When duplicating layers how do you turn the background layer black and white and keep the first layer in color? Also, how do you unlock the layers?

One possibility might be to select one of the duplicate layers and use Image->Adjust->Desaturate ? But I'm not sure what you want to do (there are many ways of reducing a layer's content to greyscale. Plain black and white, for example, can be achieved with Image->Adjust->Threshold)

Sis, The quickest way to change the background to black and white is to duplicate the background layer (click on the layer name and drag it down to the "create new layer" icon at the bottom of the palette - it will be named "background copy"). Next (with the background layer active) select Image --> Adjustments --> Desaturate (Shft+Ctrl+U)

As for locking and unlocking layers, look at the top icons in the layers palette. You can Lock/Unlock position, image pixels and transparent pixels.

:)
retrocity

Go to www.techtv.com and hit the screensavers area, guy just did a great thing on layers yesterday and it should be in the shownotes. 8^) Marque

or hue/saturation, and turn the saturation dial ALL THE WAY to the left... mmm, the power!

i've also concluded that retro has too much time on his hands... he took a screen shot, and then added shadowing to it to emphasize the uselessness of certain features in this excersize... poke poke

:) retrocity