How to Work With Photoshop Actions
Open a file in Photoshop., Save the image as a copy., Show the Actions panel., Click the “Create New Action” icon., Choose a name for the Action., Choose a Function Key., Click “Record” to begin recording your Action., Perform the commands you want...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Open a file in Photoshop.
If you repeat a set of Photoshop operations often, create an Action to save time in the future.
Start by opening an image to which you’ll be performing a set of operations (such as applying masks, filters, type, etc.)., It’s a good idea to work with a copy of the image so you don’t overwrite an image with a mistake.
Click the “File” menu and choose “Save As.” Place a check mark next to “As a Copy.” Click “Save.” , If you don’t see a panel in Photoshop that’s labeled “Actions,” press F9 (Windows) or ⌥ Option+F9 to launch it.You can increase the size of the Actions panel by dragging its lower right corner downward or to the right. , This icon, shaped like a square sheet of paper with a folded-up corner, appears on the Actions panel next to the Trash icon.
The “New Action” dialog box will appear.
You can also click the menu at the top right corner of the Actions panel and choose “New Action…” , Type a name for your new Action into the “Name” field.
Use something that will jog your memory about what the Action does.
For example, if you are creating an Action to shrink an image to a specific size and then convert it to grayscale, you may call the Action “Shrink and Grayscale.” , You can assign a key or combination of keys (e.g., F3, Alt+F2, etc.) to start the Action.
This step is optional, as you can also run the Action from the Actions panel.Select a key from the Function Key drop-down menu.
If you’d like, place a check next to Shift, Command, Control, etc. to specify a specific key combination (instead of just a single function key). , Once you click this button, you’ll be in “recording” mode.
While you’re in this mode, each Photoshop operation you complete will be added to the Action in order.
There are a few rules of thumb to remember when recording actions:
When recording the “Save As” command, don’t enter a new file name.
If you do, the new file name will apply to every image on which you apply the Action.
Instead, just navigate to a different folder and save it with the same filename.
Not all of the functions you record now can apply to all images.
For example, if you use “Color Balance” in this Action, it won’t have any effect when running it on a grayscale image. , Here’s an example for recording an Action to resize an image to 300 x 300 pixels at 72 dpi (dots-per-inch):
Open the Image menu and select “Image Size.” Remove the checkmark from the box labeled “Constrain proportions.” Set each dropdown next to “Width” and “Height” to “Pixels” if they are not already set.
Type “300” into the “Width” box.
Type “300” into the “Height” box.
Type “72” into the “Resolution” box.
Make sure “Pixes/inch” is selected next to “Resolution.” Click “OK.” , When you’re done performing all of the commands you want in the action, click the Stop button (the dark gray square on the Actions panel).To add more steps, make sure the Action is highlighted in the Actions panel and click the red “Record” button (the circle) to record.
If you don’t feel you’ve recorded the action correctly, right-click the name of the Action and select “Record Again.” , Click the arrow next to your new Action to expand all of the steps.If you want to change any of the parameters in the Action, double-click the step to launch its associated panel.
You can rearrange steps in the Action by dragging its name to another location in the list.
To delete a step in the Action, click the step once to select it, and then click the Trash icon. -
Step 2: Save the image as a copy.
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Step 3: Show the Actions panel.
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Step 4: Click the “Create New Action” icon.
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Step 5: Choose a name for the Action.
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Step 6: Choose a Function Key.
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Step 7: Click “Record” to begin recording your Action.
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Step 8: Perform the commands you want to repeat.
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Step 9: Stop recording the Action.
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Step 10: Look at the steps of your Action in the Actions panel.
Detailed Guide
If you repeat a set of Photoshop operations often, create an Action to save time in the future.
Start by opening an image to which you’ll be performing a set of operations (such as applying masks, filters, type, etc.)., It’s a good idea to work with a copy of the image so you don’t overwrite an image with a mistake.
Click the “File” menu and choose “Save As.” Place a check mark next to “As a Copy.” Click “Save.” , If you don’t see a panel in Photoshop that’s labeled “Actions,” press F9 (Windows) or ⌥ Option+F9 to launch it.You can increase the size of the Actions panel by dragging its lower right corner downward or to the right. , This icon, shaped like a square sheet of paper with a folded-up corner, appears on the Actions panel next to the Trash icon.
The “New Action” dialog box will appear.
You can also click the menu at the top right corner of the Actions panel and choose “New Action…” , Type a name for your new Action into the “Name” field.
Use something that will jog your memory about what the Action does.
For example, if you are creating an Action to shrink an image to a specific size and then convert it to grayscale, you may call the Action “Shrink and Grayscale.” , You can assign a key or combination of keys (e.g., F3, Alt+F2, etc.) to start the Action.
This step is optional, as you can also run the Action from the Actions panel.Select a key from the Function Key drop-down menu.
If you’d like, place a check next to Shift, Command, Control, etc. to specify a specific key combination (instead of just a single function key). , Once you click this button, you’ll be in “recording” mode.
While you’re in this mode, each Photoshop operation you complete will be added to the Action in order.
There are a few rules of thumb to remember when recording actions:
When recording the “Save As” command, don’t enter a new file name.
If you do, the new file name will apply to every image on which you apply the Action.
Instead, just navigate to a different folder and save it with the same filename.
Not all of the functions you record now can apply to all images.
For example, if you use “Color Balance” in this Action, it won’t have any effect when running it on a grayscale image. , Here’s an example for recording an Action to resize an image to 300 x 300 pixels at 72 dpi (dots-per-inch):
Open the Image menu and select “Image Size.” Remove the checkmark from the box labeled “Constrain proportions.” Set each dropdown next to “Width” and “Height” to “Pixels” if they are not already set.
Type “300” into the “Width” box.
Type “300” into the “Height” box.
Type “72” into the “Resolution” box.
Make sure “Pixes/inch” is selected next to “Resolution.” Click “OK.” , When you’re done performing all of the commands you want in the action, click the Stop button (the dark gray square on the Actions panel).To add more steps, make sure the Action is highlighted in the Actions panel and click the red “Record” button (the circle) to record.
If you don’t feel you’ve recorded the action correctly, right-click the name of the Action and select “Record Again.” , Click the arrow next to your new Action to expand all of the steps.If you want to change any of the parameters in the Action, double-click the step to launch its associated panel.
You can rearrange steps in the Action by dragging its name to another location in the list.
To delete a step in the Action, click the step once to select it, and then click the Trash icon.
About the Author
Jeffrey Reed
Experienced content creator specializing in organization guides and tutorials.
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