adv adj layers - lesson 7

[Tenlady]

Ok I usually will keep trying for hrs when I can't get something AND I HAVE. I didn't download the Washington D.C. pic - I used one of my own - in fact I used several - my problem is once i fill the layer with black and start to paint with white - abosolutely nothing happens. Could I have a bad sector in my PE3? I follow along exactly and everything works perfectly until I start to paint with white over the black layer, i.e. the adjustments show prior to filling with black. Please help. :cry:[/b][/b]

[drummermom]

Hi there,

Are your layers linked together properly so that the black layer is a layer mask on top of your background? It needs to have that little layer thumbnail icon identifying it as a mask and the layer should be on top of the background layer. Make sure there's no levels adjustment layer or anything between the background and the black layer.

[Tenlady]

yes, the little dohickie is in between the histogram looking pic and the black mask. when i adjust the saturation - i have done it very heavy so i can make sure that it shows - i have done the greens so heavy in the picture that my friends t shirt has green in it and it is gray. i can click the eye at this point and see the original background pic but when i fill with black i cannot click the eye and see the background pic or change to white and get anything done on it.

[MikeH]

my problem is once i fill the layer with black and start to paint with white - abosolutely nothing happens.

Hi...

Are you clicking on the mask to make it active and then painting?

Mike

[Tenlady]

yep i am

[MikeH]

i can click the eye at this point and see the original background pic but when i fill with black i cannot click the eye and see the background pic or change to white and get anything done on it.[/b]

When you fill the mask with black, it should hide the adjustment and reavel the background image. Do this happen?

Mike

[Tenlady]

yes - if you read my earlier post - all goes well until i get the white color brush. thanks for trying to help everyone.

[MikeH]

Hi...

Ok... what do you mean by:

"i can click the eye at this point and see the original background pic but when i fill with black i cannot click the eye and see the background pic"

Mike

[Tenlady]

ok, i'm not sure what i mean - i just know when there is no fill i can click on the eye and i see the background instead of the adjustment. when i fill with black i cannot see the background when i click on the eye. I guess that is right since it is black. However, that is when all goes wrong - when i fill with black and get the white brush it does nothing.

[MikeH]

[b]ok, i'm not sure what i mean - i just know when there is no fill i can click on the eye and i see the background instead of the adjustment. when i fill with black i cannot see the background when i click on the eye. I guess that is right since it is black.

No... that is not right... When you fill the adjustment layer mask with black it hides the adjustment and shows what is on the layer underneath, in your case the background. As you paint with white the adjustment is then revealed hiding the background where you paint.

When the mask is filled with black, it shouldn't make any difference when you click on the eye of the adjustment layer.

Try resetting the preferences file:
Click on the Elements start up icon and then straightaway hold down the CTRL, ALT and SHIFT keys together. Keep holding these keys until a windows comes up asking if you want to delete Settings, select Yes.

Let me know how you get on...

Mike

[Tenlady]

THANK YOU THANK YOU! Yes, I'm so excited - I have worked this lesson so many times i'll never forget how to do it tho. However, why did I have to reset the program. Did I do something wrong to cause this problem? Thanks so much. :D

Nancy

[MikeH]

Nancy,

Great news that resetting the preferences file cured the problem :).

Nothing you did caused this... The preferences file is where PSE3 stores your personal settings like recently used files, third party plugins, the layout of your palette bin, which cursors you selected to use etc. etc.

Sometimes this file becomes corrupt which can cause PSE3 to perform strangely (the full Photoshop product is the same). So whenever PSE3 isn't doing exactly what it should then resetting the preferences file will cure most of these problems.

Mike

[Tenlady]

Mike,

Thanks again and I hope all stays quiet in London.


Nancy

[Wendy]

Nancy ...

Keep a note of how to delete the prefs file ... just in case you need it again :)


Wendy