Creating and managing preset styles

After you customize a layer style, you can save it as a preset style. Preset styles appear in the Styles palette, Layer Styles dialog box (Photoshop), Layer Styles pop-up palette in the options bar for the pen and shape tool, and Preset Manager. (See Applying preset styles.) You can also create libraries of preset styles, rename preset styles, and delete preset styles.

To create a new preset style:

1. In the Layers palette, select the layer that contains the style you want to save as a preset.
2. Do one of the following:
• Drag the selected layer into the Styles palette or onto the New Item button in the Styles palette.
• Click an empty area of the Styles palette.
• Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and click the New Item button at the bottom of the Styles palette.
• Choose New Style from the Styles palette menu.
• (Photoshop) Double-click the layer thumbnail, and click New Style in the Layer Style dialog box.
3. Enter a name for the preset style, set style options, and click OK.

To create a preset style from a single effect, drag the effect from the Layers palette to the Styles palette.

To rename a preset style:

Do one of the following:

• Double-click a style in the Styles palette. If the Styles palette is set to display styles as thumbnails, enter a new name in the dialog box, and click OK. Otherwise, type a new name directly in the Style palette, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
• (Photoshop) Select a style is the Styles section of the Layer Styles dialog box. (See Applying preset styles.) Then choose Rename Style from the pop-up menu, enter a new name, and click OK.
• (Photoshop) When using a shape or pen tool, select a style from the Layer Style pop-up palette in the options bar. Then choose Rename Style from the pop-up palette menu.

To delete a preset style:

Do one of the following:

• Drag a style to the trash button at the bottom of the Styles palette.
• Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and click the layer style in the Styles palette.
• (Photoshop) Select a style is the Styles section of the Layer Styles dialog box. (See Applying preset styles.) Then choose Delete Style from the pop-up menu.
• (Photoshop) When using a shape or pen tool, select a style from the Layer Style pop-up palette in the options bar. Then choose Delete Style from the pop-up palette menu.

To save a set of preset styles as a library:

1. Do one of the following:
• Choose Save Styles from the Styles palette menu.
• (Photoshop) Select Styles on the left side of the Layer Styles dialog box. (See Applying preset styles.) Then choose Save Styles from the pop-up menu.
• (Photoshop) When using a shape or pen tool, click the layer style thumbnail in the options bar. Then choose Save Styles from the pop-up palette menu.
2. Choose a location for the style library, enter a filename, and click Save.

You can save the library anywhere. However, if you place the library file in the Presets/Styles folder inside the Photoshop program folder, the library name will appear at the bottom of the Styles palette menu when you restart the application.

Note: You can also use the Preset Manager to rename, delete, and save libraries of preset styles. For more information, see Managing libraries with the Preset Manager (Photoshop).