Why Is Brush Tool Not Working In Photoshop? 11 Easy Ways

When a brush tool suddenly stops functioning, it can be extremely frustrating. So why is brush tool not working in photoshop? Your cursor has changed, not your brush tool, which is why this is happening. Don’t worry, we will introduce 11 ways that you can try to solve this problem.

One method is turning off the caps lock, then resume using the brush tool as you normally would make your brush cursor visible again!

Keep reading, let’s go over a few issues you might encounter with Photoshop’s brush tool and how to fix them.

What Is The Brush Tool In Photoshop?

Adobe Photoshop’s Brush Tool is a very practical tool that is frequently used. Brush Tool (with shortcut B) is used to perform manipulations to paint on shapes with Foreground Color, when the painting will create streaks with shapes you choose, maybe circles, easy shapes.

Brush Tool in Photoshop It is considered a “magic pen” because its outstanding feature is that it will help users draw any shape with any color effectively and easily.

The brush can be used in a variety of ways, including drawing and selecting, and quickly erasing unwanted image areas when combined with other tools. If you carefully research it, this is a useful tool that is also quite complex and offers a wide range of options.

Each brush stroke will have a unique custom blend mode, similar to the function to modify blending modes (Blending Modes in Layers). Using algorithms to go through the RGB values of each pixel in the brush, this option aids in blending the colors of the brush you’re painting with the objects behind them.

We frequently use Adobe Photoshop to edit, combine, and …but then suddenly you open Photoshop to use the Brush Tool but it does not function and does not take any shape, you start to worry about how this Photoshop error is solved.

Read More:

• Where is the Magic Wand Tool in Photoshop?

• How to Use Gradient Tool in Photoshop?

7 Reasons Why Is Brush Tool Not Working In Photoshop

• With the Caps Lock Button Active: The regular circle cursor of the brush tool becomes a cross-shaded cursor if the caps lock button is activated. The brush tool is rendered useless in this situation.
• Your Brush Tool Cursor Disappeared: I initially believed Photoshop was completely unusable when this incident occurred to me. In actuality, the caps lock key was simply left on. A circular cursor that represents the brush will be visible while you’re using the brush tool (or any other brush-related tool). This makes it easy to know exactly how large the brush will be and where it will be painted.
• Photoshop interference from a background app: When using Adobe Photoshop, running a lot of background apps puts a lot of strain on your device. Since Photoshop is already a large program, adding numerous additional apps will strain the processor. In addition to heating up your device, this will cause kinks.
• Unreliable RAM, GPU, and other computer components: The minimum requirements of Adobe Photoshop should be met in order to get its full performance potential. Your device will lag or occasionally not even open if the component requirements are not met.
• Unknown modification to brush settings: In Adobe Photoshop, a number of brush settings can be changed. However, if some brush settings are changed, the brush tool may also become inoperable. Due to this, the brush tool occasionally displays jagged or pixelated strokes.
• The layer is Locked: It displays a padlock symbol when the layer you are attempting to use is locked. Examine the layers’ signs for a padlock if one is present. If so, this is the cause of your inability to use the brush tool.
• Blending Mode: The brush tool’s functionality is influenced by the blending mode as well. Check the mode that your brush tool is set to. You’ll notice various brush strokes that aren’t typical, which could give the impression that the brush tool isn’t functioning.

How To Fix Photoshop’s Brush Tool Issues?

Since Photoshop is a large application, your processor must devote a lot of time to it. However, the RAM or GPU are not always to blame. The operation of Photoshop may occasionally be hampered by other internal problems.

1. Turn Off Caps Lock

The brush tool cursor disappearing is a frequent problem experienced by many users. This happens when you accidentally press the caps lock button on your keyboard. Pressing the caps lock button a second time will disable it. The brush tool should function when the cross sign cursor transforms into a circular cursor.

2. Check If The Layer Is Locked

In order to manage a workflow, we frequently lock specific layers. By doing so, the sheer amount of layers covering our workspace won’t overwhelm us.

It is impossible to move, resize, delete, or even brush a layer that is locked.
When we attempt to edit a locked layer, Photoshop regrettably does not give us a warning.

To check if you accidentally selected that layer, simply go to the layer section. Selecting the lock button at the top will unlock the layer.

Note: When you add a new layer, the background layer is automatically locked. A background layer can be unlocked and edited as needed, just like any other layer.

3. Change Color Of Brush

There are times when you pick and use colors without remembering to change them in the following layer. Furthermore, the brush will naturally vanish if the background color is the same as the brush. Try changing the brush and use it again to see if that worked. The following is how to modify the brush color:

1. Select the Brush tool.
2. On the right sidebar, click on the top most color(foreground color)
3. Select any color.

4. Deselect Any Selection

Several tools will be used by you as you work on your project in Photoshop. Sometimes, the previously selected components or tools are not deselected, preventing the selection of the subsequent component or set of tools. Deleting options is simple by:

1. Open Adobe Photoshop.
2. Click on Select at the menu bar.
3. Click on Deselect.

5. Increase Opacity Of Brush

The brush’s opacity is the reason why you might encounter smokey brush strokes when using it. It appears smokier the less opaque it is. To resolve this problem, raise the opacity of the image.

By selecting the brush tool and then pressing any number from 1 to 9 on your keyboard, you can adjust the opacity level. The opacity is set to 10% by pressing 1 on your keyboard, 20% by pressing 2, 30% by pressing 3, and so on. You should increase the opacity so you can see the brush strokes.

6. Check Flow Of The Brush

The flow of the brush is a feature that is like a pencil used to make darker shades. The intensity of the brush also decreases with a decrease in flow.

By first choosing the brush tool, you can increase the brush’s flow. Options like flow and opacity are then available on the upper menu bar. To adjust the flow, click on it and make the necessary changes.

7. Reset Tools

Photoshop’s tool settings may occasionally be incorrect. And if you are unsure of how to fix it. The techniques listed below make it easy to reset your tools:

1. Open Adobe Photoshop.
2. Select the brush tool
3. Right-click the brush icon at the top bar
4. Click on Reset Tool.

Reset All Tool is another option you have if you want to reset all of your messed-up settings.

8. Restart Your Adobe Photoshop

One of the simplest ways to try to fix a non-responsive brush tool is to do this. Normally, if a program isn’t working, we close it and reopen it. Let’s test it out on Adobe Photoshop as well. However, be sure to save all of your work before quitting the application.

For Windows

1. Click the “X” button at the top right corner.
   
2. After a short while, launch Adobe Photoshop.

For Mac

1. Click the red button at the top left corner.
   
2. A short while later, launch Photoshop.

Alternatively, you can end the program by pressing Alt and F4.

9. Restart Your Computer

Try restarting your device as well if Adobe Photoshop needs to be restarted if that doesn’t work. Restarting your device will fix any temporary bugs and issues on your system.

On Mac

1. Click on the Apple logo at the top left corner.
2. Click on Restart.

On Windows

1. Press the Windows key
2. Click on the power button
3. Click on Restart.

10. Upgrade Adobe Photoshop

Before moving on to this step, make sure that you have Creative Clouds installed on your device. because Adobe app updates require the creative cloud.

For a smooth performance, upgrading any kind of application is crucial. Bugs and brand-new features get stuck when upgrades are left paused or unnoticed. Consequently, be sure to update Adobe Photoshop by following the instructions below.

1. Open Adobe Photoshop
2. Click on Help at the menu bar.
3. Click on Updates.

11. Try Using Another App

You should definitely try this solution if you are only using Photoshop in all-focus mode. Try to launch any other app on your phones, such as Word or Excel. then choose a tool and execute a command. After that, return to Photoshop and try out the brush tool. It is worthwhile to try as this method has been successfully used by many users to resolve brush tool issues.

Related Reading: Where Is The Quick Analysis Tool In Excel?

What To Do If Tools Not Working In Photoshop?

There are a few things you can try if you’re having trouble getting your Photoshop tools to work. Make sure Photoshop is running at its most recent version first. If not, you can get it from Adobe’s website. Second, make sure your tools are installed correctly.

You can do this by going to the “Help” menu and selecting “About Plug-ins.” If your plugins are up to date, you should see a list of them under the “Installed Plug-ins” heading.

If not, you might try reinstalling them. Last but not least, you can always get assistance from Adobe customer support if all else fails.

Read More:

• How to Use Color Replacement Tool in Photoshop?
• How to Use the Patch Tool in Photoshop?

FAQs

Conclusion on Brush Tool Not Working In Photoshop

The Brush tool allows you to paint on any layer, much like a real paintbrush. Additionally, you can customize it for various circumstances thanks to the various settings you can choose from.

Once you know how to use the Brush tool, you’ll notice that many other tools, including the Eraser and the Spot Healing Brush, use a similar group of settings. Below are some ways you could use to fix this problem:

• 1. Turn Off Caps Lock
• 2. Check If The Layer Is Locked
• 3. Change Color Of Brush
• 4. Deselect Any Selection
• 5. Increase Opacity Of Brush
• 6. Check Flow Of The Brush
• 7. Reset Tools
• 8. Restart Your Adobe Photoshop
• 10. Upgrade Adobe Photoshop
• 11. Try Using Another App

Hope our post can help you solve it! Please leave a comment if you have any further queries.

Read Next:

• How to Use Lasso Tool in Photoshop?
• How To Use Snipping Tool On Chromebook?
• How To Make Tool In Little Alchemy?
• How To Use Rarity Tools?