Photoshop Users? Help please...

September 11, 2010 - 7:55pm — Flyra

So, I know this doesn't belong here, but I'm pretty desperate and think that here could be some guys knowing any solution as there are many artists here working with Photoshop.
I'd be truly grateful if you could try to help me with this, as I'm pretty pissed of by this weird annoying glitch or what it is. :/

I've got a new Windows 7 laptop recently and installed the 5.0 version I own of Photoshop. But there appears a problem now that never occured before when I used it with my XP laptop.
It happens when I use the smudge tool on a new layer, where another one lies underneath, and I draw it over the edge of the object of one of the layers, it doesn't float smoothly over the edge, but it creates odd black, soft color merging with it.
Take this picture as an example:

The lower part was being smudged with my old laptop, the upper part with my new one - see the blackness it creates?

This doesn't happen when I check "Use All Layers". But when I smudge using this option, I cannot use the layer freely anymore or there will be parts of the current background where I smudged moving too, or what when I don't want to touch the background but only smudge the character?

It is very annoying, and I can't seem to find a solution for it wherever I search :/ God one site where I searched for help even gave me some viruses! D| So, you're my last hope before I'll truly freak out, so please, please just try to do your best with helping, I'd be so very grateful.

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September 11, 2010 - 8:04pm — trigger_mortis

Does this effect still occur

Does this effect still occur if you merge the layers after you smudge? (Ie, do you still see the black markings?)

Also, do you use a soft brush for smudging? Sometimes that can happen if the soft edges 'grab' a few bits of the colour you want to smudge. Perhaps try switching to a brush that's slightly harder, and/or slightly smaller than the target size you're going for.

Other than this, I'm not 100% sure how to fix it. Good luck though!

Edit: You also might be able to get rid of the dark marks by using a soft eraser at between 25 and 50% opacity.

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September 11, 2010 - 8:41pm — Flyra

Yep, it's still there when I

Yep, it's still there when I merge the layers. :/

And yes, I use a soft brush at 13 pixels, sometimes more, sometimes less, but there's always this weird black.
Harder brushes have the same effect.
It happens with all colors too, even with a bright red. It even appears when I smudge into the object and not out of it.

Yeah, I think if I'm not getting a newer Photoshop version where the glitch hopefully disappears, the eraser will be my only solution. ;A; It's just so annoying. I usually tend to use the smudge tool a lot...

Thank you a lot, nonetheless. <3 I really appreciate it. (:

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f l y r a b l o g _{avatar by tinkee, sig by Quamar}

September 11, 2010 - 8:45pm — trigger_mortis

Hmm, that IS annoying. I'm

Hmm, that IS annoying. I'm not sure what to suggest!

Good luck if you get the new version. I have 6.0 for Mac, and I've never really noticed that effect.

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September 11, 2010 - 8:47pm — Pegasicorn

Did you accidentally lock the

Did you accidentally lock the pixels of the layer you're smudging?

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September 12, 2010 - 1:13am — Flyra

trigger - It really is. Thank

trigger - It really is. Thank you for trying, as said. <3 Computer stuff can be so evil sometimes!

Thank you again! My father said he'd get newer versions of Photoshop for me perhaps, I'd really love that, because 5.0 is a pain to work with anyway (;

Pega - I am not quite sure, how do you lock/unlock pixels? I don't think I 'accidentally' did anything, especially since it happens with every picture I open/create in Photoshop :/

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f l y r a b l o g _{avatar by tinkee, sig by Quamar}

September 12, 2010 - 2:33am — Her

Your smudge mode is set to

Your smudge mode is set to Normal, right? Having it on Darken might do that to some extent... or your foreground/background color might need to be something other than black. Aside from that, I'm looking into this on Google and every forum I've seen with people having the same problem has others confused for an answer. This might be an error on Adobe's preferences itself (for Windows) if no one has found a solution for it. ;; But I'll keep looking.

EDIT :: Hate to say I had to stop my search, but I've come to the conclusion that no one has a remedy and I've spent an hour looking now XD I think I had that same problem a long time ago, too, which is why I looked into it, but... I don't have it now that my dad gave me the new PS. Adobe Photoshop CS6, right? I've heard people using CS3 get the same problem, so I'll bet it's the program itself that has an error. I've also seen Windows and switching computers mentioned in other people's same malfunction, so... you aren't alone. e_e I'm sorry.

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September 12, 2010 - 4:33am — Pegasicorn

I just did some experimenting

I just did some experimenting in my PhotoShop 7, and I'm somewhat able to replicate what has been happening.

The black would happen when the mode was on anything but "Normal".

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September 12, 2010 - 2:57pm — Flyra

Her - Thank you so much for

Her - Thank you so much for taking so much time! You're too kind~♥ Yeah, as said, I've spent some horror time searching in forums too, but I'd rather not do it any further as one page gave me a Firefox virus :c Ugly things. I didn't even download anything, I merely visited any site where I had hoped to find a solution. And now my brandnew laptop is infected already. That's soo annoying D|
Anyhow, I've tried changing every setting with the smudge tool that's possible, and of course it was set to normal by default, but the black appears with every setting but the 'Use All Layers' one, but as said, that one is not very useful.
I'm glad to hear I'm not alone, silly Photoshop ;A; But thank you so much for taking so much time! <3 My father promised he'd get a new version of Photoshop for me soon, though, so hopefully that bug won't be occuring anymore in that version.
CS6 isn't even published yet, is it? I have the old 5.0 one. CS3 users sometimes have the same issue you say? Maybe I'd better tell my dad to get a newer one then (;
It's okay, I'll hopefully get rid of this problem when I get the new PS version... Thank you again. ♥

Pega - Yeah well, thank you very much for trying, really, but as said, it happens to me with every setting of the smudge tool, also when it's set on 'normal'... ;(

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f l y r a b l o g _{avatar by tinkee, sig by Quamar}

September 12, 2010 - 3:01pm — Witcher

Hmm.. I played around with

Hmm.. I played around with the settings and I only suspect one thing - could you probably have "finger painting" checked? If not, let me experiment some more and I'll see what I can find c:

September 12, 2010 - 3:51pm — Flyra