> Hi! folks! Managed to come to grips with many of the features but
> stumped with layers.
>
> Start from file/new and get a white rectangle on the workspace, and
> get a thumbnail marked background with a partically locked icon in the
> layer pallete.
>
> I create a new layer from layer/new/layer menu and see it as a hatched
> layer 1. I ensure that it is active (highlighted?) then open an image,
> expecting it to appear on the layer one. but the image combines with
> the background and makes one image labled background.
>
> Tried locking, changing image size and other strategies in my megere
> repotoire to no avail. Athough can't seem to get rid to the partically
> locked icon on the background layer.
>
> How do I get subsequent images onto different layers, so that I can
> combine them on to white background. In short what am I doing wrong!
>
> Thanks for you time. Photoshop CS3 V10
>
> Bob

You need to use the 'Place' command instead of 'Open' .
Open will just open a new image (with a locked bg layer)
Look under 'Window' in the menu, at the bottom you will see you have more
than one image open.
Or hit the F key a few times to reveal all open images.
Place will... place an image in already open image.
It's under File in the menu.