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Why Is My Smart Object Not Directly Editable in Photoshop?

Last updated on December 11, 2022 @ 2:44 pm

“Smart Object is not directly editable” error usually appears when attempting to edit a smart object, as this type of data is stored in a nondestructive container file. This means that it is not possible to edit the smart object file directly.

If you’ve inserted a smart object into your Photoshop project and then find that you can’t directly edit the object, it’s because you need to open the object by clicking the smart object icon in the layer itself.1.1 Click the smart object icon.Double-clicking on the smart object icon will open the file in Photoshop in a new tab. You can then make changes to the file and save it. The changes will be reflected in your Photoshop project.Another reason that you cannot edit your smart object in Photoshop is the object might be locked. To unlock your smart object, go to the “Layers” Panel, click the locked smart object layer, and click the lock icon or you can just press the forward slash key (/) on your keyboard.2. Unlock your smart object layer by clicking the lock icon or by pressing the forward slash key in your keyboard.

PRO TIP: If you are trying to edit a smart object in Photoshop and it is not directly editable, this may be because the object is locked or the layer is set to not be directly editable. To unlock the object, go to the Layers panel and click on the padlock icon next to the smart object layer. If the layer is set to not be directly editable, go to the Layers panel and click on the chain icon next to the smart object layer.

You cannot directly apply operations that change the pixels in an image, such as painting, dodging, burning, or cloning, to a Smart Object layer unless it is changed into a regular layer first or rasterized. To rasterize your image, right-click the layer and select Rasterize Layer2. Rasterize Object by clicking the layer and selecting rasterize objectIn some cases, you may not be able to directly edit a smart object because the file is corrupted or damaged. If this happens, you’ll need to delete the smart object from your project and insert a new one.

Why Is My Smart Object Not Directly Editable in Photoshop?

There are a few reasons why your smart object might not be directly editable in Photoshop. The most likely reason is that the object was locked. Alternatively, the layer should be rasterized first before you can alter the smart object. Finally, the file might be corrupted or damaged, making it impossible to edit.

Drew Clemente

Drew Clemente

Devops & Sysadmin engineer. I basically build infrastructure online.