Background layer

Each Photopaint document contains a background layer. There are several points you should be aware of in connection with the background.

If you create a new Photopaint document from scratch, that is to say, using the New command in the File menu rather than opening up an already existing image file, the default layer is called Layer 1. Whenever you open up an already existing image file, using the Open command from the File menu, the default layer is called Background.

The main difference between these is that a Background layer is always opaque, no matter what position you place it in the hierarchy of layers. If you erase any of the pixels in a Background layer the current background color is used to fill them in. With a new file where the default layer is called Layer 1, you can subsequently move this layer up the hierarchy of layers and it will behave in the same way as any other transparent layer. In both cases the bottom layer, whatever that is, will be opaque. This is as you would expect, since there is nothing to see beneath the bottom layer. Consequently, if you erase color from the bottom layer and it is called Background, the background color will show through, but if the bottom layer is any other type of layer a checkerboard pattern (or plain sheet) will show through. The checkerboard pattern does not mean that the bottom layer is transparent, as you can see if you select Print Preview from the File menu or print the document, in both of which the checkerboard pattern is converted into the current background color. Moreover, if you "look through" higher layers to parts of the bottom layer where erasure has taken place you will see the current background color.

Given the above there would obviously be not much point in changing the position of a Background layer in the hierarchy of layers. However, you can use the duplicate command to create a layer called Copy of Background, which will then act in the same way as any normal layer.

You can at any time rename any layer.

See:

Creating and working with layers