Thank you Vicki!!!!!
@Vicki Robinson
This is wonderful!!!! Worked like a charm and I cant wait to add the brushes I use. This was just what I needed. Thank you!!!!!
Oh I'm so glad! I'm also a Mac girl and I'm back at my desk, so let me add:
The abrmate application Angie (
@AZK ) mentions is a Windows only application. Unfortunately, the very few similar apps that existed for Mac have either disappeared or are no longer being updated and (as far as I have tested) don't work with any of the last several years of Mac OS updates.
Yes, you can attach an image to the .abr file, just the same way as you do with kit folders. In fact that's what I do and I also do it for my Styles (.asl) files and my Pattern (.pat) files. If you - or anyone on a Mac needs help on how to do this, I've got two methods in
this blog post. You can use the brush preview that came with the product if the brushes are displayed so that you can see each individual brush tip. If there are so many brushes in the pack that it was not feasible for the preview to show each one, you can take a screenshot of the Finder window that has all of the matching PNGs that go with the .abr file — if they were included of course — and then use THAT screenshot as your .abr image, and also keep a copy in with the folder with the brushes so you have it.
It's pretty unusual, but if the designer did not provide matching PNGs, you can create them yourself. Open a new 12x12 document with a transparent background. Stamp down the first brush in the set (in black is best), then crop away the excess space, and from the main menu choose File>Save As ... Navigate to where you want to save (the same folder than had the .abr file) and then give it a name (I use the same name as the .abr file and add -01, 02, etc). In the Format box, choose PNG and click Save. Once you've got all the PNGs saved you can then screenshot that Finder screen as I mention above. If anyone would like a tutorial on this, just reply comment below. The process of making the PNGS is the same on a PC, so the tutorial should help anyone wanting to do this.
As to organizing brushes, you can't really organize them within PSE, but as to your files, I think it's something every scrapper should think about in terms of how they like to scrap — which is the same advice I give about organizing your digital stash.
For example, some people like to keep everything that comes with a kit in one folder, including brushes, because they don't tend to mix bits from other kits/or designers on one page.
Others, like Angie said she does, move things like brushes to separate folders because they love to mix and match. Within a "main" brush folder, you could just have all the .abr files together or you could have subfolders by designer or even brush style.
As I am a designer, I keep all of my "commercial" use brushes in folders according to the type/style of brush. For example, I have a folder for watercolor, distressing, paint strokes, texturing, etc.
One of the coolest things about the Mac Finder is that you can easily add "tags" to any file and then add those tags to the Finder side bar. I have tagged my brushes and it's easy for me to go directly to the kinds of brushes I want use — in this case the brushes I sell and use myself. If any Mac person would like a tutorial on this just comment below and I'll add it to my list. I think there's probably a way "tag" then search for files on PC's too.
I hope I've answered most of your questions,
@AK_Tracy