How to load and use Photoshop Brushes

Adobe Photoshop or Elements Tip from Designer Digitals:

How to load and use Photoshop Brushes

You can also watch this tip on video on their blog: Digital Scrapbooking Brushes and How to Load and Use them in Adobe Photoshop or PSE [Video]

Do you feel left out in the cold when it comes to Photoshop Brushes? Many of you have emailed us asking what to do with the ABR file that comes packaged with our brushes and stamp sets.

The designers aren't shivering out in the cold, when they create those ABRrrrr files - that's a file extension for Photoshop Brushes!

Begin by downloading and unzipping a brush set. Make a note of where you have placed the unzipped folder. To load the brushes into Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, select Edit > Preset Manager from the Menu Bar. This opens the Preset dialog. Choose Brushes for the Preset type and click the Load button.

Select from your computer by clicking the Look in: menu to find the .ABR brush file.

Click on the file name and select Load.

After this imports the brushes into the Preset Manager, click Done.

Since the brush uses the Foreground color as the "ink" color, click the Foreground color chip at the bottom of the Tool bin and choose a new color. Click OK.

To stamp with the brush, press the letter B on your keyboard to get the Brush tool or click on the Brush tool in the Tool bin.

Scroll to the bottom of the Brush Picker in the Options Bar to locate the brushes you just loaded.

Click on the brush you want to use. Choose your size in the Options bar and click on your project to stamp the brush image. (In Photoshop the size slider is located in the brush picker menu.)

Photoshop brush files are great because they can be used with any of the color and Retouching tools like the Clone Stamp, Eraser and Pencil tools.