Working With Layers
Layers are a basic founding concept you need to understand when working with Photoshop. Each time you add something to your image (for example text or shapes), Photoshop will create it as a layer. It might help for you to think about layers as several sheets of transparencies, each with a different picture. Each layer is one smaller part within the bigger picture. Take the following as an example:
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| This is layer 1, a transparency with a black border and a red circle in the upper-left corner. | This is layer 2, a transparency with a green circle in the middle. | This is layer 3, our final transparency with a blue circle in the bottom-right corner. |
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If we place layer 2 (green circle) over layer 1 (red circle), and then place layer 3 (blue circle) over layer 2, we'll get an overlapping of colors within a single image. That's how layers work! |
An animated example of the layers concept can be viewed here: Layers Animation
Working with Layers
The Layers palette is located on the right of the workspace, in the palette dock. All of your layers are displayed in hierarchical order on the Layers palette. From here, you can lock and hide layers, create new layers, work with layer groups, and format your layers. Here are some of the most commonly used functions on the Layers palette:
The Layers Palette
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or Delete Layer 
buttons on the bottom of the palette will copy or delete the layer. 
