About the Layers palette

Changes to an image affect only the highlighted or active layer. You select a layer to make it active, and only one layer can be active at a time. You can accomplish many tasks--such as creating, hiding, displaying, copying, and deleting a layer--using the icons in the Layers palette. You can access additional commands and options in the Layers palette menu and the Layers menu.

The Layers palette uses icons to provide information about layers. The leftmost column in the palette displays an eye icon next to visible layers and no eye icon to hidden layers.

The second column from the left shows a paintbrush icon next to the active layer; layers without the paintbrush icon cannot be modified. It also shows a link icon for layers that are linked to the active layer.

The right column lists the layer's name and may display additional icons. By default, this column also shows a thumbnail image that is updated as you edit the layer. You can change the thumbnail size or choose not to show thumbnails in the Layers palette.

Note: If you open a file that was created in Photoshop 6.0, the image may contain layer sets. Layer sets are indicated by a folder icon and can contain multiple layers. Although Photoshop Elements does not support layer sets, it displays preexisting layer sets in their collapsed state. You can simplify a layer set to convert it to a single, editable, raster layer. (See Simplifying layers.)

Using Layers > Using the Layers palette > About the Layers palette