By default Photoshop lists the last 10 files you worked on under Recent Files. If, like me, you jump through a couple or three dozen files per day, finding the one you worked on an hour ago can be frustrating. Particularly if that file would have been number eleven or nineteen: It doesn’t show on the Recent Files list. At that point it is time to scream and frantically search your entire hard drive with the boss breathing down your neck… but wait. There is a way around this. You’ll like this…

Go to Preferences (CTRL-K, CMD-K on Mac) and choose the File Handling tab. At the bottom, ‘Recent File List Contains’ shows a box containing a number, by default ’10’. Type 20, or whatever you think is needed. Close preferences. OK, that will help in future, but how will that help find number nineteen now, you ask? Here is how, I answer: Photoshop actually remembers more than the default number it shows. It simply limits the Recent Files display to the number you tell it to. By changing this to 20, you force it to display more. Which means…

Go back to File > Open > Recent Files…and see that Photoshop now shows the 20 most recent files, INCLUDING NUMBER NINETEEN! You can now impress your boss with your incredible organizational skills, and get that raise. And if you think this tip could help others, pass it along. CheerS!