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Known Participant
December 14, 2021
Answered

Work on a mask without going into "select and mask" mode?

  • December 14, 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 575 views

Coming from an old version of Photoshop here. When I double-clicked on a mask layer in CC 2022, it asked me if I wanted double-clicking to always go into "select and mask" mode. I stupidly said yes. This mode seems like the old "refine edges" dialog, but it's not what I want when I double click on a mask. I want to see the mask with a full set of tools and work on it in black and white. How do I undo this and go back to working with the mask in monochrome (with a full range of drop bucket, brushes and paint tools, not the smart select BS?) I can't find it anywhere in the settings.

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Correct answer davescm

Go to Preferences > Tools  and uncheck "Double Click Layer Mask Launches Select and Mask Workspace"

 

Dave

3 replies

davescm
Community Expert
davescmCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
December 14, 2021

Go to Preferences > Tools  and uncheck "Double Click Layer Mask Launches Select and Mask Workspace"

 

Dave

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 14, 2021

Dang, I had overcomplicated it … 

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 14, 2021

When I double-clicked on a mask layer in CC 2022, it asked me if I wanted double-clicking to always go into "select and mask" mode. … How do I undo this 

Have you tried Photoshop > Preferences > General > Reset All Warning Dialogs? 

Known Participant
December 14, 2021

Awesome. Alt (option-) clicking the mask does it. Thank you!

 

Reset All Warning Dialogs didn't give me another chance to make it default to this on double-click... but at least I can get into it now! I was surprised it wasn't even an option in the right-click menu.

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 14, 2021

Photoshop > Preferences > General > Reset Preferences On Quit 

would be the last resort to get back at that dialog, but you should make sure all customized presets like Actions, Patterns, Brushes etc. have been saved before and then you would have to recreate a lot of stuff (from Performance, Scratch Disks, Interface, … Preferences to your preferred Tool settings). 

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 14, 2021

alt-click on the Layer Mask’s icon in the Layers Panel to see the Mask instead of the composite image.