Bob,

I don't know what you mean about performing a "background function", however this should get your started.

* have your Layers Palette open on workarea
* go to File>Save As and change it to .psd
* double click 'background' layer in Palette, accept the offered name of Layer 0 * right click on layer in Palette, choose duplicate layer * from the Tool Box, get the Lasso tool, the plain one, top of list * you may or maynot want to set a Feather amount in the box above * continually holding the mouse button down, make a wavy diagonal and then follow down the right hand edge and along bottom edge until you join up with your starting point
* you now have a dotted selection line around bottom-right half of image * create a new blank layer on top of stack
* click back on layer with selection active
* go to Edit>Copy
* click back on blank layer
* go to Edit>Paste
* click back on layer with selection active
* go to Select>Inverse (upper portion now selected)
* create a new blank layer, top of stack
* click back to layer with selection
* go to Edit>Copy
* click on blank layer
* go to Edit>paste

You have now divided the image into halves. Turn off the eyes in the Layers Palette for the two bottom-most layers.

For a white line
* if you are not still on the 'partial layer', click back to it * hold the Control key on keyboard down and click in Palette on layer * selection line appears
* in Tool Box, have white for foreground color
* go to Edit>Stroke
* choose "Outside" in the box and a width, maybe like 20 pixels * white line shows in middle, but not at edges NOTE: you can also, after getting the selection line, create another blank layer and put the line on it. Allows more flexibility later for changes.
* make whatever changes you want to the upper partial layer (just have that layer active in the Palette NOTE: you could also add a bevel with Layer Styles to one half

hopefully this will get you started

Nancy

Bob_Noll

Replied in the following topics

How to create a backround image for only half of the picture