Brush presets

Brush presets 

A preset brush is a saved brush tip with defined characteristics, such as size, shape, and hardness. You can save preset brushes with the characteristics you use often. You can also save tool presets for the Brush tool that you can select from the Tool Preset menu in the options bar.

When you change the size, shape, or hardness of a preset brush, the change is temporary. The next time you choose that preset, the brush uses its original settings. To make your changes permanent, you need to create a new preset. See Create a new preset brush.

Select a preset brush

1. Select a painting tool or editing tool, and click the Brush Preset pop‑up menu in the options bar.
2. Select a brush.
   
   Note: You can also select a brush from the Brushes palette. Be sure that Brush Presets on the left side of the palette is selected to view the loaded presets.
3. Change options for the preset brush.
   

   Diameter

   Temporarily changes the brush size. Drag the slider or enter a value. If the brush has a dual tip, both the primary and dual brush tips are scaled.

   Use Sample Size

   Uses the original diameter of the brush tip if the brush tip shape is based on a sample. (Not available for round brushes.)

   Hardness

   Temporarily changes the amount of anti-aliasing for the brush tool. At 100%, the brush tool paints with the hardest brush tip, but is still anti-aliased. The Pencil always paints a hard edge that is not anti-aliased.

   
   

Change how preset brushes are displayed 

Choose a display option from the Brush Preset picker menu  or Brushes palette menu: 

• Text Only to view the brushes as a list. 
  
• Small or Large Thumbnail to view the brushes as thumbnails. 
  
• Small or Large List to view the brushes as a list with thumbnails. 
  
• Stroke Thumbnail to view a sample brush stroke with each brush thumbnail. 
  

To dynamically preview brush strokes in the Brushes palette, make sure that Brush Preset is selected, and then position the pointer over a brush until the tool tip appears. Move the pointer over different brushes. The preview area at the bottom of the palette will display sample brush strokes.

 

Load, save, and manage brush presets 

You can manage libraries of preset brushes to keep your brushes organized and to make available only the brushes you need for a project.

Change the preset brushes displayed in the palette

1. To load a library of preset brushes, choose one of the following from the Brush Preset picker menu or Brushes palette menu:
   

• Load Brushes to add a library to the current list. Select the library file you want to use, and click Load.
• Replace Brushes to replace the current list with a different library. Select the library file you want to use, and click Load.A library file (displayed at the bottom of the palette menu). Click OK to replace the current list, or click Append to append the current list.

1.  To return to the default library of preset brushes, choose Reset Brushes from the Brush Preset picker menu or Brushes palette menu. You can either replace the current list or append the default library to the current list. 
   

Note: You can also use the Preset Manager to load and reset brush libraries. 

Save a set of preset brushes as a library

1. Choose Save Brushes from the Brush Preset picker menu or Brushes palette menu. 
   
2. Choose a location for the brush library, enter a file name, and click Save. You can save the library anywhere. However, if you place the library file in the Presets/Brushes folder in the default preset location, the library name will appear at the bottom of the Brush Preset picker menu and Brushes palette menu after you restart Photoshop.You can also use the Preset Manager to rename, delete, and save libraries of preset brushes. For more information, see Work with the Preset Manager.

Rename a preset brush

Do one of the following:

• Select a brush in the Brush Preset picker or Brushes palette, and choose Rename Brush from the palette menu. Enter a new name for the brush, and click OK. 
  
• If the Brushes palette is set to display brushes as thumbnails, double-click a brush, enter a new name, and click OK. 
  
• If the Brushes palette is set to display brushes as a list or text only, double-click a brush, enter a new name inline, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS). 
  

Delete a preset brush

• In the Brush Preset picker or Brushes palette, select a brush, and choose Delete Brush from the palette menu. 
  
• In the Brush Preset picker or Brushes palette, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the brush you want to delete. 
  
• In the Brushes palette, select a brush and click the Delete icon , or drag a brush to the Delete icon. 
  

Create a new preset brush

 

You can save a customized brush as a preset brush that appears in the Brushes palette, Brush Preset picker, and Preset Manager. 

Note: New preset brushes are saved in a Preferences file. If this file is deleted or damaged, or if you reset brushes to the default library, the new presets will be lost. To permanently save new preset brushes, save them in a library. 

1. Customize a brush. 
   
2. Do one of the following in the Brushes palette or Brush Preset picker:
   

• Choose New Brush Preset from the palette menu, enter a name for the preset brush, and click OK.
• Click the Create New Brush button