Hi Lane,
Though PS5 (not CS5), the Background layer could not be deleted. It is a formerly-required layer that is locked for reordering, transparency, opacity, and blending modes but can now be converted to a regular layer or deleted altogether.
In the early days of converting it to a regular layer (starting with PS5.5), the method was to rename it. While you can still do that, the more popular method is to remove the lock to convert it. This should automatically rename it to “Layer 1”.
Once you convert a Background layer — either by clicking the lock icon or by renaming it — do not call it Background. Give it a new name. That will help you avoid the confusion of this unique layer which is called Background.
The thing for you to know it there are zero reasons to have a Background layer in a PSD these days. So make converting it your first step. Make renaming it your second step.
Think of it this way:
- The lock on the Background layer does one thing: it converts the Backgound layer to a regular layer that can have transparency, be reordered, have opacity.
After clicking it once, its job is done.
Jane
jane-e wrote The thing for you to know it there are zero reasons to have a Background layer in a PSD these days. |
Not functionally, but you get a much lighter file. A floating layer supports a wide variety of properties, and even without anything extra there's a lot of overhead.
This file weighs in at 289 MB:
This one, without doing anything else, is 674 MB. (I locked it to show that the lock icons are slightly different):
AdChoices