Surface Pro pen in Photoshop CC 2018 pans canvas instead of drawing

[UncleZeiv]

Adobe Photoshop Version: 19.1.2 20180302.r.277 2018/03/02: 1160083  x64

Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit

Version: 10 or greater 10.0.16299.15

Hi all,

I'm on a Surface Pro 4 and Photoshop used to work just fine for me but recently I'm experiencing the following problem: often in Brush mode the pen moves the canvas around instead of drawing. This is almost always the case when starting a vertical stroke, less so for horizontal ones.

This happens:

- both with and without Photoshop gestures enabled

- with both the new and old Surface pen

- with and without hardware acceleration enabled in ps (note: without hardware acceleration, moving the canvas around is comically slow).

Please note that my Surface pen is working normally other than in this specific instance. All other drawing or writing applications work as usual. I therefore suspect this is a Photoshop specific problem.

It looks like touch scrolling (as it works in other applications, e.g. in Internet browser windows) is enabled in the main picture window, as I can pan the canvas around with a single finger as well - but my understanding is that this is not normal, as Photoshop touch gestures are their own separate thing and require at least two fingers.

I'm sure this is something silly in my setup but after trying several options both in Photoshop and Windows Settings, I ran out of ideas. I searched around extensively and nobody seems to be having this problem, but I'm sure nobody is seeing this behaviour as it makes Photoshop utterly unusable.

If anyone knows what's going on please let me know!

[martinl78027992 · Accepted solution]

This problem is the result of a compatibility problem between windows ink and a recent windows update kb4089848. There are three options 1. Uninstall kb4089848 and prevent windows from reinstalling it  2. Disable windows ink in your tablet driver. If you disable windows ink you will lose pressure sensitivity with the brush tool in photoshop. A workaround to restore pressure sensitivity is to enable WinTab functionality. Create a text named PSUserConfig.txt with the following lines:

# Use WinTab

UseSystemStylus 0

place the file in the following directory

C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2018\\Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 Settings\

restart photoshop and be sure Windows ink is disabled

3. Go into windows settings

devices-->pen and windows ink:

turn all options to off

[elizabethm95058471]

This doesn't help if you are using a screen with a built in digitizer, using the Wacom FeelDriver. It's amazing that this has been an issue since November 2017, and neither Windows or Adobe has fixed it. I blame Windows for the way they've broken everything, but for something as highly regarded in the professional world as Adobe PS, it's amazing that you can't use the pen to draw.

Hoping for a fix soon.

[UncleZeiv]

Thanks, that's it.

For anyone else having this problem, make sure to file your feedback to Microsoft and to upvote existing feedback entries such as Feedback Hub​

[nathalier16938815]

You are my HERO!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for enabling me to express myself with my art on my Surface again!!!  Hopefully we can get an update on this... This really decreased the amount of art I was doing as there were not many helpful posts, and it's an odd glitch.  I hope we still get to use the perks of the Pen & Windows Ink settings in the future.

Thank you thank you thank you!

[Mossmx]

Didn't have kb4089848 installed but I followed your steps and everything is working fine now!! THANKS!!!

[stephs62894227]

Hi, I've tried to follow this method but I get a pop up saying that I don't have permission to save in this location. I've tried just right clicking on the photoshop icon and clicking run as administrator, but it still doesn't help. Any ideas?

[diannek45672958]

I am having this same exact problem using both my Dell Canvas and my wacom tablet. The brush tool will pan instead of drawing mostly when I am drawing a vertical line.  Can I use this same fix? 

[pascalebrrrr]

It was exactly the same problem about vertical line and it fixed it. I do not have Dell Canvas though.

[jenniferlynn2011]

Here is the solution put out by Microsoft - takes 2 seconds

Unexpected panning or scrolling in some apps with pen after applying - Microsoft Community

[stephs62894227]

Thank you, you are a life saver!

[LazyNezumi]

Microsoft introduced new Windows Ink Pen behavior in a recent Win10 update. This causes your pen to pan the canvas in Photoshop. For more info, and instructions to revert to the old behavior (via a registry tweak), see this post:

Controlling Pen Behavior in Windows 10

[UncleZeiv]

Thanks. By the way, I'm a registered LazyNezumi user myself!

[travish70756128]

This is my exact problem. How do I uninstall tablet drivers? I'm using a surface pen and experiencing the same scroll/pan problem in Photoshop. I also don't have the KB4089848 update but my Surface Book is fully up to date on updates. I'm not very savvy with most of this so can I get a bit more detail on what I actually have to do? Thank you!

[pascalebrrrr]

This is great! It also removes the annoying circle pop up brush menu when drawing in Photoshop! Thank you very much!

[ryanl63155946]

This is the solution! It was causing me to not be able to work! This is easily fixed!

Thank you

jenniferlynn2011​

Unexpected panning or scrolling in some apps with pen after applying - Microsoft Community

[YeqiO]

Thanks man! Appreciate you!