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Digital Age Travel Prof
Participant
August 5, 2026
Answered

In Photo shop I attempted to use history brush tool. It always reverts to smug tool

  • August 5, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 31 views

attempting to use art history brush.  When I pick a particular brush style, it converts the tool to the smug tool.

    Correct answer Claire H.

    Hi ​@Digital Age Travel Prof, Welcome to the Photoshop Community Forum! Let's try a few things to get you back to editing:

    1. Reset your tool: To reset your tools in Adobe Photoshop, select any tool, right-click its icon on the top-left Options bar, and choose Reset All Tools

    2. Photoshop Preferences: Try manually resetting your Photoshop preferences: https://adobe.ly/45MDXE8. Remember to back up your settings before doing the preference reset - https://adobe.ly/4q8Ff5V

    Let's try these two steps and see if it helps. If not, can you send your system info, a screen recording of the issue, and a numbered list of the exact steps needed to reproduce it? You can find your system info by going to Help > System Info, copying and pasting it into a text file, and attaching it here. I hope this helps! ^CH

    2 replies

    Claire H.
    Community Manager
    Claire H.Community ManagerCorrect answer
    Community Manager
    August 5, 2026

    Hi ​@Digital Age Travel Prof, Welcome to the Photoshop Community Forum! Let's try a few things to get you back to editing:

    1. Reset your tool: To reset your tools in Adobe Photoshop, select any tool, right-click its icon on the top-left Options bar, and choose Reset All Tools

    2. Photoshop Preferences: Try manually resetting your Photoshop preferences: https://adobe.ly/45MDXE8. Remember to back up your settings before doing the preference reset - https://adobe.ly/4q8Ff5V

    Let's try these two steps and see if it helps. If not, can you send your system info, a screen recording of the issue, and a numbered list of the exact steps needed to reproduce it? You can find your system info by going to Help > System Info, copying and pasting it into a text file, and attaching it here. I hope this helps! ^CH

    Trevor.Dennis
    Community Expert
    Trevor.DennisCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 6, 2026

    ​@Claire H. I think he might be trying to select presets that have tool settings.

     

    ​@Digital Age Travel Prof 

    From the brushes panel, open the pop-out menu and turn on the options I have highlighted in red.  That will give you the extra information about presets, so you can see if they use different tools.  You can select one of those presets without it changing tool if you Ctrl click on it.

     

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