Skip to main content
Adobe Photoshop Family
stevenewport

291 Messages

 • 

6.4K Points

Wed, Oct 18, 2017 6:30 PM

Solved

Photoshop CC 2018: Healing and Spot Healing Brush Lag

In most recent 2018 update, healing and spot healing brush have become much less responsive, sometimes taking multiple seconds after completion of stroke to affect the image.

Late 2016 Macbook, up to date OS and Software

I've done the regular things like turning off OpenCL and changing other performance options... no change.
GIF framerate is sped up 2x 

 

Problems

 • 

Updated 

3 years ago

102

84

Responses

kevin_luc

1 Message

 • 

82 Points

3 years ago

Same issue here with me. As a professional retoucher who does this full time, it's really taken its toll on my speed. I'm using an Intuos 5 tablet.

0

cameron_wood_4o9x5munswist

2 Messages

 • 

82 Points

3 years ago

Experiencing same behavior as others . Small  to large images . Using either Intuos Pro tablet, or mouse. 

0

cameron_wood_4o9x5munswist

2 Messages

 • 

82 Points

3 years ago

Experiencing same behavior as others . Small  to large images . Using either Intuos Pro tablet, or mouse. 

0

0

adam_jerugim

Employee

 • 

229 Messages

 • 

6K Points

3 years ago

Matthew,

Could you do us a favor and use Activity Monitor to sample Photoshop while it takes 20 secs for healing to complete?  (on your larger image)

To do that, launch Activity Monitor, select the Photoshop process, start your heal in PS, then go back to Activity Monitor and click option-cmd-S.  Then please post the sample here.  It may give us a clue as to why it is taking so long to complete.

Thanks.

1

mathew_sargent

10 Messages

 • 

312 Points

This isn't a 22 second delay, but it is a 10 second delay. The sample appeared about a second before the process finished

Like

3 years ago

0

cristen_gillespie_7908527

2K Messages

 • 

35K Points

3 years ago

Medium sized images—as far as pixel dimensions, Mac El Capitan on an old Mac Pro with Wacom Intuos 4. No lag. Brush sizes over 300 px might take just over a second. Brushes 1000 px + can take up to 5 seconds with use all layers depending on detail, or lack thereof, to pull from, but more typically are taking about 3 seconds. Spot Healing or Healing the same. I did check on the driver—I'd updated my Wacom driver not long ago when I'd had a problem, but saw that now I'm not on the latest driver. I'm on 6.3.24.1 and current is 6.3.25.2. 

So with my setup, I'm just not seeing this.  Oh, should add, I'm using both 8bit and 16 bit images all the time.

0

0

joshua_sim_cdanntr7sh50y

3 Messages

 • 

122 Points

3 years ago

Same issue here and it's getting reallllyyy irritating. You click heal and then...nothing happens for like 1-2 seconds. 

1

ahmad_reza_g36uq3dklw3ch

2 Messages

 • 

74 Points

yes! it's so annoy

Like

3 years ago

0

joshua_sim_cdanntr7sh50y

3 Messages

 • 

122 Points

3 years ago

oh and changing colour temperature also take longer than the last version. 

0

0

joshua_sim_cdanntr7sh50y

3 Messages

 • 

122 Points

3 years ago

oh and changing colour temperature also take longer than the last version. 

0

0

emerson_utracik

3 Messages

 • 

124 Points

3 years ago

I had this issue before the update, but only on files of 2GB+, many layers, 16-bit, RGB.
Now having it on files of ~117mb, 1 layer, 16-bit, RGB.
Does it with wacom tablet, slightly quicker with (Logitech) mouse. Haven't tried a larger file yet.
Win 7, 16GB RAM, letting PS use 12GB. Loads of scratch disk space.

2

stevenewport

291 Messages

 • 

6.4K Points

Hey Emerson,
Can you let us know which tablet and driver you have? So far people have said the Intros Pro and 5, but someone on a 4 didn't appear to be having the issue, not sure if that's the variable though.

Like

3 years ago

0

emerson_utracik

3 Messages

 • 

124 Points

I'm just on a cheap-and-cheerful Bamboo!

Like

3 years ago

0

ahmad_reza_g36uq3dklw3ch

2 Messages

 • 

74 Points

3 years ago

i have the same problem. spot healing brush is always hanging when i use it for a picture. brush tool has a lag too. i think, i should not update 

0

0

rob_crawshaw

4 Messages

 • 

162 Points

3 years ago

I'm getting this issue too, similar circumstances as others. Small to medium sized images 200-1200mb, 5-20 layers, 20mp, 16 bit, ProPhoto RGB. I have been using a mouse mostly today but I do have a Wacom Intuos Pen Small plugged in. Mac OS Sierra 10.12.6.

I noticed on one instance it was working fine (after a restart of Photoshop) then I switched to the brush and started doing some masking then switched back to the spot healing brush and it was back to lagging.

2

mathew_sargent

10 Messages

 • 

312 Points

Using a brush absolutely triggered this for me.

Like

3 years ago

stevenewport

291 Messages

 • 

6.4K Points

YES... Everything works fine until the first stroke of the brush tool, immediately after that switching back to heal it starts lagging.

Like

3 years ago

0

stevenewport

291 Messages

 • 

6.4K Points

3 years ago

As per previous comments, Rob discovered it happens after using the brush.
I played around with it to see if there are specific brush settings that are causing this and discovered, on my end, if I turn smoothing off on the brush the problem goes away... have no idea how smoothing on the brush tool could affect the heal tool, but.....
So you have to turn off a new [very nice] feature of 2018 so you can use 2018.
Can any adobe peeps respond to this?
Thanks

19

emerson_utracik

3 Messages

 • 

124 Points

+1
Turning off smoothing on the brush works! ...providing you restart PS afterwards and then keep smoothing off.

Like

3 years ago

adam_jerugim

Employee

 • 

229 Messages

 • 

6K Points

Looks like my suggestion came a few minutes late :)

I'm glad we have a workaround for now, we'll see about getting a proper fix out asap.  Thanks again for everyone's help getting to the bottom of this.

Like

3 years ago

cristen_gillespie_7908527

2K Messages

 • 

35K Points

I can confirm. I had no problems until using the Paintbrush with smoothing at 0 in the Options bar, but enabled in the Brush Settings. Then all heck broke loose.

Like

3 years ago

stevenewport

291 Messages

 • 

6.4K Points

Thanks for confirming, Adam! 
Really stoked about the new smoothing options. The new pull-string option will be much appreciated for the times it becomes necessary for precision work. Thanks!

Like

3 years ago

0

mathew_sargent

10 Messages

 • 

312 Points

I am also glad to finally have a smoothing option. I can't tell you how many times I did something in illustrator just to get a smoother look i couldn't achieve in photoshop.

Like

3 years ago

0

cristen_gillespie_7908527

2K Messages

 • 

35K Points

> I am also glad to finally have a smoothing option. >

I agree. Once they decouple the healing brushes from any Smoothing, or whatever it is they have to do, the Smoothing feature using the Options bar means drawing in PS is easily possible now with as much or little hand wobble as we want to see.  :-)  I also like seeing a little ahead of where I'm drawing with the string. I find it helps me shape the line better.

Like

3 years ago

0

ivan_mladenov

8 Messages

 • 

154 Points

nothing changes if I switch a smoothing off in brush window. still same lag on healing brush. have a win10 (last update) PC, everything worked perfectly on CC 2017 

Like

3 years ago

0

vincent_minor

4 Messages

 • 

112 Points

Turned smoothing off and restarted and it definitely helped. Still a tiny lag much more than the 2017 version though but definitely better with smoothing off.

Like

3 years ago

Paul_Finchley

33 Messages

 • 

582 Points

Definitely helps to have smoothing turned off i.e. at 0 but I found I have to set the brush smoothing to zero and then close Ps and reopen. Just changing the smoothing to zero on the brush and going back to the healing brush whilst still in an image had no effect.

By the way has anyone else lost the ability to use the space bar to get the hand tool to quickly move the document?

Like

3 years ago

0

karl_shreeves

3 Messages

 • 

100 Points

For me, turning xmoothing to 0 on the paint brush slider seems to have done the trick — the box is still ticked as on, but the 0 setting holds from one launch and session to another. If there is any lag, it is so low as to be unnoticable with both spot and standard healing brush (in Legacy mode). No space bar/hand tool issues,. I have used the new bluetooth and older wireless Intuos tablet with no difference.

Like

3 years ago

0

michael_raubitschek

38 Messages

 • 

652 Points

i love how you MORONS at Adobe really test things hard and proper before releasing.  One of the most used tools in all of photoshop and you dont even test it? lol you guys are a JOKE!!!!!!!

Like

3 years ago

0

stevenewport

291 Messages

 • 

6.4K Points

Michael,
Come on dude.....

Like

3 years ago

0

michael_raubitschek

38 Messages

 • 

652 Points

sorry but they havent fixed the program for the past 2 years and keep making claims that are false.  I have had enough.  I pay enough for the program to work.  And come on dude 2nd most used tool in photoshop they didnt test it before release? come on dude.

Like

3 years ago

neal_stillman

5 Messages

 • 

122 Points

yes please fix this asap - very disruptive... thx

Like

3 years ago

0

zolee_gabor

1 Message

 • 

60 Points

Got a new update to PS today. Does this solve the healing brush problem, shall we go and install it? Anyone tried it already?

Like

3 years ago

0

stephen_james_7971104

23 Messages

 • 

520 Points

Zolee, I'll wait to see if the new update introduces any new bugs. For now, the "fix" that is out there is working for me. So it's a "no go" until I hear that the "update" is really ready for prime time.

Like

3 years ago

0

dominika_s

16 Messages

 • 

234 Points

This post is 2 months old and still no fix?Ive tried the smooth, I've tried the cache, I've tried the reboot, updates etc etc.. it's not working. Has anyone found a fix? I'm on the latest update.

Like

3 years ago

0

hannah_nicollet

Adobe Administrator

 • 

747 Messages

 • 

16.5K Points

Hi Dominika,

Sorry for the frustration, but there was a fix for this issue. If you're still having this problem it's likely coming from somewhere else. Would you mind starting a new thread? Please include your OS and version of Photoshop. If you want to be extra helpful please paste the contents of Help > System Info into the thread too.

Regards,
Hannah

Like

3 years ago

0

scott_moore_kwn923e6mz5qf

41 Messages

 • 

964 Points

Yeah, all fixed on this end. 

Like

3 years ago

adam_jerugim

Employee

 • 

229 Messages

 • 

6K Points

3 years ago

Try turning off paint smoothing from the tool options bar when the brush tool is active (the default is 10%, change that value to 0%).  And then use the healing brush again. Is it still slow?

2

donald_saban

1 Message

 • 

62 Points

I have the same problem except the Healing Brush works fine...it's the Spot Healing Brush that has the lag for me.

Like

3 years ago

0

bragi_kort

4 Messages

 • 

112 Points

Yes, still slow

Like

3 years ago

adam_jerugim

Employee

 • 

229 Messages

 • 

6K Points

3 years ago

Adobe folk here - we can confirm brush smoothing being enabled triggers the slowdown.  Disabling it should get the healing brush working again as it did in PS CC 2017.  In the meantime we'll continue to debug the issue here and try to get a fix out asap.  Thanks again for everyone's help with this.

8

rob_crawshaw

4 Messages

 • 

162 Points

Just tested myself, this works for me. Thanks!

Like

3 years ago

cristen_gillespie_7908527

2K Messages

 • 

35K Points

>  And then use the healing brush again. Is it still slow?>

It was for me. I had to turn it off in the Brush Settings panel.

Like

3 years ago

0

ivan_mladenov

8 Messages

 • 

154 Points

doesn't work for me......still have a lag on healing brush, even when I disable a smoothing option in brush window (win10,16GB) 

Like

3 years ago

0

laya_gerlock

1 Message

 • 

80 Points

how to disable brush smoothing?

Like

3 years ago

jim_m_7493639

17 Messages

 • 

354 Points

I don't see it when the healing brush is active either...? 

Like

3 years ago

0

hannah_nicollet

Adobe Administrator

 • 

747 Messages

 • 

16.5K Points

Window > Brush Settings and then uncheck the box below.

Also be advised that there is a known issue with smoothing reselecting every time you open a new session. We are looking into this but in the meanwhile it's something to be aware of.

Bottom line: Smoothing has to be turned off with each launch.

Like

3 years ago

earth_oliver

Champion

 • 

1.6K Messages

 • 

28.4K Points

I think the issue with Smoothing not carrying over is working as intended? Brush presets generally revert back to their saved state when you make a change and then restart the app. To make the smooth option stick, you'd need to create a new brush with that option toggled off.

Like

3 years ago

0

cristen_gillespie_7908527

2K Messages

 • 

35K Points

Nope. In fact, I've turned OFF Shape Dynamics, locking it, for the default round brushes before and had them stay off, so if they don't revert, no reason Smoothing should. But it does—this after a restart:

Like

3 years ago

matt_greenslade_7797790

37 Messages

 • 

672 Points

3 years ago

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Photoshop CC 19.0 Healing Brush Painfully Slow.

I updated to Photoshop CC 19.0 today. What has happened to the healing brush? It is so slow, I have the spinning dots and hesitating sample point. The program pauses to catch up, resulting in unintended healing spots. This is taking me right back to Photoshop 5.0 in a box, and the sound of dial up internet.

1

0

stevenewport

291 Messages

 • 

6.4K Points

Answer is above.

Like

3 years ago

0

Helpful Widget

Tags

No tags available