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drewf280
Participant
April 15, 2019
Answered

How to restore work if you have reset your history

  • April 15, 2019
  • 4 replies
  • 4644 views

I like to go all the way to the top of my history panel and click it to see a comparison from when I first opened the project I'm working on and the current state of it. However, if you go back to any point of the history panel and click on it and then use any tool in photoshop, it will erase any work you had done after that point. Until you hit ctrl z, that is. Unfortunately, I forgot to revert my history back to the current state and kept drawing, thus losing all the progress I had made since opening the file. I usually don't save my file until I'm ready to close it, so I can't just load up a previously saved version of the document.

Is there any way to go deeper into the history panel and get back the work I did? Thanks. !

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer SJRiegel

You can take "snapshots" in the history panel to temporarily save various states of your work. 

Keep in mind that these do not persist after the file is closed.

4 replies

stevenm19778069
stevenm19778069
Participating Frequently
August 8, 2024

To avoid this type of thing, always use control J to make a duplicate layer before you start working on the image. This will make the background layer the unedited layer. Now if you want to do a quick comparason to the unedited image, hold the alt key and left click the background layer eyeball. This will tun off all the visable layers accept the borrom one. Click it again and it will turn all of the previously visible layers back on.

Sean McCormack
Community Expert
Sean McCormackCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 16, 2019

You don't need to click to see what it looks like, you can right click at any history point and choose 'Copy History Step settings to Before'. Pressing \ will swap between before and after, while Y will give a split view.

Sean McCormack. Author of 'Essential Development 3'. Magazine Writer. Former Official Fuji X-Photographer.
Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 16, 2019

Non-linear history is your friend.

    A
    AstroBear
    Participant
    October 10, 2019
    Sounds like the perfect fix! How in the world do i find that "History Options" box in Photoshop CC 2019???
      S
      SJRiegelCorrect answer
      Legend
      April 15, 2019

      You can take "snapshots" in the history panel to temporarily save various states of your work. 

      Keep in mind that these do not persist after the file is closed.

        Stephen Marsh
        Community Expert
        Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        April 16, 2019

        I really like snapshots and may develop many during an open session… Which is why I was lucky enough to have the following script written at my request:

        https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2034807

        Prepression: Downloading and Installing Adobe Scripts

        P.S. You can also use this script to save out incrementally numbered PSD file “versions” as you work:

        Re: How to incrementally save images using a hotkey

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