Preset Locations- help me understand the two different locations [Mac]

[HooliganImages]

MacOS

I have read the info below on the Adobe help pages.   One location is for the Presets that shipped and the other is the "default" location.   I still don't understand how the two relate.  When I double clicked a new brush file it added it to the Photoshop Program folder for Presets and not the default preset location.  So I can see the brushes in the 2023 Program subfolder for Presets, but not in the Default location.  

I am trying to develop a "habit" of storing my assets in the right place but don't quite understand how to do this.  How will I be able to make sure I have a the right backups in case of a computer failure and how to reload them?  

Please point me to further reading if you can.  Thanks in advance. 

DEFAULT PRESET LOCATIONS

The default location for saving/loading/replacing presets depends on your operating system.

Windows .....

Mac: <User>/Library/Application Support/Adobe/AdobePhotoshop [version_number]/Presets.

Presets that ship with Adobe Photoshop are stored in the Photoshop program folder.

[Trevor.Dennis]

I can only speak in terms of Windows systems, where the default location is where the .abr brush groups live.  If you right click inside the document widnow with the brush tool selected, that opens what I call the 'Right Click' panel. If you then click on the wee cog icon in the top right corner, the bottom of the list will show any groups you have in thew default location.

I have the beta version open at the moment, and have not got around to transferring my brush groups so the list is nearly empty.

I've used this opportunity to rectify that, so now have thos groups available.

When you create yopur own presets, it's important to add them to a New group folder.  Then open the main Brushes panel and Export Selected Brushes. this will create a new .abr file in the default Presets > Brushes file location.  If you don't dio this t=you will lose your new presets the next time you install a major PS update version.

[Trevor.Dennis]

This is a handy page to bookmark

https://helpx.adobe.com/nz/photoshop/kb/preference-file-names-locations-photoshop.html

[HooliganImages]

Thanks this link shows the location of the preferences files.  I am not sure if this contains all of the various subfiles or not but doens't seem to, merely preferences set for various activities.  Please elaborate.  

Also I still don't know the difference between the two locations I referenced.  

[gener7]

Let's see if I can help.  The two locations boil down to the Applications folder that all user accounts on your Mac see:Those are the Presets that ship with Photoshop.

and your Home folder which holds your own paid and custom presets that no one else but you can see and use.  You can't view the entire directory tree because some are hidden by default. But you can get to it via the Go > Go to Folder... (Cmd-Shift-G shortcut) and copy/pasting this Path:

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop 2023/Presets 

The tilde or ~/ represents your Home directory. / alone is the root directory (main drive) You don't want that.

So while your Finder is active, Command Shift G will open the "Go to Folder..." dialog.

There you can see your custom Preset folders and whatever you stored there.

[gener7]

Now that's just answering that basic question you have. I don't deal directly with those folders when backing up my assets. In Photoshop I go to Edit > Presets > Export/Import which will bring up this dialog where you can  select what you want to back up and it will place them in a folder you can transfer or store safely and use the Import section to bring them back in when needed.

[HooliganImages]

@gener7 thank you for this information.  While it provides context and further infomration the program continues to confuse me as to what it does when I load say a brush from another folder.  I don't see it moving the brushes into 

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop 2023/Presets 

And when I use your method above they are not listed.  

So what I should be doing is storing them in the path above and then importing them into my workspace?  

Thank you Michael

[HooliganImages]

Ok it seems if I use your method first they get placed in the folder - ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop 2023/Presets 

Then I can load them from that location rather than the location I have them all saved.  

So to backup all my photohop presets and settings I should backup both 

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop 2023/Presets 

Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop [version] Settings

Am I understanding this correctly?

[lc55472355]

I just saw found this thread while searching for something related.  There is widespread confusion regarding where on the computer to best store one's purchased/created Photoshop presets, how to save changes when you reorganize preset groups, and how to back up your preset collections.  Accidentally losing preset assets, organizing presets into groups and having them revert, and spending too much time backing up are common occurences.  This has been a subject of special interest to me over the years and I've written up best practices that cover these topics, including answers to the questions you posed.  Let me know if I can be of assistance.  🙂

[gener7]

I'm out  of practice on this, but see:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/where-are-brushes-stored/td-p/1169827...

It looks like you need to use the Export selection in the Brush Panel Menu, where you will be offered the default User location, then once you put it there it should show up. That would be for the Preset Manager Backup.

As for a Custom backup location and the settings file, I'm really foggy on this. I haven't tried it.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

It's similar with Actions, there are two locations where they can be "officially" used. Saved .atn files can of course be saved and loaded from any location, however there is a reason that there are "official" locations for them.

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/01/photoshop-custom-action-file-backup.html

Mac:
/Applications/Adobe Photoshop CC 2022/Presets⁩/Actions

Win:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2022\Presets\Actions

By storing saved action .atn files in this default application/program location they will not be available to the built-in preset migration export tool (edit menu, presets, export/import presets).

For the built-in export/import presets feature to list saved actions for migration, they should be saved to a non-default location – the user level preset folder for actions:

Mac:

/Users/username/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop CC 2022/Presets⁩/Actions

Win:

C:\Users\username\appData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2022\Presets\Actions