10CommonPhotoshop

Frustrations(andHowto
FixTheminFiveMinutes)

Photoshopisnotalwaysthemostuserfriendlyofprograms.
Sometimesithasfrustratingissues,andthesolutionisnotalways
clear.Heresalistof10annoyingproblemsyoumighthavewith
Photoshop,andsimplesolutionstofixthem.
Theyllrangefromsimpletocomplex,somedealingwithwhythe
programwontletyouuseyourcursortools,orwhyyourcursorhas

changedshape.Readontoseethelist,andwhatyoucanlearnto
makeyourgraphicseditingexperiencemorepleasantand
productive.

YourCursorDisappearsorChanges
Shape

TheProblem:Afterworkingwithsometypeorsomeothertool,only
toreturntothebrushtofindthatyourcursorhaschangedshape,
andisdifficulttosee.Whattheheckhashappened?

TheSolution:Ifyourcursorlooksliketheonesdirectlyabove,
youveprobablyswitchedtoprecisecursors.Asimplepressofthe
CapsLockkeywillreturnthemtonormal.Youcanalsochange
themunderyourpreferences,shortcutkeyCtrl+K.

YourPanelsKeepDisappearing

TheProblem:Uncertainwhatyouvedone,allyourpanelshave
vanishedfromyourscreen.Themenuisstillavailable,butwhathas
causedthemalltogoaway?

TheSolution:Normally,allpanelsarehiddenbyaquickpressof
theTabkey,oftenbyaccident.Asinglepresshidesallactive
panels,andasecondonebringsthembackastheywere,noneed

toreactivatethemundertheWindowmenu.

YourBrushTool(OrOthers)Have
StoppedWorking

TheProblem:Youretryingtopaint,erase,clonestamp,healbrush,
etc,andPhotoshopsimplywontmakeamarkonyourcanvasorlet
youuseyourtoolslikenormal.


TheSolution:Thiscanbeoneofseveralproblems.GotoSelect>
Deselectifyouhaveanareaselectedwiththemarqueetoolthatyou
mighthaveforgottenorcantsee.Fromthere,Navigatetoyour
channelspanel,andcheckthatyourenotworkinginaquickmask
channel,oranyotherextraneouschannel.Ifyouare,clickthe
combinedRGBchannel(picturedabove,center)orthecombined
CMYKchannel,ifyouhappentobeworkinginCMYK.Youshould
alsobeabletoseeifyouareinamaskchannel,anotherpotential
pitfall.
IfyouareworkinginQuickmaskmode(picturedaboveright)you
canpressshortcutkeyQtoreturntonormal,orsimplyclicktheicon
inyourtoolbox.

ClipboardExportErrorWhenSwitching
Programs

TheProblem:Photoshophangsupeverytimeyoutrytoswitch
programs,andoftengivesyouastrangeerrorabouttheclipboard.

TheSolution:PressshortcutkeyCtrl+Ktobringupyour
preferencesandunderGeneral,youllfindExportClipboard.This
willstopyoufromcopypastingimagedatafromPhotoshop,butnot
intoPhotoshop.

DocumentsandNewFilesAlwaysOpenIn
Tabs

TheProblem:YouvemigratedtoanewversionofPhotoshop,
exceptyouareforcedtousethetabsfeaturewheneveryouopena
documentorcreateanewone.

TheSolution:VisitPreferencesbypressingshortcutkeyCtrl+K.
NavigatetoInterface,wheretabscanbedisabledfornewly
openeddocuments,illustratedabove.Toputanimageintoatab,
simplydragittothesnapareaatthetopoftheprogram,directly
underthetopmostoptionspanelandmenu.

ImportantImageFilesArentAssociated
WithPhotoshop

TheProblem:Youdoubleclickafileyouexpecttoopenwith
Photoshop,andaprogramthathasinstalledandtakenoverthatfile
association.

TheSolution:RightClickthefileinWindowsExplorer,oranyfileof
asimilartype.FindOpenWith,thenpickChoosedefault
program.

Fromthere,youcanassociatethefile(andsubsequentfiletype)with
Photoshop,andinstructWindowstoalwaysusethatprogramfor
thattypeoffile.

NoControlOverAutomaticSmart
Quotes

TheProblem:Youprefer,forvariousreasons,tousetheStraight
QuotesversusthecurlySmartQuotes,buthavenocontrolover
howtomakethem.

TheSolution:Littleknownfact,StraightQuotesareactuallynot
quotesatall,butanotationoffeetandinches.Mostprograms
autocorrectSmartQuotesinplaceofthem,butthiscancreatealot
ofissues.Theeasiestwayistosidestepusingsmartquotesisto
turnthemoff.UseshortcutkeyCtrl+KtoopenPreferencesand
navigatetoType.YoullfindanoptiontheretoturnoffSmartQuote
autocorrect.

YouAreConstantlyResizingYour
WindowsAfterZoom

TheProblem:Youendupzoominginandoutofyourimage.When
youzoomin,yourwindowremainsthesamesmallsizeaswhenyou
werezoomedout,andyouhavetoconstantlyresizeit.

TheSolution:Preferenceshasanoptiontocurbthatproblem,as
well.BringthemupwithshortcutkeyCtrl+Kandlookunderthe

Generaltab.YoullseetheoptionforZoomResizesWindows,
whichwillautomaticallyresizeyourwindowswhenyouzoomintoan
imagefile.

TheScratchDiskIsFull?

TheProblem:Photoshoprunsworsethanever,andthatsystem
driveislookingreallyfull.Whenyougotoperformbigactionsand
filters,itgivesyouanerrorsomethingaboutscratchdisks?

TheSolution:PressasimpleshortcutkeyCtrl+Ktoopen
preferences,thennavigatetoPerformance.Youhaveoptionson

ScratchDiskstoenable,andcanaddanyofyourfreedrivesfor
Photoshoptouseasextrascratchdisks.
ItalsocanthurttoclearupspacewithaDiskCleanup.Gotoyour
StartMenu,andfindDiskCleanuptohelpclearupsomespaceon
yoursystemdisk.

PhotoshopRunsSlowonUnderpowered
Machines
TheProblem:Waitingforeverforthosefilterstorun?Perhapsjust
basiccommandsaretakingforever?Photoshoprunslikeadogon
yourcomputeristhereanythingyoucando?

TheSolution:Theobviousansweristoupgradeyourmachine,in
particulartoaddRAM.However,anewPCorcomponentsarenot
alwaysanoptionforPCusers.Sosimplynavigatetoyour
PreferenceswithshortcutkeyCtrl+K.UnderPerformanceyoull
findasubmenuthatallowsyoutogivePhotoshopmoreresources,
upto100%oftheavailableRAM.Themorethebetter,although
takenoteoftheIdealRange,unlessyoudontplanonrunningany
otherprogramsalongwithPhotoshop.
Andwhenallelsefails,itcanthurttoturnitonandoffagain.
HavequestionsorcommentsconcerningGraphics,Photos,
Filetypes,orPhotoshop?Sendyourquestionsto
ericgoodnight@howtogeek.com[1],andtheymaybefeaturedina
futureHowToGeekGraphicsarticle.
ImageCredits:FrustrationbySybrenA.Stvel[2],availableunder
CreativeCommons[3].RAMby37prime[4],availableunderCreative
Commons[5].

Links
1.mailto:ericgoodnight@howtogeek.com
2.http://www.flickr.com/photos/sybrenstuvel/
3.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/byncnd/2.0/deed.en
4.http://www.flickr.com/photos/37prime/
5.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/byncsa/2.0/