Automatic placement which I do not want - how do I stop it?

Question

I cannot open more than one image in Photoshop. If I open a second image it automatically is placed on top of the first image. How do I stop this happening?

Conrad_C · Accepted Answer

It’s OK to use drag-and-drop, but you have to drop the new file in specific places.

If you drop inside the Photoshop workspace, the file opens as a separate document tab if you drop it into the empty part of the tab strip highlighted in the picture below. If you drop a file inside the window of an open document, Photoshop assumes you want to add it to that document. So you can control how the new file comes in by choosing where you drop it:

To add the new image to an open document, drop it inside that document window.
To add the new image as a separate document, drop it outside all document windows.

Another way that opens a dropped file as a separate document (at least on macOS) is to drop the file on the Photoshop application icon, such as in the Dock or on any shortcut/alias of the Photoshop application icon.

Conrad_C · Answer

How are you “opening” them? Are you using a button, a menu command, a keyboard shortcut, drag-and-drop, sending to Photoshop from Bridge or Lightroom…?

The reason I ask is because some methods can open files in separate document windows (which is what it sounds like you want), while other methods add files to an existing open document. It might just be a matter of adjusting the technique.

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