How to add new paint brushes to Photoshop on a Mac or PC

It's easy to add new brushes to Photoshop once you've downloaded them.

Sharaf Maksumov/Shutterstock

You can add new brushes to Photoshop by downloading them from the internet to your computer and then using the "Import Brushes" menu.
When you download a new Photoshop brush, make sure to remember where you save the .ABR file — you'll need it to add the brush.
You can find the "Import Brushes" option in Photoshop's "Brushes" panel.
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Photoshop comes with a wide selection of brushes you can use right away, but you can also purchase new brushes or download free ones to expand your creative options.

However, like a lot of Photoshop's key functions, it's not obvious how to add these brushes afterwards - you're left with hundreds of menus and icons to sift through yourself.

Here's how to add new brushes to Photoshop, and start using them right away.

How to add brushes to Photoshop

1. Start by downloading the brushes to your computer. If the brushes came in a .zip file, you'll need to open the .zip and extract the files. The only files you need, though, are the .ABR files - there should be one for each brush. If you need help opening a .zip file, check out our articles on .zip files for both Windows 10 PCs and macOS computers.

2. Be sure to note where you've saved the .ABR file - you'll need to find it again later.