Readers Respond: What Annoys You in Photoshop?

This form is for rants only--no questions! Please use the discussion forum if you want a response.

Share Your Pet Peeves

Missing Features!!

I purchased a student version of Photoshop CS3 back in 2008, and the hard drive of the computer I loaded this software onto died. So I tried to load this software on my new computer, and I had to contact customer service because my serial number had to be reset. Well after I loaded this software, I've noticed I'm missing features like the patch tool, healing brush, and red eye. My submenus don't appear when I select the buttons on the tool bar. I'm missing my features when they appeared before I had my serial number reset! Did Adobe screw with my software when it reconnected online? [Guide note: I have never heard of a situation like this. It sounds like there is something wrong with your installation.]

—Guest Rhonda

Rule of Thirds Pet Peeve

My pet peeve in PS CS5 is the automatic insertion of the “Rule Of Thirds” overlay when you use the crop tool. I am aware that you can click on the “Crop Guide Overlay” and set it to “None” but I keep setting it to “None” and it keeps reverting back to the “Rules Of Thirds” option and I have been unable to locate a way to turn it off permanently in any of the options settings. While a lot of photographers use the CS5 crop tool to reposition objects in their photos to someone else's standards, not everybody subscribes to the same pictorial philosophy.

—Guest Graphics Guy

Overly Complex

Why does it take like 6 steps to just change the color of one layer? You have to make into a duotone before you can even do anything. And the color selection tool is completely useless, overly complex and specific that it's just irritating. God, what an annoying program!

—Guest Annoyed Person

Sticky Toolbars

For some reason my toolbars keep sticking together and I can't figure out how to break them apart. Which means they take up a lot of space and I don't even use all of them. Grr..

—Guest Tahn

One more thing: buttons

One more thing, Photoshop should have undo/redo buttons and customize buttons to link actions, brushes, layer selecting.

—Guest Berto

Photoshop missing features, annoyances

- no outline shapes, just solids - no easy mosaic/grid/point symmetry tools - only whole %%'s in i.e. opacity which is far from detailed - stupid boxes that have to be closed first like the color picker - annoying con - no collapse layers to new image - impossible to set the order of layer effects - inconvenient brush handling system, BW thumbnails only in one big pile - only soft circular brushes - no colored brushes - extremely slow init of the type tool - impossible to copy/paste all text in a text layer - no non destructive stack constructions of effects like i.e. 3DsMax - no simple embedded console to create i.e. graphs, custom filters or rules - no way to set limits in the color picker - inconvenient swatches system - no way to make a simple gradient of i.e. 16 swatches from color X to Y, no anim color range Photoshop could be much better. Amiga DeluxePaint had more powerful features than Photoshop CS5. Although PS is not really an art design app I do miss simple features

—Guest Berto

I hate that compass feature!

Where do I start? I use a touch pad in Photoshop and every now (more now than then) the compass screws up my artboard! I have to spend wasted time trying to get my artboard rotated in the correct position. Anyone know how to delete or turn off this feature. It's so #$%^&* hair-triggered that I use Ai, Dw just to avoid it!

—Guest ihatecompasses

Adjustment layers in side groups

I noticed in Photoshop CS4 that sometimes when applying a adjustment layer inside a group would not work until I removed from group. Still seems to be the same in CS5

—diana.williams

Irritation!

Very now and then my tool turns into a hand and I can't change it! I save the file, and restart the program, only for the tool to STILL be a hand!! Its soooo irritating! [Guide note: You are probably leaning on the spacebar or you have a sticky space bar on your keyboard. The space bar is the shortcut for the hand tool.]

—Guest Alder

Photoshop 7.0 Extraction

I have a hard time using the extraction mode. I get the trace okay, but when I try to go and correct some of the features of the subject I extracted, I just don't get the procedure right. I have been trying to learn Photoshop for over three years, but it is so frustrating. Every time I find a hint or article on how to do something, I copy it into Word, save it as a document, and enter the name of the document and a short description of what it does and how, then I enter that info into MS Access. Then I keep several notebooks on these documents, up to three 3-inch binders now, and I can look it up. Sometimes it helps, sometime it doesn't. Thank you.

—Guest mhall2385@charter.net

More than one issue

I have some of the same problems that the others do. I agree with the person about the fonts, I agree that it loads slow, and when it is loaded and I start to edit a pic then it freezes my computer. I guess the question is you wanted to know what we thought, but my question is are you going to do anything to fix it?

—Guest Mindy

Photoshop CS2 registration window

I reinstalled Photoshop CS2 on my upgraded computer and the registration window won't go away. It opens every time I start PS. I contacted customer support when I first purchased PS CS 2 to make it stop. One call took care of it. Now they no longer support PS CS2. Man! talk about frustrated! Last time Adobe gets a dime out of me, I don't care how good they say their product is! Can anyone help me with this problem?

—PNeug

Cut and paste

When you cut a selection, it is always pasted centre of the document. There's no option to paste it at its original position. You first have to load the selection again if you want it to paste that way. What about a "paste in front" option like in Illustrator?

—Guest Cobusp

Ditto!!!

Same problems as the rest of these guys are finding... go to do this just one way there way... not enough ways to configure program... like automating and certain functions or how about batch operations would be nice to have like resizing or curves and levels and such. I also use color variation on an occasion... but look at the previews of what the pic is supposed to look like try trying to figure that out. I would also like to be able to check a little box that says remember my preferences in each dialog box and one for default for when I really get things way out there :-(

—Guest JRBJr

Photoshop's "Brain-eacks" are NOT!

I am new to PS & have PSE7. Needless to say, there are many, many things I have to search the net for. I am so sick to death of: 1) not being able to find the answers for MY version, even though I put PSE7 in every search, 2)FINALLY finding something that may help, only to discover that I have to mortgage my kids to buy the video, 3) the persistant feeling that it was designed by the same people that has forced all those "can't open" plastic packages on us. Once you get the flippin' thing open, you cut the heck out of your hand trying to get the product out. Then, ONLY to discover that what you have isn't what you really wanted. So, you gotta start all over again! NOT user-friendly, NOT cheap, NO help. But, I WILL NOT let it get the best of me! I WILL show it who's boss! Thanks for the opportunity to unload! Now, back to searching for an answer to my newest question.

—navymom35