Use iPad photoshop on iMac

[John29113417x9nr]

How do I link my ipad photoshop so I can use it on my iMac?

[Ranjisha Sengupta]

Hi @John29113417x9nr 

Thanks for reaching out.

Have you already downloaded Photoshop on your macOS? If not done, please visit this page here: https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html. 

Once you are subscribed to the plan, you can log in to the account with your registered Adobe ID.

Any document you create with Photoshop on the iPad is automatically saved as a cloud document so you can easily access your creative work from iPad to desktop. Cloud documents are automatically synced across devices to create a seamless workflow.

For example, save your PSD as a cloud document if you want to resume your desktop work on the iPad. 

To view your cloud documents, navigate to the Cloud documents tab on the home screen. 

Try this out, and let us know if it helps.

Best,

Ranjisha

[jane-e]

How do I link my ipad photoshop so I can use it on my iMac?

By @John29113417x9nr

You can't use Photoshop for iPad on your iMac, if that's what you are asking (it's not clear). You can only use Photoshop (for desktop) on your iMac. You didn't say what kind of subscription plan you have.

• A subscription to Photoshop for iPad is purchased from Apple (not Adobe) and does not include Photoshop (for desktop)
• A subscription plan to Photoshop is purchased from Adobe and includes the iPad version.

To see files in the Cloud on both devices, you need to be signed in with the same Adobe ID. Files in the Cloud are linked to your Adobe ID and can only be seen when logged in with that Adobe ID.

If this doesn't completely answer your question, please give us more information so we can better advise.

Jane

[John29113417x9nr]

Many thanks. I'm now learning to get to grips with how I want to do digital art.  For that I don't need the desk top version of photoshop and the difficulties of using an Apple version rather than a Microsoft version.

I'll soldier on but that's it for now thank you all.  I'm new to digital art (and mac!) so I might jump ship to Procreate.

I appreciate your useful responses.

John

[jane-e]

You're welcome @John29113417x9nr 

Photoshop for Mobile is only on iPad right now, but to clarify, Photoshop (for desktop) has been both Windows and macOS since 2.5 in 1993.

Jane

[Conrad_C]

I don't need the desk top version of photoshop and the difficulties of using an Apple version rather than a Microsoft version.

By @John29113417x9nr

An interesting new option is the version of Photoshop that runs in a web browser. It is not like the full version, more like the iPad version, and not Mac-specific, so that might fit what you said are looking for. It is currently in beta, so you can try it out.

Photoshop for the Web beta link

However, like the iPad version, the web app does not have all of the features of the Mac/Windows desktop version.

As for why Photoshop for iPad doesn’t run on the Mac, Apple lets developers set whether each of their applications is allowed to run on both iPad OS and macOS. Many developers set theirs to be iPad-only, and Photoshop for iPad is set that way. Probably because there is already a Mac version of Photoshop and it’s much more powerful.

---

@John29113417x9nr wrote:

and the difficulties of using an Apple version rather than a Microsoft version.

On this point: The Windows and macOS versions of Photoshop are essentially identical. The only differences are those dictated by the differences between macOS and Windows themselves, such as how you choose a folder to save to. The differences between macOS and Windows today are probably smaller than they’ve ever been in history, because over the years both have added most of the best features of the other.

[jane-e]

An interesting new option is the version of Photoshop that runs in a web browser. It is not like the full version, more like the iPad version, and not Mac-specific, so that might fit what you said are looking for. It is currently in beta, so you can try it out.

Photoshop for the Web beta link

By @Conrad_C

@John29113417x9nr 

Adding to what Conrad said about Photoshop for Web:

You need an active subscription to Creative Cloud that includes Photoshop to be able to access Photoshop for Web (beta).
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/photoshop-web-faq.html

Following his link (above) on my iPad, I got this message that PS on the Web (beta) is not fully supported on my iPad. It needs desktop.

Jane

[Conrad_C]

Following his link (above) on my iPad, I got this message that PS on the Web (beta) is not fully supported on my iPad. It needs desktop.

By @jane-e

I assumed that was OK because the original question was about trying to run the iPad version on a Mac. Although that won’t work, running the iPad-like Photoshop web app does work on a Mac.

[jane-e]

It's probably fine, Conrad, and I didn't mean to say otherwise! I was on my iPad when I clicked your link and was actually surprised to get that alert.

Jane

[Conrad_C]

In case anyone’s wondering about why Photoshop for Web produces an error on iPad, I think it’s because of this part of the system requirements:

Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge version 102 and above (64-bit)

Currently, Apple requires all web browsers on iPad OS to be based on WebKit. But Photoshop for Web depends on features in those two web browsers, based on Chrome/Chromium which Apple doesn’t currently allow on iOS. So there are no iPad web browsers that meet the current system requirements for Photoshop on iPad.

There is a possibility that Photoshop for Web might run on iPad in the future, if Apple allows non-WebKit browsers on iPad OS, if Adobe updates Photoshop to run in browsers based on something other than Chrome/Chromium, or both.

[NB, colourmanagement]

You'll need to install Photoshop on the mac and you may need to add a licence for it. As Jane and Ranjisha explained you'll need to sync both to the same cloud if you'd like to share files. 

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management

[Jeff Arola]

You can use AirPlay to mirror the iPad screen on your iMac.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_cfnIfpgS8&t=74s