When you have been working with Photoshop for a while, you may find that there are certain tool options settings that you use over and over again. Instead of adjusting the options for a tool every time you need to perform the same tasks, you can set up the tool once, and save the options settings as a tool preset.

 

To save a preset, select the tool of your choice, and specify the particular options settings that you require in the options bar.

For this example the selected tool is the clone stamp. In the options bar, the diameter is set to 73, the mode is set to dissolve, and the hardness is set to 90%. To save this configuration as a tool preset, click the small note pad icon just beneath the right pointing arrow in the brush selection box.

 

This will display a small dialog box containing a name generated by Photoshop for the new preset.

 

Here is the New Preset dialog:

 

 

If you are satisfied with this name, click the OK button. If you want to use your own name for the preset, enter it in the field provided and then click OK. After you click the OK button the preset will be saved and will now be available in the tool preset picker box at the left of the options bar. (Note: only presets for the chosen tool will be shown.)

 

Here is the newly saved preset. To use the preset, simply select it by clicking on it. You can follow this procedure to create a preset or multiple presets for any of the Photoshop CS tools. When you start Photoshop, the presets you created will be available to you in the tool preset picker.

 

By placing a checkmark next to Window->Tool Presets, you can display a Preset palette with essentially the same functionality as the option bar’s preset picker. If you click the right pointing menu arrow in the upper right of the palette (or in the upper right of the preset picker) you will display a menu with several options for working with presets, including options for storing, saving, and resetting them to the defaults.

 

 

 

To remove a preset that you have created, right click on it and select delete from the pop up menu. To reset the tool presets to the default settings, click the right pointing menu arrow, and then click the Reset Tool Presets from this menu.