How to Open a File in Photoshop – Instructions

Overview of How to Open Files in Photoshop:

            There are many ways to open a file in Photoshop, based on where the file to open is saved. To open a file in Photoshop, either click the “Open” button in the Photoshop Home screen or select “File| Open…” from the Menu Bar. Doing either action then launches either the “Open” dialog box or the “Open from Creative Cloud” window, depending on which one you last used to open a file in Photoshop. You use the “Open” system dialog box to open locally-saved files. Alternatively, you use the “Open from Creative Cloud” window to open files saved to Creative Cloud.

            If needed, to switch to the “Open from Creative Cloud” window from the “Open” dialog box if it appears, click the “Open cloud documents” button within it. Alternatively, to switch to the “Open” dialog box from the “Open from Creative Cloud” window if it appears, click the “On your computer” button within it.

How to Open a Locally-Saved File in Photoshop:

            To use the “Open” dialog box to open a locally-saved file in Photoshop, navigate into the folder that contains the file to open. Then click it to select it. Like most Windows-based apps, if you need to select multiple local files to open, you can also click to select them while holding down either the “Ctrl” or “Shift” key to select multiple non-adjacent or adjacent files, respectively, if needed. Then click the “Open” button in the “Open” dialog box to open the selected file or files.

How to Open a File Saved in Creative Cloud in Photoshop:

            Alternatively, to use the “Open from Creative Cloud” window to open files saved in Creative Cloud in Photoshop, click either the “Your files” link at the left side of the window to show your saved files to the right or click the “Shared with you” link at the left side of the window to show Creative Cloud files shared with you to the right. Then click to select the file to open in the list at the right side of the window to immediately open it. Note that you can only open one Creative Cloud file at a time using this window.

A picture showing how to open a file in Photoshop by using the “Open from Creative Cloud” window.

How to Open a File Saved in Creative Cloud from the Home Screen in Photoshop:

            Alternatively, to open Creative Cloud files from the Home screen in Photoshop, click the “Home” button at the left end of the Options bar to show the Home screen, if needed. Then click either the “Your files” or the “Shared with you” link at the left side of the Home screen to select the Creative Cloud photos to show to the right. Then click the file to open to the right.

How to Open Multiple Files at Once in Creative Cloud from the Home Screen in Photoshop:

            Alternatively, to select multiple Creative Cloud files to open, hover over a file to select and then click the checkbox that appears in its upper-left corner to mark it with a checkmark. Repeat this process to check the files to open. Then click the “Open” link that appears towards the upper-right corner of the list of files to open the selected Creative Cloud files in Photoshop.

How to Open Files in Photoshop from Adobe Bridge:

            Alternatively, to open a file in Photoshop from Adobe Bridge if you have that app installed, select “File| Browse in Bridge…” from the Menu Bar to open the Adobe Bridge app. Then navigate to the folder that contains the file to open in the “Folders” pane in Adobe Bridge and click it to select it and show its contents in the “Content” pane. Then double-click the file to open in the “Content” pane of Adobe Bridge to open it in Photoshop. You can then click the “X” button in the upper-right corner of the Adobe Bridge app to close it, if desired.

How to Open a Recent File in Photoshop:

            Alternatively, to open a recently-opened file in Photoshop, click “File” in the Menu Bar, roll over the “Open Recent” command, and then click to select the name of the recently-opened file to reopen in the side menu of choices that appears.

How to Open a File in Photoshop – Instructions:

1. To open a file in Photoshop, either click the “Open” button in the Photoshop Home screen or select “File| Open…” from the Menu Bar.
2. Doing either action then launches either the “Open” dialog box or the “Open from Creative Cloud” window, depending on which one you last used to open a file in Photoshop.
3. You use the “Open” system dialog box to open locally-saved files.
4. Alternatively, you use the “Open from Creative Cloud” window to open files saved to Creative Cloud.
5. If needed, to switch to the “Open from Creative Cloud” window from the “Open” dialog box if it appears, click the “Open cloud documents” button within it.
6. Alternatively, to switch to the “Open” dialog box from the “Open from Creative Cloud” window if it appears, click the “On your computer” button within it.
7. To use the “Open” dialog box to open a locally-saved file in Photoshop, navigate into the folder that contains the file to open.
8. Then click it to select it.
9. If you need to select multiple local files to open, you can also click to select them while holding down either the “Ctrl” or “Shift” key to select multiple non-adjacent or adjacent files, respectively.
10. Then click the “Open” button in the “Open” dialog box to open the selected file or files.
11. Alternatively, to use the “Open from Creative Cloud” window to open files saved in Creative Cloud in Photoshop, click either the “Your files” link at the left side of the window to show your saved files to the right or click the “Shared with you” link at the left side of the window to show Creative Cloud files shared with you to the right.
12. Then click to select the file to open in the list at the right side of the window to immediately open it. Note that you can only open one Creative Cloud file at a time using this window.
13. Alternatively, to open Creative Cloud files from the Home screen in Photoshop, click the “Home” button at the left end of the Options bar to show the Home screen, if needed.
14. Then click either the “Your files” or the “Shared with you” link at the left side of the Home screen to select the Creative Cloud photos to show to the right.
15. Then click the file to open to the right.
16. Alternatively, to select multiple Creative Cloud files to open, hover over a file to select and then click the checkbox that appears in its upper-left corner to mark it with a checkmark.
17. Repeat this process to check the files to open.
18. Then click the “Open” link that appears towards the upper-right corner of the list of files to open the selected Creative Cloud files in Photoshop.
19. Alternatively, to open a file in Photoshop from Adobe Bridge if you have that app installed, select “File| Browse in Bridge…” from the Menu Bar to open the Adobe Bridge app.
20. Then navigate to the folder that contains the file to open in the “Folders” pane in Adobe Bridge and click it to select it and show its contents in the “Content” pane.
21. Then double-click the file to open in the “Content” pane of Adobe Bridge to open it in Photoshop.
22. You can then click the “X” button in the upper-right corner of the Adobe Bridge app to close it, if desired.
23. Alternatively, to open a recently-opened file in Photoshop, click “File” in the Menu Bar, roll over the “Open Recent” command, and then click to select the name of the recently-opened file to reopen in the side menu of choices that appears.

Video Lesson on How to Open a File in Photoshop:

            The following video lesson, titled “Learn How to Open a File in Adobe Photoshop: A Training Tutorial,” shows the different ways to open files in Photoshop. This video lesson is from our complete Photoshop tutorial, titled “Mastering Photoshop Made Easy.”