Home » Tip of The Day » Activate Every Layer Except The Background LayerActivate Every Layer Except The Background Layer January 10, 2017. Posted in: Tip Of The Day. Press Ctrl Alt A (Mac: Command Option A) To activate every layer except the Background layer. « Previous Photoshop Tip: | Next Photoshop Tip: » Sign-up for the PTC Newsletter so that you'll never miss a tutorial!. Your Email Address: