Photoshop Elements / Brushes /
5 - Advanced: The Preset Manager
(Menus #2 & #3)
Opening the Preset Manager
Click Preset Manager in Menu #1 to open it up.
It's called the Preset Manager because the items it manages are
called presets.
Besides brushes, the Preset Manager controls swatches, gradients,
and patterns.
No Save Brushes Command
When using the commands in the Preset Manager, be sure to save
the changes.
Oddly, there's no Save Brushes command in the Preset Manager.
To save a change, you have to return to the Brush Picker window.
1) Make a change using the Preset Manager.
2) Click Done.
3) Open the Brush Picker window.
4) Select the library which contains the brushes that changed.
5) Open Menu #1.
6) Click Save Brushes (not Save Brush) to open the Save window.
7) In the Save window, select the brush library that you're using.
The Save window selects the Untitled Brushes library by default.
Make sure you select the correct brush library.
8) Click OK.
9) A window will open asking you if you want to replace the existing
file (brush library).
10) Click OK.
Menu #2 is located in the Preset Manager.
Click More in the preset Manager to go to Menu #3.
Here are descriptions of the commands in Menus #2 and #3.
Menu #2
Load
Use Load to combine two brush libraries.
The Load command here is different than the Load command in Menu
#1.
Described below
Save Set
Use Save Set to create a new brush library from an existing library.
Described below
Rename
Described below
Delete
Described above
Change the Order
You can use the Preset Manager to change the order of the brushes.
Described below
Menu #3
Replace Brushes
Use Replace Brushes to exchange the current brush library, in
the Preset Manager, for another brush library.
Described below
Load: Combine Two Brush Libraries
The Load command in the Preset Manager adds the brushes in the
brush library you select, to the current brush library.
This is different than what the Load command does in Menu #1.
There, the Load command switches one brush library for another.
Again, when using the Load command in the Preset Manager, two
libraries are added together.
Let's say you have a brush library called Eyebrows 1.
If you use the Load command, in the Preset Manager, you could
select Eyebrows 2 and combine it with Eyebrows 1.
Save Set: Create a New Brush Library
You may want to create a library from an existing library.
1) Select the Brush tool.
2) Open the Brush Picker window.
3) Select the library which contains the brushes that you want
to place in a new library.
4) Open Menu #1.
5) Click Preset Manager.
6) Use Shift or Ctrl to select the brushes that you want to place
in a new library.
If you're creating an empty library for new brushes, you have
to select at least one brush.
7) Click Save Set.
8) Enter a new name for the library.
The new library will appear in the Brush Picker window after
you restart Photoshop Elements.
To open the new library immediately, use the Load command in
Menu #1.
Rename is the same command as the Rename Brush command in Menu
#1.
Delete More than One Brush
Delete is similar to the Delete Brush command in Menu #1.
However, Delete allows you to select more than one brush to delete
by using the Shift or Ctrl keys.
You can change the order of the brushes in a brush library.
For example, you could put the brushes you use the most at the
top.
Click, hold, and drag the brushes into the desired order.
Use Replace Brushes to exchange the current brush library, in
the Preset Manager, for another brush library.
The Replace Brushes command is located in Menu #3.
Click More in the Preset Manager to open Menu #3.
To continue, use the menu above,
or click Back below.
