Selecting colour range then deleting the selection in another layer makes the whole layer go semi transparent

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
March 17, 2018
2 replies
1691 views

I use Photoshop to create linear illustrations for screen prints. Each layer represents a separate colour and is eventually printed separately onto polyester as a 'print positive' - effectively acting as stencil.

Sometimes I need to change a positive solid black line into a negative 'cut out' in a solid area of colour.

I have always done this by doing 'Select Colour Range' on the line, changing layer, then deleting the selection in a solid area of colour/black.

However something has changed in Photoshop and it's doing something weird. When I delete the selection in the solid area of colour, at the same time it makes the entire layer semi-transparent.

I have no idea why and it's driving me mad. Can anyone help please?

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Correct answer D Fosse

That means you have more selected than you think. The "marching ants" is just the 50% boundary.

Check the preview in the Select Color Range dialog, and reduce "fuzziness".

Norman Sanders

Legend

If, as you say, each color is on a separate layer (Fig 1), consider not making a tricky selection:

Lock the line layer and Edit > Fill with white (Fig 2)

Then Layer > Merge Down (Fig 3)

wjfbaileyAuthor

Participant

Thanks Norman.sanders. It wouldn't work for my purposes though as I need the background transparent rather than white. D Fosse's answer worked though - the problem was the lightness of the colour combined with the fuzziness setting being too high.

Norman Sanders

Legend

Of course! Sorry. Senior moment.

D Fosse

Correct answer

Community Expert

That means you have more selected than you think. The "marching ants" is just the 50% boundary.

Check the preview in the Select Color Range dialog, and reduce "fuzziness".

wjfbaileyAuthor

Participant

Many thanks D Fosse. That did work. Because the line colour was quite pale I had to turn the fuzziness right down to get it to stop making the whole layer semi-transparent, but I found that if I converted the line into black first I could keep the fuzziness set quite high without it causing the same problem. Not sure why though!

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