Participant

Question

Shape tool lagging like crazy

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
March 29, 2025
8 replies
613 views

So I have had this reoccurring issue with photoshop. Sometimes it will work just fine and sometimes it laggs like crazy.

Whenever I try to use the rectangle or circle tool, the lagg is unbearable and essentially makes photoshop impossible to use. I know its not my system, bc previous versions have worked. Sometimes it works, and sometimes this happens. This has happended to me on Photoshop 2023, 2024, and 2025. I am using a 2021 Macbook Pro 16 inch with the latest version of MacOS

macOS

N

Nikola261769654vv0Author

Participant

None of that helped. Still laging, I have used other versions of photoshop on this computer, never had to change any settings and it worked jiust fine, it doesn't matter what version it is, for certian lengths of time it will lagg like crazy, and then one day it will just work again, and then one day it'll go back to lagging. it makes no sense.

mglush

Community Expert

I also found this information online in a Google search and I am only posting it for your consideration—I have not tried it. But if it helps I wanted to pass it along:

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If you're experiencing lag with the shape tools in Photoshop, try updating to the latest version, removing custom preset files, or improving your computer's hardware configuration. You can also try switching to a lower-resolution display mode or resetting your tools to their default settings.

Here's a more detailed breakdown of potential causes and solutions:

Possible Causes:

Outdated Software: Photoshop might be lagging due to an outdated version.
Corrupt Color Profiles or Large Preset Files: These can cause performance issues.
Hardware Limitations: Your computer's hardware might not be powerful enough to handle complex Photoshop tasks.
Smoothing Settings (Brush Tool): If you're using the brush tool, high smoothing settings can cause lag.
Tool Settings: If you or someone else has changed the default settings of the tools, this can cause issues.

Troubleshooting Steps:

Update Photoshop: Ensure you're using the latest version of Photoshop.
Remove Custom Presets: Try removing any custom preset files, as they can sometimes cause issues.
Improve Hardware: Consider upgrading your computer's RAM or graphics card if possible.
Lower Display Resolution:Temporarily switch to a lower-resolution display mode to see if that helps.
Reset Tools to Default: Right-click on the tool icon and select "Reset All Tools" to revert to default settings.
Adjust Smoothing Settings: If using the brush tool, reduce the smoothing setting or disable it to see if that resolves the lag.
Check for Other Programs: Make sure other programs aren't running in the background that might be using up resources.

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Let us know if any of these suggestions help to fix it!

Michelle

mglush

Community Expert

In doing some research on lagging, I found this help doc: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/photoshop-slow-lags.html

Please check it out and let us know if this helps to fix the issue?

Michelle

N

Nikola261769654vv0Author

Participant

That didnt realy help either. It did intially, but after I restarted my computer it went back to being super laggy. And when I say it helped, it didnt fix the problem it just reduced the lagg slightly.

mglush

Community Expert

Hi!

Then we will try again! Since you menitioned that it has been happening for the last few versions, then it is not just the latest verson of Photoshop. Have to checked to see if the problem persists with your GPU card turned off? Go to Preferences>Performance>Uncheck the Graphics Processor Card and then I would suggest restarting your computer and restarting Photoshop. If that helps, then you may want to check and see if there is an update to your GPU card. If it doesn't help, then you can go ahead and turn the GPU back on.

Let us know if this helps or not?

Michelle

N

Nikola261769654vv0Author

Participant

No, that did not help unfortunately. It still laggs.

mglush

Community Expert

Hi!

Have you tried resetting the tools? Go to the Options bar, Click on the tool drop down menu, click on the gear and from that menu, choose either "Reset Tool" or "Reset all Tools."

Does that help?

Michelle

mglush

Community Expert

Hi!

Have you tried resetting the tools? Go to the Options bar, Click on the tool drop down menu, click on the gear and from that menu, choose either "Reset Tool" or "Reset all Tools."

Does that help?

Michelle

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