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.

[GapingWound]

I just tested again, and I guess I didn't actually pin it last time. It is per session, and not per image.

[Elaine5FA3]

yes, PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!

[GapingWound]

Is there a way to keep this [cursing removed] thing off my workspace, PERMANENTLY?!? I have 3 monitors, my center monitor is reserved for my workspace, all my other menus and panels live on the side monitors. If I move this thing to one of the side monitors and pin it, it will stay for the session, but it goes back to being right in the [cursing removed] workspace every time photoshop is started. Worse still, is this seems to be a PER-IMAGE setting, so if I open one image and move the bar, then open another image, the bar for THAT image is right back in the workspace exactly where I do not want it.

I do not get the logic of this. Virtually every other tool is dockable, and all of them work across multiple images and DO NOT MOVE, but why is THIS one special that it NEEDS to be front and center in my workspace?

[dafleXXX1969]

I wouldn't get my hopes up too much of Adobe addressing this amongst their tons of other "more important" tasks...
Still waiting (like so many other folks) for I-don't-even-remember-anymore-how-long that Adobe finally nixes that totally stupid behavior when using the clone stamp tool and selecting a source but clicking twice to fast and the "Aligned" checkbox at the top gets enabled. I never ever use the "Aligned" option and don't really like that feature but constantly have to uncheck it after I set a clone source by clicking twice too fast.

STUPIDO!

[Signfeld]

At the moment this thing feels like another nuissance catering to new people flooding in.

It could be better if...

- it was dockable/pinnable

- if someday we can decide on which events it pops up

- if someday we can decide what choices it gives us

Vaguely related, I've long been wishing for an action step that will display a temporary message, so I can be reminded of aspects/suggestions w/o having to close a stop dialog with that info. This pop-over tech is now clearly integrated into PS, so please let us use it 🙂

[Holli22164378ax4y]

Yes. Every single update they do, caters to new photoshop users which makes the long term value of customers go down and down. If procreate EVER makes a desktop version, I may be switching teams.

[default8awoz2ieyaoi]

I'm not a fan. I've hidden it permanently. Hide it with the eye under Keyboard short cuts and Menus

[D Fosse]

Just click the three dots and "Hide". That's all it takes.

[gener7]

The taskbar does not need to be there for every session.

I hide it, and I assign a hotkey (Cmd Shift .) to being it up when needed for the session instead of going into the Window menu to fetch it. If it stays put wherever I drag it for the session, I can deal with that.

[jeff@samcooperdesign]

That's a good idea.

[Fotomaker01RA]

Did you ever figure out a way to permanently dock it in a specific position vs having to move each and every new session? I would like the location to be "sticky" and always be at the upper right where I pin it (if I'm going to use it at all) - b/c it's really annoying to have to deal with it and move it each time now. I even tried writing an action but either did something wrong or it's not doable...

[Maxwelp3]

Yeah it is a damned nuisance. You can't do anything with an Action as you can't make an Action for a Menu item, but as a few people have said, you can assign a Keystroke combination to the Menu Item and Hide/Unhide the CTB.

That way you can get it back when you like and Hide the blasted thing again. I have now been trying it out and rather than being helpfully Contextual it just appears exactly where I want to work,

[przone]

WHY BOTHER having a --- option to 'dock it' - if it has amnesia?
So annoying that you can't just put it in a spot in the workspace and LEAVE IT THERE.

[C27618681pmp5]

After the Pin bar position to fixed Contextual Task Bar position and close Photoshop and reopened,
the Contextual Task Bar will return to its original default position instead of the pinned position.

Is this a bug?

[Ged_Traynor]

@C27618681pmp5 don't think it's a bug, but it would be nice if it stayed in the position that you pinned it to, you can of put in a feature request in the Idea's section

[C27618681pmp5]

Done,I hope the developers will watch.

[alex.furer]

Can you post a link so we can  upvote? The current state is very distracting and if there's a "pin bar", it's a no-brainer that it has to persist between sessions...

[Ged_Traynor]

@alex.furer looks like OP's post was merged into this thread, you'll find his near the bottom

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-beta-discussions/contextual-task-bars-now-in-photoshop-beta...

[SolexLLC]

Is it possible to make the contextual Task Bar's lock position a default? It would be set and remained locked in the position set by the user. And upon relaunch and the opening of documents that position would remain until unlocked by the user.

[Mark231953700enq]

I love this beta. One small gripe is that the contextual toolbar appears exactly where I want to click next at least a third of the time. It's annoying to have to keepdragging it out the way. Perhaps it could appear further away from the mouse position or the point of the last edit?

[gina238]

Ive been using the beta version of Photoshop for a week now. I really like generative fill. Excellent at removing elements from more complicated situations. I have one suggestion. I love context bar but it gets in the way when working on image. I wish I could lock it to bottom or corner. It keeps moving in front of image and many times I have to drag it out of the way while I'm working. 

[gener7]

You mean like this?  Check the 3 dot dropdown menu.

[Pherocity]

That only pins it per-session though. Once you close PS and open it again, it's back to getting in the way.

[CoryShubert]

Hi all,

This appears to be fixed in the latest release - 

Please update to the latest Ps beta - Adobe Photoshop Version: 24.7.0 20230712.m.2239 0f0768a x64

If you are still having issues, try wipeing your CCD:

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

[kesa92234071]

I'm using version Adobe Photoshop Version: 24.7.2 20231019.r.832 02eb301 x64 and STILL can't pin that toolbar so it stays put permanantly.    Every single time I open PS, it's back in the middle of my workspace.  SO very annoying.  Is there really no hope for pinning this thing out of the way so it stays there?