Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
POWER USERS' CLINIC: MAKING SMART BRUSH PRESETS
While the Smart Brush offers a lot of different presets, you may find it slightly frustrating if Ele-
ments doesn't have a setting for a correction you use frequently. No problem—as long as you can
use Adjustment layers ( Adjustment and Fill Layers ) to achieve the effect you want, you can create
your own presets, and they'll appear alongside the ones from Adobe.
To get started in Windows, go to C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\13.0\Photo
Creations\adjustment layers . These files are hidden, so you need to turn on hidden files to see
them (the Tip on Tip tells you how). On a Mac, go to [your hard drive] Library Application
Support Adobe Photoshop Elements 13.0 Photo Creations adjustment layers (if you
need help finding this folder, see Figure I-1 ). No matter what your operating system, you see three
files for each preset:
A PSD file containing the preset's actual settings.
A JPEG file , which you need if you want to have a little preview in the menu.
An XML file that tells Elements what category to include the preset in, like the “Black and
White” or Lighting category.
Basically, you need to edit copies of these files to make new ones for each preset you want to add.
Here's how:
1. Open one of the PSD files in the Editor . Pick the one that's the closest to what you
want. The PSD file is a 160-pixel square image with an Adjustment layer on it. Save the
file with a new name so you don't mess up the original.
2. Change the file's settings . In the Layers panel, click the Adjustment layer to select it, and
then—in the Adjustments panel—tweak its settings. Then save the file.
3. Create a new thumbnail . You can just save the original thumbnail with a new name.
(Thumbnails are 74-pixel square JPEGs, in case you want to make a new one from
scratch.)
4. Create a new XML file . Open the XML file and do a Save As, changing the name to that
of the preset you just created. (In Windows, open the file with Notepad, a text editor; in
the Save As dialog box, choose All Files in the “Save as type” menu. On a Mac, use Tex-
tEdit, but be sure to save the file as plain text [.txt].) Then look through the contents of the
file for a line like this:
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