How to return the previous action in Photoshop. How to undo an action in Photoshop

When working with Photoshop, very often there is a need to undo erroneous actions. This is one of the advantages of graphic programs and digital photography: you don’t have to be afraid to make mistakes or go for a bold experiment. After all, there is always the opportunity to remove the consequences without damaging the original or the main work.

This post will talk about how you can undo your last operation in Photoshop. You can do this in three ways:

1. Key combination
2. Menu command
3. Using History

Let's look at them in more detail.

Every experienced user is familiar with this method of undoing recent actions, especially if he uses text editors. This is a system feature and is present by default in most programs. When you click on this combination, the last actions are sequentially canceled until the desired result is achieved.

In the case of Photoshop, this combination has its own characteristics - it only works once. Let's give a small example. Using the Brush tool, draw two points. Pressing Ctrl+Z causes the last point to be deleted. Pressing it again will not delete the first point placed, but will only “delete the deleted”, that is, return the second point to its place.

Method No. 2. Menu command "Step back"

The second way to undo the last action in Photoshop is to use the menu command "Step back". This is a more convenient option because it allows you to undo the required number of incorrect actions.

By default, the program is programmed to cancel 20 recent user actions. But this number can be easily increased with fine tuning.

To do this, you need to sequentially go through the points.

Then in subparagraph "Action History" the required parameter value is set. The interval available to the user is 1-1000 .

This method of undoing recent user actions in Photoshop is convenient for those who like to experiment with the various features that the program provides. This menu command is also useful for beginners when mastering Photoshop.

It is also convenient to use the combination CTRL+ALT+Z, which is assigned to this team by the developers.

It is worth noting that Photoshop also provides a function to undo the last action. It is called using the menu command "Step forward".

Method No. 3. Using the History Palette

There is an additional window on the main Photoshop window "Story". It records all user actions taken when working with an image or photograph. Each of them is displayed as a separate line. It contains a thumbnail and the name of the function or tool used.


If you do not have such a window on your main screen, you can display it by selecting "Window - History".

By default, Photoshop displays the history of 20 user actions in the Palette window. This parameter, as mentioned above, can be easily changed in the range 1-1000 using the menu "Editing - Settings - Performance".

Using Stories is very simple. Just click on the required line in this window and the program will return to this state. In this case, all subsequent actions will be highlighted in gray.

If you change the selected state, for example, use a different tool, then all subsequent actions highlighted in gray will be deleted.

This way you can undo or select any previous action in Photoshop.

Good day, dear friends. Imagine that you were concentrating on some project in Photoshop. And then you’re done, you’ve completed all the effects, you’ve drawn and processed everything, and even . And then you notice that the final image shows a serious flaw that suddenly caught your eye. Panic, layers merged. What to do? How to retouch? A few hours of work!

In fact, I hasten to reassure you. There's nothing wrong with that. You can go back one or several actions, up to a certain point. And today I would like to tell you how to undo the last action in Photoshop and not worry if you mess up.

So, let's go!

Cancel using hotkeys

The easiest way to go back a certain number of steps is to use keyboard shortcuts.

To undo the last action, press the key combination "CTRL+Z". But this link only works with one last action, i.e. you can go back just one step back. And if you press these keys again, you will return to where you started.

To undo several steps, you need to press the combination "ALT+CTRL+Z". Then each press of this combination will cancel the previous action until you return to the desired step, when everything was fine. Very fast and convenient.

Return using the History panel

Let's consider another way to cancel actions, namely the History window. Why is this method convenient? The fact that you see what actions you performed when. This way you can immediately choose which step to return to. Well, in general, let's look at it in practice.


This is how you can easily and conveniently return to some previous state of work. In addition, “History” allows you to see how much the image has changed compared to the original after editing. To do this, simply return to the very top step. Have you looked? Now go back to the last step again.

Well, how do you like the return? Useful thing? Still would. You definitely need to know this. And by the way, if you really want to know Photoshop well, then be sure to watch video course on working with him. The lessons are simply amazing, no fluff and everything is told in human language. Highly recommend.

Well, I’m finishing my lesson for today and I hope you liked it. And you, in turn, don’t forget to subscribe to my blog updates and tell your friends, then everything will be cool. Well, we'll see you in other articles. Bye bye!

Best regards, Dmitry Kostin.

Anyone who has ever encountered the need to process an image is familiar with the Adobe Photoshop program. This is a photo application that offers extensive functionality for making changes. The editor has many functions, so it is not always clear to beginners how to reverse the action.

How to use hotkeys in Photoshop to undo an action

How to undo an action in Photoshop cs6 or cs5? One of the most important and useful features of Photoshop is the return action on the keyboard, which allows you to take a step back while processing. This can be done in several ways, but the simplest is a combination of hot keys. With their help, you can cancel a change made in the program; you need to remember a simple key combination - Ctrl + Z. If you press it again, the undone changes will be returned.

How to Deselect a Selection in Photoshop

Some program tools require selecting a specific area on a layer. It’s not always possible to trace the outline or area of ​​a photo correctly the first time, so you need to know how to remove a selection from a picture. Options to solve the problem:

  1. The easiest option is through the Ctrl+D key sequence. After pressing them, the frame will disappear. If you press them again, an outline of the entire layer will appear.
  2. Many tools deselect when you right-click any area of ​​the image. The only caveat is that “Quick Selection” will react correctly if you click inside the area.
  3. You can use the context menu; to do this, right-click on the image and find the “Deselect” section in the list. In different versions of the program and even tools, the location of this item may differ (somewhere in the first place, and somewhere in the middle).
  4. Another option is to go to the “Selection” menu item, which is located on the control panel, click “Deselect.”

How to undo the last action in Photoshop

If you make an accidental mistake or get a result that you didn't expect, it will be useful to know how to undo an action in Photoshop cs5 or cs6. To do this, you can use the hotkey command or the program menu. To revert the latest changes:

  1. In the main menu of Photoshop, click on the "Edit" section. A menu will drop down; you need to click the line that starts with “Undo” and ends with the name of the applied tool or edit. This helps to understand what will be changed.
  2. The Ctrl+Z key sequence will take you back a step and delete the last time you used the tool.
  3. In the right column, find the section called “History” (in the Russian version “History”). All transactions you have made (usually the last 20) will be displayed here. Click on the penultimate line, this will take your work in Photoshop back a step. Sometimes this window or tab is disabled; you can enable display through the workspace menu settings.

How to take a step back in Photoshop

The Ctrl+Z hotkey combination only helps with the last change, but does not have the ability to go back more than one step. To do this you need to use the combination Ctrl+Alt+Z. By pressing multiple times, you can erase the last edits on the file the required number of steps back. If you need to revert to an earlier state of the document, you can use another method:

  • in the main menu go to the “Edit” section;
  • find the “Step Backward” section;
  • press the required number of times.

How to Undo Multiple Actions in Photoshop

In some cases, the return needs to be taken more than one step. This can be useful if you made several changes to the contrast, palette, color correction, added brightness, but you were not satisfied with the final result. I don’t want to re-upload the image, especially if the necessary adjustments have already been made. You can use options to go back a few steps:

  1. To sequentially undo several edits, you need to find the “Edit” section in the main menu and click the “Step Backward” item the required number of times. Click the item as many times as the number of edits you want to erase.
  2. Exactly the same effect as described in the paragraph above can be achieved by pressing the hot keys Ctrl+Alt+Z. The changes made will be lost in the reverse order of their application. Only those that were added to the image will be deleted, and the choice of brushes and colors will remain the same.
  3. To go back several steps in one click, it is better to use the “History” tab. Find this menu on the right of the program’s workspace (in the English version it is labeled “History”). By default, this list contains the 20 most recent changes; select the required restore point and click on it. If it has been thrown too far, then click the line below and the program will restore the state. This option helps you remove or revert any necessary edits.

Video: undoing an action in Photoshop

Adobe's graphics editor, Photoshop, has been a favorite among photographers and graphic designers for almost a decade. Here, in the electronic environment, you can correct any of your mistakes and go back several steps, which is difficult to implement on paper. In this article you will learn all the nuances of undoing actions in Photoshop.

How to quickly undo an action in Photoshop

If you need to undo one or three actions, you can do this using Photoshop hotkeys. These are special combinations of buttons that you need to remember, as they significantly reduce the time you spend working with the program and can significantly simplify it.

Completely undo the last action: CTRL + ALT + Z. This will take you one step back in your editing.

Another method: CTRL + Z. It works completely differently. You roll back the action, but if you press this key combination again, the last step will take effect again. This is very convenient when you are not sure whether you want to undo the last action. By pressing CTRL and Z several times you can see both options and choose the best one.

If you roll back changes in this way and do not return them by clicking on the combination again, then the rollback will remain in effect.


How to undo an action in Photoshop through the “History” tab

If you have to roll back your editing changes many steps back, it is better to immediately go to the “History” tab. Setting up its display is quite simple.

Go to the “Window” or “Window” section. Select “History” or “History”.


A small window with the same name will immediately appear on the screen.


As soon as you start editing photos, new lines with the names of the tools will begin to appear in “History”. For example, if you took a brush and painted some area, the “Brush” item will appear in the history.


To undo several actions at once, simply click on the editing period to which you want to roll back the changes. This way you can navigate through history and select any point.


There is also a settings tab available in the history, where you can slightly change the appearance of this window. Click on the three stripes in the upper right corner. Then select the “History Options” section.


How to increase the size of a story in Photoshop

It often happens that a story suddenly ends at the right place. You need to undo the changes, but these lines are no longer there. To do this, you need to increase the memory cache for consumption by history.

Open the “Edit” or “Editing” tab, then go to “Preferences”. Another window pops up in which you need to click on “General” or “General”. It all depends on the language of your program.


In the window that appears, go to the “Perfomance” tab, in which you will find the section labeled “History States”. By default, it is set to “50”; change it to the maximum available “1000” by simply pulling the slider to the right.

Now your history is difficult to fill: it will store your every action, and you can undo any step.

Try to remember the hotkeys and this method to make it easier to navigate the editor.