READ THIS FIRST - Posting guidelines and FAQs

[Damien Symonds]

This forum is for questions about your software: tools , colour space, strange behaviour etc.  Ground rules for this forum are as follows:

1. Before posting, please try a quick search on both my site and here in the forum, to see if your problem has happened to somebody else.
2. Before posting, scroll down and browse the FAQs below this post, to see if they help.
3. One question per post.  If you have various different questions, make separate threads for them.
4. Give me as much relevant information as you can.  The more I know, the better and faster I can help.
5. Include a screenshot of your screen, if you think it might help me diagnose your problem.
6. Fill this out and include it in your post.
7. Please take a moment to ensure you're in sRGB.  This is so important.
8. No editing questions in this sub-forum.  Thanks.

[Damien Symonds]

Frequently asked questions about Photoshop and Photoshop Elements:
(For FAQs about Bridge and ACR, scroll down to the next post.)

Q. Any questions involving colour spaces, colour profiles, or colour modes.
A. The answer is almost always sRGB.  Sort it out here.

Q. A tool is misbehaving!
(eg Brush Tool not painting properly, Clone Tool not showing the cloned area properly, Marquee Tool not selecting properly, etc)
A. Try resetting the tool first.

Q. I'm editing a layer, but I can't see my adjustments!
A. This usually means there's another layer (a pixel layer) above the layer you're trying to edit, hiding your edits from view.  Try turning off all the layers above your layer, to see if your adjustments are visible.  More information about layer order here, here and here.

Q. I'm trying to paint on a layer or a mask, but it's really weak!
A. Check the Options Bar - make sure your Brush Tool is on "Normal" mode, and the Opacity is at 100% (also the Flow, if your version has it).  Also, check the colour swatch in the toolbar - sometimes you're not painting with the colour you think you are.  If all else fails, reset the tool.

Q. My image has random boxes appearing all over it!
A. Try these solutions first.  If that fails, fill this out then start a new thread.

Q. My Brush Tool cursor looks like a tiny crosshair!
A. Sometimes this is because your brush size is very big, and you're zoomed in very close to your image.  But more often it's because you've got caps lock on.

Q. All my tools and panels have disappeared!
A. First, try pressing the Tab key.  If that doesn't work, try pressing the F key a number of times.  If that still doesn't work, go to Window>Workspace>Reset workspace.  More information here.

Q. I pressed something and now my whole image is black-and-white!
A. Often this means you're accidentally viewing one channel only.  Press Ctrl/Cmd 2 to view the RGB again.

Q. I just launched Photoshop and all my actions have disappeared!
A. This happens to everybody occasionally, and a few unfortunate people frequently.  Make sure your actions are saved in the dedicated Actions folder that was created on your hard drive when you installed Photoshop, then reload them into Photoshop.  If the problem persists, fill this out and start a thread about it.

Q. My images look different in colour between Photoshop and other programs.
A. This is a colour space issue relating to output.  See the FAQs in the Output forum.

Q. I'm trying to edit or save an image and Photoshop is giving me a "Scratch Disk" or "RAM" error.
A. This usually means your computer is too full.  Check Adobe's website to find the minimum recommended amount of RAM to run your software, and check your hard drive to make sure it has at least one third of free space.  If you're still having trouble, fill this out and start a new thread.

[Damien Symonds]

Frequently asked questions about Bridge and ACR:

Q. I'm new to Bridge.  How can I learn about it?
A. The great news is, it's very simple to learn, because it's very logical software.  Just by cruising around in it for a few hours, you'll grasp it very quickly.  To get you started, I have videos here and here which will help.

Q. How can I batch process my raw files with Bridge?
A. There are two main ways.  The first is to open all the files in ACR at once, and do this.  The second is to open just one file in ACR, edit it to your satisfaction, then press the "Done" button to close it; then right-click on it in Bridge and choose "Develop Settings>Copy Settings"; then select all the others and right-click again, and choose "Develop Settings>Paste Settings".

Q. I opened a photo in ACR and it has red patches all over it!  (Or blue patches)
A. Those are clipping warnings.  They are your friend.  They show you where your detail is blown out.  You turn them on and off by pressing the O or U keys on your keyboard (O for "overexposure" and U for "underexposure".)

Q. What should my resolution be set to in ACR?
A. It honestly doesn't matter.  Most people set it to 300ppi because it seems to help them sleep at night, but in truth it's an irrelevant number.  Resolution only matters when it comes time to print, later.  More information about resolution.