Two quick tips from me this month, one for Photoshop and one for Adobe Camera RAW and Lightroom.
Turn Off Create New Layer When Brushing
Turn Off Create New Layer When Brushing
In a recent update Adobe made a change to Photoshop so that if you try to brush onto a layer you’re not allowed to (eg a non-pixel layer like an Adjustment Layer), Photoshop will automatically create a blank layer and your brushstroke will be applied to that new layer.
Personally I don’t like this, as more often than not I was meaning to be brushing onto the layer mask and just didn’t have it selected, so the hassle of having to then delete the new layer creates more work for me.
So, my tip is, to turn this new feature off and revert to the old behaviour, go into the General tab of Photoshop Preferences and turn off the Create New Layer when Brushing check box (see Figure 1).
Figure 1 - Photoshop General preferences
Reset ACR/Lightroom Settings by Panel
This tip works for both Adobe Camera RAW and Lightroom.
When using ACR or Lightroom to adjust your image, you use the controls/sliders in the various panels like Light, Color, Effects, Color Mixer, Curve etc.
If you want to reset any particular panel back to default values, simply hold down the [Alt/Option] key and the panel headings will change into clickable headings with the word “Reset” preceding the panel name (eg Reset Light, Reset Color, Reset Effects, Reset Color Mixer, Reset Curve etc) – see Figure 2.
Figure 2 - ACR Alt Option = Reset
Click the Reset heading for the panel and the controls within that panel will be reset to their default values.
This article was first published in the January 2024 issue of Artists Down Under magazine.