Installing Free Photoshop brushes, layer style effects, actions, shapes, patterns, gradients, and color swatch

You can find a large number of Web sites giving out free Photoshop brushes, layer style effects, actions, shapes, patterns, gradients, and color swatch sets to their visitors. Here's what you need to do with these files to get them working in Photoshop:

Brushes

After downloading the free brushes you will find *.abr file in the downloaded folder, copy this *.abr file and paste into: Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop X\Presets\Brushes where X is the version number for your version of Photoshop. Brushes created in Photoshop 7 or later will not work in earlier versions of Photoshop. Any Photoshop brushes should work in Photoshop 7 and later.

From the Brushes Palette in Photoshop, click the small arrow in the upper right corner of the palette, and choose load brushes. The brushes will be added to the current brushes.

Layer Styles

For installing layer styles you will find *.asl file in the downloaded folder, copy this *.asl files and paste into: Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop X\Presets\Styles where X is the version number for your version of Photoshop.

Shapes

Downloaded folder will contain *.csh files of shapes, copy the *.csh files and paste into: Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop X\Presets\Custom Shapes where X is the version number for your version of Photoshop.

To load a file, go to the Styles palette, then click the small arrow in the top right corner and choose one of the layer style collections from the menu.

Patterns

Copy the *.pat file of pattern from downloaded folder and paste into: Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop X\Presets\Patterns where X is the version number for your version of Photoshop.

To load a pattern set, go to the Patterns palette (in the fill tool, Pattern overlay style, etc.), then click the small arrow in the top right corner and choose one of the pattern collections from the menu, or choose "Load Patterns" if the set is not listed in the menu. You can also load patterns via the Preset Manager in Photoshop 6 and up.

Gradients

Copy the *.grd files of gradients from downloaded folder and paste into: Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop X\Presets\Gradients where X is the version number for your version of Photoshop.

To load a file, go to the Gradients palette, then click the small arrow in the top right corner and choose one of the gradient sets collections from the menu.

Color Swatches

Copy the *.aco files of swatches from downloaded folder and paste into: Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop X\Presets\Color Swatches where X is the version number for your version of Photoshop.

To load a file, go to the Swatches palette, then click the small arrow in the top right corner and choose one of the swatch collections from the menu.

Actions

Copy the *.atn files of actions from the downloaded folder and paste into: Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop X\Presets\Photoshop Actions where X is the version number for your version of Photoshop.

To load an action set, go to the Actions palette, then click the small arrow in the top right corner and navigate to the location where you saved the action. Select the file you'd like to load and it will be added to the actions palette. Learn more about creating and using actions from my links to Photoshop Action Tips.