Adjustment Level Histogram

[rextilleon]

Howdy--my first post here. I'm doing a levels adjustment, using an inverted mask to draw in new values. Unfortunately, once I have done it, the histogram disappears, so I can't see a visual representation of what I have changed. Is this a bug in Photoshop, or more likely, am I doing something wrong? Thanks in advance.

 

[IamSam]

Hello and welcome to PSG.

This is not a bug.

Remember the rules of a layer mask? The shade (black to white) of the layer mask affects the visibility of the layer.

A white layer mask allows the layer to be seen, therefore the readout of the histogram is visible.

A black layer mask does not allow the layer to be seen, therefore the histogram is still there, there's just nothing for it to read.

As you paint white on a black layer mask, you can check the histogram and it will again be representing the attributes of the portion of the layer showing through. Although it won't show it in real time, you will have to check after each adjustment is made to the layer mask.

 

[rextilleon]

Understood. I tried restarting my computer and now the histogram refreshes when I do the same thing---Thanks so much for your help.

 

[IamSam]

Thanks so much for your help.

No problem.

Restarting the computer did not change anything, the black layer mask will still cause the histogram to disappear.

 

[rextilleon]

Well the problem was that areas of the black layer mask that were painted in white didn't change the Histogram--it went blank--but all is well now.

 

[IamSam]