- Introduction
- Optimizing Photoshop
- Setting General Preferences
- Modifying File Handling Preferences
- Working with Display & Cursors Preferences
- Controlling Transparency & Gamut Preferences
- Working with Units & Rulers
- Working with Guides, Grid & Slices
- Selecting Plug-Ins & Scratch Disks
- Allocating Memory & Image Cache
- Working with Type
- Managing Libraries with the Preset Manager
- Customizing the Workspace
- Defining Shortcut Keys
- Creating a Customized User Interface
- Using Drawing Tablets
Selecting Plug-Ins & Scratch Disks
The Plug-Ins & Scratch Disks preferences are designed to help you get the best performance out of your computer, by letting you choose more than one hard drive for scratch operations. Photoshop runs faster when you divide the Scratch Disk workload. Scratch operations are performed on your hard drive, and take place when Photoshop is using one of its many filters and adjustments. By assigning additional hard drives to the task, you speed up Photoshop's overall performance. Photoshop gives you the ability to organize your plug-ins by saving them in one or more folders. These additional folders are typically used to hold additional third-party plug-ins. When selected, plug-ins contained within the folder will be available from Photoshop's Filters menu.
Work with Plug-Ins and Scratch Disks Options
- Click the Edit (Win) or Photoshop (Mac) menu, and then point to Preferences.
- Click Plug-Ins & Scratch Disks.
- Select the Additional Plug-Ins Folder check box to store additional plug-in.
IMPORTANT The first time you select this option, Photoshop asks you where to store the plug-ins. The next time you want to store plug-ins or add additional plug-ins, click Choose.
- If necessary, click Choose to identify the folder where you want to store plug-ins, and then click OK.
- Enter in your Legacy Photoshop Serial Number.
Some third-party plug-ins require access to Photoshop's old style Serial Number. If you've been upgrading Photoshop, and you have the old style serial number (starts with PS) enter that number in the Legacy input box.
- Select the Scratch Disks options you want to use:
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First. Select to see the available hard drives attached to your computer, and then switch first to an alternate drive.
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Second. If available, select an alternate drive.
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Third. If available, select an alternate drive.
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Fourth. If available, select an alternate drive.
IMPORTANT Photoshop holds scratch disk space as long as the application is open. To delete scratch disk space you must close Photoshop.
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- Click OK.