Photoshop CS3: Set the Preferences

In addition to Color Settings, Photoshop includes ten different panes in the Preferences dialog box. Although you can work with the default settings, changing some of these can make your computer run more efficiently, and changing others can make it easier to work with your projects. For example, by default, Photoshop is set to use more than half of the available RAM. You can lower this default setting depending on how much RAM you have installed in the computer and how many other applications you keep open at the same time. You can change the default colors for the guides and grid when they are too similar to those in your image. Setting an additional plug-ins folder keeps third-party items separate from included Photoshop plug-ins, and setting a separate scratch disk can speed up your work on large files. Other personalized options, such as asking Photoshop to automatically launch the Bridge, can help you use Photoshop the way you want.

Read through each Preferences pane to familiarize yourself with the choices. Select the settings to fit your workflow and make Photoshop work for you.

1 Click Photoshop (Edit).

2 Click Preferences.

3 Click General.

The General Preferences dialog box appears.

4 Click any arrows to change your settings.

5 Click to select the options you want or deselect those you do not want.

6 Click Next to continue customizing Preferences.

The dialog box changes to the Interface Preferences.

7 Click to select the options you want or deselect those you do not want.

8 Click Next.

9 Make any other changes that you prefer in the other Preferences panes.

0 Click OK when you have cycled through all the Preferences panes.

! Click Photoshop (File). @ Click Quit Photoshop (Exit).

The next time you start the application, your own settings take effect.