P: Ability to modify brush blending mode shortcut

[austincb]

I want to be able to customize the keyboard shortcuts for switching blending modes while using the brush tool. I switch back and forth between Normal and Clear mode hundreds of times while drawing and using my non-drawing hand to press Shift+Opt+R and (especially) Shift+Opt+N are so awkward that it becomes frustrating. I'm aware I could use the eraser, but this method works best while using the custom brushes from the Tool Presets menu.

[David Mohr]

Howdy Austin,

I'm not quite following your request.  You want a shortcut to change the various blend modes of the Brush tool, such as Normal, Dissolve, Darken, Lighten, Overlay, Difference, Hue, etc, right?  Are you saying that there already is one (SHIFT+OPT+R or +N) for some of these?  Which version of Photoshop are you using?  One of the reasons I'm asking is cuz SHIFT+OPT+R should trigger Lens Correction and SHIFT+OPT+N should trigger New Layer.

Thanks,
David

[austincb]

Yes, I'm referring to the modes of the Brush tool. I primarily switch between clear and Normal, Shift+Opt+R and Shift+Opt+N respectively. I use Photoshop CC (2015.0.0 release) and these shortcuts are included by default but are not customizable. My feature request is the ability to change them.

In my version of PS, Shift+Command+R triggers the Lens Correction filter and Shift+Command+N triggers New Layer.

[austincb]

Here's some documentation where I originally learned of this shortcut: (look for the section titled 'Keys for blending modes')
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/default-keyboard-shortcuts.html#WS17DDC46E-8F05-4250-8CFC-EE...

The default shortcut Shift + Option + N for the Normal brush blending mode is awkward and there doesn't appear to be a way to change it, it's not listed anywhere I can see under the Keyboard Shortcuts menu to be modified. So my feature request would be to have the ability to make this shortcut something simple as it's essential to my workflow.

Thanks!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Have you had any luck? I have been trying to accomplish the same thing for weeks now.  There used to be a plugin that allowed you to make custom shortcuts in Photoshop but I'll be darned if I can find it anymore. One last thing, changing a brush to paint with transparency is standard in Clip Studio Paint and it speeds up my sketching workflow ten-fold. If you haven't tried it yet, you should. The brush engine is still in it's infancy (maybe more like an awkward teen), but for sketching and inking it really can't be beat.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Found it!!!!!  Shift+Alt+ (desired key)   eg. M (multiply)  D (color dodge) R (clear) T (saturation) ...

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Hov do I get my red circle back instead og this

[Stephen Newport]

A trick I do that speeds up my work is putting my most used blending modes in an 8-Button Wacom panel, initiated by one of the pen buttons. As I paint I can click the button and tap a new blending very quickly.

[Stephen Newport]

[leovitalis]

I use switching between foreground and background color to accomplish the same thing. Works just as well for sketching and inking. Essentially, it's painting over you drawing with white, or with whatever background color you are using. Press D to reset the colors to default (black and white), then press X each time you need to switch them. If white color is interfering with underlying layers, switch the layer blending mode to Multiply. 

I also assigned one of my pen buttons to eraser, which is very convenient.

Between eraser and hitting the X, the drawing process goes smoothly. 

Using clear mode would be a more elegant solution, of course, but the keys are very awkward indeed. It shouldn't be too hard to make them customizable. 

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

@austin, use keyboard macros and create separate profile just for photoshop, ex bind F5 (on keyboard) = (key stroke) shift+alt+n, and since this will be your photoshop profile (thus will work only inside ps process), it will change blending mode of your brush to normal.

[melmost]

I'd like to resurrect this feature request since it appears never to have been resolved- I have a bunch of brushes that I really enjoy the texture and shape of, and I like to paint with many separate layers. Unfortunately, with the update, I can't just use my brushes as erasers, and the key command for toggling between clear and normal with the brush tool is awkward. I'd love to be able to edit that keyboard shortcut to something else. 

[austincb]

Hi @Melissa Manwill it's been a long time since I originally sent in this feature request, and the latest version of Photoshop now has a feature where your brush will erase when you hold down the ` key. This completely changed the way I use the app and made it so I don't have to use these awkward blend mode shortcuts that you can't change. Hope this helps you as much as it helped me!

[melmost]

Thanks for replying! Is that something you need to activate separately? The ' key doesn't do anything for me (I'm using the most updated 2021 photoshop). I tried the , key also, but that just toggles brush type for me. 

[melmost]

Oh, sorry, I just realized it's the ~ key (I think that's what you meant?). Anyhow, thanks again to replying to an ancient thread to help me out 🙂

[jmarchione]

Its great they added in the ~ key functionality but I wish they gave us the option to have it be toggle-able instead of having to hold it down. I also wish we could change which key it was bound to! It baffles me that this isn't an adjustable setting for a pro-level program.

[Stephen Newport]

I've been using Wacom on-screen controls for blend-modes for a while now, and it has sped up my workflow immensely. I only keep the ones I use all the time for speed. Assigned to one of my pen buttons I'm cycling through them all the time

[melmost]

@stevenewport I saw you shared this further up in the thread, but for the life of me couldn't figure out how you created that specific on-screen panel. I can't find anything in the wacom control panel for adjusting the EK remote or panels that have to do with brush blending modes. 

[jmarchione]

Unfortunately I don't use a wacom so don't have access to their on-screen shortcut panel. And even if I did I would rather it be a native option in photoshop. I could find numerous ways to create hotkeys for this through other programs but would much rather not have to worry about other programs.

[Stephen Newport]

@Melissa Manwill You have to use the keyboard shortcuts as a "keystroke" for each button using one of the panel styles

[melmost]

Oh ok that makes so much more sense @stevenewport . Thanks for sharing the screenshot! This will be so useful 🙂 @jon_marchione I'm sorry that this doesn't solve it for you though 😞 hopefully the people at photoshop will take notice. I feel like making a more universal key command shortcut editor would be a fairly easy addition for them to make

[Matt255164214i9e]

I'm choosing to bump this because the OP posted in 2016, and this is still a problem today -- EIGHT years. No ability to modifiy shortcuts for blending modes. Being nice about it for this long is absurd.

Adobe recently edited my words and locked a thread. I tried to criticise them over the fact that their project management does not seem to have a focus on resolving ancient problems, and instead, charge forward with new features that very few people care about. Adobe directly put words in my mouth by changing the contents of my posts and / or locking threads.

This is unacceptable, and the issue of having MANY hidden keyboard shortcuts, with a poor UI that makes it hard for users, is worse. I should not have to buy a device nor write my own AutoHotKey scripts to address a problem that a junior developer could solve in 1 day as an oboarding project. Make these blending mode shortcuts editable, and introduce a search feature into the UI. And stop putting words in my mouth.