Why can't I paint in a 1bit bmp canvas?

[WYFANG]

Why is it that when I create a 1bit bmp canvas directly, it is not possible to draw.

I have to convert the mode to grayscale and then its converted back to be able to draw, what is the difference between this and creating a new one directly? How should I create a new one that is editable?

[Jeff Arola]

Gotta be a bug in photoshop 2024 (ps ver 25.3.1)

Get the same error message here on macOS Sonoma 14.2

Photoshop 2023 (ps ver 24.7.2) is able to paint on the 1Bit bmp with no error message.

[Jeff Arola]

After you create an 1 Bit Bitmap, you can go to Image>Adjustments>Invert, then repeat Image>Adjustments>Invert and now you should be able to paint on the document.

[Jeff Arola]

Unfortunately, the above doesn't seem to work when opening 1 bit bmp documents.

[Jeff Arola]

Doesn't seem to be an issue on the Windows side.

[Lumigraphics]

1. You can't create a "1-bit BMP canvas". A new file has no format until its saved.

2. I just created a new 1-bit document and both the paint brush and pencil worked just fine. MacOS Monterey/PS 25.3.1.

[Jeff Arola]

That's interesting about it working on macOS Monterey, so i checked on my 2012 MacBook Pro running macOS Monterey 12.7.2 with Photoshop 2024 (ps ver 25.3.1) and sure enough creating a document in the 1 Bit Color Mode and painting on it with the Brush and Pencil Tool works fine with no errors.

On the other hand Photoshop 2024 (ps ver 25.3.1) on both a 2012 Mac Mini running macOS Ventura 13.6.3

and a 2022 Mac Studio running macOS Sonoma 14.2 both throw an error when trying to paint on a newly created

document in the 1 Bit Color Mode.

The Photoshop preferences had already been reset on all three as i always do after an update.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-bugs/quot-could-not-use-pencil-because-of-a-progr...

[Stephen Marsh]

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-bugs/quot-could-not-use-pencil-because-of-a-progr...

By c.pfaffenbichler

Also here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-bugs/cannot-edit-files-when-in-bitmap-format-in-p...