Rule 4: We Can't Move Other Layers Below The Background Layer

Okay, so we can't move the Background layer above another layer. What if we try moving another layer below the Background layer? I'll click on Layer 1 and try to drag it below the Background layer, but this doesn't work either. I get the same little ghostbusters symbol telling me that Photoshop won't let me do it:

Again, the reason is because the Background layer must always remain the background of the document. We can't drag it above other layers and we can't drag other layers below it.

The Easy Solution

Let's quickly recap. We've learned that Photoshop won't let us move the contents of the Background layer with the Move Tool because the layer is locked in place. We learned that the Background layer doesn't support transparency, so there's no way to delete anything on the layer. And we learned that the Background layer must always remain the bottom layer in the Layers panel. We can't drag it above other layers, and we can't drag other layers below it.

Since the Background layer's whole purpose in life is to be the background of the document, each of these rules makes sense. Yet as with most rules, there's ways around them for times when we need to break them. In this case, there's an easy way around all of them at once! All we need to do is rename the Background layer to something other than Background! To rename the Background layer, you could go up to the Layer menu at the top of the screen, choose New, and then choose Layer From Background:

A faster way, though, is to simply double-click directly on the word Background in the Layers panel:

Either way opens the New Layer dialog box where we can enter a new name for the layer. The default name of "Layer 0" works fine. Any name other than Background will work, so unless you have something specific you want to name the layer, simply click OK to accept Layer 0 as the new name and close out of the dialog box:

TIP: For an even faster way to rename the Background layer, simply hold down your Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key and double-click on the word Background. Photoshop will instantly rename the layer "Layer 0", bypassing the New Layer dialog box completely.

We can now see that the name of the Background layer has been changed to Layer 0:

And just by renaming it, we've converted the Background layer into a normal layer, which means we're no longer bound by any of the rules we just looked at! We can move the contents of the layer with the Move Tool, we can delete anything on the layer and replace it with transparency, and we can freely move the layer above or below other layers!

For example, I still need to move my photo frame above the image on Layer 1. Now that the frame is no longer on the Background layer, it's easy! I can just click on Layer 0 in the Layers panel and drag it upward until a thin highlight bar appears above Layer 1:

I'll release my mouse button, and Photoshop drops Layer 0 above Layer 1, exactly as I needed:

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We saw earlier that I was unable to delete the white area inside the frame while the image was on the Background layer, but now that I've renamed it to Layer 0, it's no longer a problem. I'll click inside the area with the Magic Wand Tool to instantly select it, just as I did before:

Then, I'll press Backspace (Win) / Delete (Mac) on my keyboard, and this time, instead of being greeted by the Fill dialog box, Photoshop actually does what I expected, deleting the area from the layer and revealing the photo behind it:

I'll press Ctrl+D (Win) / Command+D (Mac) on my keyboard to deselect the area inside the frame and remove the selection outline. Then, just to quickly finish things off, I'll click on Layer 1 in the Layers panel to select it and make it the active layer:

I'll grab the Move Tool from the Tools panel, click on the photo and drag it into position inside the frame. Even though Layer 1 is now the bottom layer in the document, it's not an actual Background layer so it's not locked in place. I'm free to move it anywhere I want:

As we've seen, Background layers are special types of layers in Photoshop with certain limitations placed on them. We can't move their contents, we can't delete anything on them, and they always have to remain the bottom layer in the document. In most cases, these limitations are of little concern to us because we generally don't work directly on the Background layer anyway. But if you do need to override them, simply rename the Background layer to anything other than Background, which will instantly convert it to a normal layer, and you're good to go!

And there we have it!

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