- Photoshop User Guide
- Introduction to Photoshop
- Photoshop and other Adobe products and services
- Photoshop on the iPad (not available in mainland China)
- Photoshop on the iPad | Common questions
- Get to know the workspace
- System requirements | Photoshop on the iPad
- Create, open, and export documents
- Add photos
- Work with layers
- Draw and paint with brushes
- Make selections and add masks
- Retouch your composites
- Work with adjustment layers
- Adjust the tonality of your composite with Curves
- Apply transform operations
- Crop and rotate your composites
- Rotate, pan, zoom, and reset the canvas
- Work with Type layers
- Work with Photoshop and Lightroom
- Get missing fonts in Photoshop on the iPad
- Japanese Text in Photoshop on the iPad
- Manage app settings
- Touch shortcuts and gestures
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Edit your image size
- Livestream as you create in Photoshop on the iPad
- Correct imperfections with the Healing Brush
- Create brushes in Capture and use them in Photoshop on the iPad
- Work with Camera Raw files
- Create and work with Smart Objects
- Adjust exposure in your images with Dodge and Burn
- Auto adjustment commands in Photoshop on the iPad
- Smudge areas in your images with Photoshop on the iPad
- Saturate or desaturate your images using Sponge tool
- Content aware fill for iPad
- Photoshop on the web (not available in mainland China)
- Common questions
- System requirements
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Supported file types
- Introduction to the workspace
- Open and work with cloud documents
- Generative AI features
- Basic concepts of editing
- Quick Actions
- Work with layers
- Retouch images and remove imperfections
- Make quick selections
- Image improvements with Adjustment Layers
- Add a fill layer
- Move, transform, and crop images
- Draw and paint
- Draw and edit Shapes
- Work with Type layers
- Work with anyone on the web
- Manage app settings
- Generate Image
- Generate Background
- Reference Image
- Photoshop (beta) (not available in mainland China)
- Generative AI (not available in mainland China)
- Common questions on generative AI in Photoshop
- Generative Fill in Photoshop on the desktop
- Generate Image with descriptive text prompts
- Generative Expand in Photoshop on the desktop
- Replace background with Generate background
- Get new variations with Generate Similar
- Generative Fill in Photoshop on the iPad
- Generative Expand in Photoshop on the iPad
- Generative AI features in Photoshop on the web
- Content authenticity (not available in mainland China)
- Cloud documents (not available in mainland China)
- Photoshop cloud documents | Common questions
- Photoshop cloud documents | Workflow questions
- Manage and work with cloud documents in Photoshop
- Upgrade cloud storage for Photoshop
- Unable to create or save a cloud document
- Solve Photoshop cloud document errors
- Collect cloud document sync logs
- Invite others to edit your cloud documents
- Share files and comment in-app
- Workspace
- Workspace basics
- Preferences
- Learn faster with the Photoshop Discover Panel
- Create documents
- Place files
- Default keyboard shortcuts
- Customize keyboard shortcuts
- Tool galleries
- Performance preferences
- Use tools
- Presets
- Grid and guides
- Touch gestures
- Use the Touch Bar with Photoshop
- Touch capabilities and customizable workspaces
- Technology previews
- Metadata and notes
- Place Photoshop images in other applications
- Rulers
- Show or hide non-printing Extras
- Specify columns for an image
- Undo and history
- Panels and menus
- Position elements with snapping
- Position with the Ruler tool
- Web, screen, and app design
- Image and color basics
- How to resize images
- Work with raster and vector images
- Image size and resolution
- Acquire images from cameras and scanners
- Create, open, and import images
- View images
- Invalid JPEG Marker error | Opening images
- Viewing multiple images
- Customize color pickers and swatches
- High dynamic range images
- Match colors in your image
- Convert between color modes
- Color modes
- Erase parts of an image
- Blending modes
- Choose colors
- Customize indexed color tables
- Image information
- Distort filters are unavailable
- About color
- Color and monochrome adjustments using channels
- Choose colors in the Color and Swatches panels
- Sample
- Color mode or Image mode
- Color cast
- Add a conditional mode change to an action
- Add swatches from HTML CSS and SVG
- Bit depth and preferences
- Layers
- Layer basics
- Nondestructive editing
- Create and manage layers and groups
- Select, group, and link layers
- Place images into frames
- Layer opacity and blending
- Mask layers
- Apply Smart Filters
- Layer comps
- Move, stack, and lock layers
- Mask layers with vector masks
- Manage layers and groups
- Layer effects and styles
- Edit layer masks
- Extract assets
- Reveal layers with clipping masks
- Generate image assets from layers
- Work with Smart Objects
- Blending modes
- Combine multiple images into a group portrait
- Combine images with Auto-Blend Layers
- Align and distribute layers
- Copy CSS from layers
- Load selections from a layer or layer mask's boundaries
- Knockout to reveal content from other layers
- Selections
- Get started with selections
- Make selections in your composite
- Select and Mask workspace
- Select with the marquee tools
- Select with the lasso tools
- Adjust pixel selections
- Move, copy, and delete selected pixels
- Create a temporary quick mask
- Select a color range in an image
- Convert between paths and selection borders
- Channel basics
- Save selections and alpha channel masks
- Select the image areas in focus
- Duplicate, split, and merge channels
- Channel calculations
- Get started with selections
- Image adjustments
- Replace object colors
- Perspective warp
- Reduce camera shake blurring
- Healing brush examples
- Export color lookup tables
- Adjust image sharpness and blur
- Understand color adjustments
- Apply a Brightness/Contrast adjustment
- Adjust shadow and highlight detail
- Levels adjustment
- Adjust hue and saturation
- Adjust vibrance
- Adjust color saturation in image areas
- Make quick tonal adjustments
- Apply special color effects to images
- Enhance your image with color balance adjustments
- High dynamic range images
- View histograms and pixel values
- Match colors in your image
- Crop and straighten photos
- Convert a color image to black and white
- Adjustment and fill layers
- Curves adjustment
- Blending modes
- Target images for press
- Adjust color and tone with Levels and Curves eyedroppers
- Adjust HDR exposure and toning
- Dodge or burn image areas
- Make selective color adjustments
- Adobe Camera Raw
- Camera Raw system requirements
- What's new in Camera Raw
- Introduction to Camera Raw
- Create panoramas
- Supported lenses
- Vignette, grain, and dehaze effects in Camera Raw
- Default keyboard shortcuts
- Automatic perspective correction in Camera Raw
- Radial Filter in Camera Raw
- Manage Camera Raw settings
- Open, process, and save images in Camera Raw
- Repair images with the Enhanced Spot Removal tool in Camera Raw
- Rotate, crop, and adjust images
- Adjust color rendering in Camera Raw
- Process versions in Camera Raw
- Make local adjustments in Camera Raw
- Image repair and restoration
- Image enhancement and transformation
- Drawing and painting
- Paint symmetrical patterns
- Draw rectangles and modify stroke options
- About drawing
- Draw and edit shapes
- Painting tools
- Create and modify brushes
- Blending modes
- Add color to paths
- Edit paths
- Paint with the Mixer Brush
- Brush presets
- Gradients
- Gradient interpolation
- Fill and stroke selections, layers, and paths
- Draw with the Pen tools
- Create patterns
- Generate a pattern using the Pattern Maker
- Manage paths
- Manage pattern libraries and presets
- Draw or paint with a graphics tablet
- Create textured brushes
- Add dynamic elements to brushes
- Gradient
- Paint stylized strokes with the Art History Brush
- Paint with a pattern
- Sync presets on multiple devices
- Migrate presets, actions, and settings
- Text
- Filters and effects
- Saving and exporting
- Color Management
- Web, screen, and app design
- Video and animation
- Printing
- Automation
- Troubleshooting
The Place command adds a photo, art, or any Photoshop-supported file as a Smart Object to your document. Smart Objects can be scaled, positioned, skewed, rotated, or warped without degrading the image.
Place a file in Photoshop
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Open the Photoshop document that is the destination for the placed art or photo.
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Do one of the following:
(Photoshop) Choose File > Place Embedded or File > Place Linked, select the file you want to place, and select Place.
Note:You can also drag a file from Windows or Mac OS onto an open Photoshop image.
- (Bridge) Select the file and choose File > Place > In Photoshop.
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If you are placing a PDF or an Illustrator (Ai) file, the Open As Smart Object dialog box appears. Select the page or image you want to place, set the Crop options, and select OK. For more information on the Open As Smart Object dialog box options, see Place PDF or Illustrator files in Photoshop.
The placed artwork appears inside a bounding box at the center of the Photoshop image. The artwork maintains its original aspect ratio; however, if the artwork is larger than the Photoshop image, it is resized to fit.
Note:In addition to the Place command, you can also add Adobe Illustrator art as a Smart Object by copying and pasting the art from Illustrator into a Photoshop document. See Paste Adobe Illustrator art into Photoshop.
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(Optional) Reposition or transform the placed artwork by doing any of the following:
To reposition the placed art, position the pointer inside the bounding box of the placed artwork and drag, or in the options bar, enter a value for X to specify the distance between the center point of the placed artwork and the left edge of the image. Enter a value for Y to specify the distance between the center point of the placed artwork and the top edge of the image.
To scale the placed art, drag one of the corner handles of the bounding box or enter values for W and H in the options bar. When dragging, hold down the Shift key to constrain proportions.
To rotate the placed art, position the pointer outside the bounding box (the pointer turns into a curved arrow) and drag, or enter a value (in degrees) for the Rotation option in the options bar. The artwork rotates around the center point of the placed artwork. To adjust the center point, drag it to a new location, or click a handle on the Center Point icon in the options bar.
To skew the placed art, hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) and drag a side handle of the bounding box.
To warp the placed art, choose Edit > Transform > Warp and then choose a warp from the Warp Style pop-up menu in the options bar.
If you choose Custom from the Warp Style pop-up menu, drag the control points, a segment of the bounding box or mesh, or an area within the mesh to warp the image.
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If you’re placing a PDF, EPS, or Adobe Illustrator file, set the Anti-alias option in the options bar as desired. To blend edge pixels during rasterization, select the Anti-alias option. To produce a hard-edged transition between edge pixels during rasterization, deselect the Anti-alias option.
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Do one of the following:
Click Commit in the options bar or press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS) to commit the placed artwork to a new layer.
Click Cancel in the options bar, or press Esc to cancel the placement.
Place PDF or Illustrator files in Photoshop
When you place a PDF or Adobe Illustrator file, use the Place PDF dialog box to set options for placing the artwork.
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With the destination Photoshop document open, place a PDF or Adobe Illustrator file.
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Under Select in the Place PDF dialog box, select Page or Image, depending on what elements of the PDF document you want to import. If the PDF file has multiple pages or images, click the thumbnail of the page or file you want to place.Note:
Use the Thumbnail Size menu to adjust the thumbnail view in the preview window. The Fit Page option fits one thumbnail in the preview window. A scroll bar appears if there are multiple items.
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Under Options, choose from the Crop To menu to specify what part of the PDF or Illustrator (AI) document to include:
Bounding Box
Crops to the smallest rectangular region that includes all the text and graphics of the page. This option eliminates extraneous white space.
Media Box
Crops to the original size of the page.
Crop Box
Crops to the clipping region (crop margins) of the PDF file.
Bleed Box
Crops to the region specified in the PDF file for accommodating limitations inherent in production processes such as cutting, folding, and trimming.
Trim Box
Crops to the region specified for the intended finished size of the page.
Art Box
Crops to the region specified in the PDF file for placing the PDF data into another application.
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Click OK to close the Place PDF dialog box.
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If necessary, set any positioning, scaling, skewing, rotating, warping, or anti-aliasing options in the options bar.
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Click Commit to place the artwork as a Smart Object on a new layer of the destination document.
Paste Adobe Illustrator art into Photoshop
You can copy art from Adobe Illustrator and paste it into a Photoshop document.
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In Adobe Illustrator, specify preferences for the copy-and-paste behavior:
To automatically rasterize the art when pasting it into a Photoshop document, turn off the PDF and the AICB (No Transparency Support) options in the File Handling & Clipboard preferences.
To paste the art as a Smart Object, rasterized image, path, or shape layer, turn on the PDF and the AICB (No Transparency Support) options in the File Handling & Clipboard preferences.
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Open a file in Adobe Illustrator, select the art you want to copy, and choose Edit > Copy.
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In Photoshop, open the document that you want to paste the Adobe Illustrator art into and then choose Edit > Paste.Note:
If the PDF and the AICB (No Transparency Support) options are turned off in the File Handling & Clipboard preferences of Adobe Illustrator, the art is automatically rasterized as it’s pasted into the Photoshop document. You can skip the rest of the steps in this procedure.
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In the Paste dialog box, select how you want to paste the Adobe Illustrator art and then click OK:
Smart Object
Pastes the art as a Vector Smart Object that can be scaled, transformed, or moved without degrading the image. As the art is placed, its file data is embedded in the Photoshop document on a separate layer.
Pixels
Pastes the art as pixels that can be scaled, transformed, or moved before it is rasterized and placed on its own layer in the Photoshop document.
Path
Pastes the art as a path that can be edited with the pen tools, Path Selection tool, or Direct Selection tool. The path is pasted into the layer that’s selected in the Layers panel.
Shape Layer
Pastes the art as a new shape layer (a layer containing a path filled with the foreground color).
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If you selected Smart Object or Pixels in the Paste dialog box, make any transformations you wish, and then click Enter or Return to place the art.