Grayed out picture frame tools

[dchristman]

I'm on a Mac using the latest version of Publisher. In my toolbar neither the rectangle picture tool frame nor the ellipsis picture tool frame is available- they're both grayed out. What do I do?

[walt.farrell]

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums.

Have you tried selecting one of them? I think they're supposed to be gray.

[jmwellborn]

@dchristman have you either opened a new document or an existing one?   On MAC those shapes are gray if no document is open on your canvas. They should be blue if s document is open.

Without a document opened (or new):

With a document opened (or new)

[markw]

Perhaps a screenshot or two of what you’re seeing?
In the screenshots here, the first is how the Frame and other tools should look with no document loaded.
The second is how they look once a document has been loaded and with the Rectangular Frame tool being used.

       

 

[dchristman]

Yes! Mine looks like the 2nd picture. Since I can't access them, doesn't that mean something needs to be loaded?

Thx,

Donna

[h_d]

Hi @dchristman I really hope I'm not stating the obvious, but after you've clicked one of these tools, do you then draw out a shape? They don't work "instantaneously" like the Place Picture tool, and sometimes when using the dark interface option it can be a bit hard to detect that they've been clicked.

Again, sorry if you've already tried this.

[Pšenda]

9 hours ago, dchristman said:

like the 2nd picture. Since I can't access them

Just because they're gray doesn't mean they're disabled. Unfortunately only inappropriate, and for some users confusing color icons.

 

[dchristman]

Well- that's what I get for not poking around enough- that worked! It is obvious, but I've been "too well" trained by previous programs. In reply to jmwellborn: I had a doc open, but they weren't blue. TY for your help!

[jmwellborn]

3 hours ago, dchristman said:

Well- that's what I get for not poking around enough- that worked! It is obvious, but I've been "too well" trained by previous programs. In reply to jmwellborn: I had a doc open, but they weren't blue. TY for your help!

I wonder whether it has something to do with the MAC OS version I am on?   I am using Sierra 10.12.6.  Anyway, I edited my post above, to include screenshots. Glad you have it worked out!!

[h_d]

1 hour ago, jmwellborn said:

I wonder whether it has something to do with the MAC OS version I am on?

Running Catalina (10.15) I can see the blue borders in Light UI mode but not in Dark UI, which is what the OP was using:

The light borders in Dark UI don't change when the tools are selected.

“If Only You Knew The Power Of The Dark Side...”

 

 

[jmwellborn]

Thank you so much @h_d.  Thought perhaps I was losing my mind … or what is left of it!!  Dark Mode and I are at daggers drawn.