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/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/td-p/5750669 Dec 15, 2013 Dec 15, 2013
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In Photoshop CC, I am constantly getting the message "Could not ...... because the target channel is hidden" whenever I try to do anything. Every time, I check and see that the alpha channel is selected and hidden, so I select RGB instead. Why does it keep automatically switching back to alpha?
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1 Correct answer
Apr 28, 2016 Apr 28, 2016
Deleted User • , Apr 28, 2016 Apr 28, 2016
I had the same problem and found the solution:
Your top panel, go to Select then in the dropdown menu uncheck "Edit in quick mask mode". Then it switches back to automatic RGB channel selection from automatic Alpha selection.
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LEGEND ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/5750670#M39817 Dec 15, 2013 Dec 15, 2013
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Are you maybe clicking on a layer mask icon in the Layers panel?
-Noel
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Elliott B. AUTHOR
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/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/5750671#M39818 Dec 15, 2013 Dec 15, 2013
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Nope. I did have some layer masks, but they were inside layer groups that were closed and not visible.
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LEGEND ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/5750672#M39819 Dec 15, 2013 Dec 15, 2013
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I'm not sure what you might be doing, but I haven't heard a lot of complaints here on the forum about Photoshop selecting alternate channels on its own... Is is possible you're fat-fingering a key on the keyboard just before this happens?
I'm scouring my memory and I can't think of a time when I've had a channel made active without being able to explain it...
I can only encourage you to watch for it to happen then very carefully review what you've just done.
Next time it happens, before changing anything consider doing a screen grab and posting it here. Maybe there's some other clue there that one of us on the forum might be able to spot. Maybe something will be showing in the History panel that will make it clearer...
-Noel
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/5750673#M39820 Jan 03, 2014 Jan 03, 2014
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I am getting the same exact issue.
I very carefully select my layer and go to move it using the cursor, and get this error.
I look in the channels panel and RGB is no longer selected only the Alpha channel.
I edit text, save changes, go to move the layer and get this error.
This is the first time this has happened to me as a photoshop user of 10 years. I am on Creative cloud cc and just updated photoshop a few days ago..
The only fix I know of is to select the alpha channel and delete it..
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/5750678#M39825 Oct 16, 2017 Oct 16, 2017
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THANKS! That was it! I was ready to push my laptop off the desk.
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/10924924#M306651 Feb 14, 2020 Feb 14, 2020
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3 Years later and works like a charm!!
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Community Beginner ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/10958791#M311421 Mar 02, 2020 Mar 02, 2020
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Worked for me just now too. It was because I had created a mask and although I wasn't using it, it was still a channel apparently.
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/13625899#M711304 Mar 04, 2023 Mar 04, 2023
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3 Years Later And It Still Works Like A Charm
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/12402477#M585504 Sep 24, 2021 Sep 24, 2021
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Still working, thank you for the screenshot!
// Thérèse
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/13413344#M690367 Dec 12, 2022 Dec 12, 2022
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2022 And still works
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/13737040#M725241 Apr 19, 2023 Apr 19, 2023
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Bro 2023 Still Works
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/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/5750674#M39821 Apr 28, 2016 Apr 28, 2016
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I had the same problem and found the solution:
Your top panel, go to Select then in the dropdown menu uncheck "Edit in quick mask mode". Then it switches back to automatic RGB channel selection from automatic Alpha selection.
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/5750677#M39824 Sep 05, 2017 Sep 05, 2017
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Worked, thanks.
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/5750679#M39826 Oct 18, 2017 Oct 18, 2017
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Thank you!
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/5750682#M39829 May 06, 2018 May 06, 2018
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Thank you very much.
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/5750683#M39830 Oct 24, 2018 Oct 24, 2018
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Thank you. 
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/11936941#M526674 Mar 30, 2021 Mar 30, 2021
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Thank you!! This solved it for me too
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/12081028#M548832 May 31, 2021 May 31, 2021
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THANKS!
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Community Beginner ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/13811251#M733522 May 23, 2023 May 23, 2023
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What is so amazing in this answer is that it just points out the obvious — and after so many years, one would think that Adobe would have changed that message to something more logical (e.g. "you cannot edit this layer when in quick mask mode"), or, even better, turned theerror message into amodal dialogue box saying something like "In order to do [... what you were doing ...], you need to leave Quick Mask mode. Do you want to proceed?" with a simple Yes/No answer.
And, of course, it would also make it easier if there slightly better visual cues when youare in Quick Mask mode. It happens me all the time, Allegedly, you're supposed to have a red border or some red translucent things all over the place (assumingyou selected red as the colour for the mask — which is the default), but, after a while, with so many layers and modes and whatnot, all overlayed/overlapped, interfering with each other, well... sometimes it's not that easy to see what you wish to see 😞
Anyway... 7 years later, and still thanking you for your most informative answer!
(And, BTW, in my case, you wereabsolutely right — Iwas on "Edit in Quick Mask mode" and didn't notice it. Yay for Google! Yay for he Adobe Support Community and all its answers! Yay to this most friendly 'Guest' and all of their knowledge!)
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Community Expert ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/13811397#M733538 May 23, 2023 May 23, 2023
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Actually the message means exactly what it says.
Quick mask is just one situation where you get this message. More commonly you will get that message if you, say, target a mask on a layer with visibility turned off. Or any other situation where the target channel is not visible.
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/14377631#M776995 Jan 24, 2024 Jan 24, 2024
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Thank you.
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/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/14396308#M778305 Feb 02, 2024 Feb 02, 2024
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thank you. that helps
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New Here ,
/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/5750675#M39822 Aug 12, 2017 Aug 12, 2017
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In my case I found out that when I was accidentally right clicking on the curves icon, when I meant to left click on it. I have a wireless mouse and it's easy to do:( This had the effect of creating a layer mask in a curves panel, instead of just a layer with curves adjustment. Since the curves panel showed up right where I expected it, I failed to notice that I was creating a layer mask with a curves in it. Then I went to use my eraser and got the same message. It kind of messed me up for a while, but I solved it by deleting the unwanted layer, and then deleting the alpha channel which was also inadvertently created. I had a similar problem with using the option key when using the quick selection tool. I heard a click, click, click, etc. and then my keyboard was inactivated. I resolved this by hitting the option key multiple times until I heard the click, click, etc. again. There are numerous ways to get in a weird setting that is not helpful, and then it takes forever to figure out what happened and how to fix it. Especially since it's unintentional, a person has no idea what they might have done. Luckily sometimes there is a sound to indicate that something weird happened.
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/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/error-target-channel-is-hidden-in-photoshop/m-p/5750676#M39823 Aug 25, 2017 Aug 25, 2017
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You are in quick-mask mode
Push the letter Q and all your troubles will go away...
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