Suddenly in drawing mode on screen and can’t fix it.

Experiencing Unexpected Drawing Mode in Photoshop: Troubleshooting and Solutions

Have you ever found yourself working seamlessly in Photoshop, only to suddenly find your screen displaying a persistent red line, as if drawing mode has been activated out of nowhere? This perplexing issue can disrupt your workflow and leave you searching for answers. In this article, we’ll explore common causes of this problem, troubleshooting steps, and potential solutions to get you back to productive work.

Understanding the Issue

Many users have reported encountering a situation where their screen becomes “stuck” in a drawing mode, characterized by a persistent red line or indicator, despite no intentional activation of such a feature. Notably, common keyboard shortcuts like Escape (Esc), Delete, or Alt+Tab often fail to exit this mode. Often, the only remedy appears to be restarting the computer, which is inconvenient and interrupts your creative process.

Key Symptoms:
– Sudden appearance of a red line or drawing indicator on the screen during Photoshop use.
– Inability to exit the drawing mode using regular shortcuts.
– The issue persists across multiple instances, signaling an underlying cause rather than a momentary glitch.
– The problem is unrelated to the Windows Snipping Tool, which is sometimes suspected.

Potential Causes

Hardware Input Devices: A stuck or malfunctioning pen tablet, stylus, or mouse can trigger unintended drawing modes.
Graphics Driver Issues: Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers can cause display artifacts or mode glitches.
Photoshop or Software Glitches: Bugs or corrupt preferences within Photoshop may lead to unexpected behaviors.
Background Processes: Conflicting applications running in the background might interfere with Photoshop’s functionality.
Operating System Glitches: OS-level issues, especially with display drivers or input devices, can manifest as drawing artifacts.

Troubleshooting Steps

Check Input Devices
Ensure your stylus, pen tablet, or mouse is functioning properly.
Disconnect external input devices and test if the issue persists.
Update drivers for your input hardware.
Reset Photoshop Preferences
Resetting preferences can resolve glitches caused by corrupt settings.
To reset, hold down Alt+Control+Shift (Windows) or Option+Command+Shift (Mac) immediately after launching Photoshop, then confirm the reset prompt.
Update Graphics Drivers
Visit the manufacturer’s website (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) to download the latest drivers