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My photo shows a lock in the layers palette. How do I unlock the file?

By Sue Chastain, About.com

Question: My photo shows a lock in the layers palette. How do I unlock the file?

Answer: Most photos open with the background locked. To unlock it, you need to convert the background to a layer. You can do this by double-clicking on the background layer in the layers palette, or by going to the menu: Layer > New > Layer from Background.

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Sue Chastain
Guide since 1999

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