Task 7 How to Browse Files in Bridge

Adobe Bridge is the new replacement for the file browser. Because it is a separate application from Photoshop, it offers many advantages over the file browser, including the capability to be run on its own. It also offers many advantages over the system file browser (Explorer or Selectr) including the capability to preview Raw files and file data. If you have other Adobe Creative Suite applications, they can also use Bridge, and they will add their own set of features.

1. Launch Bridge

Bridge can be launched in several ways. It has its own entry under in the Windows Programs menu (double-click the Bridge icon in the Adobe Bridge folder on the Mac), or you can launch it by selecting File, Browse in Photoshop. The easiest way is to click the Go to Bridge button located on the Photoshop Options bar next to the Palette Well.

2. Resize the Panels

The default Bridge layout has four panels you can resize by dragging the divider bars. When you have a layout you prefer, Bridge uses that layout each time it is launched until you drag the divider bars into new positions.

3. Navigate to the Folder

Click the Folders tab and navigate the directory tree until you can highlight your desired folder. A plus sign next to a folder name indicates that it has subfolders. Click the plus sign to expand a folder, or click the minus sign to collapse it.

4. Locate Your File

Using the scrollbar along the right edge of the content area, scroll through the thumbnails until you find the image you're looking for. The default view in the content area shows the filename and creation date. Click an image thumbnail once to load the image in the Preview panel on the left side of the Bridge window.

5. Manage Your File

If your image needs to be rotated, click either the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation button located on the toolbar above the thumbnails. You can also delete the file from the hard disk (click to select it and then click the trash can icon) or drag the thumbnail to a different folder.

6. Open Your File

If the file you're looking at is the one you want to load, double-click its thumbnail to open it. If it is a Raw file, it opens in Camera Rawmost image file formats open in Photoshop. Nonimage files open in their associated applications. You can change which applications to use when opening specific file types in the Preferences window (select Edit, Preferences in Windows or Bridge, Preferences on the Mac).

How-To Hints

Multiple Selection

To select more than one thumbnail in a single folder (you can't select images from multiple folders), click the first thumbnail, press and hold the Ctrl key (Windows) or the key (Mac), and click each additional thumbnail you want to select. If you want to select a range, click the first thumbnail, press and hold the Shift key, and click the last thumbnail in the range. Any command you use in Bridge applies to all the selected thumbnails (select File, Open instead of double-clicking to open multiple files).

Advanced Bridge

Bridge looks deceptively simple. Take the time to explore all the menus and submenus, and you'll find a surprising array of commands that go far beyond the simple viewing of files. You can order prints online, rename files in batches, and even select files for use with Photoshop's automated features (such as Picture Package and Contact Sheet II).