Issue

Plug-in names appear grayed out in the Photoshop Filter menu.

Solution

Here are some reasons a plug-in may be grayed out in the Filter menu:

• You do not have an image open in the host program
• The filter doesn't support the current color mode.  Some filters don't support CMYK or Lab color spaces.  Switch the color mode to RGB to see if the filter is enabled again.
• The filter doesn't support the current color depth.  Most current plug-ins don't support 32-bit color depth, and a few older plug-ins don't support 16-bit color.  Lower the color depth and try the filter again.
• You are trying to run the filter on a smart object, but the filter doesn't support being run on a smart object.  Rasterize the layer and try running the filter again.
• You are trying to run the filter on a layer that isn't visible.  Make the layer visible in the layers palette and try to run the filter again.