In Photoshop CS5, cannot access Filter > Distort command

[PeterAit]

I am trying to correct keystoning in a photo and the advice I have is to use the Filter > Distort command. But the command is grayed out and I cannot access it. I am working with a 16 bit tiff. Why would this happen? Thanks.

[Dave (Isle of Skye)]

Hi Peter,

Is the layer you are trying to distort the 'Background' layer and if so it is probably locked with a small padlock icon showing to the right of the layer?

If it is, then either turn the background layer into a normal layer by double clicking on it and then follow the on-screen instructions to convert it to a normal editable layer, or you can duplicate the background layer (Ctrl+j) and then work on the duplicate layer above the background layer, before flattening the image back down to a single background layer once again after adding your corrections to the image.

I cannot remember, but doesn't CS5 have the 'Lens Correction' filter? If so, you might find this easier to work with for correcting keystoning and it should also work with a background layer directly, without any of the need for doing the above steps 

Dave

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

I am trying to correct keystoning in a photo and the advice I have is to use the Filter > Distort command. But the command is grayed out and I cannot access it. I am working with a 16 bit tiff. Why would this happen? Thanks.

Hi Peter,

AFAIK the Distort filters in CS5 only work with 8-bits/channel images (try switching the Image>Mode to that and you'll see), it's the same in CS6 (don't know about CC). I don't understand the advice to use those filters for keystone correction, because the simpler way is to use the Edit>Transform>Perspective menu command for such a correction. As Dave said, that does require that the layer is unlocked, double click it if it's the Background layer, and that will change it into an unlocked layer that can be 'transformed'.

Cheers,
Bart

[LesPalenik]

I would suspect also a layer problem.
For instance, if you have a background layer and an adjustment layer, and the active layer is the adjustment layer, the Distort Command won't work.
Make sure you are on background layer, or merge all the layers before the Transform/Distort.