How To Set Adobe Bridge File Type Associations

How To Alter File Type Associations In Adobe Bridge


Learn how to use the File Type Associations options in the Adobe Bridge Preferences to gear up the problem when Span is opening images either in the wrong program or in the wrong version of Photoshop.

In the previous tutorial, we learned how to open images into Photoshop from Bridge. To quickly recap, we learned that Adobe Bridge is a file browser that's included with every copy of Photoshop and with every Creative Cloud subscription. We learned how to install Span using the Creative Deject app. And we learned how to use Bridge to browse to our files, select the image we need, and open it into Photoshop.

Almost of the time, Adobe Span volition open your images into Photoshop every bit you lot'd expect and without any problems. But depending on the type of file you're trying to open up (JPEG, PNG, TIFF, etc), you may come across a situation where Bridge opens the image non into Photoshop but into another program that's installed on your figurer. Or, if yous have multiple versions of Photoshop installed (equally I do), Bridge may open up the prototype in an earlier version of Photoshop instead of in the newest version.

As nosotros'll run into, fixing the problem is easy. All nosotros need to practise is tell Bridge to open up the file, along with all futurity files of the same blazon, into the latest version of Photoshop. Nosotros practice that using the File Blazon Associations pick in the Span Preferences. Let's see how information technology works.

This tutorial picks up where the previous ane left off, and then if you're not nevertheless familiar with Adobe Bridge or you're not sure how to install information technology, you'll desire to bank check out the previous How To Open Images From Bridge tutorial.

This lesson is part of my Getting Images into Photoshop Complete Guide.

Let's become started!

Opening Images Into Photoshop From Span

Hither we see that I already have Adobe Bridge open on my screen and I've browsed to the folder that holds my images. Thumbnails of the images appear in the Content panel in the heart:

Adobe Bridge CC.

The Adobe Bridge CC interface.

If nosotros look at the file extension at the end of the name of each prototype, we see that I have a few dissimilar types of files. There's a couple of JPEG images (with a .jpg extension), a TIFF file (.tif), a PNG file (.png), and a PSD file (.psd) which is Photoshop'southward native file format. All of these file types are supported past Photoshop and can be opened into Photoshop from Span:

Viewing the file type extensions in the Content panel in Bridge.

The file type extensions appear at the end of the file names.

When Things Go Right

For instance, I'll open the first image in the superlative left, "birdhouse.jpg", which is a JPEG file. To open up it, I'll double-click on its thumbnail:

Opening a JPEG image from Adobe Bridge into Photoshop.

Double-clicking on a JPEG file to open it into Photoshop.

Bridge sends the prototype over to Photoshop, gear up for editing:

The JPEG file opens in Photoshop. Image copyright 2017 Steve Patterson.

The JPEG file opens in Photoshop. © Steve Patterson.

Non only did it open in Photoshop, only information technology also opened in the latest version of Photoshop (which at the fourth dimension I'one thousand writing this is Photoshop CC 2017). I know I'grand looking at the latest version because I can encounter the proper noun in the top center of Photoshop'southward interface:

The name and version number of Photoshop.

Photoshop's name and version number appear at the acme of the screen.

To close the image and return to Bridge, I'll go upward to the File carte in the Card Bar at the top of the screen and cull Close and Go to Bridge:

Choosing the Close and Go to Bridge command in Photoshop.

Going to File > Close and Get to Bridge.

This closes the image and returns me to the Bridge interface:

Back to Adobe Bridge.

Dorsum to Bridge.

When Things Go Wrong

Then far, nosotros've seen that Adobe Bridge is sending my JPEG files over to the newest version of Photoshop without any problems. I likewise happen to know that my TIFF file and my PSD file will open as expected, and so I won't bother opening them.

However, let's run into what happens when I attempt opening my PNG file from Bridge into Photoshop. Now before we go whatever further, I should point out that PNG files are not necessarily going to give you lot whatever problems. I'm only using my PNG file as an example of what could go wrong with whatsoever file type and so we tin then learn how to set up information technology. So, but to be clear, I'm not purposely picking on PNG.

To open my "butterfly.png" file, I'll double-click on its thumbnail, just like I did with the JPEG image:

Double-clicking the PNG file thumbnail in Bridge.

Opening the PNG file from Bridge into Photoshop.

But rather than opening in the newest version of Photoshop as my JPEG file did, something unexpected happens. The PNG file does open in Photoshop, but in the incorrect version.

I like to go on older versions of Photoshop installed on my computer forth with the latest version, just this actually caused a problem. Bridge knew enough to open the PNG file into Photoshop, just rather than choosing Photoshop CC 2017 (the latest version), it chose the older Photoshop CS6 (butterfly vector art from Adobe Stock):

Image 24015533 licensed and used by permission from Adobe Stock.

The PNG file opens in an older version of Photoshop. Image credit: Adobe Stock.

Again, I know I'm looking at Photoshop CS6, not CC 2017, from the version proper name in the top center of Photoshop'due south interface:

Image 24015533 licensed and used by permission from Adobe Stock.

The proper name at the top of Photoshop confirms information technology's the wrong version.

To close not only the paradigm only out of Photoshop CS6 completely, on a Windows PC, I would get upwardly to the File menu in the Menu Bar and I'd cull Go out. Since I'thousand currently on a Mac, I'll go up to the Photoshop menu and choose Quit Photoshop:

Quitting Photoshop CS6.

Closing Photoshop CS6.

Changing The File Type Associations In Bridge

So, what went wrong? Why was Bridge able to open my JPEG file in the latest version of Photoshop, however information technology opened my PNG file in an older version? For the reply to that, we demand to wait at Bridge'south File Type Associations which we'll find in the Bridge Preferences.

Step i: Open The Span Preferences

To open the Preferences, on a Windows PC, become upwards to the Edit menu (in Bridge) and choose Preferences. On a Mac, get up to the Adobe Bridge menu and choose Preferences:

Opening the Adobe Bridge Preferences.

Go to Edit > Preferences (Win) / Adobe Bridge > Preferences (Mac).

Step 2: Choose "File Type Associations"

In the Preferences dialog box, cull File Type Associations from the listing of categories along the left:

Choosing File Type Associations in the Adobe Bridge Preferences.

Choosing the File Type Associations category.

Stride 3: Scroll To The File Type You Demand To Change

This brings up a very long list of all the file types that Bridge can open. To the correct of each file type, you'll detect the proper name of the program that Bridge is currently using to open that particular type of file.

For example, if roll downwards to JPEG in the list, nosotros see that Bridge is currently ready to open all JPEG files in Adobe Photoshop CC 2017. That's why Bridge opened my JPEG file in the correct version:

The JPEG settings in the File Type Associations in Adobe Bridge.

Span is set to open all JPEG files in the newest version of Photoshop.

Nevertheless, if I scroll down to PNG (Portable Network Graphics), nosotros see that there's a problem. Bridge is gear up to open up PNG files in the incorrect program. Instead of CC 2017, Span is sending PNG files to the older Photoshop CS6:

Bridge is set to open PNG files in Photoshop CS6.

Bridge is currently associating PNG files with the older version of Photoshop.

Step four: Cull The New Program To Associate With The File Type

To set the problem, all I need to do is click on "Adobe Photoshop CS6" and then choose the correct version, Adobe Photoshop CC 2017, from the listing.

In my case, it actually says "Finder Settings: Adobe Photoshop CC 2017" because I'1000 on a Mac and I've set Mac OS X to use Photoshop CC 2017 as my default image editor:

Setting Photoshop CC 2017 as the new app for opening PNG files.

Setting Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 as the new app for opening PNG files from Bridge.

And hither nosotros see that afterward making the change, any PNG file I open from Adobe Bridge will at present open in the right version of Photoshop. I'll click OK at the bottom of the Preferences dialog box to shut out of information technology and take the change:

PNG files are now set to open correctly.

PNG files are now set to open correctly.

Testing It Out

Now that I've told Bridge to open all PNG files in Photoshop CC 2017, let's test things out. I'll double-click on the "butterfly.png" image to open up information technology, just as I did before:

Opening the PNG file again from Adobe Bridge.

Opening the PNG file after irresolute the Bridge Preferences.

And sure enough, this fourth dimension the PNG file opens in Photoshop CC 2017:

The PNG now opens in Photoshop CC 2017.

The PNG file now opens in the correct version of Photoshop.

Again, we know that considering we can see "Adobe Photoshop CC 2017" at the tiptop of the screen:

Viewing the version number of Photoshop.

Everything at present works as expected.

Where to go side by side...

And there we accept it! So far in this series, we've focused on how to open up images into Photoshop. But times take changed. These days, it's better to exercise your initial editing piece of work non in Photoshop but in Photoshop'southward powerful image editing plugin, Camera Raw. In the next lesson, we'll learn how to open raw files, JPEG and TIFF images directly into Photographic camera Raw using Adobe Bridge!

Yous can also skip to i of the other lessons in this Getting Images into Photoshop Complete Guide. Or visit my Photoshop Basics department for more tutorials!