4 Replies Latest reply on Oct 18, 2017 3:05 AM by VPangie

Why are the adjustment layer controls grayed out?

Clive Weeks May 2, 2012 7:38 AM

I have used an adjustment layer in CS5 and when it was first used I could adjust everything. Now most of the controls have grayed out and whilst I can slide the sliders I can not type figures in nor use the radio buttons! Why has it locked me out? It has happened on a few images and with both Colour Balance and Hue and Saturation Layers.

The image above shows the problem with the top Colour Balance layer where I can not select Shadows or Highlights, nor type in figures for the sliders BUT I can slide them and change the tick on Preserve Luminosity! The basic image being edited is an 8-bit RGB file.

Adding a new adjustment layer (Colour Balance) on top of this one initially showed the same problem but after adding 3 more new adjustment layers suddenly eveything came back to fully working again - even the original problem layer!

This problem keeps happening with some of my images. It is happening on all 3 of our photoshop PC's, so it looks like a basic PS bug. Has anyone else seen this or know why it happens?

1. Re: Why are the adjustment layer controls grayed out?

Wade_Zimmerman May 3, 2012 3:25 PM (in response to Clive Weeks)

You have the mask highlighted do the mouse clicking on the adjustment icon instead of the mask
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2. Re: Why are the adjustment layer controls grayed out?

Clive Weeks May 4, 2012 8:39 AM (in response to Wade_Zimmerman)

Thanks for the suggestion but that has no effect on them being grayed out or not. When this problem occurs it does not matter if the Mask is highlighted OR the adjustment itself.

But thanks anyway.

I am currently without the issue on the above example having removed the problem by adding additional adjustment layers and removing them again. Even if I now select just the adjustment mask I can still access ALL adjustment controls without problem.

But it will occur again as it has done over the last few months on a random basis. Hopefully someone else has seen this occur and found a solution?
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3. Re: Why are the adjustment layer controls grayed out?

Aczmom2 Jun 27, 2016 6:43 AM (in response to Clive Weeks)

This has been driving me nuts for days and I think I have finally figured it out. (I'm also using CS5 extended.)

In the screenshot below, you will see an icon in the Color Balance adjustment panel. Somehow I must have clicked on it to get the expanded view in which the radio buttons grey out. Clicking on it again brings back the standard view and the buttons. I'm guessing this will fix your selective color adjustment panel buttons as well.
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4. Re: Why are the adjustment layer controls grayed out?

VPangie Oct 18, 2017 3:05 AM (in response to Clive Weeks)

This was the solution for me, not 100% sure if it will work for others: I was working on a jpg file. When I saved it and turned it into a psd, I was able to use the color balance layer correctly.
Best of luck
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Why are the adjustment layer controls grayed out?

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