Locking Layers in Photoshop

After you get your layers the way you want them, you may want to lock them to prevent them from being changed. To lock a layer, select it in the Layers palette and select one or more of the lock options at the top of the Layers palette, as shown from left to right:

- Lock Transparent Pixels: Prevents you from painting or editing any transparent areas on your layer. To quickly select or deselect the Lock Transparent Pixels check box, press the forward slash key (/ ).
- Lock Image Pixels: Prevents you from painting or editing your layer. You can still select, move, or transform items on the layer.
- Lock Position: Prevents you from moving and transforming the layer but gives you free rein on everything else.
- Lock All: Prevents you from painting, editing, moving, or transforming your layer. (But you can still make selections.)

When you select the Lock All option, a solid lock icon appears on the layer, indicating the layer is fully locked. When you select any of the other lock options, the lock appears hollow, indicating the layer is partially locked. By default, the background is locked and cannot be unlocked until you convert the background into a layer by choosing Layer-->New-->Layer from Background. In addition, by default, type layers have the Lock Transparent Pixels and Lock Image Pixels options selected. These options are grayed out and cannot be deselected.

However, if you need to paint on the type layer, you can always rasterize it, thereby removing all locking options. In addition, you can lock layer sets. Choose Lock All Layers in Set from the Layers palette popup menu or choose Layer-->Lock All Layers in Set.

You can also lock your linked layers. Select the linked layers (or linked set) and then either choose Lock All Linked Layers from the Layers palette pop-up menu or choose Layer-->Lock All Linked Layers. In the dialog box that appears, select which items you want to lock.