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Known Participant
May 1, 2019
Question

Could not use the gray point tool because...

  • May 1, 2019
  • 4 replies
  • 2714 views

Hello, this question refers to Photoshop CC 2019 on a Windows 10 PC

When trying to set a black, gray and white point on a photo, I consistently get the error message: "Could not use the gray point tool because the settings in the file are invalid" What does that mean and how can I correct it?

Thank you.

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

Jeff Arola
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 23, 2020

Appears to have been fixed in the just released photoshop 2021 (ps version 22.0)

Norman Sanders
Legend
May 1, 2019

Why is the Preset in the Curves panel set to Custom?

Please post the Color Picker popup menu when you double click on the middle eyedropper.

Norman Sanders
Legend
May 1, 2019

Although this post does not relate to solving the OP's problem, it was fun to toy with it.

c.pfaffenbichler​ nailed it. Something wrong with the Blue channel. Looking closely it seemed the color was transposed but not its tonal scale, suggesting a Lab correction for starters where tonal scale is discrete from color. The  b channel was transposed, followed by curve adjustments in all three channels. Lab is not the mode for tweaks so the mode was returned to RGB for further curve correction.

It needs more work, perhaps with a mask take down the magenta cast in the area surrounding the car clear to the horizon line since it would also help the greens, too. But for this exercise only Curves were used. Trickier than it looks. Give it a try.

mglush
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 1, 2019

One more question--what tool are you using to set your black, white and gray point?

Michelle

Known Participant
May 1, 2019

Michelle, thanks for getting back to me.

I am working in the Adobe RGB colour space. The tools I was using were the Eyedropper tools in the Curves layer.

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 1, 2019

Could you please post a screenshot with the pertinent Panels (Layers, Channels, Properties, Options Bar, …) visible?

mglush
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 1, 2019

Hi!

Can you tell us what color mode you're working in? Are you in something other than RGB?

Michelle