Expert: Kevin Stohlmeyer - 9/10/2008

Question
QUESTION: Ever since I upgraded to photoshop CS2 I have had a problem with the eraser tool. This problem ONLY applies to .psd files I save using CS2. Every time I reopen a .psd file I saved using CS2 I am unable to use the eraser tool because it will act as a brush first and brush in a random background color before it will begin to slowly erase. It is not in my eraser settings because I can open an old .psd file I made using Photoshop 7 and not have the same trouble.

ANSWER: Hi Mike,

Two things, if this is a layered file check to make sure that the layer you are erasing is not locked. (Top of the layers palette - lock transparency).

Second, your eraser tool is based on a brush now which means there are some options you need to check.

You can change that to the block format using the settings in the options bar at the top of your screen (just below the menus). Next, since this is a brush, you may be erasing to the background color, if you want to erase to white, type the letter "D" on your keyboard to go back to black and white. And finally, check the opacity setting in the options bar. If its erasing slowly, you may have a lower opacity. Change this back to 100%.

CS2 has new default options than 7 so if you need this to act like V. 7, you will need to change things back manually.

Thanks

Kevin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: None of this reply has worked. Sorry. So here is a screen shot of the problem.

http://209.85.48.10/2976/157/upload/p3184336.jpg

I started to erase with a 49 soft brush and it just started to color in with that teal color. And then once the color was solid it would starts to erase a little at a time. You can see how far it spreads out with the soft brush too. In that image, where I am hold the tool. I kept it in that exact spot and did 20 clicks with the settings you see. And that was the result.

Answer
Hi Mike,

I see that you have a layer effect turned on along with some layers below this. Is there a teal layer beneath all of this? Also, what is the stroke effect on your layer for? I see a teal border going around this layer, perhaps that is where the teal is coming from. Try turning the layer effect off and see what happens.

Thanks

Kevin