Can't Unlock layer

[jerrylite]

I have used PSE7 for many pictures, doing simple edits only.

Today, for some reason, when I bring any new photo in PSE7, and do a simple 'crop', or rotate, I get the message 'LAYER LOCKED', and I am not able to do anything with the photo. I have never knowingly ever used, or 'locked', a layer.

I went the the online Help, and it just says to click on the lock icon to lock the layer and click on it again, to unlock it. This does not do anything for me. Clicking on the 'lock' or 'unlock' icons don't say they are doing anything.

How do I 'UNLOCK' this unknown layer problem?

Thanking You,

Jerrylite

[Steve Grisetti]

Welcome to Muvipix, Jerry! You kind of threw me there though, asking a Photoshop Elements question in the Premiere Elements forum. But I think we can help you nonetheless.

There are a number of reasons a layer might be locked -- so it's hard to say what's going on without more information.

Can you possibly post a screen capture (JPEG) of your Photoshop Elements and this graphic file open in to this forum? I'm particularly interested in seeing the Layers palette.

[jerrylite]

Steve,

Thanks for your help.
I have a Screen Print, but don't see an 'attach' method to put it on the forum.
How do I attach the screenprint?

Jerrylite

[jerrylite]

Steve,

I see what I think is the 'attachment' process at the bottom of the post.

I attached the screen print.

Clicking the 'Lock' Icon on the layer, doesn't seem to lock or unlock the layer.

Thanks,
Jerrylite

[Bob]

Welcome to Muvipix, Jerry!

When you open an unlayered document, such as a jpeg file, the image will always appear in the layers panel as a background layer. Background layers are treated differently from ordinary layers and are always locked. To unlock a background layer, you need to convert it from a background layer to an ordinary layer. The easiest way to do this is to double click on the background layer in the layers palette. Click "OK" in the dialog box that appears and the background layer will be converted to an unlocked ordinary layer. If later you want to convert it back to a backgound layer , use the flatten command, any layers present will be merged and then converted back into a locked background layer.

[Chuck Engels]

Hi Jerry, Welcome to Muvipix

Great description of the Solution Bob !!

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

....The easiest way to do this is to double click on the background layer in the layers palette.....

Does the CTRL-J keyboard shortcut to duplicate a layer (as in PPro) work in PSE too?

[Bob]

CTRL+J is the keyboard shortcut for New Layer via Copy. If there is no selection present, it will create a copy of the active layer. If there is a selection present, it will copy just the selected portion to the new layer. The background layer will remain in place, still locked. Of course, you could hide or delete the background layer as needed.

CTRL+J was removed from Photoshop Elements 2, but was added back in Photoshop Elements 3. I believe it has remained in all versions since.

You can also duplicate a layer by dragging it in the Layers panel and dropping it on the new layer icon there. The duplicates created by either method will be ordinary layers.

Duplicating the background layer will work fine for many purposes, but background layers are not suitable for many things. For example, they don't support transparency, you can't place a layer mask on them, and you can't transform them. Often, the best practice is to simply convert the background to an ordinary layer.

[jerrylite]

Steve,

Things seem to be working OK. I did a Ctlr/J and created a new 'layer 1'. I think I was on the wrong tool trying to do that simple crop, etc.
I don't understand layers, and thus, don't use them.
I wish I knew more about PSE and PS.

I don't fully understand what we did, but,
Thanks so much for your help.

jerrylite

[Steve Grisetti]

Glad we could help you out, Jerry!

And, if you'd like to know more about these programs, why not start with some of our tutorials? You can find them by going to either one of our products pages or the home page for this site and typing, for instance, "Photoshop Elements" in the product search box.

And, if you'd like a thorough discussion of every tool in the programs and how to use them, check out our books?
http://Muvipix.com/pe9.php

To get to our Muvipix store, click on one of the Buy Now links on the page I linked you to above. This won't really place an order for a book. It will just take you to our store, where you can see the entire collection of available books.

[jerrylite]

Thanks Steve,

I'll try to get that done.

Jerrylite

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

CTRL+J is the keyboard shortcut for New Layer via Copy. If there is no selection present, it will create a copy of the active layer.

For any work on a new image I always start any action in PS with Cntrl-J. When opening a new image the selection defaults to the locked background layer. Cntrl-J makes an instant, unlocked, layer 1, leaving the original background layer intact. All subsequent actions can then be undone (if necessary) and the original background layer is left untouched. Remember to save the new image with a different filename though.

[jerrylite]

Thanks for that nice tip.

I use PS v7, and PSE7 a lot but don't have the skills to use the many things I know you can do with them.

[jerrylite]

I may be wrong on that PS Ver #.
It's called PS CS.