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Add photos

Learn how to easily add photos to a document in Photoshop on the iPad in 5 simple steps.

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Try out the latest features and enhancements in the Photoshop app on the iPad for general availability.

Placing photos in Photoshop on the iPad is easy with the Place Photo tool. Every photo placed is added as a new layer to your document. You can effortlessly select photos from your iPad's Camera Roll, Files, Libraries, or take a new photo right in the app with the Camera option. Easily transform your photo to finalize its placement in your document. 

Tap the Place Photo icon and view the sources from which you can add photos.
Tap the Place Photo icon to view the sources from which you can add photos.

Import and open Lightroom photos in Photoshop on the iPad

Introduced in Photoshop on the iPad 5.0 (September 2023 release)

Now you can import and open your Lightroom-edited photo in Photoshop and unleash your creativity by working with it in so many ways. 

You can combine it with another image, retouch parts of it, remove unwanted elements, or have fun with the advanced edit options in Photoshop.

Tap the Import and open option   in the Home screen of the app to access these photos.

If you're already editing in Photoshop on the iPad, and would like to browse through more Lightroom photos, you can tap the place photos icon   in the toolbar and select the Lightroom Photos option to access these photos.

5 Simple steps to quickly place a photo in your document

  1. Open the Photoshop document you want to add a photo to. 

  2. Simply tap  from the toolbar on the left side of the canvas. 

  3. In the options panel that opens, select the source of the photo you want to add: 

    • Camera Roll: Tap Camera Roll to see all your camera roll photos.
    • Files: Tap Files to browse through your file Locations on your iPad. You can also add selected files to Favorites and find tagged files under the Tags section.
    • Libraries: Tap Libraries to access the images saved in your Creative Cloud Libraries, and other third-party apps that are installed on your iPad and signed-in. Library assets are placed unlinked and flattened for now.
    • Camera: Tap the camera icon to open the camera on your iPad. On opening the camera for the first time, a dialog opens: "Photoshop would like to access the Camera". Tap OK to grant access. Capture a photo with your iPad. Tap Retake to capture a better shot or tap Use Photo to continue.
  4. Tap a photo to select it from any of the above sources. The selected photo opens in the Transform mode. Select a transform operation to apply to the photo before placing it on the canvas. To learn more about transform operations, see Apply transform operations.

    transform-place-photo

  5. Tap Done to apply transformations and add the photo to your canvas. Tap Cancel to go back to the open document and start the process again.

Have a question on supported file types

Find answers to some of your common queries. If your question isn't listed here, or you want to share your feedback, join discussions on Adobe Photoshop Community.

What file formats can I place in a document?

The supported file formats for placing a photo in Photoshop are - PSD, PSB, TIFF, JPG, and PNG.

Can I place .pdf and .ai files in a document?

Yes. However, PDF and AI files are converted to flat PNG images before getting added to a document.

Can I place smart objects and linked assets in a document?

Yes. However, linked assets and smart objects are placed as unlinked raster layers for now.

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