To reset the workspace in Photoshop, choose Window > Workspace > Reset Essentials. Photoshop puts the panels back in the default Essentials layout. If you use a different workspace, the command is named after it, such as Reset Photography. The same commands are in the Choose a workspace menu on the right side of the Application bar.
These steps follow Adobe’s current help pages for Photoshop on desktop (Windows and Mac). A workspace reset only changes the panel layout, so you can do it with an image open.
What a workspace is, and what resetting it changes
A workspace is Photoshop’s name for an arrangement of panels, tools, and windows. Panels are the small windows such as Layers, Properties, and Color that normally sit on the right side of the screen. Photoshop comes with preset workspaces for common jobs, including Essentials (the default), Photography, and Painting, and you can save your own.
Photoshop remembers how you last arranged each workspace. Adobe notes that workspaces display your last arrangement of panels, which is why a panel you dragged away or closed last week is still missing today. Resetting a workspace throws away those changes and returns that one workspace to its original layout.
A workspace reset is a layout change. It is not the same as resetting preferences, which returns Photoshop’s settings to their defaults and is covered near the end of this article.
Before you reset
- Check which workspace is active. Open Window > Workspace. The Reset command in that menu is named after the workspace you are using.
- Decide whether you want to keep the current layout. A reset discards the panel arrangement you have now. If part of it is worth keeping, save it as a new workspace first (steps are below).
- Make sure the menu bar is visible. If you cannot see the Window menu at all, Photoshop is probably in a full screen mode. See how to exit full screen mode in Photoshop, then come back here.
Use this method if you have never changed workspaces. Essentials is the one Photoshop uses by default.
- Open Photoshop. You can have an image open or not.
- Select Window in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Point to Workspace. A submenu opens with the list of workspaces at the top and the workspace commands below it.
- Select Reset Essentials. Adobe’s help page writes this command as Reset > Essentials (Default), so the wording may differ slightly in your version.
- The panels return to their default positions.
If the command names a different workspace, such as Reset Photography, you are not in Essentials. Select Essentials (Default) from the list first, then open the menu again and choose Reset Essentials.
Adobe documents these steps in Restore workspaces.
The Application bar is the strip across the top of the Photoshop window. Adobe describes it as the bar that contains the workspace switcher, menus, and other controls. The switcher is a small dropdown menu called Choose a workspace.
- Select the Choose a workspace dropdown menu in the Application bar.
- Select Essentials to switch to the default workspace.
- Open the menu again and choose Reset Essentials.
This does exactly what the Window menu method does. Use whichever menu is easier for you to reach.
Reset a different or custom workspace
The Reset command only affects one workspace at a time. To reset Photography, Painting, or a layout you saved yourself:
- Select the Choose a workspace menu, or go to Window > Workspace.
- Select the workspace you want to fix so that it becomes the active one.
- Open the same menu again and choose Reset followed by that workspace’s name.
A custom workspace goes back to the layout it had when you saved it, not to the Photoshop default. Your other workspaces are left alone.
Restore all preset workspaces at once
If several of the built-in workspaces are out of order, or one of them has been deleted, you can restore the whole set from Preferences.
- On Windows, choose Edit > Preferences > Workspace. On a Mac, choose Photoshop > Settings > Workspace.
- Select Restore Default Workspaces.
- Close the Preferences window.
Adobe says this resets all of the Photoshop preset workspaces, such as Essentials and Photography, to their original layout. It is also the fix Adobe gives for a preset workspace that was deleted. It does not bring back a deleted custom workspace. Adobe states that once a custom workspace is deleted it cannot be restored, so you would need to build and save it again.
Save your layout so you can get it back
If you spend time arranging panels, save the result as its own workspace. Then a reset returns you to your layout instead of Adobe’s.
- Arrange the panels the way you like. You can drag a panel by its tab to move it, dock it, or group it with another panel.
- Choose Window > Workspace > New Workspace.
- Type a name in the New Workspace dialog box.
- Under Capture, choose what else to store with the panel locations. Adobe lists Keyboard Shortcuts and Menus as options.
- Select Save.
The new name appears in the Choose a workspace menu. Adobe covers the dialog in Save custom workspaces.
How to confirm the reset worked, and how to undo it
After the reset, the panels on the right side of the window should be docked in their original groups. Open Window > Workspace again and check that the workspace you expected is the one marked as active.
Adobe’s help pages do not describe an undo for a workspace reset, so treat it as one-way. The layout you had before is gone unless you saved it as a custom workspace first. If you did, select that workspace from the menu to bring it back.
If panels or tools are still missing
A reset fixes the layout of one workspace. If something is still missing, the cause is usually one of these.
- All panels are hidden. Press Tab. Adobe says Tab hides or shows all panels, including the Tools panel and Options bar. Shift + Tab hides or shows everything except the Tools panel and Options bar. It is easy to press one of these by accident.
- One panel is closed. Open the Window menu and select the panel’s name, such as Layers. A checkmark next to the name means the panel is visible. Not every panel is part of every workspace, so a panel can be missing even after a reset. For example, newer versions open the panel used to add a pattern in Photoshop from Window > Patterns.
- The Reset command names the wrong workspace. Switch to the workspace you want first. The command always applies to the active one.
- A preset workspace is not in the list. Use Restore Default Workspaces in the Workspace preferences, as described above.
- Tools are missing from the toolbar. The toolbar has its own reset. Choose Edit > Toolbar, select Restore Defaults, and then select Done. Adobe explains the dialog in Customize toolbar.
- The menu bar or window edges are gone. That is a screen mode, not a workspace problem. Our guide to exiting full screen mode in Photoshop covers it.
When to reset preferences instead
If Photoshop still behaves strangely after the workspace and toolbar are back to normal, the problem may be in the preference files. These store settings such as display options, file-saving options, performance settings, and tool presets. Adobe says corrupted preference files can cause unexpected behavior.
Warning: resetting preferences returns Photoshop to its default state, which is a much bigger change than resetting a workspace. Adobe recommends backing up your preferences first so you can restore your customized settings if you need them. Its Backup and restore preferences page shows which folder to copy.
- Choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Photoshop > Settings > General (Mac).
- Select Reset Preferences On Quit.
- Select OK.
- Close Photoshop. The next time you open it, it uses the default preferences.
Adobe also documents a keyboard method for times when you cannot get to the Preferences window. Close Photoshop, then hold Alt + Ctrl + Shift (Windows) or Option + Command + Shift (Mac) while you start it, and select Yes when asked whether to delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings file. Both methods are in Adobe’s Reset preferences article.
Frequently asked questions
Will resetting the workspace delete my files or settings?
No. Adobe describes a workspace reset as restoring the original layout of that workspace. It does not close or change your open images, and it is separate from the preferences reset that returns Photoshop’s settings to their defaults.
What is the default workspace in Photoshop?
Essentials. Adobe’s help page calls it the default workspace, and it is listed as Essentials (Default) in the reset command. Choosing Window > Workspace > Reset Essentials while Essentials is active gives you the standard layout.
Why is there no Reset Essentials command in my menu?
The Reset command is named after the workspace you are using. If you see Reset Photography or the name of a custom workspace instead, select Essentials from the workspace list, then open the menu again.
Can I get back a workspace I deleted?
It depends on the type. Preset workspaces come back when you select Restore Default Workspaces in the Workspace preferences. Adobe says a deleted custom workspace cannot be restored, so you have to arrange the panels again and save a new one.
Does resetting the workspace change the interface color?
Adobe’s workspace pages only mention the layout of panels, so do not expect a reset to change the color theme. The theme is a separate preference. See how to change the theme in Photoshop.
Does this work in older versions such as Photoshop CS5?
Adobe’s current help pages only cover the current release, so we could not confirm the exact labels for CS5 there. Older versions also keep workspace commands under Window > Workspace, so look there for a Reset command named after your active workspace.
Next step
Once the layout is back to normal, arrange the panels the way you work and save the result with Window > Workspace > New Workspace. The next time a panel goes missing, one Reset command will return you to your own layout.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.