Filter Gallery Grayed Out

[Donjakin]

I opened up a picture and then lasso'ed around the eyes in an attempt to have some fun with the filter gallery. However, the gallery is grayed out. How do I "ungray" it? THanks.

[TonyW]

Hi there, and welcome to the forum. The usual reason for that is that you have the visibility turned off on the layer you're trying to use the filter on. Check that the selected layer has the eyeball showing.

Tony

[GaryK]

Hi

Welcome to the forums.

Usually only a couple of things grey out the filters.

The photo must be in 8 bit rgb mode.. some black and whites come in as grey scale.
Or possibly you are not on the correct layer.. usually a blank layer/blank selection on a layer or for me I'm on an adjustment layer.

Hope it is one of these.:)

[Donjakin]

I am in 8 bit mode but I am not sure why it's still grayed out. What do you mean I must be in the correct layer? Hmmm. I don't know what eyeball you're talking about. Let me know, thanks. :)

[GaryK]

Hi

If you tried to work on the active layer here (blue one ... eyeball is off)
It will give problems.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/17UPf0rfWClDr6bGeYmVSPg9doAmG_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=17UPf0rfWClDr6bGeYmVSPg9doAmG)

[Wendy]

Hi ...

... and welcome to the forum :)

Just go to the layers palette (it should be over the the right of your screen ... if not do Window>Layers) and take a look. Is there more than one layer in there?

The eyeball is the little thing that looks like an eyeball and its next to the image thumbnail in the layers palette.

Wendy

[Wendy]

Gary ...

You typed quicker that I did :D :D

Wendy

[Donjakin]

Ok, I have only ONE LAYER open because I am working on one picture. The eyeball thingy is on. I know where the eyeball is now. But the filter gallery is still grayed out. I am using an IMAC. Maybe I can do a screenshot into the post like Gary did? (not sure how you did that). Thanks for you help. :)

[Wendy]

Hi ...

Did you check that the mode is indeed RGB ?? ..

... and what sort of file is it jpg, gif etc .. You can check that by looking at the file ending :)

Wendy

[Donjakin]

Yeppers, it's a JPG and it says (layer 0/RGB/8*) Hmmm. Filter gallery is still non operational. :(

[GaryK]

On a whim ..

Try saving (new name) and opening the saved file.:confused: :confused:

[SenorSlick]

Just a thought, try a ctrl-J to du[plicate the layer and click on it so that the eyeball shows...maybe it will work that way although as stated here above by Wendy and Gary, you must have the layer you are working on active.
Harvey

[Donjakin]

It's still greyed out. I am at a total loss on how this can work. The main reason I bought elements is for the filter gallery, Arrrggg. Does photoshop have a help line or something that I can fall and they can "walk me through it"?

How do I paste a "screen shot" into the message box here in FORUMS. I have an IMAC.

Thanks.

-Don (in Scottsdale, AZ age 36)

[GaryK]

Don

Most use pixentral as the hosting site

www.pixentral.com (http://www.pixentral.com)

take a screenshot (not sure how on a mac) open it in elements and use save for web.
Set the longest side to about 750-800 and the size to around 100-150 k
save it and then at pixentral browse to it ..send and then when the image appears copy the link below it (second link says forums ..use that) and paste the link into a post here.
'
Not as hard as it sounds.:)

[douglas m scott]

Don,
I just read in another thread where Gary had helped another user with an unusual problem by resetting Elements by pressing Alt+Command+Del as you start Elements. Worth a try. Doug

[Wendy]

Hi Don ...

Just try this for me ...

Create a new file File>New>Blank File 500 pixels x 500 pixels 300 resolution RGB white background.
Now create a new layer Laye>New Layer and click OK
Next set red as your foreground colour, get the paint brush and drag it across the image a couple of times.
Now do Filter>Filter Gallery ...

What happens when you do that ??

Wendy :)
By the way to do a screen shot on the Mac. Hold down the Command Key, the Shift key and 3.
To do a shot of a defined area of the screen its Command Key, the Shift key and 4 ... then drag the cursor out as you would the rectangular marquee :)

[scrapperjlc]

Is there a little Lock icon showing on your layer? If so, click on the layer and click on the little lock icon at the top of the layers menu to unlock it. The filter gallery is grayed out if you are active on a layer that is locked.

Jodi

[Donjakin]

I did exactly what you said. I chose the pixel at 200 width by 300 length for 500 pixels. I did the rest just as you said and the filter gallery was still grayed out. :(

[Donjakin]

Thanks for the tip Jodi, but the even with it's "unlocked" the filter gallery is still not available. Ugg.:mad:

Thanks for the tip though. I will try anything.

[scrapperjlc]

When you go to the Image menu and drag down to Mode which mode has a checkmark next to it?

Jodi

[Donjakin]

Jodi, it's RGB Color. ......

[scrapperjlc]

Is the whole Filter menu grayed out, or just the Filter Gallery in the Filter menu?

Jodi

[Wendy]

Hi ...

I think that its time to try deleting the prefs file ...

To do that close down Elements then click on the Editor start up icon and quickly hold down the Control, Alt and Shift keys (Mac users: Command, Option and Shift). Continue to hold down all three keys until you get a screen asking if you want to delete Settings ... just say Yes.

You do have to be very quick holding the keys downn so it maybe an idea to hold them down with one hand before you click :)

Do let us know if this sorts it out ...

Wendy

[Donjakin]

I don't even know where the editor is. You mean on my iMac there is an editor? Or are you talking about the editor on Elements? Sorry to be such a pain. I am actually pretty good with computers so this is driving me completely insane. Thanks for your patience.

[douglas m scott]

As you click to start Elements hold down Command+Options+Shift In the window that opens click OK

[Jan Ruthig]

Is the layer locked??

[Donjakin]

That didn't do anything. As Elements was startng up, I held that key that has the APPLE SYMBOL, OPTION and SHIFT key down all at the same time. Nothing happened. I have a feeling that I got bad software. Just my luck, the ONLY feature I bought this software for was the distort feature and now elements won't let me use it. Arrrrrrggg!!!!!! Thanks for continued efforts to help me. Oh, also Jodi - it is just the LAST FILTER and FILTER GALLERY that are greyed out.

[Jan Ruthig]

Is there a little padlock to right end of the layer name? If there is then the filter menu will be grayed out.

[scrapperjlc]

Are you able to get to the filter gallery through the Artwork and Effects palette? If you click the third button at the top of that window for the Special Effects, in the pop-up menu on the left side of the menu choose Filters and on the right side pop-up menu you can choose the Distort filters. All of the searching I have done says that the filters that are not supported for 16bit images or images other than RGB become grayed out. I can't think of anything else except resetting the preferences or just removing and reinstalling the software. Sure is a mystery! :confused:

Jodi

[Donjakin]

They key may be HOW TO UNLOCK THAT PAD LOCK? I try clicking the lock and NOTHING HAPPENS? Hmmmm.

[scrapperjlc]

I believe you answered yesterday that the layer was unlocked, but if there IS a lock icon on the layer, double click the layer, which will bring up a menu giving you the option to change the layer name, just click on OK. This will convert the layer from a "background" layer to a regular layer. You are limited to what you can do with a layer when it is a background layer.

Jodi

[Wendy]

Hi ...

Did you hold down the 3 keys before you clicked on the start up icon ??

Wendy

[Donjakin]

Well, I re-installed it now my FILTER GALLERY works. Wow!!! Thanks to WEndy, Jodi etc., and everybody for being so nice and trying to help.

[GaryK]

That is great news. :)

[Wendy]

Hi ...

So pleased that you now have it working :)

Wendy

[Wildcard]

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who posted replies to Donjakin's problem; I was problem-solving a co-workers' PS Elements issue on her PC, and you provided me with the answers.

As in this case all of her Filters, and almost all of her various editing options were grayed out for images that she knew she had previous worked on. We did the Ctr + Alt + Shift reset to her Settings File and everything was fixed.

After reading the article I inquired if she had encountered any issues prior to the filter problem, and she informed me that her system had crashed while she had PS Elements in the background the day before.

Thank you again all for a quick, easy fix to a puzzling problem,
-Matt

[Tina_B]

Filters are grayed out if you are trying to apply them over a layer style. Merge the layer style and then try the filter again. Just a thought that I have had trouble with many times.