Contextual Task Bars Now in Photoshop (Beta)

[Noelle Shamroukh]

We’re excited to announce that new contextual task bars are now available in Photoshop Public Beta. We know that finding the right tool, at the right time, can sometimes slow down a great workflow. Our new contextually aware task bars aim to help by providing common tools, actions and next steps right on the canvas where you’re working. We are currently launching five bars for importing new documents, making selections and using the Type Tool. Learn more below: 

Open Image or File

• This bar will appear when you open an image or file in Photoshop (i.e. not a new, empty document)

New Document Workflow

• This bar will appear if you open a new, blank document from the Photoshop home screen

• If you choose to select “import image”, your image will be placed in the document as a Smart Object and the Free Transform bar will appear to help finalize placement

Type Tool Workflow

• This bar will appear when you select the Type tool from the tool bar and draw a text box on the canvas

Selections Workflow

• Once a selection is made, a selection edit bar will appear with options to refine the selection or create a mask

Tips and Other Menu Functionality

• Pin bar position
  • You can pin and un-pin any bar from the “more menu”. Pinning will hold your bar (and all subsequent bars) where it was placed on the canvas until un-pinned from the “more menu” performed
• Reset bar position
  • The context bar moves with you as you work on the canvas, keeping relevant tools at your finger tips. If you would like to reset the position, you can do so from the “more menu”
• Hide bar
  • You can always hide the bar if you’d like to remove it completely, or temporarily, from the canvas. If you’d like to re-open the bar at any point, go to Window > Contextual Task Bar

We need your feedback!

Please let us know what you think and how we could improve the new Contextual Task Bar.

[andybatt studio]

Hi! Please add another vote for "Please let us nuke this menu permanently." This feels like the Clippy of Photoshop. If I hide it, it comes back. Every single time. I get that Adobe is always making improvements, but SO MANY TIMES you guys turn on a "feature" with no way to turn it off. In the right context, sure maybe I will use it. Right now, all it does is get in the way. 

[KGETscott]

I know the Contextual Task Bar can be pinned, but I think it would be really nice if you could dock it like other tool palettes. I would really like it to stay with the rest of my tool palettes; not covering the artwork but not floating in a pinned place either.

Personally, I'd dock it right above the Timeline - below, but central to the artwork.

[AndrewBuckle]

I quite like it - useful to have the most used commands etc at hand. It can be hidden - you never then have to see the options again. 

[KGETscott]

I actually like the contextual bar and don't want to hide it. But I'm tired of it always covering what I'm working on and it won't stay where you put it as pointed out by many others in this discussion. It just needs to be able to be docked like any other PS tool palette.

[DavidMacDo]

Although I am well aware that keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to work I am a very keyboard dyslectic and, no longer a young man, have problems remembering all the multiple keystrokes.  I love to work instinctively with the pen as much as possible and make extensive use of Wacom's on screen radial menus to help me do this. I just LOVE this new feature and hope it will be developed more. 

[AndrewBuckle]

I agree, it is a very useful feature for people who can't recall all the shortcuts, it would be sad if this is removed, it is a very useful feature of Photoshop (I know, not for everyone). It does need a few more things (permanently pinning, perhaps a docking feature but for me the usefulness is that the commands I generally use are at hand, some customization etc)

[Sandy694]

Please! Pin/dock/position/whatever where I want it PERMANENTLY! I do use it, but the way it is now it is almost always in my way until I move the !@#$ thing yet again. Pinning it temporarily, as it is now, just increases my frustration.

[KGETscott]

EXACTLY!

[jhghjgjhghjghj]

Please let us dock this toolbar. What it does is great but please let me have it in a consistent place.

[csscms]

If you're a designer (banners, TV graphics & other stuff that require PSDs) then this new bar literally stops you from doing your job - it's a constant frustration that gets in the way of designing sorry.

If this is the future (like generative full) it requires some serious docking flexibility. For me, it'd work if it was docked to the bottom of the window, next to the scrollbars. So it's still per document but not in the way.

[AndrewBuckle]

You can hide it via the window menu and contextual task bar, it doesn't re-appear. Well, certainly not in my version of Photoshop whether I open an old or new document or re-start Photoshop. 

[Maxwelp3]

But then it is gone. Out of sight and therefore out of mind.

Let me dock it somewhere to grab it later if I need it handy.

[csscms]

Agreed, it's here to stay - right? e.g. I can't figure out how to use generative fill without it so we need it, but need to dock it somewhere where it doesn't interfere with creative decisions.

[AndrewBuckle]

edit menu > generative fill, no shortcut but you set up on 

[csscms]

Cheers, will give it a go - do you get the same text prompt? Anyway, will test it. Cheers

[AndrewBuckle]

Oddly it is a slightly different box but as soon as it is processed you can then work with it via the properties for the generative layer (I think ?) 

[Maxwelp3]

It seems that most comments ask for this Contextual Bar to be docked somewhere. That sort of defeats the purpose of the bar being at the point where you are working.

For my workspace I intend to hide it and make a quick action and keyboard shortcut to open and hide the bar.

Maybe we can have the best of both worlds with that workaround.

I will give that a go and see how I find it helps or hinders my work.

[jhghjgjhghjghj]

This is a good solution.

[Sandy694]

That would work. but then it becomes yet another shortcut key I need to remember. Still, probably the best solution I've seen yet for how things are now. As it is now, it is almost always in my way.  I just HATE where it opens! 

[Zacharias_Q]

It can still float - for people who want it to be in the middle of the canvas - but at least give the people who want it out of the way the OPTION to dock it. It can't be that hard to serve both users.

[Zacharias_Q]

I use it sometimes, so it definitely can be practical. But please, for the love of god, make it dockable and STAY THERE even after closing and reopening Photoshop. Nobody needs a bar to constantly pop up in the middle of the workspace where it just gets in your way; and I don't want to have to pin it over and over. Let me dock it to the side of the screen, or on the second monitor where it's out of my way. Then it's useful. As for now I've deactivated it because it was hella annoying that it kept showing up in the middle of the canvas.

[Norman30597802cp49]

Hi

My Contextual Task Bar i had it and lost it I did something now its completely gone. It is not under window its just not there at all what can i do to fix this how is it just completely gone? All updates have been done too

[artbygermaine]

I like the tool so far but what I keep reaching for is the alignment tools. I've been trying to customize the taskbar but I guess it's not possible yet. It would be great if it can be added beside the "Flip" buttons. Thank you for your great work! 

[Glaive1976]

How do we permanently turn it off?

[csscms]

OK, have given this a good go but it's constantly in the way - how do you design when a pop-up covers the very thing you're designing?

Yes, I know PS is for photos but many modern deliverables require PSDs so about 40% of my day is spent designing in Photoshop.

If I could dock it into the bottom of the window (and keep it docked into the window for new docs from that point on) then I'd use it. But unless that changes, it's perminantly off sorry.