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Jan 19, 2026 4:31 PM UTC
Answered

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

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?

justlearn
justlearnCorrect answer
Community Expert
Jan 19, 2026 8:37 PM UTC

@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

m

4 replies

Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Community Expert
Jan 20, 2026 10:36 AM UTC

@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.

 

875555iB3C799EE8FC0C900.png

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Jan 20, 2026 11:17 PM UTC

Thank you for demonstrating.

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justlearn
Community Expert
justlearnCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
Jan 19, 2026 8:37 PM UTC

@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

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m
Jan 20, 2026 11:16 PM UTC

Thank you for getting back to me.

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