When you create an empty layer in Photoshop, it is assigned a default name such as Layer 1, or Layer 2 and so on. You will often want more descriptive name for your layers so you can manage them better. As a matter of fact, it is always a good idea to incorporate some meaningful term into the layer name to clarify its purpose. For example, names like Retouched Selection, or Colour Layer, are far more meaningful and easier to manage than the generic Layer 5 or Layer 7. This is especially true if you use a lot of layers.

 

To rename a layer, right click the appropriate Layer name in the layer palette, and choose Layer Properties from the pop up menu. This action will display the following box.

 

 

Simply enter the name that you want for the layer in the Name field, and then click the OK button to commit the change.

 

Another way to rename your layers is to double click directly on the layer name where it appears in the layers palette.

 

 

When you see the layer name highlighted in blue, you can type the new name directly in the highlighted field and press the Enter key to commit the change. You can also commit the change by clicking outside the layers palette with your mouse.