Record tools in actions

Actions in Photoshop typically capture the structural elements of workflows, such as menu commands, adjustments, and dialog settings. Tool recording extends this capability by capturing the actual use of interactive tools such as brushes, clone stamps, and dodge tools. This means Photoshop records not just which tool you selected, but the specific strokes, movements, and pressure you applied during use.

This feature transforms actions from simple command sequences into complete creative workflows that preserve your hands-on editing techniques. When you paint a correction or apply a clone stamp pattern during recording, Photoshop remembers those exact movements and recreates them during playback on other images.

How tool recording captures interactions

When tool recording is active, Photoshop captures the spatial coordinates and properties of each tool application during action recording. The software records where you clicked or dragged, how you moved the cursor, and what tool settings were active. During playback, these recorded operations execute in sequence alongside other action commands.

The recording system preserves relative positions and proportions rather than absolute pixel coordinates. This allows tool-based actions to adapt when played on images of different dimensions, provided you configure the action appropriately during the initial recording session.

Tools that support recording

Most painting, retouching, and toning tools can be recorded within actions:

• Brush  tool captures paint strokes with recorded movements and pressure.
• Clone Stamp  tool preserves both the sampling point and application pattern.
• Eraser  tool records removal strokes across the canvas.
• Dodge , Burn , and Sponge  tools capture tonal adjustment applications.
• History Brush  tool records selective restoration patterns.
• Blur , Sharpen , and Smudge  tools preserve focus and blending operations

Selection tools and vector shape tools do not record their interactive movements through the tool recording system, though they can still be included in actions through other recording methods.

Brush selection and action portability

When recording tool operations, Photoshop captures which brush preset was active at the time. If you select a specific brush before or during recording, that brush becomes embedded in the action definition. During playback, Photoshop attempts to use that same brush preset by name.

If the named brush preset does not exist on the system playing the action, for example, if you share the action with another user or reinstall Photoshop, the software substitutes the currently selected brush instead. This substitution can produce unexpected results if the fallback brush has significantly different size, hardness, or shape properties than the originally recorded brush.

For actions intended for sharing across multiple workstations or users, consider using Photoshop's default brushes or documenting which custom brushes the action requires for proper execution.

Measurement units and scalability

Actions containing tool recordings face a fundamental challenge: images dimensions vary. A brush stroke recorded on a 2000 × 3000-pixel image occupies different relative proportions when played on a 500 × 750-pixel image when recorded using absolute pixel measurements.

Setting Photoshop's measurement units to percentage before recording allows tool operations to scale proportionally with image size. The brush travels the same relative distance across any image dimension, maintaining the intended visual effect regardless of pixel count.

Similarly, defining brush size as an absolute pixel value, such as 300 pixels, rather than through a responsive preset creates scaling issues. A 300-pixel brush appropriate for a high-resolution image becomes disproportionately large when applied to smaller images during playback.

For maximum flexibility across varied image sizes, configure measurement units to percentages and set brush sizes to percentages or use responsive presets before beginning your recording session.

Appropriate use cases for tool recording

Tool recording proves valuable when applying consistent creative techniques across multiple images with similar characteristics:

• Applying signature retouching patterns to portrait series
• Creating uniform vignette or edge darkening effects
• Reproducing specific painting techniques across similar compositions
• Standardizing clone stamp corrections for repetitive image flaws

It works best when images share similar composition, aspect ratio, and subject positioning.

Tool recordings captured on landscape-oriented images may not translate effectively to portrait-oriented images, since the recorded coordinates and movements assume similar spatial relationships between image elements.

For completely varied compositions, tool recording offers limited benefit. The recorded movements were tailored to the content distribution of a specific image and will likely apply strokes in inappropriate locations when played on dissimilar images.

Relationship to action workflow

Tool recording integrates with the broader action recording system in Photoshop. To capture tool operations within an action, enable the tool recording feature must be enabled in the Actions panel before you begin recording. Without this activation, tool applications during action recording are ignored, and only menu commands and dialog settings are captured.

Create and record actions and process multiple files with batch automation to build complete automated workflows.