Why is the Filter Gallery Greyed Out in Photoshop and How to Fix it
The Photoshop Filter Gallery provides access to numerous artistic filters to give your photos a creative and artistic look. It can be a lot of fun to create works of art from your images using the Filter Gallery.
But, sometimes the image gallery is greyed out so you cannot access these creative filters. The Filter Gallery is grayed out in Photoshop when none of the filters can be used on the open image. The filters in the Filter Gallery have not been updated in quite a while and can only be accessed for certain color modes and for images with 8 bits / channel. Below are the most common reasons that the Filter Gallery is not available in Adobe Photoshop.
Reasons the Filter Gallery is Grayed Out in Photoshop
- Your image has a bit depth of either 16 bits or 32 bits / channel. Your image needs to be 8 bits / channel.
- Your image is in CMYK Color Mode.
- The photoshop layer that you are trying to edit with the Filter Gallery is locked.
Below are directions on how to make changes in Photoshop for each of the above reasons.
How to change your Image to 8 Bits / Channel
If you are using Adobe Lightroom, the Bit Depth defaults to 16 Bits / Channel. This can be changed in preferences but lowering your bit rate can lower the amount of color information in your image and can cause banding. So, it’s probably better to change the Bit Depth in Photoshop when you need to access the Filter Gallery.
To change the Bit Depth, select Mode –> 8 Bits / Channel under the Image menu. The Filter Gallery should now be available for this photo.
How to Change your Image from CMYK to RGB Color Mode
To change the Color Mode from CMYK to RGB, select Mode –> RGB Color under the Image menu. The Filter Gallery should now be available for this photo.
To Unlock a Layer in Adobe Photoshop
To unlock a layer in Photoshop, click on the layer you want to unlock and then click on the Lock icon in the layers panel to unlock the layer.
Written by Martin Belan
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48 Comments
shaye
THANK YOU!!!!! This was driving me nuts. Other forums said having it in 8 bit was the problem not the solution.
Martin Belan
Terrific Shaye! Glad I could help.
Petr
Great ! Thank you very much ! 🙂
clare hart
Was the 8bit vs. 16 bit and the color issues a problem in earlier versions and we (I) just didn't know it? I'm confused. If these filters didn't cause problems before, why now?
Amy
Thank you for this, it was very helpful.
Martin Belan
You’re very welcome Amy!
Spektrum Kyd
this didn't work for me though…I had to change the color format….CMYK to RGB
Bill W
Thank you very much. I also work in LR4 and converting the image to 8 bit in CS6 now makes the Filter Gallery available.
Martin Belan
Thanks for your feedback Bill!
Juan
Thank you so much. I was going crazy in CS6. Now I changed it back to 8bits, the same thing I did in LR4
Martin Belan
Thanks for leaving a comment Juan. Glad I could help. Martin
Deji Odetoyinbo
Thanks a million for this bit of information Martin. Having it greyed out was frustrating; practically all images I use in PS are exported from LR so this was a recurring irritation for me. Really appreciate your sharing your knowledge.
Martin Belan
No problem Deji. Glad I could help. Visit us again.
Jacob
I changed the image to 8 bits/channel but the filter gallery is still grayed out is there another way to access the gallery?
Martin Belan
Jacob,
This fix has worked for me in photoshop CS5, CS6, and CC. If you can provide some additional information hopefully I can help.
Jacob
I was able to figure it out. I just had to change from CMYK to RGB color to use the filters I wanted. Thanks for the help the bits problem was annoying me as well.
Martin Belan
Good to know. Glad it worked out!
Matty Byers
Hi guys, I just wanted to add that I was getting so frusterated that I could not get 3d layers and the Filter Gallery (along with some filters) working as they were greyed out.
I have posted in numerous forums asking and begging what I need to do to fix it. All the responses were to do with my hardware and that maybe it's not good enough as Adobe got strict with what it needs.
After finding this I discovered the 8 bit & 18 bit issue and still that didn't fix it, but then I saw the 'change the document from CMYK to RGB' tip in the comments and now it works like a dream!!
Thank you heaps!! I think this tip needs to be put out more as a solution as I only found it by stumbling across it (my main issue was with creating 3D layers).
Just for added info: I keep Photoshop in CMYK mode as I do a lot of print media so I rarely use RGB unless I am creating something for screen.
ROBERTA
HIYA, i`d like to add that i tried all the above but until i changed the mode to 8 bit AND RGB mode it didn`t work. all sorted, bow lol
Tony Eich
So I cannot use the filter gallery if I'm on CMYK?
Melody
I'm learning to create decorative papers in ps-cs5 that will be printed & so switched to CYMK 16 bit. I wasn't able to use several of my filters as they were grayed out & so began looking for the solution to my problem & found this forum. Following your advice, I will change back to 8bit & RGB, but I have a question as I thought RGB was to be used for web and CYMK for print.
Do I create my design in RBG 8 bit (because I do need these filters for the design), and after its completed & saved, I then switch over to CYMK to print? Is this a stupid question? In that I still new to ps, I'm still not getting the CYMK/RGB thing…….but learning.
Anton
Thank you. 8 bit is right.
nagla
If your filter gallery is still gray out
you can open The Edit Menu then select Perferences .. plugins
and check on show all filter gallery groups and names
it works with me
Birgitte Staer
Hi
I´d like to add that the size of the image also matters. I got into this no filter gallery-thing working on psb-formats, very large photoshop-formats larger than 30000 px. The height of my image was 38000 px and by reducing it to 29900 the Filter Gallery returned. The image was by the way already 8 bit RGB.
However the processing of a filter on a big image may of course be slow depending on your hardware, but that is a different matter.
Martin Belan
Birgitte,
Thanks for the information on the additonal limitations of the filter gallery
Martin
Heather
Im in 8 bit and RGB and it is still grayed out, any advice is helpful! I use photoshop CS6
Alana
Thank you so much. You saved the day:)
Martin Belan
Thanks Alana!
Ali
It Was So Helpful And It Worked, Thanks A Lot.
Martin Belan
Glad it helped Ali! Thanks for leaving a comment.
Harvey
Brillant its been driving me made. Keep at it with the tips !
Martin Belan
Thanks for visiting the Blog Harvey!
Faris Luthfi
you save my life!!! thanks!
Martin Belan
Glad we could help! Thanks for visiting the blog.
Linda
You just made my day! Thanks! Works perfectly with Photoshop CC 15.5 as well…
Martin Belan
Linda,
Glad we could help. Thanks for visiting the blog.
Martin
madhvi tomar
thank you so much… 🙂 very helpful
Martin Belan
Madhvi,
Glad we can help!. Thanks for visiting.
Martin
SweetMonia
Wow thank you! That was a life saver. :>
Ansh
Martinnn!!! Thank you so much!!
Rúben G.T.
Thanks for sharing this in such a simple and direct way 😉
Waheed
Thanks boss awesome blog it helped me a lot.
Martin Belan
Waheed,
Thanks for visiting the blog!
Martin
Vijay
Thank you
abanoub
i tried it but still doesn't work could i find ahelp please
Alina
Thank you!!! You save my work)))
Alesia
Awesome sauce. Fixed. THanks for relieving my stress without wasting my time.
Martin Belan
Glad the blog helped Alesia!