Inserting a picture into Adobe Photoshop is straightforward and can be done in several ways. Here are the most common methods:
Quick and Easy Methods: Drag and Drop
The simplest method is drag and drop. Locate your image file on your computer. Simply drag it from its location and drop it onto your Photoshop canvas. Photoshop will automatically create a new layer containing your image. This is confirmed by several sources, including Adobe's own documentation (https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/add-picture-as-layer.html), which states, "The simplest way to turn an image or photo into a layer is to drag it into the canvas area of Photoshop."
Using the File Menu:
Alternatively, use the File menu:
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Open the File: Navigate to File > Open (as described in https://www.wikihow.com/Insert-an-Image-in-Photoshop). Select your image and click "Open". This will open the image in a new tab or window.
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Place Embedded or Linked: To add it as a layer to your existing Photoshop document, use File > Place Embedded or File > Place Linked. "Place Embedded" imports the image directly; "Place Linked" creates a link to the original file (changes to the original file will update in Photoshop, but it uses less storage space initially). This method is referenced in https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/re-how-do-i-place-two-photos-side-by-side-or-one-on-top-of-the-other/m-p/13589962#M708060.
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Import from Device: For images directly from a camera, scanner or other connected device, use File > Import > Images from Device.
Maintaining Image Quality:
Be aware that pasting or dragging and dropping might sometimes reduce image quality (https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/when-i-paste-an-image-in-photoshop-its-quality-goes-so-bad/m-p/9923025#M177239). Using "Place Embedded" generally preserves quality better.
