Layer Mask Suddenly Not Working

[SarahEAllegra]

Hello!

I have been using PS 6 for several months now, with no problems; I totally love it!  I tend to do a lot of heavily composited photos, so I use layer masks a lot.  All of a sudden this afternoon, they aren't working.  I am 100% sure I am selecting the mask itself and not the layer (paint colors change to only black and white with the slider).  My opacity and flow are both at 100.  I am using just a standardsoft-edged paint brush.  I paint on back, and nothing changes. 

What's weird is if I invert the layer mask and paint white on, that will show up.  But if I switch over to black again, it won't make anything disappear.

I'm so perplexed by this; I've never had an issue like this before!

Thank you for your help!

[Aayush5FEC]

Problem Solved!

I have solved problem by following these steps :

(1) go to desktop

(2) right click and click personlize

(3) go to themes

(4) pointer to none

[Ríss5ED8]

Hello everyone, I am now having this same issue with photoshop 2020. When I use CS6 to composite and image, I am able to paint black onto my white layer mask. But when I use Photoshop 2020 it does not allow my brush to paint black. I reset the brush tool preferences, the layer mask itsef is selected. I THINK the blend mode was set to normal (but I'm not 100% so I can check that again). How do I fix this so the brush tool will paint with black? Also where do I find the blend mode for the brush in photoshop 2020 so I can check if it's normal?

I hope someone can help me, mainly because this error happened when I was teaching a student. I have another lesson with them in 3 days and I'm hoping we can resolve it by then. They use Photoshop 2020, and I use cS6. So for my demo I was able to show them what to do but then they could not follow along. So embarrassing and frusterating. Wondering if their version is perhaps corrupted even? We reset all the tool preferences too! I feel stumped but I know there must be something I can try.

[millmaine]

I'm having the same problem since updating to Photoshop 2022!

Colour is solid black 0R 0G 0B

Brush is set to Normal, Opacity 100% Flow 100%

Mask Channel Opacity is 100%

BUT...

Masking ends up looking transparent.

[Linda26114699muwk]

I have the same problem in PS2022 and have no idea how to fix it. 

[claudiav88992020]

Thanks Sarah, I was having the same problem after focus stacking multiple images. I could not edit my individual layer masks. All the normal "culprits" checked out. Was on layer mask, brush set to the correct color (white), normal blending mode, 100% opacity, etc. In the end I gave up and decided to safe my work and just open it again. Bingo- now my brush worked as expected. I did  not  change anything besides saving and reopening my drawing. 

[Ali38910907d8v4]

not select the mask the mask will be hide

[Ali38910907d8v4]

thank you soo much

[dianaleighallen]

Hi all!  So thankful to find this post!

Yes, this post is an oldie -- but very much a goodie!  This morning I was working on a file, in the exact manner of our dear OP, and experienced the exact same thing SarahEAllera did back in October 2012.  I am using Photoshop Extended CS6, working on a multi-layer composite, when all of a sudden, painting black on my mask had absolutely no effect!  I saved my work, closed & restarted PS, did everything I could think of -- to no avail.

BUT, when I opened the file again (after a cup of coffee), I remembered, I had put a really heavy feather on the mask -- SO basically every paint stroke I put on that mask was feathered so much, it looked like nothing was happening!  When I removed the feathering, all those frantic strokes showed up.

I hope this may help someone else in this situation -- regardless of the Photoshop version.

I uploaded a couple of photos to show mask Feathered at 338.6 px, and with the Feathering at 0.0 px