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woni_0466
woni_0466
Participant
August 7, 2026
Answered

Selection Brush tool doesn't work on grayscale pages

  • August 7, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 65 views

Selection Brush tool doesn't work on grayscale pages, didn’t tried all the other modes, but I’m sure it doesn’t work on grayscale pages.
The history shows I used the Selection Brush tool, but no selection is made at all, all other selection ways works just fine, including quick mask mode.

    Correct answer Anshul_Saini

    Hi @woni_0466,

    Thank you again for the details you provided earlier. We identified and fixed a Selection Brush regression affecting Grayscale documents in Photoshop 27.9. The fix has been verified on both Windows and macOS and is included in Photoshop 27.10.

    Since you originally reproduced the issue in 27.9.1, could you please update to Photoshop 27.10 and test the Selection Brush again with a new Grayscale document?

    In particular, please check whether:

    • Painting with the Selection Brush now creates the selection correctly.

    • Add and subtract both behave correctly.

    • The behavior is resolved in both 8-bit and 16-bit Grayscale documents.

    Your original symptom, History recording the Selection Brush operation but no selection being created, was slightly different from the specific Grayscale regression we fixed, so I’d like to confirm whether the 27.10 fix resolves your case as well.

    If you’re still unable to create a selection in 27.10, please let us know. In that case, we’ll treat your report separately and continue the investigation.

    Best,

    Anshul Saini

    3 replies

    Anshul_Saini
    Community Manager
    Anshul_SainiCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    August 7, 2026

    Hi ​@woni_0466,

    Thank you for reporting this. I appreciate the clear description of the issue. I am aware of a similar issue introduced in Photoshop version 27.9 that affects the Selection Brush tool specifically on grayscale documents. The bug causes selection operations (including creating new selections) to malfunction in grayscale mode; for example, clicking the Subtract button performs an Add operation instead of a subtraction.

    Here are a few things you can try as workarounds:

    • Convert to RGB temporarily: If your workflow allows it, convert your document to RGB mode (Image > Mode > RGB Color), make your selection with the Selection Brush, then convert back to Grayscale. Your selection should be preserved through the mode change.

    • Use Quick Mask as your workaround: Since you confirmed Quick Mask mode works correctly, you can paint your selection in Quick Mask mode (press Q) with a standard brush and exit Quick Mask to get your marching ants. This effectively mimics what the Selection Brush does under the hood.

    • Test the latest beta and check if it’s working there for you or not. You can get the PS beta from the Creative Cloud desktop app > Apps > beta.

    • Roll back to version 27.8: If this is blocking your work and you have access to previous versions via the Creative Cloud app (Preferences > "Show older versions"), version 27.8 does not have this regression.

    A few questions to help us track this more precisely:

    • Which exact Photoshop version are you running? (Help > About Photoshop / System Info). Is it 27.9.1?

    • What bit depth are you working with: Grayscale 8-bit, 16-bit, or 32-bit?

    • Does the issue also occur if you create a brand-new grayscale document (File > New > Grayscale), or only on existing files you're opening?

    • Are you on macOS or Windows?

    Looking forward to your response.

    Best,
    Anshul Saini

    woni_0466
    woni_0466Author
    Participant
    August 7, 2026

    Hello ​@Anshul_Saini 

    Appreciate the response about that issue and the temporary workarounds.


    For the questions asked:

    • I’m using the latest version, which is 27.9.1
    • Experienced that on grayscale 8-bit pages, but it has the same behaviour on 16 and 32-bit.
    •  Yes, that happens on both, existing files and newly created documents using Grayscale.
    • I’m on Windows

     

    Thank you.

    Anshul_Saini
    Community Manager
    Anshul_SainiCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
    Community Manager
    September 8, 2026

    Hi @woni_0466,

    Thank you again for the details you provided earlier. We identified and fixed a Selection Brush regression affecting Grayscale documents in Photoshop 27.9. The fix has been verified on both Windows and macOS and is included in Photoshop 27.10.

    Since you originally reproduced the issue in 27.9.1, could you please update to Photoshop 27.10 and test the Selection Brush again with a new Grayscale document?

    In particular, please check whether:

    • Painting with the Selection Brush now creates the selection correctly.

    • Add and subtract both behave correctly.

    • The behavior is resolved in both 8-bit and 16-bit Grayscale documents.

    Your original symptom, History recording the Selection Brush operation but no selection being created, was slightly different from the specific Grayscale regression we fixed, so I’d like to confirm whether the 27.10 fix resolves your case as well.

    If you’re still unable to create a selection in 27.10, please let us know. In that case, we’ll treat your report separately and continue the investigation.

    Best,

    Anshul Saini

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