Author Topic: Brush panel greyed out (Read 11067 times)

ShadySue · « **on:** February 23, 2013, 19:09 »

I'm starting a Lynda tutorial on 'painting' in Photoshop.
First you have to install a lot of stuff the tutor provided. It has taken me ages, but I'm now at the last stage where I'm checking on his provided textures which I should be able to make available from the brushes panel.
However, my brushes panel is totally greyed out. Of course it isn't greyed out in the tutorial video. I've Googled 'Photoshop CS5 brush panel greyed out' (and 'grayed out'), and can't find anything relevant except someone asked about it in CS4 in 2009 and no-one answered.

Any clues, please? TIA

meldayus · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2013, 19:14 »

I'm by no means an expert, but the first thing that occurs to me is, do you have a photo or blank document open? It's always those sort of things which catch me out....

ShadySue · « **Reply #2 on:** February 23, 2013, 19:33 »

I didn't have, as there wasn't a photo open in the tutorial video (I had to install his presets then open PS), but I opened a photo just there to see what would happen, and it's still all greyed out.

meldayus · « **Reply #3 on:** February 23, 2013, 19:42 »

Ohh, well that's about the extent of my PS knowledge!

I'm sure someone else will be along soon to help who knows what they're talking about!

ShadySue · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2013, 19:47 »

Sort of resolved, but I don't know why!
I clicked on one of his supplied brushes in the tool presets and suddenly it all ungreyed.
I played that part of the tutorial a few times and it wasn't mentioned and wasn't particularly obvious that it was necessary.
This is going to be fun. The video showing you how to load his supplied stuff was seven minutes long and it took me two hours to get it done!

meldayus · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2013, 19:52 »

LOL. Glad you got it sorted. I'm sure it will get easier from here! $:-\$

ShadySue · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2013, 20:07 »

Quote from: meldayus on February 23, 2013, 19:52

LOL. Glad you got it sorted. I'm sure it will get easier from here! $:-\$

Tx for your encouragemet. I sure hope so, I'm looking forward to the course.

leaf · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2013, 09:39 »

Perhaps you didn't have the brush tool selected? If you were on the pen tool or crop tool the brushes probably wouldn't be available.

Pixart · « **Reply #8 on:** February 25, 2013, 14:37 »

I haven't installed a brush in a while - but with some programs you have to close and open the program again after installing new items (but I wouldn't think this would affect preexisting brushes?)

leaf · « **Reply #9 on:** February 25, 2013, 17:15 »

Here's a few more suggests from this thread on Google - I know you've solved your problem but I always find it nice when searching the 'net when there are a few solutions in a thread.

Quote

It turns out the problem was actually that brushes have a max size of
2500 pixels and if your canvas is over that size, it will not allow
even a smaller selection to be a brush preset and that is why my Define brush preset was grayed out.

.....
After a little more experimentation with the brush preset I see that it does in fact work by selection size. My selection was just a little too large.

ShadySue · « **Reply #10 on:** February 25, 2013, 20:43 »

Thanks all.
I haven't even got to the stage when I'm using the brushes. I was just following the tutorial on how to load them, then how to check they'd loaded. Therefore no doubt PS was on whatever tool I'd last used.
Good info and help here as always.

Pixart · « **Reply #11 on:** March 01, 2013, 12:32 »

I was watching a Glyn Dewis tutorial and thought of this topic - doesn't entirely relate but someone might find it helpful...

Dewis was talking about workflow and he converts to 8 bit tiff in Lightroom - why not 16 bit? Well - a lot of plugins can only handle 8 bit and you will just get a greyed out panel if you open a 16 bit.

And the greyed out panel made me think of Sue's topic.