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Using the File Browser (Continued)

To move an image file, simply drag it to a folder. If you want to copy the file, rather than move it, you can hold down the Alt key (or the Option key, for Mac users), while you drag the file to the new location. You can also drag files from your desktop or from other applications into the File Browser.

The Preview palette displays a thumbnail preview of whichever image is selected in the thumbnail window. Below the Preview palette, the Metadata and Keywords palettes let you add metadata and keywords for the image.

Editable metadata is indicated in the Metadata palette by a pencil icon next to the item. To add or edit an item, such as a description for an image, click the pencil icon and then type the information into the field that’s displayed:

Keywords let you group files by content. Once you apply keywords to images, you can view all the images by those keywords, which are organized into categories:

In the Keywords palette displayed above, Event, People, and Place are categories (called “sets”). You can expand and collapse a set by clicking the small arrow next to it. When you expand a set, the keywords grouped in it are displayed, as shown under Event.

To add a keyword to the selected image, double-click the keyword. A checkmark then appears next to it, indicating the keyword has been added to the image:

To an entire set of keywords to the image, double-click the set.

Tip:

You can add the same keyword or set to multiple images by selecting all the images you want to use in the thumbnail area of the File Browser, and then double-clicking the keyword or set. To select multiple images, hold down the Ctrl key (for Windows) or the Command key (for Mac) and click each image you want to select.

To add a new keyword to a set, click the New Keyword  button at the bottom of the Keywords palette. A new, blank entry is inserted into the set. Type the keyword and press Enter:

To add a new set, click the New Keyword Set  button.

To delete a keyword or set, click it to select it and then click the Delete Keyword  button at the bottom of the panel.

There are many other tasks you can accomplish with the File Browser. For example, you can sort files using the Sort menu, and rank them by selecting Show Rank from the View menu and then typing a rank into the Rank field below the thumbnail:

You can also flag files and then view only flagged files. This is useful if you’re reviewing a number of files imported from a digital camera or other external media. As you review the images, you can flag the ones you want to keep. To flag a file, select it and then click the Flag File  button on the toolbar. To unflag a file, click the button again. You can use the Show menu to display only flagged or unflagged files.

You can also run many automated tasks from the File Browser, including batch processes, photomerging, online print ordering, and creation of presentations, contact sheets, picture packages, and Web photo galleries. These commands, which enable you to work with multiple images without opening them in Photoshop, are located in the File Browser Automate menu.