Drag & drop images from Finder into new Photoshop layer?

Is it possible to drag & drop images from Finder into a new Photoshop layer?

I can do it from a web browser, but not the Finder.

Not possible from the Finder.

I read on a blog post (and can't confirm) that this is possible on Windows.

Looks like a feature request is in order.

Thanks!

Surely you can from Bridge?

Yes, you can in Windows. Are you sure you can't on a Mac (been a while for me)?

Actually, I am wrong. You can open a file that way, THEN drag any layer from one doc to another.

You can't drag-&-drop an image file from Bridge into an open Photoshop file (although you can into InDesign or Illustrator).

You either need to drag from one OPEN Photoshop file into another one; or you can PLACE a targeted file in a new layer.

This is oddly interesting, and a bit of a head-scratcher:

You can drag icons from the Finder to the document window in ImageReady. Funny how IR has that ability, but PS doesn't.

Here's the blog entry where I read about the Windows drag/drop feature:

< http://blog.epicedits.com/2008/01/28/drag-n-drop-into-photos hop/>

To be honest, I never thought about there being a Place command in Photoshop -- always associated that with InDesign/Illustrator. In the meantime I suppose that's a good enough workaround, with Default Folder installed it'll be close enough.

I usually keep a "work" window open with all the files I am using for a project, so it would be far more handy to be able to skim them in the Finder and throw on a new layer instead of re-finding them in the Place dialog, but still better than my old method of Open, Select All, Copy, Paste.

I knew about the Layer to Layer drag/drop, sometimes used that instead of my convoluted method mentioned in the previous sentence.

@Ramón - I couldn't find a way to do so in Bridge, but also I never use that program. Never got into it's workflow.

I couldn't find a way to do so in Bridge, but also I never use that program. Never got into Bridge's workflow. >

I really do suggest that you re-visit Bridge — especially the CS4 version.

I just cannot conceive of trying to use a Digital camera, a Scanner or the Creative Suite programs without using Bridge and ACR.

I can even use it to read PDFs and inDesign documents (all pages!) without opening Acrobat or InD..

I usually keep a "work" window open with all the files I am using for a project, so it would be far more handy to be able to skim them in the Finder.

It is now far more effective — and efficient— to do that in Bridge than in the Finder.

This is where you would find the new Collections feature to be invaluable:

Just select all the images and other files connected to a project from any folder and drag their icons into the same Collection.

You then have all aliases (previewable at full-screen slide-view size with one click of the space bar in CS4) to ALL of your files which are now visible in. and openable from, a single panel.

Will have to give it another chance. It always seemed like a more-confusing Finder to me.

What is the "ACR" you mentioned?

Are Collections new in CS4? As it isn't yet released, I don't have a copy. Assume you were lucky enough to be in on the beta program?

I can even use it to read PDFs and inDesign documents (all pages!) without opening Acrobat or InD..

Quicklook! :)

Bridge, even CS4, is still worthless to me :)

Do give it another chance: CS3 was a lot better than CS2 but CS4 knocks the socks off both of them!

"Collections" in CS3 was very weak and only really grouped proxies of the files found as a result of the rather limited Search function. I never found much use for it.

You will find that "Collections" in CS4 is entirely different; and might be sufficient reason in itself to upgrade to CS4.

For example:
Using Bridge CS4, I just Select all the images (from a variety of different folders) that I want to use in an Adobe Web Gallery and add them to a Collection.

Then I arrange the images in that Collection manually in the order that I wish them to appear in the Gallery and create the Gallery directly out of Bridge using one of the Lightroom Flash templates.

Scott:

You amaze me! How much time have you actually spent exploring Bridge CS4?

:|

Hours Ann. It's just not valuable in my workflows. I've given it an honest shot and the ONLY reason I ever touch Bridge is to change metadata on multiple files at once. That's it.

George,

I believe that blog entry is incorrect or misleading. You can open a new document that way, but AFAIK you can't add an image as a layer that way on any platform.

I swear I remember dragging-and-dropping an image icon from my desktop to a document window in PS CS2, and it created a new layer. I have "hot corners" assigned for Exposé, and had to drag first to a corner to expose the window, then wait...I remember having to hold it over the PS document window until it "flashed" and came to the front. I also remember it would work in one of the "F-key" full screen modes, but not in standard view.

Gotta go explore that again, to help us all get this nailed down. It also may be that image mode, and/or pixel dimensions of source and target images will play a role in whether it'll work or not.

Phos,

I dunno. What it it's a multi-layered document? Does it bring in all layers or just one? Or a composite?

Seems unlikely to me. I only have CS though.

What I remember from when it worked with PS (and I'm dead positive my memory is correct insofar as doing this with PS CS2 and not IR CS2...we already know it works with IR) is that I dragged either a JPEG or a PNG from the desktop, then over the PS document window, where I released it.

Interesting. I did not know you could do that in ImageReady.

I tied it out in all the window modes, by dragging a 72 DPI JPG file on to a 72 DPI Photoshop document.

Tried both dragging from Finder while Photoshop was active, and also drsagging from Finder while Finder was active and Cmd-Tab switching to Photoshop. No luck with any of these methods.

DANG!

I was just experimenting, and I can't get it to work in PS CS2.

And I can't explain why my memory is so strong of it working. My only guess is that I'm confusing it with being able to do it in IR.

siiiigggghhhh....

Oh well.

Maybe you were using a PC at the time Phos???

Bite your tongue, and stop by the bailiff's stand for a pee-pee whacking on your way out the door, Scott!

XD

Doesn't matter. I tried on PC. No go.

Why would it amaze you, Ed, when it can be done with ImageReady?

(Clarification: Maybe you mean it would amaze you if Windows PS did it, and Mac PS didn't?)

OK...I think I figured out what I mis-remembered.

I'm able to click and drag an image off a page in Firefox, drag to my hot corner for showing all windows in Exposé, holding the image over top of my PS document window, wait till it changes, then unclick & drop.

Well, it works in IR (on flat files), which I was surprised by. Seems counter-intuitive. But IR was a different program from PS, even though they shared a lot

The platform doesn't matter. Seems to me if it worked on one it would probably work on the other.

"The platform doesn't matter. Seems to me if it worked on one it would probably work on the other. "

A'yup. One would hope, anyway.

That works on PC slso. I think the image has to be open in some program (FF for instance) to work.

You can drag a layer from an open PS image in PS from the Layer-palette though to another image. It doesn't work from just "any" open application (I tested from Preview, no go).

It has to be an application that supports drag and drop.