How to Install Photoshop Brushes

Software

Updated June 20, 2019

Adobe Photoshop is one of the top image editing programs on the market. Not only can artists use the software to spruce up photos, but they can also create graphics from scratch. One of the top features in Adobe Photoshop is the ability to use brushes to stylize images. Read on to learn what Photoshop brushes are, where to find them, how to install them, and how to use them.

What Are Photoshop Brushes?

Photoshop brushes are used via the brush tool in Photoshop, and it enables users to draw on a document to add style to an image. Similar to real life painting, users can stroke brushes on a Photoshop document with their cursor to create lines and shapes. Users can set the size, shape, and color of their brushes to their preference. Best of all, users can install more unique brushes to use, rather than settle for the preset brushes already included in Photoshop.

How to Install Photoshop Brushes From Online

Free Photoshop brushes are very easy to find online. Some popular places to find brushes include DeviantArt, Brusheezy, and Tumblr.

Many Photoshop users prefer this option because it's a good way to connect with and support other artists online.

Download your Photoshop brush set of choice.

Be sure to unzip the file if it's a .ZIP file. Photoshop brushes are .ABR files.
Launch Photoshop, then select Edit > Presets > Preset Manager.

If the Preset Type is not set to Brushes, select Brushes from the dropdown menu.
Select Load and find your brush file within your file manager. Select Open and you should see the file extension within the Preset Manager.
Select Done to confirm the installation.
Find your newly installed brushes within the brushes settings. You can open a new photoshop document to test them out.

How to Install Photoshop Brushes From Creative Cloud

Users can also find royalty-free brushes through their Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, which is installed with (and required for) all versions of Photoshop after PS6.

Select the Creative Cloud icon from your computer desktop.

For Windows, this will be located in your taskbar at the bottom of the screen. For Mac, this will be located in your menu bar at the top of the screen.
Select Assets > Market > All Categories > Brushes.
Find a bush set you like and select the cloud icon to download it.
Find your newly installed brushes within the brushes settings in Photoshop.

How to Use Photoshop Brushes

It is often beneficial to make any brush strokes on a transparent layer as to not affect any static images you may not want seriously altered. To add a transparent layer, select Layer > New > Layer. The image will appear the same, but you will see the layer added to your document in the settings to your right.

To access brushes in Photoshop, select the brush icon on the menu to the left.

You can also press B on your keyboard as a shortcut.
When the brush menu opens, select the dropdown menu to show a brush design and a number at the bottom. From here, you'll be able to search through your brushes and select the brush you want to use.

It's often beneficial to make brush strokes on a transparent layer so you don't accidentally alter any static images. To add a transparent layer, select Layer > New > Layer. The image will appear the same, but you will see the layer added to your document in the settings to your right.
To use a brush, select within the Photoshop document once to make the brush show up like a stamp. You can also select, hold down and move your cursor around the document to continuously use the brush.

With a trackpad, hold down the pad's select button and tap the pad once for a single stroke, or draw on the trackpad for a continuous stroke.
While using a brush, you can control the size and hardness of the brush. To adjust size, press right bracket key to make the cursor larger; left bracket key to make it smaller. To adjust the hardness, press shift+right bracket to make a brush harder; shift+left bracket to make a brush softer.