PROBLEM
I cannot import my files.
My files do not appear after being imported.
I cannot edit my files and the tools are greyed out.
SOLUTION
There is a couple of reasons indicating why a file cannot be imported into Capture One or edited with the help of the tools available in Capture One. Check the typical cases and solutions to them in order to import and edit images successfully.
Case 1. Files are greyed out or cannot be selected when importing into Capture One.
At this stage of import, you just have to select or highlight the folder the images are in, then click Open. The images should appear in the import dialogue so that you can name and save them to whatever folder or album you want.
Case 2. Selected files do not appear in the Import Dialogue
Capture One is designed to read the files that come straight from the camera. As we state, RAW (from a range of supported digital cameras). Please note if the file has been changed by another application, it might not be recognized as a RAW from the supported camera.
Case 3. Files from the selected folders do not appear in the Import Dialogue after pressing Open.
If the files are located in a subfolder within the selected folder you have chosen to import from, be sure to tick the Include Subfolders checkbox in the Import From section. Afterwards, the images located in subfolders should then appear in Capture One.
If this does not happen and the images are still not visible in Capture One, check whether the file type is supported by the version of Capture One you are using. You can check that in the release notes available for each version of Capture One on our website.
Also, you need to check the Global Filter in the View -> Global Filters to verify whether any option in enabled there. For instance, if there is a tick next to the Always Hide JPEG Files option, any JPEG files from the import dialogue will be always hidden. That is why you should untick those options so that the files of specific formats would be displayed onwards.
Case 4. Unable to edit RAW files and the tools are greyed out after import is done
If such things happen, Capture One is most likely running in the wrong activation mode. It is probably activated in the DB (Digital Back only) mode. In that case, images are displayed with an eye icon on them. This could be a problem when working with DSLR files. The solution is to activate Capture One with a Pro or another license. In that case, go to Capture One -> License and deactivate DB mode.
Learn how to switch to another product variant.
Case 5. Capture One cannot properly read the file due to improper permission.
This often occurs when reading or capturing images on an external drive. Therefore, we highly suggest working from a local drive if this is the case.
A crossed-over pencil will appear in the bottom-right corner of an image in case a file is not supported or if you don’t have the access rights to edit it. You might see the read-only icon if you try to edit image files located on the external drive.
NOTE: JPEG files will have a read-only icon if the Enable JPEG Editing option is unchecked inside the Capture One Preferences.
Case 6. The tools are greyed out after upgrading a session or catalog database file.
If you have recently upgraded a session or catalog database file in a new release of Capture One but cannot access new tools or features, you have to upgrade the Rendering Engine for each of your variants. To test this, create a new variant of the image and then upgrade the Engine for the new variant inside the Color tool tab under the Base Characteristics section. You will then have access to the new tools and features.
Case 7. The files cannot be edited because those are read-only in Capture One.
TIF/JPG/PSD/PNG files that are not in RGB color space cannot be adjusted within Capture One and will be read-only.
Layered Tiff: Capture One 9.1 onward can support Tiff files with alpha channels or layers saved in the file (from other apps like Adobe Photoshop) but for viewing purposes only. Reprocessing the image will result in a new flattened image.
PSD: Capture 10.1 onward can support PSD files in the Viewer. The PSD can contain any adjustments, layers, text or smart objects but must be saved in Photoshop with “maximize compatibility” enabled. Reprocessing the image from Capture One will result in a new flattened image.
Case 8. Check the editing settings in Preferences
1. Open the Preferences window by going to the main menu and selecting Capture One -> Preferences (macOS) / Edit -> Preferences (Windows).
2. Navigate to the Image tab.
3. Make sure that the options for editing JPEG, TIGG, and PNG file formats are marked under the Editing section.
Case 9. Thumbnails have eye icons on them
In cases, when you see that a thumbnail has an eye icon, it means that this file can't be edited in the current product variant of Capture One. For instance, if you are running Capture One for Fujifilm, it would not be possible to edit files from Canon cameras, for example, and also DNGs. Meanwhile, you can still work with other supported file formats such as JPG/TIFF/PSD/PNG.
Example: Capture One Fujifilm run mode supports .RAF files but does not support RAW files from other cameras, so an eye-icon appears.
Case 10. The file is too small or too big
- The smallest supported file for viewing: minimum side of 16px.
- The smallest supported file for editing: minimum side of 512px.
- The maximum image size (64bit) is 40000 px x 20000 px. It means that the image width multiplied by height has to be less than or equal to the results of 40000 px x 20000 px.
Case 11. You are trying to edit the images located in the Trash collection
When you are viewing the images in the Trash collection, their thumbnails will have a crossed pencil icon.
To restore the images from the Trash, simply drag those to the All Images folder in the Library tool.
Case 12. The files are locked
Some camera models write some RAW files on the SD cards with a file property “locked". That is why, Capture One cannot read the files and add them to the Catalog/Session.
The workaround for this issue is to copy the RAW files to the computer manually and unlock the images by removing the checkmark from the checkbox in the Properties window. Then you will be able to import images to Capture One.