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Charismatic_yogiB82A
Charismatic_yogiB82A
Known Participant
April 3, 2026

P: (Win/macOS) PS 27.5 Image Flickering When using Image > Adjustment > Curves

  • April 3, 2026
  • 13 replies
  • 276 views

Since version 27.4 and continuing in 27.5 I’ve been experiencing image flickering when using the Curves adjustment.

 

In version 27.4, the issue occurs in all Curves use cases. In 27.5, it appears primarily when applying Curves as a Smart Adjustment on a Smart Object. It is slightly improved, but still noticeable when using Curves as a standard adjustment layer.

I’ve attached a video demonstrating the issue:

  • The first example shows Curves applied as a Smart Adjustment on a Smart Object (strong flickering).

  • The second shows a direct adjustment on a non-Smart Object layer (no issue).

  • The third shows a standard adjustment layer (minor flickering still visible).

The flickering is clearly visible, especially in the first case.

Please look into this issue, as it makes precise adjustments very difficult.

Thank you.

example video:

https://youtu.be/jbe6K-ORr44

 

      13 replies

      Charismatic_yogiB82A
      Charismatic_yogiB82AAuthor
      Known Participant
      June 1, 2026

      Something is still very wrong with the curves. Now sometimes I can’t even move them. I can place a poin on the curve, but then cant move it with mouse ot graphic tablet. only with keyboard arrows. Please fix the curves Adobe!

        Sameer K
        Community Manager
        Sameer KCommunity Manager
        Community Manager
        June 2, 2026

        Thanks for the comment. Please add repro steps and a video like before, and I’ll raise this for review with the team. 

         

        Thanks!
        Sameer

        S
        StefanKlein
        Known Participant
        June 2, 2026

        Curves are very, very slow, if used as an adjustment layer. Compare it to 26.11.5 r.177, where they are still realtime. This bug has come and gone since many, many years.
        My PC is Win 10, I9 12900k, 32GB RAM, RTX 3060/12 GB VRAM, latest driver (which btw. was never (!) the problem in the past years, but is nearly always the first question from Adobe.)

        A
        AntonRidd
        Inspiring
        May 20, 2026

        The beta version 27.8 is a little better, but there are still significant lags when working with curves.

          S
          StefanKlein
          Known Participant
          May 22, 2026

          Yes, still extremely slow.

          G
          gabriel5E9E
          Inspiring
          May 13, 2026

          Same bug here. Only happens when I try to use the shortcut (cmd + m) to add curves into a smart object image / asset. If its rasterized, I don’t get any flickering on my screen. 

          Charismatic_yogiB82A
          Charismatic_yogiB82AAuthor
          Known Participant
          April 29, 2026

          btw. this issue was not fixed in 27.6 !?

          A
          AntonRidd
          Inspiring
          April 29, 2026

          No. This behavior is also observed in 27.7 beta

          Trevor.Dennis
          Community Expert
          Trevor.DennisCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          April 27, 2026

          It sounds like a system resource issue.

          How big is the image when open?  Also check Efficiency, and Scratch Sizes along with how much free space on the drive allocated as primary scratch space? 

          I’m guessing from the hardware that you are using Windows.

          Check Resource Monitor and see how much RAM is in use, and how it compares to what you have allocated to Photoshop.  Check CPU and GPU usage as well, and look for bottlenecks.

           

          Restart your computer, open Photoshop and test it again.

          S
          StefanKlein
          Known Participant
          April 27, 2026

          Happens on every image, no matter how small it is. There´s no bottleneck in my system with 32GB RAM, RTX 3060/12GB VRAM, super fast SSDs. It´s simply a terrible bug.
          It doesn´t happen with direct curves, but with curves adjustment layers. This bug has been coming and going several times since many years.

            A
            AntonRidd
            Inspiring
            April 27, 2026

            A stable 27.6 has been released, but the problem with curves remains. Changes occur in jerks / frame by frame

              S
              StefanKlein
              Known Participant
              April 27, 2026

              Please Adobe, very annoying bug.

                S
                StefanKlein
                Known Participant
                April 20, 2026

                Same here on Win 10/I9 12900K/RTX 3060/32GB  RAM/12GB VRAM.
                Curves are very jerky! Image updates maybe once per second, if used as adjustment layer!

                  pixxxelschubser
                  Community Expert
                  pixxxelschubserCommunity Expert
                  Community Expert
                  April 19, 2026

                  Tried it with PS 27.5.0 Win 11 RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

                  1. no delay with menu: Image → Adjustment → Curves
                  2. but there are slight, jerky delays when using an Adjustment layer → Curves
                    A
                    AntonRidd
                    Inspiring
                    April 19, 2026

                    Yes, curves are most often used as a separate layer. I'm still on version 27.3.1, which is the latest version where they work correctly.

                    pixxxelschubser
                    Community Expert
                    pixxxelschubserCommunity Expert
                    Community Expert
                    April 19, 2026

                    This behaviour needs to be tested and confirmed by the official team.
                    (Since the issue doesn’t occur with the menu option, but only when using an adjustment layer, I would personally probably call it a minor bug. But that decision is up to the Adobe team.)

                    A
                    AntonRidd
                    Inspiring
                    April 19, 2026

                    When using curves, changes in the image occur in jerks/frame by frame. The responsiveness of the curves themselves is also affected. Any change is delayed and accompanied by a jerk.

                     

                    PC:
                    CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
                    GPU: Radeon RX 6600 XT 8 Гб
                    RAM: 32 Гб

                      P
                      Pawel376750718aja
                      Inspiring
                      April 9, 2026

                      Same problem here. When adjust a curves added to smart object, everything flickering. My setup:

                       

                      Adobe Photoshop Version: 27.5.0 20260323.r.13 dee573e  x64 (final, Release)
                      RX 7800 XT

                      Operating System: Windows 11 64-bit
                      Version: 11 or greater 10.0.26100.7840

                      Memory available to Photoshop: 49440 MB

                       

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