The Application Frame

The last feature we need to look at in our tour of Photoshop CS4's user interface is brand new and exclusive to the Mac version of Photoshop CS4, the Application Frame. Before Windows users start feeling left out and abandoned by Adobe, what the Application Frame essentially does is give Mac users the Windows experience (all jokes about random system crashes aside). The Application Frame places the entire Photoshop interface inside a self-contained application window, which is how it already works in Windows and why this feature is only available in the Mac version.

Traditionally, Mac users have been used to Photoshop's interface elements floating around independently on the desktop, and if you're a Mac user and that's how you prefer to work, there's nothing you need to change. However, if you'd prefer to have Photoshop displayed entirely in its own window, similar to the interface style of Adobe Bridge and Lightroom, simply go up to the Window menu in the Menu Bar and choose Application Frame down near the bottom of the list of options:

The Application Frame places all interface elements inside a window, and you can move the entire application around on the screen simply by clicking anywhere on the gray bar at the top of the frame and dragging it around:

You can resize the Application Frame by simply moving your mouse cursor to the edges or corners of the frame, then clicking and dragging to resize it. To exit out of it and return to the Mac's default view, go back up to the Window menu and choose Application Frame once again to deselect it.

And there we have it! That's our quick tour of the streamlined, redesigned user interface in Photoshop CS4!

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