How to Add New Brushes to Brush Library in Photoshop 7.0+

The Photoshop "brushes" are exactly like paintbrushes in real life. Only they can come in surprising forms, e.g. like that of the shapes engraved on rubber stamps.

There are two ways to obtain brushes, and of that you can add to your Photoshop Brush Library, (also called Photoshop Brush Collection). The first way are the ones that you create in Photoshop to suit your own needs. The other way, are downloads from offering websites or buy from physical stores as add-ons, and they are usually in sets.

This Photoshop article will guide you through the process for installing new brushes in your brush library. The instructions will be easier for you to understand if you have worked with "Brushes" in Photoshop.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Adobe Photoshop 7.0 or newer
• PC platform machine with MS Windows XP or Vista installed, any edition
• Previous file organizing/swapping experience helpful
• Some Photoshop experience recommended

1. 
    
   Options on the top menu bar in Photoshop

   Launch your Photoshop, and go to the Brush tool window by either accessing from:
   
   (1) View > Show Brushes. Pick a brush in the box. Or,
   
   (2) View > Show Colors. On the Colors option box, there is a Brush tab. Left-click mouse on that and drag it to a designated area in your program window.
   
   After you pick a Brush tool in the toolbox, the Options Bar will show at the top of your Photoshop window. See insert image.

2. 
    
   Click on the blue arrow button (indicated by red words)

   - - Installing New Brush Set - -
   
   Before starting this Step, you should already have the new brush set saved on your hard disk. Although new brushes are saved, they remain unusable until you load and/or save them in the Photoshop Brush Library. By the way, the new folder saving the new brush set can be placed at any location on your hard disk; it does not need to be saved within the Photoshop program directory. However, for simplicity sake, ease of accessing and remembering where you put it, it is better to have the new brush folder in the Photoshop directory. There exist a default Brush folder in your Photoshop program directory, you can save the new brushes in there, too. More about the default Brush folder in item #4 in this Step.
   
   Now back to instructions:
   
   (1) Pick a brush tool in the Brush box, see Step 1 for instructions. Click Brush Preset Picker; the second icon on the top menu, (see image insert in Step 1) to bring up the Brush Preset Picker window.
   
   (2) Click the blue button that has an arrow in the center at the top right on the dialog box. This will bring up a drop-down menu for brush choices.
   
   (3) Choose the "Replace Brushes" on the drop-down list then find your new brush collection on your hard disk. Once found, click the Load button. The new brushes will appear in the Brush option box. You'll need to save them before closing Photoshop. Or they will not appear next time after you launch the program (only the default brushes that came with Adobe will show), because they are only temporary displayed for the current Photoshop session.
   
   (4) To save the new appearing brushes to the Brush box from the default folder, click that blue button with arrow again, choose Save Brushes. Click Presets to find the default Photoshop Brushes folder on your hard disk. Windows Explorer XP and Vista path: Programs > Adobe > Photoshop > Presets > Brushes. Create a file name for each brush. You'll need to restart Photoshop to see the new brush set in the Brush box.
   
   To save brushes to the Brush box, and of that not in the default Brush folder, but rather in a folder you created, follow the above for saving brushes from the default folder. But instead surfing for the default Photoshop Brush Library folder, find the folder you created for the new brushes.

3. 
    
   Window containing the Brush Preset Picker

   - - Adding Individual Custom Brush - -
   
   (1) Before you click Edit > Define Brush Preset when you create a new brush, click that second icon where it says Brush (click the insert image for this Step; follow the red words). Then click the blue arrow button on the top right near the Master Diameter slide, on the pop-up window. Choose Replace Brushes on the drop-down menu to reserve a slot (unused space) in the Brush box.
   
   (2) Click the reserved empty slot in the Brush box to activate the space. On the drop-down menu, select Save Brushes to replace the current reserved brush slot with the brush you just created.

4. You can resize your Brush box (and all other toolboxes) to display more selections at a glance, if you don't mind taking up more of your screen. To resize: land mouse cursor on any edges of the Brush box, a dark arrow will appear. Drag on that to size the box.

5. Save only brushes that you really love and will be used often. Avoid getting too carried away collecting and saving different brushes, they are countless and you will not get to use them all; it will only take up space on your hard disk. From experience, if one has 100 paintbrushes only 10-15 are actually "practical".
   
   * Notes: please read "Tips and Warnings" section at the end of this article.

Tips & Warnings

• This article will be easier for you to understand if you have worked with "Brushes" in Photoshop.
• Photoshop brush allows you to adjust parameters like spread, structure, form, color, density, edges, and some more.
• These instructions are for Photoshop 7.0 edition and newer. 6.0 and older editions lack some features in the Steps mentioned.
• Article directions not suitable for Photoshop Elements.

[sonni57]

on 5/28/2009 Good photoshop instructions we can all learn from this.

[Mindee94]

on 5/28/2009 Thorough and easy to follow instructions for allowing creative energy to flow... thank you.