Always Receiving Dialog Box to Rasterize Object When Trying to Use Brush

Question

Hello,I am taking a self-guided course on layers and keep running into a problem. The course says to select the layer which is a smart object and then use the brush tool to paint over it. I keep receiving the dialog box 'This smart object must be rasterized before proceeding.' When I choose to do that, the brush color does not change the color of what I'm trying to paint. What can I do to edit the smart object with a brush?

creative explorer · Accepted Answer

@887415 that is correct. A Smart Object is prevents you from painting directly on the pixels because its primary job is to preserve the original image quality. When you rasterize it, you turn it into a regular layer of pixels. Here is the Photoshop HelpX tutorials: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/desktop/create-manage-layers/smart-objects/create-embedded-smart-objects.html

Stephen Marsh · Answer

@887415  Adobe added a checkbox in Preferences/Settings: General - to automatically add a new layer when brushing, which overcomes this issue without having to rasterize the smart object. Screenshot 2026-01-20 213312.png

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