[raniday]

When I download preset files into Adobe PhotoShop, the brushes (abr) go into the brushes folder, and they're easily accessible. My question is about those tlp files. Some of them say they are brushes, too, but once they're loaded into their own tools folder, I don't know how to access them. If they're brushes, why aren't they abr files? What's that "tools" folder all about? This is one of those things I should already know.

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by raniday

When I download preset files into Adobe PhotoShop, the brushes (abr) go into the brushes folder, and they're easily accessible. My question is about those tlp files. Some of them say they are brushes, too, but once they're loaded into their own tools folder, I don't know how to access them. If they're brushes, why aren't they abr files? What's that "tools" folder all about? This is one of those things I should already know.

In the Tools palette are a number of tools, e.g., Crop, Brush, Art History Brush, Pattern Stamp, etc. Some tools, like Brush and Pattern stamp, let you define versions of that tool.

Let's use brushes for this example...

When you select a brush it's immediately available as Adobe (installed with Photoshop), you (custom brush you defined) or someone else (downloaded from the net and loaded into the Brushes palette) defined it, e.g., size, shape, hardness, etc.

Suppose you select Chalk 36 then modify some of its settings via the flyout menu in the Brushes palette. Now you use the modified Chalk 36 brush to paint away. Then you choose Hard Round 19 and do some painting with that. Now, you go back to the Brushes palette and choose Chalk 36 again. Remember the settings you just applied to it? They're gone. You're back to the default settings.

Now consider this scenario...
* Suppose you select Chalk 36 then modify some of its settings via the flyout menu.
* Click the Tool Preset picker (top left, under File), which displays the Tool Presets menu.
* Click the arrow (top right) to open the flyout menu.
* Choose "New Tool Preset" (top menu item), give it a name (say, "Cat Chalk 36"), click OK.

What you've done is preserve the custom settings you applied to this brush as a named Preset. The next time you want to call up your customized Chalk 36 brush, open the Tool Preset picker menu and click on the "Cat Chalk 36".

So, a Preset is nothing more than a saved variation of any tool. Presets can be defined for many of the tools, e.g., brush, crop, eraser, dodge, burn, art history brush, clone, yadda-yadda-yadda.

A Preset file (format = .tpl) is a way of transporting Presets from one computer to another.

How's that? Better? Worse? Or not much improvement? (Don't hesitate to ask if you need further clarification.)

~Danny~

[raniday]

How's that? Better? Worse? Or not much improvement? (Don't hesitate to ask if you need further clarification.)

That's a perfect explanation. Not sure why I was having trouble with that. Thanks so much, Danny!