RGB Gray - Duplicate

Original Layer

So here is where we left off from the last tutorial. We've just renamed the background layer to 'original' so that we know that's our starting point for this document. Now this is an optional step, but it is possible to duplicate this original layer to make adjustments to so that we have the original safe and un-touched just in case we ever need to refer back to it in the future. We'll show you how to do this in the proceding steps.

First Way

1.
Now there's two different ways of doing duplicating this 'original' layer. The first way to do it is to right click on the layer (ctrl click for the Mac) and you will see a pop up menu displayed. Choose "Duplicate Layer..." to make a copy of it.

Second Way

2.
The second way (an alternative and even faster than the first way) is to click, hold and drag the layer down to the "new layer icon" towards the bottom of the layer palette. In the image displayed here, click the layer where labeled [1] and drag down to the New Layer icon just below the number labeled [2].

Either method is efficient and really up to your preferences.

Rename

Now once the original layer has been duplicated, you will see it added into the Layers palette as a new layer and it will say "original copy". Double click the text 'original copy' to rename it.

Finished

Rename it to "duplicate" and click enter/return. Now you know that this new "duplicate" layer is the same thing as the original layer, but if you have to make any adjustments to it or change anything on it (clone stamp, healing patch tool, other adjustments) you make it to that layer, the duplicate one, so that you always have a copy of the original right below it for safe keeping.
*End Tutorial*