If you are new to Photoshop, you first need to learn how to open images inside the app.
Of course, there are many ways to do so, you can open photos directly or from another software like Adobe Bridge.
By the end of this tutorial, you will learn ALL the different methods to open a file in photoshop, then it will be up to you to choose which one is convenient for you.
So, let’s get started.
1. Right-click on the Image
This is the common and quickest way to open a photo in Photoshop. All you need to do is right-click on the image, choose open with, and then click on photoshop in the submenu.
If the Photoshop icon doesn’t show up in the submenu, click on choose another app, and then scroll down until you find the photoshop icon.
On the other hand, if you scroll down and you find out that photoshop isn’t listed (it might happen with png files on windows) just click on “more apps”, then you will locate Photoshop.
2. Double-Click Option
If you work from a PC and you double-click on a jpg file, for example, it will open inside the Microsoft photos app.
To make all files of the same format (in that case the JPG format) open inside photoshop by just double-clicking. Right-click on the file, choose open with, and then click on choose another app.
The next step is to click on photoshop, turn on the checkbox next to “Always use this app to open .jpg files” and hit OK.
In this case, all future jpg files will open inside photoshop by just double-clicking.
If you work on a Macintosh, the jpg file will open in the Preview app.
So to change the default app for all jpg files, right-click on the image, then click on the “get info” command.
After the dialog box pop up, click on “preview (default)” under open with, choose photoshop, click on the “change All” button, and finally hit the continue button.
3. Drag and Drop
This is the option that I usually use. First, you need to open Photoshop, then click and hold the image you want to import and drag it to the Photoshop icon. The photoshop interface will automatically show up, then drop the image into the document window.
If you want to open the file in a new tab, drag the image into the title tab under the options bar, a little “+ copy” icon will show up, then drop it.
4. The Open New File Command
Another common way to open photos inside photoshop is by going to the file menu and clicking on the open command. Or simply use the shortcut Ctrl + O (windows)/ Cmd + O (mac).
Then, double-click on the file you want to open or select it and press Open.
5. Home Screen
To open images in photoshop is by using the Home Screen option. First, you need to do is to bring up the home screen by clicking on the home icon in the options bar. Then, hit the Open button
If you can’t find the home icon that means it was disabled. To enable it, go to the edit menu (on Windows) or Photoshop menu (on the mac), then drop down to the bottom of the menu, choose Preferences and click on general.
OR you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+ K (windows)/ Cmd + K (mac).
In the preference dialog box, turn off the checkbox next to “disable the home screen” and click OK.
Then quit photoshop and restart it so that the changes can take effect.
Update: In the recent versions of photoshop cc starting the 2020 version. The home screen icon always appears in the options bar and you can’t turn it off.
Besides, you got a new option called “Auto show the Home Screen” in Preferences. That means if the checkbox is turned on the Home Screen (also called the start screen) will open automatically when you launch Photoshop. If the Home Screen annoys you or makes your photoshop experience slower just turn off the checkbox.
6. Open Files Via Adobe Bridge
Another method is to open an image inside photoshop using the adobe bridge app. To do so, go to File menu in Photoshop and click on “Browse in Bridge” or use the shortcut Alt + Ctrl + O (win) / Cmd + option + O (mac).
After you access the app, choose the file you want to open from the content panel and double-click on it. That’s it.
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