Option bar turning solid gray

MS
Posted By
Mark_S_Sweeney
Sep 23, 2008
Views
368
Replies
6
Status
Closed
Every once in a while when I switch between programs, then back to Photoshop CS3, the option bar turns solid gray. The rest of the palettes/dock are all fine, but I have to Shift-Tab twice to view the Options Bar properly.

Any idea how to fix this?

CS3, OS X.5.5

Link to small pic of options bar grayed out:

<http://mark-sweeney.com/images/OptionBar.jpg>
Related Tags
bar gray option turn

How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Sep 23, 2008
I have never seen that happen.

See if re-setting your prefs. cures the problem.
WG
Welles_Goodrich
Sep 24, 2008
Mark,

I think maybe you are using Spaces? This is an ongoing issue with Apple’s Spaces and Adobe products. If you use Command Tab to cycle through open apps in different spaces or use a hot corner, I believe you will avoid the Shift Tab twice work around. This is not related to preferences if spaces is involved.
MS
Mark_S_Sweeney
Sep 24, 2008
Turning off Spaces has fixed it. However, I didn’t have this problem in X.5.3 and earlier. So, I think it’s actually an Apple OS problem.
WG
Welles_Goodrich
Sep 24, 2008
Mark,

If you didn’t have that specific issue or some related problem with palettes and the options/tool bars failing to render properly when spaces was used you were a rare individual. This problem has plagued the Adobe/Apple interface with spaces since OS10.5 was introduced. We’ve had dozens of threads about it and there have only been work arounds discovered, never a complete solution.
MS
Mark_S_Sweeney
Sep 24, 2008
I guess I was lucky – only the options bar was affected. I never have my tool bar open, but I do have many palettes and the dock open all the time. They were never a problem.

Hopefully someday Apple and Adobe will get it all straightened out.
WG
Welles_Goodrich
Sep 24, 2008
Mark,

I’ve just tried out You Control Desktops because I purchased a license long ago when it was very cheap as a promotional offer. Just in the last day or so they released a version compatible with 10.5. It works without a hitch, has a few different features (no hot corner for one but you can assign different desktop backgrounds to each desktop) and no problem with the Photoshop issue. I think I’ll stick with it for the time being as I’m really used to the virtual desktop utility and yet I’m a bit tired of the odd quirks with Apple’s implementation and Adobe apps.

<http://www.yousoftware.com/>

Must-have mockup pack for every graphic designer 🔥🔥🔥

Easy-to-use drag-n-drop Photoshop scene creator with more than 2800 items.

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections