Unable to create a new layer

Hi, I'm new to photoshop and have little experience with image editing in general.

I'm working with a blank map that I want to add detail to - cities, city names, rivers, etc... the map was originally a .gif. I opened it in photoshop and have tried to edit it after I've saved it as several different things, .psd, .gif, etc... I always get the same problem, and it's only with this file (I've had no problems working with other files of the same type)

First, the entire "layers" menu is grayed out, I can't create a new layer. When I try to add text to the image, the whole thing turns pink as I type it - when I select another tool it returns to normal and my text is shimmering (can't think of another way to describe it - diagonal white lines are moving through the text). When I put another line of text in the white lines disappear from the old one but appear on the new one. Once the file gets in this state I can no longer use the paintbrush tool (but some other tools work, the pen tool for instance).

I've looked through the help files and on several onside troubleshooting guides and found nothing that sounds like my problem. Can anyone help? Thanks....

hi,
this can happen if the gif file is "index"...
try this...
after you open your gif file then go to image menu>mode and checkmark RGB (if you noticed it probably checkmark index) .... now all of those othere menu where things greyed out... will now be avail

Yougottawanna said:

Hi, I'm new to photoshop and have little experience with image editing in general.

I'm working with a blank map that I want to add detail to - cities, city names, rivers, etc... the map was originally a .gif. I opened it in photoshop and have tried to edit it after I've saved it as several different things, .psd, .gif, etc... I always get the same problem, and it's only with this file (I've had no problems working with other files of the same type)

First, the entire "layers" menu is grayed out, I can't create a new layer. When I try to add text to the image, the whole thing turns pink as I type it - when I select another tool it returns to normal and my text is shimmering (can't think of another way to describe it - diagonal white lines are moving through the text). When I put another line of text in the white lines disappear from the old one but appear on the new one. Once the file gets in this state I can no longer use the paintbrush tool (but some other tools work, the pen tool for instance).

I've looked through the help files and on several onside troubleshooting guides and found nothing that sounds like my problem. Can anyone help? Thanks....