Manage presets with the Preset Manager

Last updated on Oct 7, 2026

Use the Preset Manager to organize, save, and load custom presets for brushes, swatches, and other tools.

The Preset Manager provides centralized control over your saved presets, including brushes, swatches, gradients, patterns, contours, and tool configurations.

Use the Preset Manager when you need to organize multiple presets, create preset libraries for specific projects, or share preset collections with others. Each preset type has its own file extension and default storage location in the Photoshop application folder. For applying individual presets to layers or making quick style adjustments, use the dedicated panels such as Styles or Adjustments.

Open the Preset Manager and select preset types

Select Edit > Presets > Preset Manager.

In the Preset Type menu, select the type of preset you want to manage, such as Brushes, Swatches, or Gradients.

Select the gear icon to choose how presets display: Text Only, Small Thumbnail, Large Thumbnail, Small List, or Large List.

Tip

Use thumbnail views to quickly identify visual presets like brushes and patterns. Use list views to see preset names alongside thumbnails for faster identification.

Rearrange and organize presets

Once you open the Preset Manager, you can customize the order in which your presets appear. This helps you prioritize frequently used presets and create a more efficient workflow.

Click and drag any preset item up or down in the list to reposition it.

Release the mouse button when the preset is in your desired location.

The new order persists across Photoshop sessions, keeping your most-used presets easily accessible.

Load additional presets

Select Load in the Preset Manager.

Navigate to the preset file you want to add and select Open.

Note

To replace your current preset collection entirely, choose Replace [Preset Type] from the panel menu instead, then select the preset file and select Open.

Rename presets

Select a preset item. Shift-click to select multiple items if you want to rename them sequentially.

Select Rename, enter a new name, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS).

If the Preset Manager displays presets as a list, you can double-click a preset name and edit it directly inline.

Create and save preset libraries

Save custom preset collections to share with teammates, transfer between machines, or preserve configurations for specific projects.

Shift-click to select only the presets you want to include in your library, or leave all items selected to save the complete collection.

Select Save Set.

Choose a location, enter a descriptive file name, and select Save.

Tip

If you save your preset library to the appropriate Presets folder in the default location, it appears at the bottom of the panel menu after you restart Photoshop. On Windows 10, the default location is C:\Users[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop [version]\Presets[feature name]. On macOS, it's User/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop [version]/Presets.

Delete presets

Select a preset item you want to remove.

Select Delete and confirm the action.

To delete multiple presets quickly, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (macOS) each item you want to remove.

Restore default presets

Select Reset [Preset Type] from the panel menu.

Choose whether to replace the current list or append the default presets to your existing collection.

Resetting presets returns the Preset Manager to its original state, including all presets that ship with Photoshop.

Migrate presets from earlier versions

When you upgrade to a newer version of Photoshop, bring your custom presets forward to maintain workflow continuity.

Select Edit > Presets > Migrate Presets.

Select Yes when prompted to import presets from an earlier version.

Select OK to complete the migration.

This command automatically transfers brushes, swatches, gradients, patterns, and other presets from the previous Photoshop version you have installed.

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