iMac screen blacks out momentarily (flickers, blinks, flashes, etc) when using photoshop

[ryang89726370]

Here's a video I filmed clearly showing it in action: iMac screen flashing/flickering issue with Photoshop - YouTube

OS X El Capitan version 10.11.1

Specs:

Retina 4K, 21.5 - inch, Late 2015

3.1GHz Intel Core i5

16GB RAM

Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 1536MB

Screen goes black momentarily when I either move my cursor around or click on the keyboard/trackpad. It does it when my tablet isn't even plugged in, and it does it also when i have my cintiq 12wx plugged in, so I don't think it's a wacom issue. Only does this when Photoshop is the app currently selected, doesn't happen when it's minimized or closed, making me suspect it's a Photoshop/Adobe issue. Doesn't seem to happen with Flash CC, but I can't be 100%certain. It does the same thing in my older Photoshop CS5, I only downloaded Photoshop CC because I thought it wouldn't happen in a newer version, but the same thing occurs in both CS5 and CC. Extremely frustrating, and photoshop is basically impossible to use at this point. Spoke with apple support, have done a bunch of resets, and it still happens, so and they're telling me it's an Adobe problem... I called adobe but they were having tech issues on their end so they said they'd call me back but it's been an hour now so.. growing increasingly frustrated here.

I have a macbook pro from 2010 running on an OS before Yosemite and I don't have any of this flickering/blinking issue on that system. I'm suspicious it's a compatibility issue between apple's OS and adobe's software... Please help if you have any solutions!

THINGS I HAVE ALREADY TRIED:

-checking off the "use graphics card" option on photoshop in performances under preferences

-uninstalling and reinstalling photoshop, the tablet drivers

-updating the OS

-calling apple

[deepakg1988]

Hi,

May i know did you tried using the Photoshop with tablet driver uninstalled.

Thanks

[ryang89726370]

Hi, no I haven't, I will try that tonight and report back. I did try with out the tablet even plugged in though and it had the same glitch, but i will try uninstalling the driver and see if it's still giving me the same problem and report back asap.

[gener7]

One other option is Adobe Camera Raw. GPU capability was added with version 9.0 and it's caused problems for some.

Try disabling it and rebooting.

[ryang89726370]

I just tested it without the driver installed, and it still produces the same error! More than convinced now this is a photoshop specific issue....
i use Flash CC all day for work on the same computer and it doesn't have this issue at all, only the photoshop programs  (CC and CS5)

[deepakg1988]

Go to the preferences of the Photoshop>performance click on "advanced settings"

Change the drawing mode to basic and un-check the option which says"Anti-Alias paths and guides"

Restart the Photoshop and try again.

Thanks

[ryang89726370]

Tried that and didn't work...
Growing extremely frustrated and hopeless at this point

[ryang89726370]

Spent an hour on the phone this morning w Adobe, they could offer me no solution to my problem and could only say at the very end that "other people" have called into complain about similar issues while using photoshop with the latest imacs and the only thing to do is to wait for updates from Adobe or Apple in the future that will correct the compatibility issue.
Not impressed Adobe and Apple.. not impressed.....

[apaintedmouse]

I know this was last month, but I wonder if you found a solution?

[keldchri]

I have the same issue with flickering screen in Photoshop cc2015. Any solution?

[apaintedmouse]

Hi keldchri,

I'm sorry you're having the same problem I had many LONG conversations with Adobe. The first person I spoke to said they'd not heard of this issue before - the last said many people are reporting the problem! In the end I was told that the 21.5" iMacs ARE NOT COMPATIBLE with Photoshop CC! He said the graphic processor isn't powerful enough and recommended an AMD Graphic Processor with at least 2GB. I was stunned as Photoshop was the only reason I bought the machine. Apple gave me a refund for the iMac in the end and I upgraded to the 27" which ships with the necessary card.

There are a couple of things that might work for you that worked for a friend of mine with the exact same set up and problem.

In the Performance section of the preferences menu uncheck the box that says 'use graphic processor' and restart PS.

if that's no good tick that box again and press on the advanced settings box and make sure 'use Open Cl' is unchecked. again try after restarting PS.

Best of luck. Hopefully you'll get sorted. let me know if it works

[keldchri]

Hi Richard,

it is hard to accept and believe that Imac 4K video card would not be able to run Photoshop. I have a Macbook Pro but less strongly cards running with photoshop with ease . can only imagine that it is a compatibility problem and that there will be a solution at a time . As with Imac 5K which also had the problem with blinking screen that was resolved.

I've tried your tips and maybe it has improved a little . but in between there blink when I move the curser of toolbars

But thanks for your help anyway.

Kind regards Keldchri

[andrewh33124952]

Any solutions? - I just bought a 4k iMac (Feb 2016) and it flickers when using a brush of a decent size in photoshop. Do I need to return the mac? Does anyone have same problem with the 5k larger iMac?

[maryb86274048]

I have this problem also.  Narrowed it down to using brushes.  Thought it was specialty brushes, but turns out to be large brushes.   I purchased my 2015 iMac, 21.5 inch screen and 4T in December.   Very irritation.

[Ania_TSG]

Hell Everyone!

I'm experiencing the same issue, with the monitor blacking out momentarily in both InDesign CC and Illustrator CC.

I'm a user of:

iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)

Processor: 3.1 GHz Intel Core i5

Memory: 8 GB 1867 MHz DDR3

Graphics: Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 1536 MB

purchased last December.

Upgraded from:

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009)

Processor: 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Memory: 8 GB 1067 MHz DDR3

Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 4670 256 MB

I'm also using external monitor BenQ G2025HDA.

I was using the old iMac with the latest versions of OS and AdobeCC and the same monitor this issue wasn't there.

Does anyone know if there is any update on this issue?

My work requires the use of secondary monitors and the blinking issue makes it impossible on bigger projects.

Thank you in advance

Ania

[Ania_TSG]

Hi Everyone!

I'm experiencing the same issue, with the monitor blacking out momentarily in both InDesign CC and Illustrator CC.

I'm a user of:

iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)

Processor: 3.1 GHz Intel Core i5

Memory: 8 GB 1867 MHz DDR3

Graphics: Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 1536 MB

purchased last December.

Upgraded from:

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009)

Processor: 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Memory: 8 GB 1067 MHz DDR3

Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 4670 256 MB

I'm also using external monitor BenQ G2025HDA.

I was using the old iMac with the latest versions of OS and AdobeCC and the same monitor this issue wasn't there.

Does anyone know if there is any update on this issue?

My work requires the use of secondary monitors and the blinking issue makes it impossible on bigger projects.

I have also logged a Adobe bug report on this issues, however no updated has fixed the problem yet.

Thank you in advance

Ania

[kevinm20714633]

Same problem on my setup, very frustrating:

El Capitan 10.11.1
Mac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)

3.1 GHz Intel Core i5

16 GB 1867 MHz DDR3

Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 1536 MB

External monitor Yiynova MSP 19U tablet monitor - NO Wacom or Cintiq.

[célinec26847244]

hi,

same problem :

El Capitan 10.11.3

Mac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)

3.1 GHz Intel Core i5

16 GB 1867 MHz DDR3

Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 1536 MB

[lovelulaphotography]

Hi,

Same problem here:

El Capitan 10.11.3

Mac (Retina 4k, 21.5, purchased March 2016)

3.3 GHz Intel Core i7

16GB 1867 MHz DDR3

Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 1536 MB

EDIT: Just updated OS to 10.11.4 and so far no flickers! Haven't work with PS today for long so can't confirm for sure but looks promising.

[jayCee1]

I'm seeing this happen every single time I use Photoshop CS6 or Lightroom5. I can't even edit a single photo without the screen going totally black about 50 times (as if the video memory is being dumped over and over when I move my cursor).

I'm using El Capitan 10.11.4 as well, and that hasn't helped anything at all.

PLEASE fix this. Whether it is Adobe or Apple... I'm hoping that someone sees and acknowledges this. It needs to be fixed.

iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)

3.1 GHz Intel Core i5

8 GB 1867 MHz DDR3

Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 1536 MB

1TB Fusion Drive

[lovelulaphotography]

Yep upgrade to 10.11.4 didn't resolve the issue for me too.

Can someone from Adobe support can acknowledge that you have replicated the issue on your end and you are working on resolution?

[gener7]

Some ideas:

The forums are basically user to users although Adobe Staff does drop in from time to. MVPs and ACPs are volunteer users and do speak for or make decisions for Adobe. Only those with Staff on the user-pic are Adobe Employees and they are Support.

Photoshop Family Customer Community will get you in touch with product managers and programmers. So be sure to post your concerns there.

Contact Customer Care is better in that Adobe Staff can remotely access your Mac and be better able to diagnose the problem.

And of course, check with Apple as well. The graphics cards and drivers are on their side and they might be able to help.

[jayCee1]

Thank you for the information. I have created a post about this in the PFCC.

[J453]

We have a system like this but can't replicate it offhand. Is there a particular set of settings/operations that are required to trigger it? How big is the brush cursor? Which brush/tool? What color space? how big of document, etc...

[jayCee1]

This happens to me with almost any photograph, with just about any brush size.  Try using the regular brush tool and then alt or option clicking to grab a color swatch. That triggers it for me 9 times out of 10. I see it just about every single time I run the cursor off the "edge" of the canvas, and into the info panels on the right hand side.

This issue has made photoshop and Lightroom almost unusable for me.

Take a look at this quick clip I recorded with my iPhone. It shows both instances I mentioned, above:  PS (& Lightroom) Issue on 4K iMac (Late 2015) - YouTube