.ABR File Extension

Adobe Photoshop Brushes

Developer Adobe Systems
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What is an ABR file?

An ABR file is a brush or collection of brushes used by Adobe Photoshop. It contains information about the brush's (or brushes') shape, texture, and dynamics. Some other illustration apps also allow you to import brushes saved in the ABR format.

More Information

Screenshot of a .abr file in Adobe Photoshop 2022
ABR file open in Adobe Photoshop 2022

Photoshop's Brush tool allows you to paint brush strokes with a variety of sizes, textures, and other effects. After creating a brush or brushes in Photoshop, you can export those brushes as a single ABR file. This allows you to share the brushes with other Photoshop users.

Where does Photoshop store brushes?

By default, Photoshop stores brushes in the following directory:

Adobe Photoshop/​Presets/​Brushes

How to export brushes as an ABR file

To export one or more Photoshop brushes as an ABR file:

  1. Select the Brush tool.
  2. Select the dropdown arrow that appears next to your brush size (near the top of the app).
  3. From the bottom of the window that appears, select one or more brushes.
  4. Select the Gear icon and then Export Selected Brushes....

How to open an ABR file

You can open an ABR file in Adobe Photoshop (Windows, Mac). To do so,

  1. Select the Brush tool.
  2. Select the dropdown arrow that appears next to your brush size (near the top of the app).
  3. Select the Gear icon and then Import Brushes....
  4. Navigate to and import your ABR file.

You can also import an ABR file into GIMP (multiplatform) and Photopea (Web), for use as a brush. For GIMP, place the file in a sub-folder of the program's ~/​brushes directory. For Photopea, select the dropdown arrow that appears next to your brush size, select the dropdown arrow that appears in the Size: window, and then select Load .ABR.

If you just want to view the brush your ABR file contains, you can open it in abrViewer (Windows).

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Programs that open ABR files

Mac
Web

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