• Global community
    • Language:
      • Deutsch
      • English
      • Español
      • Français
      • Português
  • 日本語コミュニティ
    Dedicated community for Japanese speakers
  • 한국 커뮤니티
    Dedicated community for Korean speakers
Exit
1

Eraser no erasing in PS 22.5.1

Explorer ,
Oct 25, 2021 Oct 25, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I'm an old hand with Photoshop Elements and now I have bought a Creative Cloud account for PC and iPad. Some things work the same as PS Elements. I can used the magic wand tool to erase unwanted backgrounds, but when I switched to Eraser that tool would not erase. I saved my work and rebooted, but no different. I drag the Eraser (right-click on) and nothing is erased. If I use the Magic Wand, it selects a portion, but the Delete button does not delete. What am I doing wrong?

TOPICS
Windows

Views

381

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines

correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Oct 25, 2021 Oct 25, 2021

Before reset press letter Q on your keyboard to exit quick mask mode (red highlight on layer and quick mask icon in toolbox is also highlighted)  and try againg using Eraser although it is not best idea. Better use mask to hide pixels instead of deleting them. When using mask you can enter Quick Mask mode and to paint using Brush, not Eraser.

Votes

Translate

Translate
Adobe
Community Expert ,
Oct 25, 2021 Oct 25, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Which operating system do you have?

 

Typically, I make a selection and use the Backspace key to delete contents.

 

 

 

Nancy O'Shea— Product User, Community Expert & Moderator
Alt-Web Design & Publishing ~ Web : Print : Graphics : Media

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Oct 25, 2021 Oct 25, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I'm using Windows 10 up-to-date. I was only pressing Delete because that's what you do in PS Elements.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Oct 25, 2021 Oct 25, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Can you post some screenshot with Layers panel visible? Just drag Eraser, no need for right click which should display context menu to choose brush.

When Photoshop starts behaving strange usually preference reset can help  https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Oct 25, 2021 Oct 25, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Attached is a screen shot. I'll try that reset idea.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Oct 25, 2021 Oct 25, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Before reset press letter Q on your keyboard to exit quick mask mode (red highlight on layer and quick mask icon in toolbox is also highlighted)  and try againg using Eraser although it is not best idea. Better use mask to hide pixels instead of deleting them. When using mask you can enter Quick Mask mode and to paint using Brush, not Eraser.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Oct 26, 2021 Oct 26, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Came here to say this. Also, should you ever again have a tool that doesn't respond, another possible cause is having accidentally selected something. If you see the marching ants anywhere, that might be the issue (even if you don't see them, check anyway in case the selection is tiny).  To make sure that isn't the reason, go Select>Deselect and the eraser (or other tool as the case may be) will work if the marching ants were the problem.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Oct 26, 2021 Oct 26, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Beside tiny selection sometimes selection can be hidden using keyboard
shortcut Ctrl + H which can be pressed acidentally or simply one can forget
why and when selection was hidden.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Oct 25, 2021 Oct 25, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

It's not clear if you are having this problem with Photoshop on your PC or on the iPad. What type of file are you working on? Have you unlocked the background so that it can have tranasparency. When you open a jpeg image the image layer is flattened without transparency, until you click on the lock icon to release it.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Oct 25, 2021 Oct 25, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

PS on the PC. I'm working on a PSD file creating from a JPEG. Yes, I unlocked it be double-clicking on the Layer and it switched from Background to Layer 0 (which is the way you do it in PS Elements). Maybe that's wrong?

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Oct 25, 2021 Oct 25, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

OK. I made it work, but I don't understand why. I created a new layer and clicked on it. Then I clicked on the original layer (with the image in it) and suddenly the Eraser is working. Is this normal?

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Oct 25, 2021 Oct 25, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

See my explanation above, on your screenshot you was in Quick Mask mode (letter Q) that is why Eraser didn't work, it requires mask and Brush tool to paint.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Explorer ,
Oct 26, 2021 Oct 26, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

LATEST

Great help. Thanks everybody. I'm discovering it's a big learning curve from Photoshop Elements (even with years of experience--developing bad habits?). Is there a good step-by-step guide? I find the in-program tutorials lacking in details.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines