Since we're dealing with automation in this class, we may as well go all the way! I'll show you how to re-name your files in a jiffy with Automator.

You cannot record the painting and toning tools, tool options, view commands, and window commands. However, you can insert many non-recordable commands into an action using the Insert Menu Item command.

Photoshop Automation

Actions

These are essentially “macros” of the type you may be familiar with from Microsoft Office. Actions are usually created by either recording a series of steps you’ve developed yourself, or by purchasing them from a third party. Unlike filters, actions are sequenced executions of other Photoshop tools or steps, so they don’t add capabilities so much as simplify how things are done. You can execute actions individually from the Action Palette or you can use Photoshop’s “Automate>Batch” sequence to run an action on a bunch of files/images.

Droplets

This is a really non-descriptive name for a sort-of-neat capability. You think of “paint” or color when you see the term, but what it really means is “drop” as in “drag-and-drop”. In brief, a “droplet” is an icon that represents an action you’ve already bought or created. This icon is like a program in that it isn’t a part of Photoshop, but something that looks like an independent program on your desktop. You can drag an image to it to execute the action. If Photoshop is running, the process just executes the action. If Photoshop isn’t running, the drag-and-drop executes Photoshop and then runs the action. You can drag a file or a folder, and in the latter case the action is executed on the entire folder. In a technical sense, a droplet is a drag-and-drop wrapper around a combination of Photoshop and an action.

Built-in automations.

Photoshop has a number of built-in automations that are very helpful but also very specialized. You can create a web gallery of images, for example. Dandy tools, but there aren’t many of them

Your Assignment

You've been on a photo shoot for a client. You need to provide various proofs to those involved in the project.

TIP:

To undo an entire action, take a snapshot in the History palette before you play an action, and then select the snapshot to undo the action.

What's In and What's Out

Most commands and tool operations are recordable in actions. Actions can include stops that let you perform tasks that cannot be recorded (for example, using a painting tool). Actions can also include modal controls that let you enter values in a dialog box while playing an action. Actions form the basis for droplets, which are small applications that automatically process all files that are dragged onto their icon.

Heads Up!

Keep in mind the following guidelines when recording actions:

• You can record most--but not all--commands in an action.
• You can record operations that you perform with the Marquee, Move, Polygon, Lasso, Magic Wand, Crop, Slice, Magic Eraser, Gradient, Paint Bucket, Type, Shape, Notes, Eyedropper, and Color Sampler tools--as well as those that you perform in the History, Swatches, Color, Paths, Channels, Layers, Styles, and Actions palettes.
• Results depend on file and program setting variables, such as the active layer or the foreground color. For example, a 3-pixel Gaussian blur won't create the same effect on a 72-ppi file as on a 144-ppi file. Nor will Color Balance work on a grayscale file.
• When recording actions that include dialog boxes and palettes, the settings recorded will be the ones that are presently in the dialog box and palette at the time of the recording. If you change a setting in a dialog box or palette while recording an action, the resulting value will be the one recorded.
• Modal operations and tools--as well as tools that record position--use the units currently specified for the ruler. A modal operation or tool is one that requires you to press Enter or Return to apply its effect, such as the transformation and crop commands. Tools that record position include the Marquee, Slice, Gradient, Magic Wand, Lasso, Shape, Path, Eyedropper, and Notes tools.
• In Photoshop, when recording an action that will be played on files of different sizes, set the ruler units to percent. As a result, the action will always play back in the same relative position in the image.
• You can record the Play command listed on the Actions palette menu to cause one action to play another.

Important:

When recording the Save As command, do not change the filename. If you enter a new filename, Photoshop records the filename and uses that filename each time you run the action. Before saving, if you navigate to a different folder, you can specify a different location without having to specify a filename.

Note:

You can stop recording, then start again in the same action by choosing Start Recording from the Actions palette menu.

Inserting stops

You can include stops in your action that let you perform a task that cannot be recorded (for example, using a painting tool). Once you've completed the task, click the Play button in the Actions palette to complete the task. You can insert a stop when recording an action or after it has been recorded.

You can also display a short message when the action reaches the stop. For example, you can remind yourself what needs to be done before continuing with the action. Photoshop gives you the option of including a Continue button in the message box. This lets you check for a certain condition in the file (for example, a selection) and continue if nothing needs to be done.

To insert a stop:

1. Choose where to insert the stop by doing one of the following:
2. • Select an action's name to insert a stop at the end of the action.
   • Select a command to insert a stop after the command.
3. Choose Insert Stop from the Actions palette menu and choose Insert Stop.
4. Type the message you want to appear.
5. If you want the option to continue the action without stopping, select Allow Continue.
6. Click OK.