Install Photoshop Brushes

Brushes are, at their most basic, stamps of a shape that you can drag around your image. But, far more than just making lines or repeating an image, brushes can be used for lighting, texture, digital painting, and more. Brushes allow you to add wonderful depth and flow to your artwork, but none of that is any use if you can't install them.

Steps

Downloading New Brushes

  1. Search for free new brush patterns online to find the perfect brushes for you. If you're unsure what you want, simply search for "Photoshop Brush Packs" with your favorite search engine. There are hundreds of options, from painting sets to textured brushes specifically used for shading or drawing grass. For now, search for a basic brush set and find one you like. A few good, trustworthy sites include:[1]
    • DeviantArt
    • Creative Market
    • Design Cuts
  2. Download the .ZIP file to your computer. Most brushes will come as .ZIP files, which are simply folders that hold all the brushes. Once you find on you like, download it to your computer. You will need to be able to open .ZIP files on your computer, but almost all modern computers have software designed to open ZIPs.[2]
    • If you're worried about finding the brushes again after downloading. click and drag them to your desktop. This will make them easier to find later on.
  3. Open a Zip File You'll need a ZIP Extractor if you don't have one, but this is generally standard. Double click on the .ZIP file to open it. If you can't find it, check your "Downloads" folder.
    • If you are unsure if you can open the ZIP, right-click it and select "Extract" or "Open With." Common programs include ZIP Archive or WinRAR.
  4. Make sure there is a ".abr" file in the folder. There will be several files in your folder once you open it up. However, the only one that matters for you is the .abr file. If you don't see a .abr file, erase the whole folder and look for a new brush set.

Adding New Brushes to Photoshop

  1. Open Photoshop. You don't even need to open up an image. Simply open up the program in order to install your brushes.
    • It can help to have a Finder or Windows Explorer window open showing the brushes as well. You will need to be able to find them again.
  2. Press B, or click on the Brush tool, to bring up the brush bar on the top of the screen. There is a bar on the top of the screen that changes depending on what tool you have open. Simply press the B key to switch to the brush tool.[3]
  3. Click on the small downward arrow in the brush bar. It will be next to a small dot, usually, and is in the top left corner of the screen. This opens up the Brushes Preset Menu.
  4. Click on the gear symbol, then find "Load Brushes." This brings up a window that you can use to find your brushes. Go back to your ZIP file and look for the .apr file -- these are your new brushes.
  5. Double-click on the .apr file to install your brushes. This will automatically add your brushes to your preset menu. You can find them anytime by opening the Brushes Preset Menu. Simply click the little gear symbol and find your new brush set at the bottom of the drop down menu.
  6. Alternatively, click and drag the brushes into the Photoshop window to add them. It doesn't get any easier. Simply click on the .apr file in a window or on your desktop, then drag and drop the file into Photoshop. The program will automatically organize the brushes for you. If neither of these strategies work, try out one other method:
    • Click on "Edit" from the top bar.
    • Click on "Presets" → "Preset Manager."
    • Make sure "Preset Type:" is set as "Brushes."
    • Click "Load" and find your brushes, double clicking them to install them.[1]

Adding Brushes in Bulk

  1. Add multiple brush packs into the Photoshop system file to save time. If you want to add a ton of new brushes, you can make your life much easier by just dragging and dropping them into the correct folder. This is effective for both Windows and Mac computers.
    • Make sure Photoshop is closed before beginning.
  2. Navigate to your Photoshop files using the following addresses. The two different paths are outlined below. However, on a Mac all you have to do is Cmd-Click on the Photoshop icon to bring up the folder.
    • Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop\
    • Mac: /Users/{YOUR USERNAME}/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop ___/
  3. Click on "Presets," then "Brushes" to open up all of your brushes. This is where Adobe organizes all of your brushes for you, and where Photoshop looks when searching for new brushes.
  4. Click and drag the new brushes into this folder. Once you've opened the .ZIP file, click and drag the .apr into the Brushes folder. The next time you open Photoshop, the new brushes should be there for you, ready to use.[4]



Tips

  • If you are using Photoshop on a Mac you will need to place the ".abr" files in /Users/{username}/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop CS3/Presets/Brushes

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://creativemarket.com/blog/2013/09/06/how-to-install-use-photoshop-brushes
  2. ↑ http://akvis.com/en/photoshop-tips/load-brush.php
  3. ↑ https://www.designcuts.com/design-cuts-deals/a-basic-guide-to-installing-and-using-photoshop-brushes/
  4. ↑ http://myphotoshopbrushes.com/install_brushes/
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