Get started with brush presets

Understand how Adobe Photoshop brush presets save your favorite brush characteristics for quick access and consistent results in your creative workflow.

Brush presets are saved brush tips with predefined characteristics such as size, shape, and hardness. They allow you to store frequently used brush configurations for quick access, maintaining consistency across your projects and streamlining your creative workflow.

When you select a preset brush in Photoshop, you choose a brush with specific settings that determine how it will behave when applied to your canvas. These presets save you time by eliminating the need to reconfigure brush settings for everyday tasks.

Types of presets you can save

Photoshop offers two main types of saved brush configurations:

• Brush presets: These store only the brush tip characteristics (size, shape, hardness, and more). Tool presets can be converted to brush presets using the Options bar > Tool Preset Picker > settings icon > Convert All to Brush Presets, allowing you to integrate them into your brush library.
• Tool presets: These save the brush tip characteristics and additional Brush tool settings from the Options bar, such as opacity, flow, and blending modes. You can save tool presets for the Brush tool by choosing Options bar > settings icon > Tool Preset Picker > New Tool Preset.

Temporary and permanent brush settings

The change is temporary if you modify a preset brush, such as changing its size or hardness. The next time you choose that preset, it returns to its original settings. To keep your changes, save them as a new preset. This way, you keep your original brushes intact while building a custom library that suits your needs.