a new layer, change layer opacity, and delete a layer. What you learned: To work with layers in the Layers panel
- Drag a layer up or down in the Layers panel to change the order of layered objects in the image.
- Click the Create a New Layer icon at the bottom of the layers panel to make a new layer. This layer is transparent until something is added to it.
- To name a layer, double-click the current layer name. Type a new name for the layer. Press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS).
- To change a layer’s opacity, select a layer in the Layers panel and drag the Opacity slider located near the top of the Layers panel to make the layer more or less transparent.
- To delete a layer, select a layer in the Layers panel and press Backspace (Windows) or Delete (macOS).
Change the size of the content of selected layers. What you learned: To resize layers
- In the Layers panel, select one or more layers that contain images or objects you want to resize.
- Choose Edit > Free Transform, A transform border appears around all the content on the selected layers. Hold the Shift key to avoid distorting the content, and drag the corners or edges until it is the desired size. Drag inside the transform border to move the content around the image. Drag outside the transform border to rotate the content.
- Click the check mark in the options bar or press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS) to finalize the change.
How many layers can a Photoshop image have?
You can have up to 100 layers, depending on computer memory. When you create a new document in Photoshop, it has only one layer – the background layer.
Can you have multiple layers in a smart object in Photoshop?
Get to know Smart Objects. Smart Objects are a type of container that holds multiple layers within Photoshop. Apply properties and characteristics to multiple layers, combining different tools, filters, and features. Then undo and make changes as you need to — the original image is protected.
What is the fastest way to select multiple layers in Photoshop?
To select more than one object at a time, simply press Ctrl (Mac: Command) on the corresponding layer in the Layers Panel. If you perform an action, it will affect all of the objects you’ve selected. For example, you can press Ctrl G (Mac: Command G) to group all the objects you’ve selected.