How to backup and restore Photoshop settings?

Question

I am going to format my computer and I would like to back-up my Photoshop preferences along with the patterns and gradients I created.

Is there a way to back these up and import them all to the new installation?

Solution 1

This site: How to transfer Mac OS X Application Data is a bit old (2007) but it explains how to move application data and everything else you will need before formatting. Example: your Keychain file and your application data (Photoshop is an application) and settings.

Solution 2

Yes, there is.

If you want to back-up Brushes, Patterns, Styles, Custom Shapes, etc... go to Edit > Preset Manager, and then a box will appear where you can load or save your preferences in a folder.

If you want to back-up your custom shortcuts go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcut, and then it will appear a box where you can load or save the current shortcuts in a file.

You can find more on backing up Photoshop settings here.