Saving settings as a preset in Photoshop allows you to quickly apply the same configurations to multiple projects, saving you time and ensuring consistency. Here's how you can do it:
Saving a New Document Preset
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Go to File > New: This opens the New Document dialog box.
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Configure Your Settings: Adjust the width, height, resolution, color mode, background content, and any other settings you want to include in your preset. These settings define the canvas or document properties.
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Click "Save Preset": Within the New Document dialog box, locate and click the "Save Preset" button. This button's location might vary slightly depending on your Photoshop version, but it's typically found at the bottom of the dialog.
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Name Your Preset: In the "New Document Preset" window that appears, give your preset a descriptive name. This will help you easily identify it later.
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Include Settings (Optional): This window might offer options to include other specific settings like color profiles. Choose the settings relevant to your workflow.
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Click "Save": This saves your new document preset.
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Access Your Preset: The new preset will now be available in the "Preset" dropdown menu within the New Document dialog box (File > New).
Saving Tool Presets (e.g., Brush, Gradient)
Many tools in Photoshop allow you to save their specific configurations as presets. Here's how:
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Select Your Tool: Choose the tool you want to create a preset for (e.g., Brush Tool, Gradient Tool).
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Adjust Tool Settings: Modify the tool's settings in the Options Bar or the Tool Settings panel (Window > Tool Settings). For example, with the Brush Tool, you might adjust the size, hardness, opacity, and flow.
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Open the Preset Picker: In the Options Bar for the selected tool, locate the icon that opens the preset picker. For the Brush Tool, it's the brush tip preview. Click on it.
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Create a New Tool Preset: In the preset picker panel, click the "Create new preset" icon (usually a small plus sign or a page icon).
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Name Your Preset: Give the preset a descriptive name. You may also have the option to include color within the preset.
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Click "OK": This saves your tool preset.
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Access Your Preset: Your new tool preset will now be available in the preset picker for that tool.
Saving Adjustment Presets (e.g., Curves, Levels)
Adjustment layers offer the ability to create non-destructive edits, and you can save these as presets:
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Apply an Adjustment Layer: Add the adjustment layer you want to create a preset from (e.g., Curves, Levels, Hue/Saturation) by going to Layer > New Adjustment Layer and choosing the desired adjustment.
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Configure the Adjustment: Adjust the settings of the adjustment layer to achieve the desired effect.
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Open the Properties Panel: Ensure the Properties panel for the adjustment layer is visible (Window > Properties).
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Save as Preset: In the Properties panel, look for a menu icon (usually three horizontal lines) in the upper right corner. Click this and choose "Save Preset". Some adjustment panels like "Color Lookup" have a dedicated "Load 3D LUT..." (or similar) where you choose to save that as a preset of sorts.
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Name Your Preset: Give the preset a descriptive name.
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Click "Save": This saves your adjustment preset.
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Access Your Preset: You can access your adjustment presets from the Presets panel in the Properties panel of the corresponding adjustment layer.
Other Preset Types
Photoshop also allows you to save presets for various other settings, including:
- Styles: Layer styles can be saved as presets for quick application.
- Workspaces: Arrange panels and tools to your liking and save it as a custom workspace.
- Actions: Record a series of steps and save them as an action for automated tasks.
- Gradients: Create and save gradients for use with the gradient tool or layer styles.
- Patterns: Define patterns from image selections and save them for future use.
By utilizing presets in Photoshop, you can streamline your workflow, maintain consistency, and save valuable time on repetitive tasks.
