3 Time-Saving TIPS to Work FASTER in Photoshop
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Work faster in Photoshop with three simple habits: editing in two windows, automating repetitive steps with Actions, and watching the Efficiency Indicator.
This tutorial will teach three time-saving tips to work faster in Photoshop.
Let me know in the comments if you have any time-saving Photoshop tips!
The video was recorded in Photoshop 2017 (version 18.1), and all three tips still work the same way in the current version of Photoshop.
Key Takeaways
- Opening a New Window for the same document puts the same file in two views. Zoom into fine detail in one window while the other keeps showing the full image, so you stop zooming in and out constantly.
- A Photoshop Action records a sequence of steps once and replays the whole thing with a single click or its own keyboard shortcut.
- The Efficiency Indicator on the status bar reports Photoshop’s real-time performance. A reading below 100% usually means Photoshop needs more Scratch Disk space than it has.
- Raising the memory allocation in Preferences can fix a low Efficiency Indicator reading. Photoshop caps the setting at 85%, though, so the rest of your system still has memory to run.
- Holding ShiftSpace Bar (Windows) or ShiftSpace Bar (macOS) pans two linked windows together, so both stay lined up on the same part of the image.
Table of contents
What You Will Learn
- How to open the same Photoshop document in two windows
- How to arrange two windows side by side with 2-Up Vertical
- How to pan and zoom both windows at once with keyboard shortcuts
- How to record a Photoshop Action for a repetitive task
- How to read the Efficiency Indicator and raise your memory allocation
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2017 (version 18.1 or later) or the current version
Keyboard Shortcuts to Speed Up Photoshop
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Pan both windows at once | Shift Space Bar | Shift Space Bar |
| Zoom out both windows at once | Alt Shift | Option Shift |
| Open the Actions panel | Alt F9 | Option F9 |
| Open Preferences | Ctrl K | Command K |
Open the Same Document In Two Windows
One way to work faster in Photoshop is by working on the same image in two windows. No need to zoom in and out frequently!
To open a second tab for the same document, go to Window > Arrange > New Window for [Document Name].
Next, go to Window > Arrange and select 2-Up Vertical. Photoshop will open the same document side-by-side on two windows.
You can now edit the close-up details on one window and see the 100% view on the other.
For a closer look at this exact workflow, see how to edit the same document in two windows in Photoshop.
Tip: You can move one of the open documents to the second monitor if you have a second monitor.
Keyboard Shortcuts to Navigate Two Documents
You can use these two useful Photoshop Keyboard shortcuts when working with the same document in two windows.
Hold ShiftSpace Bar (Windows) or ShiftSpace Bar (macOS) and drag to pan both images at the same time.
Hold AltShift (Windows) or OptionShift (macOS) to zoom out on both images simultaneously.
For more shortcuts like these, see 19 Photoshop keyboard shortcuts you probably don’t know.
Actions for Small Repetitive Tasks
You can use the Actions feature to simplify repetitive tasks to save time.
Actions could be anything. Something as simple as changing the interface color or removing empty layers. Think about what you often do in your workflow and make a Photoshop Action out of that.
To create an action, go to Window > Actions to open the Actions dialogue box. The keyboard shortcut is AltF9 (Windows) or OptionF9 (macOS).
From the Actions panel, click on the New Action button.
From the New Actions dialogue box, you can assign a name, set, keyboard shortcut, and color.
When you’re ready to start recording your steps, press the Record button.
For this example, we will simply disable the Auto-Collapse Iconic Panels checkbox.
Launch the Preferences panel by pressing CtrlK (Windows) or CommandK (macOS). From the Workspace tab, uncheck Auto-Collapse Iconic Panels.
Stop the action to complete it.
Then you can run the action to disable the auto-collapse whenever you need it.
To go further, you can set a Photoshop Action to run automatically. See how to automate Actions with the Script Events Manager.
Work Faster in Photoshop With The Efficiency Indicator
To adjust Photoshop’s performance, press the arrow icon at the bottom left-hand side of the document and select Efficiency.
The Efficiency Indicator rating would appear to show Photoshop’s performance efficiency.
Note: If the Efficiency Indicator falls below 100%, Photoshop may run slower, and the Scratch Disk space may be low.
One way to fix Photoshop’s efficiency, go to Preferences > Performance and increase the memory allocation. The highest memory you can go to is 85%.
Frequently Asked Questions
Go to Window > Arrange > New Window for the document, then choose 2-Up Vertical from the same Arrange menu. Photoshop opens the same file side by side so you can zoom into detail in one window while the other shows the full image.
An Action records a sequence of steps once, then replays the entire sequence with a single click or its own keyboard shortcut. It works for any repetitive task, from changing the interface color to removing empty layers.
Press AltF9 (Windows) or OptionF9 (macOS) to open the Actions panel. You can also go to Window > Actions from the menu.
The Efficiency Indicator shows how much of Photoshop’s processing time goes to your current task versus reading and writing the Scratch Disk. A reading below 100% means Photoshop is running slower because it needs more memory than it has been given.
Open Preferences > Performance and raise the memory allocation slider. Photoshop caps the setting at 85% so the rest of your computer still has memory to run other programs.
Hold ShiftSpace Bar (Windows) or ShiftSpace Bar (macOS) and drag to pan both windows together. Hold AltShift (Windows) or OptionShift (macOS) to zoom out on both windows at once.
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed the 3 Time-Saving Tips to Work Faster in Photoshop. Do share with us if you know of other ways to work faster in Photoshop.
These three tips, working in two windows, building Actions, and watching the Efficiency Indicator, take only a few minutes to set up. They keep paying off on every project after that.
None of them require an upgrade. They work the same way in Photoshop 2017 and in the current version of Photoshop.
Watch the full video above for a live demonstration of each tip, and comment on the video if you have a time-saving trick of your own.
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