P: Layer Mask Icons in 25.1

[Trevor.Dennis]

Someone has asked about this in the main Photoshop forum.  I'd not opened 25.1 and can't find any information — like a what's new.  @CoryShubert can you explain how the new layer mask icons work?  Thanks.

[TrimMark]

@Adobe: These badges are completely useless and are only getting in the way.
The difference between Vector-masks and Pixel-layer-masks was obvious already.

PLEASE REMOVE THE BADGES ASAP, thank you.

(And please stop ruining a good workable interface over and over again.)

[Emmanuel334064371k5r]

@Adobe And pelase don;t make people have to install a Beta version of your software to be able to disable the feature(if you can even call it that) . I'm on the non beta version 25.1 and there is no option to disable. 

[eomiya]

Which "smart developer" (who actually uses photoshop) put this "very useful" icon in the layer mask, obscuring important parts of the layer mask WITHOUT ANY OPTION TO TURN IT OFF.  On version 25.1.0 and the layer mask option to remove this is not there.  Simply stellar.  Great job. 

Leave these "fine faeatures" in beta until the "feature" is worked out.  

[Lorraine Mc]

Who on earth at Adobe thought this was a good idea? Was there any consultation with acutal users? I just updated today, found this darn ridiculous box that obscured my mask, went on the hunt for a solution, and found this thread.

So now I have to use the largest thumbnail, that takes up more valuable space to actually see the mask......

Unfreaking believable.... 

Please give us the option to turn this stupid, obstructive, icon off!

[envirobob]

I thought something was wrong when I saw this.  I updated to 25.1 just prior to teaching a class.  It confused me while I was trying to explain masking to my class!!!  Please don't make changes to the interface like this that surprises longtime users!

[Janduza]

PS Beta 25.2 on Apple M1 Pro running Sonoma:

The "Show layer mask badges" in the layer panel option resets to ON once Photoshop is closed and relaunched. (and I really need it to stay off )

[Trevor.Dennis]

This is a known issue.  I am sure it will be fixed in a future update.

[Janduza]

Thank you @Trevor.Dennis !

[Dominique_R2]

Consider yourself lucky to even have the possibility to switch it off at all! I'm a regular user stuck at version 25.1, with no visible possibility to even download a more recent version (even at beta stage), and as others have reported, my Layers Panel Options window doesn't have the option to show/hide the stupid, enormous badges... In the Creative Cloud Desktop, I don't even see an option to install a 25.2 beta!

[sönked74773613]

Hier geht es:
Ich würde mir das aber lieber nicht antuen. Selbst 25.1 ollversion ist noch recht buggy…

[sönked74773613]

Sorry, wrote in German… hiere the translation:
It works here:
But I'd rather not do that to myself. Even 25.1 Version is still quite buggy...

[Dominique_R2]

Thank you! I will try that.

[Janduza]

Actually, I have two Adobe Suite accounts that I use. My personal paid account for my home laptop and another account provided by work. Unfortunately my work provided account does not allow any beta installations and this is the one account I really need to turn off these "badges". 

[TrikinDave]

It also prevents me from painting on the mask and Youtuber Lenscraft reports that it is screwing up luminosity masks.

[meyrickgj]

So long as we have the little badge that tells us that layer is a smart object. That was useful, in that it gave one useful info, and didn't obscure anything.  

All they need to do is revert the icon status to 25.0. That was perfect. 

[Janduza]

Personally, I wouldn't mind relocating the smart object icon as well. I don't know why the solution has to be to put the icon ON the thumbnail. It could be to the side, below, beneath, or very small and next to the thumbnail. It could even be some kind of treatment to the edges. The purpose of a thumbnail is to preview. And for any of us that work on mobile devices and the imagery that goes on them, these icons or "badges" obscure a tremendous portion of the thumbnail in portrait aspect ratios. My workflow requires that I can quickly assess a layer before I go digging into it.

[FitzFoto]

Don't you just wish folk would read the comments before jumping in to say there's an option in Beta?

[Trevor.Dennis]

Don't you just wish folk would read the comments before jumping in to say there's an option in Beta?

By @FitzFoto

To be fair, it's a lot to expect people to trawl through a long thread.  Especially when it started a very long time ago.   That's one of the reasons I ask people to start a new thread when they hang their issue on a thread linked to different Photoshop versions.  But the main reason I don't get antsy when people appear to have not read the entire thread, is because I almost never do so myself.  😞

[sönked74773613]

Does anyone know if you can switch off this icon in the layer mask icon in PS 2024? It covers half of the icon and you can no longer recognise the content of the layer mask. In PS 2023 it was still correct now it is totally annoying. Nobody needs such bad improvements…

Right PS2023:


Bad: PS 2024

[Ged_Traynor]

@sönked74773613 

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-beta-discussions/p-layer-mask-icons-in-25-1/m-p/14243647

[sönked74773613]

Thank you, i did not found the older thread.
So as i understand: This bug is a feature…
I hope they will give us soon the opportunity back to switch off this "badge bug" Or i have to go back to PS2023…

[ed weston]

I've seen the replies for turning the icon off, but my versions of
Photoshop PS2024 & PS2025 do not have the check box for turning off the
icon. Why is it this can't be handled with a patch. Let the users that want
to have this little gem turn it on. Default for this should be OFF.

[Sonkai]

Please, remove the new layer mask symbol, or add some option to switch it off, it is a nonsense.

[JasonFerry]

Hi everyone! In the new Photoshop update, there's a large icon on every mask, is there any way to remove this? It's so big that I can't tell what the mask is at a glance.

I've attached a screenshot for reference. Thanks!

[sönked74773613]

Yes annoying… This Bug is a feature 😉
Hope Adobe removes this or gives us an option to switch off this little ba••ard.