Workspace overview

Last updated on Oct 27, 2025

Learn about how the Adobe Photoshop workspace's layout, tools, and panels help you organize and work efficiently.

Adobe Creative Cloud applications feature workspaces that include panels, tools, and windows, which you can arrange to fit your workflow. Workspaces allow you to create and edit documents, offering all the essential components for a comprehensive editing environment.

Adobe Photoshop workspace contains the following elements:

Photoshop workspace with key interface elements like application bar, panels, tools panel, document window, options bar, and bell icon.
Access the Application bar, Document window, Options bar, and Tools panel to customize your Photoshop workspace.

A. Application bar B. Panels C. Tools panel D. Document window E: Options bar F: Notifications

  • Application bar: Contains a workspace switcher, menus, and other controls.
  • Panels: Provide tools to monitor and modify your work, and can be grouped or stacked.
  • Tools panel: Features tools for creating and editing images, artwork, and page elements, organized by related functions.
  • Document window: Shows the file you're working on and can be grouped or tabbed.
  • Options bar: Displays settings for the currently selected tool.
  • Notifications icon: Shows in-app notifications regarding tutorials, feature updates, or your account-related actions.

Contextual Task Bar

The Contextual Task Bar is a floating menu that provides relevant next steps based on your current tool or task. For example, when editing text, you can directly adjust text alignment, spacing, and font style from the Contextual Task Bar.

A screenshot of Adobe Photoshop showing the workspace with contextual panels open, providing options relevant to the selected tool or content.
Access contextual panels in the Photoshop workspace to adjust properties based on your current tool or selection.

Snap Layout support on Windows

In Windows, you can use Snap Layouts to arrange Photoshop windows on your screen. Snap Layouts provide preset arrangements for organizing windows based on screen size and orientation. These layouts help you easily manage multiple applications running side by side or in a grid, improving multitasking.

 Photoshop workspace with a document open, highlighting the maximize/minimize button area where users can the access window arrangement presets.
Hover over the

Tip

You can also press Win + Z to open Snap Layouts and quickly organize your windows.