Importing and exporting brush libraries, categories, and variants

To import a brush library
To import a legacy Corel Painter brush library
To export a brush library
To import a brush category
To export a brush category
To import a brush variant
To export a brush variant

You can import and export brush libraries, categories, and variants. This allows you to work with brush resources that were created by others, or share them with others. You can only import brush libraries, categories, and variants that were previously exported by you or someone else from Corel Painter 12 Update 1 or later.

When you import a brush library, category, or brush variant, Painter gives you the option of also importing brush dab images which will be added to a new captured dab library. You can also choose to import only the brush dab images, which lets you reuse captured dabs from other brush resources.

You can share exported brush resources (brush libraries, categories, and variants) only with users who have Corel Painter 12 Update 1 or later installed. The brush source files of Corel Painter 12 Update 1 or later are not supported in older versions of Corel Painter, including Corel Painter 12 and Service Pack 1.

It is important to note that you can display only one library at a time in the Brush Selector.

Corel Painter 11 (or earlier) brush libraries

You can open brush libraries that were created in an older version of Corel Painter. In Corel Painter 11 and earlier versions, brush variants are individual XML files organized in brush category folders within brush libraries. To use older brush libraries, you must first copy them to Corel\Painter 2023\Brushes. After you copy the files, you can access them through the Brush Selector or the Brushes menu.

Brush libraries that are not in the Brushes folder are not recognized or visible within Corel Painter. The folder structure of brush libraries must match that of the default Painter Brushes library folder (Corel\Painter 2023\Brushes\[library folder]\[category folder]\[variantFile.xml]). If you want to copy only a few brush variants, you must still add them to a brush library while following the correct folder structure.

When you open the older library, you can export it. This converts the brush library to the new brush library format.

To import a brush library

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1 Click Brushes Import Brush Library.
2 In the Import Brush Library dialog box, browse to the folder where the brush library is stored.
3 Choose the brush library, and click Open.
The imported brush library is displayed in the Brush Selector.

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You can also import a brush library from the Brush Selector by clicking the Brush library options button , choosing Import, and choosing Brush Library.

You can also import a brush library from the file browser of your operating system by double-clicking a brush library file.

To import a legacy Corel Painter brush library

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1 In the file browser of your operating system, browse to the location where the legacy brush library folder is stored.
2 Copy the files.
3 Paste the library folder in the Corel\Painter 2023\Brushes folder.
4 Ensure that the library folder is writable by doing the following:
• (macOS) Control-click the brush library folder, and click Get Info. In the Info dialog box, disable the Locked check box. Repeat for subfolders and files.
• (Windows) Right-click the brush library folder, and choose Properties. On the General page, disable the Read-only check box, and click Apply. In the Confirm Attribute Changes dialog box, enable the Apply Changes to This Folder, Subfolders and Files option.
5 In Corel Painter, click the Brush Selector on the Brush Selector bar.
6 Click the Brush library options button , and choose Brush Library Painter Brushes.

To export a brush library

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1 Click Brushes Export Brush Library.
2 In the Choose Brush Library dialog box, choose the brush library that you want to export from the Library list box.
3 In the Export Brush Library dialog box, browse to the folder where you want to store the library.
To rename the brush library, type a name in the File Name box.
4 Click Save.

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You can also export a brush library from the Brush Selector by clicking the Brush library options button , choosing Export, and choosing Brush Library.

To import a brush category

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1 Click Brushes Import Category.
2 In the Import Brush Category dialog box, browse to the folder where the brush category is stored.
3 Choose the brush category, and click Open.
If the brush category you are importing contains a brush dab image, an Import Brushes dialog box appears.
4 In the Import Brushes dialog box, choose one of the following options:
• Import brushes only
• Import captured dabs only
The dabs will be added to a new captured dab library so you can use them with other brushes.
• Import both brushes and captured dabs
5 Click Import.

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You can also import a brush category from the Brush Selector by clicking the Brush library options button , choosing Import, and choosing Category.

You can also import a brush category from the file browser of your operating system by double-clicking a brush category file. The brush category automatically appears in the Brush Selector.

To export a brush category

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1 Click Brushes Export Category.
2 In the Choose Brush Category dialog box, choose a brush category from the Category list box.
3 Click OK.
4 In the Export Brush Category dialog box, click Save.
To rename the brush category, type a name in the File Name box.

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You can also export a brush category from the Brush Selector by clicking the Brush library options button , choosing Export, and choosing Category.

To import a brush variant

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1 Click Brushes Import Brush.
2 In the Import Brush Variant dialog box, browse to the folder where the brush variant is stored, select it, and then click Open.
3 In the Import Brush dialog box, choose the brush category where you want to store the variant from the Brush Category list box.
To rename the brush variant, type a name in the Save Variant As text box.
4 Click Save.
If the brush you are importing contains a brush dab image, another Import Brush dialog box appears.
5 In the Import Brush dialog box, choose one of the following options:
• Import brush only
• Import captured dab only
• Import both the brush and captured dab
If you are importing the captured dab, choose a library from the Captured Dab Library list box.
6 Click Import.

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You can also create a new brush category while in the Save Variant dialog box by clicking the Add New Brush Category button and typing a name in the New Category Name text box.

You can also import a brush variant from the Brush Selector by clicking the Brush library options button , choosing Import, and choosing Brush.

You can also import a brush variant from the file browser of your operating system by double-clicking a brush variant file. The brush variant automatically appears in the Brush Selector.

To export a brush variant

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1 In the Brush Selector, click the brush variant that you want to export.
2 Click Brushes Export Brush.
3 In the Export Brush dialog box, click Save.
To rename the brush variant, type a name in the File Name box.

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You can also export a brush variant from the Brush Selector by clicking the Brush library options button , choosing Export, and choosing Brush.

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