In Focus Vol. 3 No. 11
Q: I read your last In Focus article about Photoshop's default actions. How can I write my own actions?
A: Follow along with the simple steps in this action-creating Photoshop how-to and get busy recording your own useful actions.
By Kim Herrera
Adobe Certified Expert, Photoshop
First, load your actions palette (Window>Actions).
Show the Actions palette. |
Next, open an RGB portrait image. For my sample I'll use this woman in a black dress…
Photo sample courtesy of Studio-91.com. |
Go to your actions palette and start a new action by using the submenu or clicking on the folder icon shortcut at the bottom of the palette. Name your action set. Note: This is just the folder that contains the set of actions you will write, not the action itself.
Create and name a new set of Actions. |
Create and record a New Action. |
To write the action, go to the submenu of the Action palette and choose Start Recording or click on the Action shortcut icon at the bottom of the palette.
New Action dialog window. |
Name your action and assign it a Function key if you want it as a shortcut. Note: On newer iMac models you may need to hold a Function key down on your keyboard in addition to your FKey. Check to see if your operating system has keyboard shortcuts that may conflict with assigning actions to FKeys. In most cases I've found that you can turn off these system shortcuts.
Assigning Function Keys to Actions for shortcuts. |
Let's record:
1. Start Recording...
2. Go to your menu and choose Image>Adjustment>Levels. Make a level adjustment and hit OK.
Start the Action with basic tonal corrections using Levels. |
3. Keep going… Go back to your menu and choose Filter>Diffuse. Make adjustments and hit Ok.
Applying a filter in a recorded Action. |
4. Go to Image>Image Size. The image size dialog window comes up.
Recording everyday functions like re-sizing images. |
5. Stop recording. Press the Stop icon button at the bottom of the Actions palette.
Remember to click "Stop Recording" when you're done. |
Now you can play this series of actions on any image. This is very useful and time saving if you have multiple images that need the same corrections. It is very important that you save your actions
Always save your Action sets. |
If you crash and have not saved your action sets you will lose them. If you save them you can use the Action palette submenu to reload them.
You can reload Actions if you save them. |
You can have multiple sets of actions to keep them organized by project or by client. Sometimes I save the client’s set of actions with the actual job. It helps me remember how I achieved certain effects for the next time. Cheers!
Kim Herrera, Adobe Certified Expert, Photoshop, is the color management expert for Logan Photography at Studio Exchange, Santa Ana, Calif., and runs KCH Digital, a digital artistry, education, and consultancy firm. |
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