Photoshop CS3 Problems
I’m writing this just to vent. I wanted to get that out of the way. Let me just say that when you’ve had Photoshop training for your whole fricking life, and you suddenly find that a BUNCH of features which you had come to find very useful (in fact you use them a lot) just stop working altogether. Let me describe those things that I have found in the last week - right now.
1.) Pasting a screenshot
I honestly don’t know what the deal is here. This just is not working right now period. I have noticed this problem before, though it hasn’t happened every time. I can however hit print screen and paste to MS Paint, so I know the print screen feature isn’t disabled or dysfunctional or something. Photoshop just doesn’t import the clipboard. For the record, it’s driving me completely insane.
2.) Dragging a guide to snap to center
Not having this feature is obnoxious. The only solution I have found to cirsumvrent this little gem is to ctrl-t whatever you’re trying to drag a guide to the center of - and then drag the guide, and it will snap to the center. Are you kidding???? Why do I have to do this? Again, I’m not so much to the point of wanting to kill myself, but I’m close.
3.) Changing screen modes
One way to tell you have “issues” is when you cannot go to sleep even though it is close to 2am because you have to hit the “f” key 4 times to cycle through the screen modes until you get to “full screen with menu bar” mode. Just give me one icon like before so I can click once and end it. What’s with the cycling?
4.) Causing considerable frustration in limiting windows/tabs
Repositioning the windows used to be sort of like my little way to vent my OCD. There used to be sort of a ’snap’ when you lined up windows underneath each other, but CS3 has taken the window alignment to a whole new level. Now there is a “master window” which is absolutely unmovable. The only way to get your history to show up on top of the layers again is to basically open both windows and swap the tabs by dragging them across. Granted the windows don’t move - but dudes… what’s with the restrictions?
That’s my rant for now. I was going to work on comping out a new flash video player but my wrists hurt and I’m in a pissed off mood. I’m going to bed.
Update:
It seems that this morning the guides are snapping to center and the print screen is pasting. It’s going to be a good day I can tell.






44 Comments, Comment or Ping
kevin
Damn dude you need a tampon or something…
What do you LIKE about it?
Sep 18th, 2007
dennisplucinik
beat it office nerd. CS3 is NASTY overall… I’ll give it that.
Sep 18th, 2007
Chris Coyier
One of the things that gets me the most is the inability to PASTE a hex code color in the color picker when picking a MATTE color in the Save for Web & Devices area. If often find myself saving transparent GIF images, and it’s very important to pick an accurate matte color, and for some dumb reason you just can’t paste values in this color picker. Plus, the Save for Web & Devices area takes up the whole screen, so you can’t sample from your original below.
Sep 20th, 2007
dennisplucinik
I haven’t done any images with transparencies with this new version so I haven’t come across that problem yet. Though it sounds annoying.
Sep 20th, 2007
John
I am having trouble using a screen capture to make images of photoshop screens - for learning purposes. A screen shot will be produced, but mysteriously, the tops of the palettes go missing - for example, channels, layers, etc. Does anyone know what’s up here?
Oct 2nd, 2007
zaizen
Yes u right dennis, 2 month ago, when i’m using cs3 at my first time i dont know how to paste screenshot..it makes me crazy,. Because i’m using vista..i have special features call snipping tools that u can snap the screenshort or picture u like and pste it on PS..it really help me a lot.
Oct 5th, 2007
haff
Strange, I am having an issue where I click or shortcut to save for web and nothing happens. I have to save the file as is, close and re-open cs3 then reopen the same file and only then will save for the web work.
I have to say though that I can paste screen shots in just like I always could, my guides snap to center (with snap turned on of course), I have a screen mode icon at the bottom of my tool pallet as expected and my windows snap to each other when they are moved around…
reinstall perhaps?
Oct 11th, 2007
Perhiniak
PRINT SCREEN
Try Alt+Print Screen in windows on the program that you want to capture. After the paste should work fine!
Oct 27th, 2007
Ben
I couldn’t get over the fact that windows liked to snap inside the bounds of the photoshop application. I work on dual monitors on a PC and I like to have as little of Photoshop showing as I can. This means palettes a menu and the piece I’m working on. I got used to shrinking the app so that just the menu and options are visible and I can see my desktop below. CS3 has made this nigh impossible with the way windows snap around and inside the application window…
Among others, this is the main reason I’m still working in CS2. However, now I am ignorant of any new features included in this release, so maybe Kevin has a point!
Nov 7th, 2007
kaiser
hi. i´m using ps now since 5.5 or 5 … don´t know that exactly, but it´s more than just some years. since cs everything is going the way down. in ps 7 you could switch between font-size with [ctrl]++ and [crtl]+# and move layers up and down with [ctrl]+, or [ctrl]+. … where is that important! feature gone since then? why can´t i double-cklick in illustrator on the grey background to open files like in ps? why do i have px as unit of measurement? this fact still holds layerstyles back from beeing real generic like shaders… and so on.
see it that way: maybe we are happy whit ps-cs15 then… but when i look at adobes strategy i don´t really think so.
until then. keep your heads up!
Nov 8th, 2007
kaiser
hi. i´m using ps now since 5.5 or 5 … don´t know that exactly, but it´s more than just some years. since cs everything is going the way down. in ps 7 you could switch between font-size with [ctrl]++ and [crtl]+# and move layers up and down with [ctrl]+, or [ctrl]+. … where is that important! feature gone since then? why can´t i double-cklick in illustrator on the grey background to open files like in ps? why do i have px as unit of measurement? this fact still holds layerstyles back from beeing real generic like shaders… and so on.
see it that way: maybe we are happy whit ps-cs15 then… but when i look at adobes strategy i don´t really think so.
until then. keep your heads up!
ps. AND ‘BEN’ IS MORE THAN RIGHT: WHERE THE H*** IS A DUAL-MONITOR SETUP? Most of us are working this way… GRRR!
Nov 8th, 2007
kaiser
PLUS: (Ben said it first) Where is our 2 Monitor-Setup? PLUS: Why can´t i get (in illustrator) [ctrl] + + for zoom in instead of [ctrl + [shift] + 0 ….. ?! Why are adobe-products becoming more and more like microsoft ‘not working’-releases?
Nov 8th, 2007
emedoble
I got another problem in PS CS3. When I gone to use “movement blur” effect in some layer, PS CS3’s collapsed.
Nov 18th, 2007
dennisplucinik
EMEDOBLE: It sounds like you’re having a memory problem. As you sure you 1) have a capable machine and 2) have a legit version?
Nov 18th, 2007
dennisplucinik
JOHN: I have problems with screen capture sometimes also. It’s random though sometimes it works fine, other times I get into a shouting match with my computers and you’d think they’d be good listeners but they’re not - they’re assholes.
Nov 18th, 2007
oblivio
I’ve had the same problem. I believe it’s a memory problem, and sadly, the only way to fix it is to close everything I have open, then re-start my computer, and then I get screenshot/paste back. It also feels to me like PS CS3 has a “cumulative” memory hogging problem, so even if you have nothing else open, it seems to bleed away the ability to handle memory-heavy functions over time.
Nov 21st, 2007
dennisplucinik
As an update - I’m still using the [ transform > drag guides to center > cancel ] transform hack to get my guides in the right place. I’m really curious if anyone has figured this out yet.
Nov 22nd, 2007
David
something else that has me so frustrated. I really feel the need the throw my graphic hobbies and work in a trashcan and do something else with my life.
cs3 is nuts with the color managemtn here, doesn’t make sense. I had color mismatched between desktop/web and photoshop using srgb.
found an article about it (which I can’t re-find and seem to have forgotten to bookmark) which fixed it and let me go on doing webdesign and graphics etc. now I opened a older file a yesterday to get a shape i made ages ago and wanted to play with and everything is screwed up, color mismatches with everything.
How can professionals use this combined with oodles of different printers and presses if it can’t even remember my 1 needed setting: desktops/web?
it’s driving me completely nuts, I haven’t felt this tense and pissed in ages. i’ll have to do something else then anything on the computer tonight or else I’ll throw this thing against a wall, hard.
all my previous images now seem to mismatch, i can’t trust my colors
I feel like crap and lost for a solution now. thanks cs3
Nov 24th, 2007
dennisplucinik
I just want to say: venting is always encouraged
Sorry to hear about your problem David. I don’t personally have any words of wisdom for you.
Nov 24th, 2007
RAJESH BHANSALI
Here’s the FOOL PROOF solution to the problem.
http://microsoft.blognewschannel.com/archives/2007/09/05/how-to-fix-the-photoshop-clipboard/
Just chill guys!
Nov 30th, 2007
dennisplucinik
That’s frickin sweet.
Nov 30th, 2007
Jeff Boucher
“No snappage……”
I too have no snap functions - CS3…. use to be able to choose a layer drag a guide towards center - bam - snappage…
Anyone with a solution to this aggravation?
Thanks!
Dec 11th, 2007
Grammar Guru
I know what you mean. I use CS3 on my mac, which is where I do most of my design work, but at some clients work places, I get stuck on their pc, and their lack of updated programming, trying to fix something. I feel your pain.
Dec 21st, 2007
CodineDawn
Snap! Where is the center snap! Better yet, why not be able to type in your guide positions like freehand or illustrator? bleh
Dec 22nd, 2007
DanDesigner
the snap to mid is the very first problem i notice in this version. found out that it only works when you have no other layers than the background layer. once i start having layer 1 mid snapping is gone, i think it’s a bug. darn now every time i design a website and forgot to take the mid area i have to do the same procedure you stated. it’s time consuming. my next problem is poor font handling. since it display the font’s appearance immediately and i have more than 2000 fonts it slows down. i have a very good computer but slows down on handling fonts in cs3. i have a font viewer that doesn’t slow down my system so i don’t really need to see them first in photoshop. shall i remove these fonts and keep the system fonts only? is there an alternative way to this since i’m always using different fonts on my designs? i hope to find an answer. thanks. PS. my OS is xp only.
Jan 3rd, 2008
dennisplucinik
@DanDesigner: You can actually turn off the font preview option in PS preferences. I had that same problem until I figured out how to turn them off.
I only use about 500 fonts now so I actually have it turned on. My new computer handles it well.
Jan 3rd, 2008
DanDesigner
Great! thanks! i didn’t know that. it’s working perfectly fine now, when i type fonts no more slowing down. i might remove some fonts too it’s a good practice to keep only those frequently used one. btw nice setup, i like it. i envy those wide screen monitor makes life easier in designing.
Jan 3rd, 2008
Dizyner
I need help… I downloaded and installed some new fonts but they’re not showing up in Photoshop CS3. They show up in MS Word. I am using an imac G5. Any suggestions?
Jan 4th, 2008
dennisplucinik
@dan:Glad I could help, I know personally, if there’s a tiny thing wrong with the program I’m using it kills me… until I find the solution.
@Dizyner: I’m not sure how to field this one, I haven’t ever worked on a Mac - anyone else?
Jan 6th, 2008
curtis
dude CS3 is the greatest adobe could create. . . . get up to date with your shortcut keys buddy because that the new way of how things work!!!! and about the window tabs, there’s no restrictions!! just gotta know the shortcut keys for each window. . . . like f7 for layers ect. . . . knowing shortcut keys means a much faster workflow and never having to use the mouse that often.
Jan 10th, 2008
Ben
As for that snap issue:
Just select a layer that has artwork filling your entire canvas and pull the guide down while that layer is active. It should snap to the center of your canvas. On other layers that don’t fill your whole canvas, PS will try to find the center of that artwork.
@DIZYNER & DANDESIGNER: I manage my fonts on my PC with a program called ‘Suitcase’. The software manages your fonts, allows you to organize them in groups, turn them on and off, preview them, etc. Plus, you don’t have to restart photoshop to get new fonts to show up. As soon as you activate a font its available in Photoshop.
I know for Windows, every time the OS starts it has to load everything in the system>fonts folder. This can bog your system down when you start storing thousands of font files there. With Suitcase you can keep your fonts organized in a directory structure elsewhere and activate them on an as need basis.
Jan 10th, 2008
Comrade Yak
At first I thought I couldn’t move the tools either, but you can actually drag them to where ever you want, by clicking and draging the tab out of that sliding menu bar thing.
Jan 26th, 2008
Ed
Ben, that’s the way the snap to centers USED to work. But in CS3 it does not work… or rather is seems to work and not work almost at random, which is why these people are complaining about it here. I know for a fact there were times that it worked for me and other times it did not. The times it did not work I immediately checked >View >Snap To to see if “document bounds” was selected. It was. Today, it is not working for me, which is why I ended up here.
It’s either a bug, or there is some new setting someplace that we don’t know about that needs to be set.
If anyone knows what is turning the snap to layer center feature off, even when snap to document bounds is turned on, I would very much appreciate hearing about it.
I’m using a Mac Power Book Pro. I don’t know if this is a problem for Windows users as well.
Feb 1st, 2008
Tomas
Hey I´m having a problem with CS3 which never happened to me with CS2. I currently have both versions installed and it is still that way. Sometimes CS3 will work fine but many others after you open a file the mouse arrow will blink very fast all the time switching between the arrow and the crosshair of the tool, so it doesn´t let me perform any actions, it is SO irritating and I basically have to close CS3 and reset the pc, pray and hope it will open fine next time.
Does anybody know what might be going on? CS2 is still fine.
Feb 17th, 2008
PJ
CS3 is a huge problem and Adobe knows the screwed up big time. They don’t know how to fix the permanent problems it is causing in our computer systems. If any out there has not yet purchased and/or installed CS3-DON’T! YOU’LL NEVER COMPLETELY REMOVE IT if you don’t like it.
Mar 17th, 2008
xenon
To get the guides to snap to center you can record an action where you set the rulers to 50% and drag the guides out. Then you can assign that to a function key.
just a suggestion
Apr 2nd, 2008
Photoshop Image masking services
I also think that CS3 has most of the disadvantages….might be they find a solution to it…Does anyone know whether theres a solution to this as I deal in clipping path services….these come most often in my service…
Apr 10th, 2008
clipping path services
Yes cs3 is a problem indeed but is there any solution to it…..
Apr 10th, 2008
Dev
When you uncheck View > Snap To > Layers. PS CS3 will make guides snap like before!
May 21st, 2008
Joe Russa
The problem with the guides snapping to the center without using CTR-T is a memory issue. If you close the file you are working with, and then reopen, it should fix the problem, at least for me it did. I was fretting with this all the time and then noticed that my computer got slower everytime I opened up CS3. So, I closed all artwork in CS3 and just opened up the one I am working with, and I was able to continue snapping with no problems. It is a pain, especially with large files, but it seems to be the only way to resolve this issue as of now.
May 23rd, 2008
kyle
dude, can u help me ? …
when i create a new document in Photoshop CS3, most of the filters can’t be used. especially the sketch filter …
what’s the problem with it ?
thanks
Jun 8th, 2008
dennisplucinik
Kyle - Are you starting out in RGB mode? (Filters don’t worked in all modes)
Jun 12th, 2008
Tironius
DEV You’re a genius! That worked! (for snapping to center)
Jun 16th, 2008
Mithilesh
The problem is associated with print screen in Photoshop CS3 when i tried to get Paste a screenshot. some time it works and some time it does not paste the screen shot. for that the work get affected due to this problem kindly short out the problem
Jun 23rd, 2008
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