Photoshop Batch Command (with Bonus Action Window Action!)
HOW TO NOT HATE YOURSELF USING PHOTOSHOP
Photoshop batch command!
I first learned of this through a friend of my sister's who is a professional photographer and article writer for Vanity Fair, but I'd forgotten about it until another friend of mine said it saved large chunks of time in her life and reminded me.
Where is it?
File > Automate > Batch
What do you use it for?
Anything that requires a whole bunch of files to have a single or multiple actions applied to them, like resizing five hundred photographs, rotating them, framing them, saving them all under a consistent name system etc.
The Batch Command Window
Play
Set indicates which set of actions you want. You can use the default set or create your own. More on that later.
Action indicates the specific action you want. You can use the default set or create your own. More on that later.
Source (Folder/etc)
The source asks where you are getting the images you want to change from. Your options are folder, import, opened files, and file browser. The folder takes all the contents of a selected folder, while the import will use images taken from any importing technology like a scanner. Opened files works with files you've already opened, and the file browser will let you select any number of images, which is useful if opening too many images at once in Photoshop slows your computer down.
The checklist below that is what you want to override while the command runs. Here, I've got it set to suppress File Open Dialogs and Color Profile Warnings, which will keep it from annoying the hell out of me with stuff like "such and such font is not found" or "color profile does not match" and so on. Override Action "Open" Commands will keep Batch from opening files automatically without any prompting from the action you've selected, meaning if you haven't got an open command recorded in an action, nothing will be opened. I don't recommend checking this one without a good reason. Use all subfolders should be self-explanatory.
Destination
Destination wants to know where your modified files will be going, if anywhere. You can save them in a new folder (which should exist prior to running the batch command, just so you know), save over the original files, or not save them at all (for use if you already have a save command recorded in the action you're using). Should you be choosing to use Batch to save automatically, it gives you an option of what to name these new files. Using this option, I noticed I had to sit there and press enter when the windows for JPG quality or other image file format options popped up asking for confirmation.
Though at first it seems like it just gives you a dropdown list of options, you can type in your own custom naming system if you like. All the boxes just tack on characters according to your settings so the names will be truly...unique. Ahem.
Stop for Errors
Um, duh. Moving on.
Recording Your Actions
First of all, you need to have your Actions window open. (Window > Actions)
Second of all, open an image or create a new one. Don't do anything with it yet.
Along the bottom of the Actions window, you'll see the following: Stop, Record, Play, Create New Set, Create New Action, and Trash.
Let's say you just have the Default action set at the moment and want to create one that will resize your images automatically to, oh, 300 pixels. The first thing you need to do is create a new action set. It's like creating a layer set, only more actiony. After it's made, select it.
Fancy that! It has no actions! You will have to make a new one!
Now what? Well, get into that image you opened/created and resize it while the action is recording. It will record every single move you make as long as it's on. In this case, it will memorize the Image > Image Resize commands, including the numerical input you use.
Then you stop recording. Tada! A new action! If you don't want to run a batch command, you can select any action you want with any image you want, hit play, and voila! It's automated just for you! Hurrah. You can record a series of steps using this, by the way. Pretty useful, huh?
Photoshop batch command!
I first learned of this through a friend of my sister's who is a professional photographer and article writer for Vanity Fair, but I'd forgotten about it until another friend of mine said it saved large chunks of time in her life and reminded me.
Where is it?
File > Automate > Batch
What do you use it for?
Anything that requires a whole bunch of files to have a single or multiple actions applied to them, like resizing five hundred photographs, rotating them, framing them, saving them all under a consistent name system etc.
The Batch Command Window
Play
Set indicates which set of actions you want. You can use the default set or create your own. More on that later.
Action indicates the specific action you want. You can use the default set or create your own. More on that later.
Source (Folder/etc)
The source asks where you are getting the images you want to change from. Your options are folder, import, opened files, and file browser. The folder takes all the contents of a selected folder, while the import will use images taken from any importing technology like a scanner. Opened files works with files you've already opened, and the file browser will let you select any number of images, which is useful if opening too many images at once in Photoshop slows your computer down.
The checklist below that is what you want to override while the command runs. Here, I've got it set to suppress File Open Dialogs and Color Profile Warnings, which will keep it from annoying the hell out of me with stuff like "such and such font is not found" or "color profile does not match" and so on. Override Action "Open" Commands will keep Batch from opening files automatically without any prompting from the action you've selected, meaning if you haven't got an open command recorded in an action, nothing will be opened. I don't recommend checking this one without a good reason. Use all subfolders should be self-explanatory.
Destination
Destination wants to know where your modified files will be going, if anywhere. You can save them in a new folder (which should exist prior to running the batch command, just so you know), save over the original files, or not save them at all (for use if you already have a save command recorded in the action you're using). Should you be choosing to use Batch to save automatically, it gives you an option of what to name these new files. Using this option, I noticed I had to sit there and press enter when the windows for JPG quality or other image file format options popped up asking for confirmation.
Though at first it seems like it just gives you a dropdown list of options, you can type in your own custom naming system if you like. All the boxes just tack on characters according to your settings so the names will be truly...unique. Ahem.
Stop for Errors
Um, duh. Moving on.
Recording Your Actions
First of all, you need to have your Actions window open. (Window > Actions)
Second of all, open an image or create a new one. Don't do anything with it yet.
Along the bottom of the Actions window, you'll see the following: Stop, Record, Play, Create New Set, Create New Action, and Trash.
Let's say you just have the Default action set at the moment and want to create one that will resize your images automatically to, oh, 300 pixels. The first thing you need to do is create a new action set. It's like creating a layer set, only more actiony. After it's made, select it.
Fancy that! It has no actions! You will have to make a new one!
Now what? Well, get into that image you opened/created and resize it while the action is recording. It will record every single move you make as long as it's on. In this case, it will memorize the Image > Image Resize commands, including the numerical input you use.
Then you stop recording. Tada! A new action! If you don't want to run a batch command, you can select any action you want with any image you want, hit play, and voila! It's automated just for you! Hurrah. You can record a series of steps using this, by the way. Pretty useful, huh?