17. Working with Automate Commands

It’s great when you hear about new tips and tricks that will save time. But it’s never a good policy to shave time to sacrifice quality. Adobe Photoshop has come to the rescue with some great time-savers that will help you. The Automate commands give the ability to streamline your workflow, and make short work of repetitive tasks. The Automate commands let you process—Batch File Processing—hundreds of image files with the click of a button, create interactive Web documents of your images; and even lets you create a picture package from a precious image.

You can create a PDF file (presentation or document), or a photographic contact sheet. You can also use the Crop and Straighten Photo and Photomerge commands. Photoshop gives you the ability to convert a multi-page PDF file into a self-running slide show. Or how about those proof sheets with various size images on them? Now you can take an image and make your own photo sheet using the Picture Package command.

Think of an action as a batch of single commands all rolled up into one powerful authority. For example, to create a picture package without the Picture Package command would take dozens of steps to complete, and the results would be different every time you performed the steps. In the busy world of graphic design, with all the image processing you need to do on a daily basis, Photoshop’s Automate commands give you the ability to deliver consistent results, over and over again with the click of a button.

You can also use many of the commands on the Automate menu in Adobe Bridge. The Tools menu in Bridge contains commands available with different Adobe Creative Suite program names, such as Photoshop or InDesign. For example, the Photoshop automation commands appear under the Photoshop submenu in Bridge.

Working with Batch File Processing

PS 8.3, 10.2, 10.3

There is nothing more exciting than working on a new creative process, and watch as your designs come to life. Conversely, there is nothing more tiresome than having to apply that new creative concept to 50 other images. For example, you just spent three hours coming up with a procedure to color correct an heirloom photograph, and the process took two filters, and three adjustments. The photo looks great; however, you now have 50 other images with the exact problem. You could create an action, but you would still have to open and apply the action 50 times. The solution is to batch process the images, after you have created the action. Batch file processing lets you apply an action to an entire folder of images, and all you have to do is click a button. Now, what could be simpler than that?

Work with Batch File Processing

Create a new folder, and then move all the images into the folder.

Important

These files must be typical image files. There should not be any other files, such as text files, inside this folder.

Create a second folder to hold the modified images (optional).

Open Photoshop (you do not need to open a document).

Click the File menu, point to Automate, and then click Batch.

Select from the following Play options:

Click the Set list arrow, and then select the Set containing the Action you want to apply to the images.
Click the Action list arrow, and then select the correct Action.

Click the Source list arrow, and then select an image-source option of Folder, Import, Opened Files, or File Browser.

Click Choose (available if Folder is selected as the source), and then select the location of the image folder.

Check the various boxes you want:

Override Action “Open” Commands. Select to use an open command embedded into the Action.
Include All Subfolders. Select to batch process any images located in folders embedded into the main image folder.
Suppress File Open Options Dialogs. Select to disable the File Open dialog box.
Suppress Color Profile Warnings. Select to disable the Color Profile Mismatch dialog box.

Click the Destination list arrow, and then click None, Save And Close, or Folder.

Click Choose (available if Folder is selected as the source), and then select the destination of the modified images.

Select the Override Action “Save As” Commands check box to use a save command embedded into the Action.

If Folder is selected as destination, the File Naming options allows you to rename the modified files, and then select the required Compatibility options you want: Windows, Mac OS or Unix.

Click the Errors list arrow, select an errors option, and then click Save As to save your error information, if necessary.

Click OK.

For Your Information: Things to Remember About Batch File Processing

There are many settings and requirements in order to make your batch file processing a success. Remember that before you begin, you need to have a created action. For more information on actions, you can refer to Chapter 15. After your action is created, and all the kinks are worked out, you can then set up your batch file processing. Knowing information such as where the source images are, where you’ll be storing them (destination), having a naming convention, and other details will help to make your setup of the batch file processing a few easy steps.

Creating a PDF File

PS 10.2

There are times when you want to create a slide show of your latest summer vacation and distribute it via e-mail or CD. You have the entire image collection in a folder; they’re ready to go, but you need a format to place all of the images, so that your Macintosh and Windows relatives can open. The answer is PDF (Portable Document File). The PDF format from Adobe lets you create a slide show presentation or individual documents that can be opened by literally any computer or operating system using Adobe Acrobat Reader (free at www.adobe.com). Photoshop recognize two types of PDF files: Generic PDF (multiple pages and images) and Photoshop PDF (single image only). Adobe provides standard presets to make PDFs quick and easy, and you can even create your own customized presets.

Create a PDF Presentation

Open Photoshop (it is not necessary to open a document).

Click the File menu, point to Automate, and then click PDF Presentation.

Select the Add Open Files check box to add any active files, or click Browse to select the files.

To remove any images from the current Source Files List, click a file, and then click Remove.

To change its presentation stacking order, drag a file in the list.

Click the Presentation option.

Select the background you want (White, Gray, or Black), and then select the features you want to include in the presentation (New!).

Select the Advance Every XX Seconds check box to select how long each image is displayed.

Select the Loop After Last Page check box to loop the show.

Click the Transition list arrow, and then select a slide transition.

Click Save.

Specify a name and location for the show, and then click Save.

Select from the general options:

Adobe PDF Preset. Click to select a pre-defined compression (Smallest File Size) recommended.
Standard. Click to select the PDF standard to be compliant with (None, recommended).
Compatibility. Click to select a version of the PDF reader application to be compatible with (5.0, recommended).
Description. Enter a new description, if desired.

Select from the other PDF options:

Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities. Disabled for PDF presentations.
Embed Page Thumbnails. Check to add thumbnails to the presentation (larger file size, and not necessary).
Optimize For Fast Web Preview. Check to optimize for viewing on the Web (recommended).
View PDF After Saving. Check to view the presentation, after it’s created.

Click Compression to modify compression values (typically not required), Output to set color management and PDF/X (for prepress/postscript) options, Security to set passwords and print options, and Summary to review your settings.

To create your own presets, click Save Preset, enter a name, and then click Save.

Click Save PDF to start your PDF presentation.

For Your Information: Saving a File in PDF Format

In addition to creating a PDF presentation with multiple images, you can save an individual file in Photoshop PDF format. Instead of using the PDF Presentation command, you use the Save As command; the process is very similar. Open the document you want to use, click the File menu, click Save As, click the Format list arrow, click Photoshop PDF, select a Color option (if you want to embed a color profile or use the profile with the Proof Setup command), and then click Save. If necessary, click OK to the override alert message. In the Save Adobe PDF dialog box, select the options you want (see steps 12-14 on this page for details), and the click Save PDF.

Creating and Working with Custom PDF Presets

If you need to create specialized PDFs, you can create your own PDF presets to make the job easier. Click the Edit menu, click Adobe PDF Presets, click New to create a preset, or select a preset and click Edit (you can’t edit the default presets). In the Save Adobe PDF dialog box, select the options you want (see steps 12-14 for details), name and save (if necessary), and then exit the dialogs. Adobe PDF presets are saved as files with a .joboptions extension, which can be used by all CS3 programs using the Load button.

Creating a Contact Sheet

PS 10.2

Photoshop’s Contact Sheet II provides you with a way to view multiple images in a contact sheet format. Traditional photographers used to create contact sheets in the darkroom by placing a group of negatives on a piece of light-sensitive photographic paper, laying a piece of glass over the top, and exposing the glass and negative paper sandwich to light. After processing, you had a contact sheet with thumbnails of your images. Now with Photoshop, you can create your contact sheet without the darkroom requirements.

Create a Contact Sheet

Create a folder, and then move in the images you want to create a contact sheet for into the folder.

Open Photoshop (it is not necessary to open a document).

Click the File menu, point to Automate, and then click Contact Sheet II.

Click the Use list arrow, and then select from the available Source Images options:

Current Open Documents
Folder
File Browser

Click Choose, and then select the folder containing the images (available only if Folder is selected) for your source images.

Select the Include All Subfolders check box to add images from folders embedded into the original source folder.

Did You Know?

You can start the Contact Sheet II command from Bridge. Select the images you want, click the Tools menu, point to Photoshop, and then click Contact Sheet II.

Select from the Document options (these options determine the characteristics of the output document):

Units. Click the list arrow, and then select a measurement system for the output paper document.
Width/Height. Enter a width and height for the contact sheet.
Resolution. Enter a resolution for the output document.
Mode.Click the list arrow, and then select a color mode for the output document.
Flatten All Layers. Select to create a contact sheet as a composite (flattened) image. Leave unchecked to place the images in a separate layer.

Select from the Thumbnail options:

Place.Click the list arrow, and then select an option to determine whether the contact images run top-to-bottom or left-to-right.
Use Auto-Spacing. Check to let Photoshop control the placing of the images on the page.
Columns/Rows. Enter a value for rows and columns.
Rotate For Best Fit. Check to let Photoshop rotate images for best placement on the page.

Select the Use Filename As Caption check box to use as the caption for the thumbnail, and then set the font type and size for the caption (recommended).

Click OK.

Working with Conditional Mode Change

PS 10.2

The Conditional Mode Change command lets you specify the conditions for changing the mode of an image in an action. When you create an action that changes modes, it can cause a problem when you run the action. For example, you create an action and one of the commands is to convert the image from RGB to Grayscale. Running the action against a file that is not RGB will cause an error. But, what if you want to use the same action to convert a CMYK image to grayscale? You can if you make the mode change within the action using Conditional Mode Change. Using this option guarantees that you will never have a problem using an action to change the mode of an image.

Work with Conditional Mode Change

Open a document.

Start the recording of an Action.

Important

To make a conditional mode change, you must have a document open and an available Action to change.

Click the File menu, point to Automate, and then click Conditional Mode Change.

Select the check boxes with the possible modes for the source image; you can click All.

Click the Mode list arrow, and then select the Target mode you want the image converted to.

Click OK.

Add any additional commands to the action.

Click the Stop Recording button, and then save the action.

Using the Crop and Straighten Photos Command

PS 10.2

The Crop and Straighten Photos command is a nifty way to quickly straighten and make separate image files out of one image. For example, you have a photograph of two people standing side-by-side, and you want a separate image of each person. Or you have a scanned image that wasn’t quite straight on the platten. The Crop and Straighten Photos command works best when the images in the document are separated by some space. When you apply the command to an image, it looks for areas to divide based on shifts in color; no selection is required.

Use the Crop and Straighten Photos Command

Open a document.

Click the File menu, point to Automate, and then click Crop And Straighten Photos.

Photoshop automatically creates separate images from the available image information in the active document, and then places the images into individual files.

Did You Know?

You can control the Crop And Straighten Photos command through selection. Use the Rectangular Marquee tool to select a portion of the image before using the Crop And Straighten Photos command, and then Photoshop will only work within the selection.

Converting a Multi-Page PDF to PSD

PS 10.2

Photoshop’s list of automation features is impressive, and it gets longer and better with each new version of the program. One of the features that will come in handy is the ability to convert a multi-page PDF directly into multiple Photoshop image files. You have this great Adobe PDF document that contains images you want to use in a Photoshop design. The PDF format is a versatile file format that saves both vector and bitmap data, as well as contains electronic document search and navigation features. Some PDF files contain a single image, while other PDF files contain multiple pages and images. When you open a PDF file, you can choose which pages to open, as well as specify a specific rasterization process (how to convert the image from vector to raster). Although Adobe moved this process from the Automation palette to the Open dialog box, it still rates a spot in automation.

Work with Multi-Page PDF to PSD

Open Photoshop (it is not necessary to open a document).

Click the File menu, and then click Open.

Select a document in the Photoshop PDF format, and then click Open.

Click the Select list arrow, and then choose to open whole pages, or images.

Select from the following Page Options:

Name: Enter a name for the new document
Crop To: Click the list arrow, and then select from the various cropping options.

Did You Know?

You can convert Photoshop image into PDF documents. Photoshop gives you the option to save the document in the Photoshop PDF file format. Photoshop documents saved as PDF files preserve shape information as vector data, and you have the option of preserving type layers.

Designing a Personalized Picture Package

PS 10.2

The Picture Package command gives you the ability to generate a group of pictures from one or more images. Whatever you want, and in whatever sizes you need, Photoshop’s Picture Package can deliver them right from your computer and a good photo-quality printer. You can modify existing layouts or create new layouts using the Picture Package Edit Layout feature. Your custom layouts are saved as text files. The Picture Package Edit Layout feature uses a graphic interface that eliminates the need to write text files to create or modify layouts. Just select a standard layout from the available options, and then make the necessary changes.

Design a Personalized Picture Package

Open Photoshop (it is not necessary to open a document).

Click the File menu, point to Automate, and then click Picture Package.

Click the Use list arrow, and then select the source for the document or documents to be used in the picture package.

Click Choose, and then select the folder containing the images (available only if File is selected for Source Images).

Select the Include All Subfolders check box to include images from subfolders (available only if File is selected for Source Images).

Did You Know?

You can change an individual image in the Picture Package set. Click on any thumbnail in the Picture Package image preview, and Photoshop lets you select an alternate image for that spot in the package.

You can start the Picture Package command from Bridge. Select the images you want, click the Tools menu, point to Photoshop, and then click Picture Package.

Click to select from the Document options:

Page Size. Click to select a page size for the picture package document.
Layout. Click to select from the available image layouts.
Resolution. Select a resolution for the picture package.

Important

If you’re planning on printing the package, the resolution should be higher than the default resolution of 72pp.

Mode. Click to select a color mode for the document.
Flatten All Layers. Select the check box to create a composite (flattened) picture package document.

Click to select from the Label options to determine what will be printed with the images:

Content. Click to select from the available label content options.
Custom Text.Generate custom text for the images.
Font And Size.Click to select a font and size for the label text.
Color. Click to select a color for the label text.
Opacity. Enter a percentage value for the label text.
Position. Click to select a position for the label text.
Rotate. Click to rotate the text.

Click OK.

Using the Web Photo Gallery Command

PS 10.2

Photoshop’s Web Photo Gallery takes the drudgery out of creating those thumbnail Web pages. The pages display small thumbnails of a group of images—when you click on an image, a larger version is displayed within another window, or section of the page. If your goal is to show the world your photographs, but you don’t want to write all the HTML code involved in making that happen, then the Web Photo Gallery is just what you need.

Use the Web Photo Gallery Command

Create a folder with the images you want to use to generate the photo gallery.

Open Photoshop (it is not necessary to open a document).

Click the File menu, point to Automate, and then click Web Photo Gallery.

Click the Styles list arrow, and then select from the available styles (watch the preview to see how each style appears).

Enter an e-mail address in the Email box. This gives the visitor the ability to click and send you an e-mail message (optional).

Click the Use list arrow, and then select the location of the Source Images.

Click Choose, and then locate the folder containing the images (available only if Folder is selected).

Select the Include All Subfolders check box to include images from subfolders (available only if File is selected for Source Images).

Click Destination, and then select a destination for the HTML document and images.

Click the Options list arrow, and then design the final HTML document based on the following options:

General
Banner
Large Images
Thumbnails
Custom Colors
Security

Click OK.

Did You Know?

You can create a new Web Photo Gallery style. Use an HTML editor, create the necessary HTML template files, and then store them inside the style folder (located in the Photoshop applications folder). The new style appears as an option in the Styles dialog box and in the Web Photo Gallery dialog box. Creating your own styles does require knowledge of HTML and Web design techniques.

You can start the Web Photo Gallery command from Bridge. Select the images you want, click the Tools menu, point to Photoshop, and then click Web Photo Gallery.

Using Photomerge

PS 8.3, 10.2

Ever wanted to create a panoramic photograph? Panoramas are those great looking images that encompass a wide area into one photograph. For example, you want to create a single photograph of the Grand Canyon, but the lens on your camera doesn’t go that wide. So you start at the left of the canyon wall, and take a photo. Then you move slightly to the right and take another photo, and another, until you have reached the far right canyon wall. So, now you have four or five separate images on the Grand Canyon, and you want to stitch them together into a single panoramic view. If you have Photoshop, you have what you need to make it happen.

Use Photomerge

Open Photoshop.

Click the File menu, point to Automate, and then click Photomerge.

Click the Use list arrow, and then select from the following options:

Files. Select the files to include in the merge document. Click the Browse button, and then select the images.
Folder. Select a folder that contains all the images. Click the Browse button, and then select the folder containing all the images.
Open Files. Selects the currently open Photoshop images.

To quickly add currently opened files to the list (New!), click Add Open Files.

To remove any images from the list, click the file name, and then click Remove.

Click one of the layout options (New!):

Auto. Analyzes the images and uses the Perspective or Cylindrical layout.
Perspective. Creates a stretched or skewed effect on the side images.
Cylindrical. Creates a bow-tie effect like an unfolded cylinder.
Reposition Only. Aligns the layers and matches overlapping content.
Interactive Layout. Allows you to manually rearrange the images to create a panorama.

Select the Blend Images Together check box (New!) to create seams between the image borders and match the image color. Clear the checked to apply a simple rectangle blend to the images.

Click OK.

If you selected the Interactive Layout option in step 6, use the Toolbox to arrange the images, and then click OK.

Photoshop merges the images into a single panoramic document file.

Did You Know?

You can use the following hints for the best results with Photomerge. For the best results, use the following rules of thumb when you take pictures. Overlap images by approximately 25% to 40%, don’t change the zoom depth, keep the camera level, stay in the same position, maintain the same exposure, and avoid using distortion lenses.

You can start the Photomerge command from Bridge. Select the images you want, click the Tools menu, point to Photoshop, and then click Photomerge.

You can preserve alignment in Interactive Layout. Select the Reposition Only and Snap to Image options to preserve alignment at overlapping image areas and apply blending to even out differences of exposure between images.

Merging Images to HDR

PS 1.4, 9.4, 8.3, 10.2

The Merge To HDR command allows you to combine multiple images (of different exposures) of the same image or scene, or a bracketed exposure. HDR (High Dynamic Range) creates 32-bit high-end digital quality images. The Merge To HDR command takes the best elements of each photograph and combines them to create a single HDR image with more dynamic range than possible with a single digital image. Since several photos will be combined to create a single image, it’s important to place the camera on a tripod (so it won’t move), and then take enough photographs (3 minimum) at different exposures to capture all the dynamic range of the scene.

Use the Merge To HDR Command

Click the File menu, point to Automate, and then click Merge To HDR.

Click the Use list arrow, and then select from the following options:

Files. Select the files to include in the merge document. Click the Browse button, and then select the images.
Folder. Select a folder that contains all the images. Click the Browse button, and then select the folder containing all the images.
Open Files. Selects the currently open Photoshop images.

To quickly add currently opened files to the list (New!), click Add Open Files.

To remove any images from the list, click the file name, and then click Remove.

Did You Know?

You can start the Merge To HDR command from Bridge. Select the images you want, click the Tools menu, point to Photoshop, and then click Merge To HDR.

Select the Attempt To Automatically Align Source Images check box to let Photoshop try to align the images together (always try this option first).

Click OK.

If you did not check the option in step 4, specify any of the following options, and then click OK.

Select Files. Select or clear the check box under each thumb-nail to specify which images to use.
Bit Depth. Click the Bit Depth list arrow, and then select a bit depth for the merged image.
Histogram. Drag the slider to set the white point for previewing the merged image.
Response Curve (New!). Click the Automatic option to use tone curves to fine-tune HDR images after you have made the main adjustments you want.

Click the Save Response Curve As to save current settings. If you have a saved file with response curve presets, click Load From File to select the file you want.

Photoshop attempts to combine the elements of all the images.

Processing Multiple Image Files

The Image Processor command in Photoshop allows you to convert and process multiple files without first creating an action, which is something you need to do with the Batch command. The Image Processor commands makes it easy to convert a set of files to either JPEG, PSD, or TIFF, or all three formats at the same time. When you take a lot of digital pictures, you can process the camera raw files all at once using the same options. If you are working on a collage with specific size and color requirements, you can use Image Processor to resize images to specific dimensions and embed a color profile or change the color mode to sRGB (the default working space for most Adobe color settings; recommended for Web and digital camera images). In addition, you can include copyright metadata into any of the converted images.

Use the Image Processor Command

Click the File menu, point to Scripts, and then click Image Processor.

Click the Use Open Images option or click Select Folder to select the images or folder to process.

Select the Open First Image To Apply Settings check box to apply the same settings to all the images.

This allows you to adjust the settings in the first image, and then apply the same settings to the rest of the images.

Click the Save In Same Location option or click Select Folder to select the location to save processed images.

If you process the same file multiple times to the same location, each file is saved with a unique file name, so it’s not overwritten.

Select from the following options:

Save As JPEG. Saves image in JPEG format.
Quality. Enter a quality value between 0 and 12 (3 or 4 recommended for Web graphics)
Resize To Fit. Resizes the images to fit the width and height in pixels.
Convert Profile To sRGB. Converts the color profile to sRGB; select the Include ICC Profile check box to save it.
Save As PSD. Saves images in the PSD Photoshop format.
Maximize Compatibility. Saves a composite of a layer image for programs that can’t read layered images.
Save As TIFF. Saves images in the TIFF format.
LZW Compression. Saves TIFF files using the LZW compression scheme.

Select from the following Preferences options:

Run Action. Runs a selected Photoshop action.
Copyright Info. Includes file information entered in the IPTC copyright metadata
Include ICC Profile. Embeds the color profile with the saved image files.

To save your settings, click Save, enter a name, and then click Save.

To load saved settings, click Load, select the settings file, and then click Open.

Click Run.

For Your Information: Batch Renaming Files with Bridge

You can rename files and folders in a batch, or group, to save time. With Bridge, you can select the same settings for all the files you want to process. Launch Bridge from the desktop or Photoshop, select the files you want to rename or select a folder in the Folders panel that contains the files you want to rename, set options in any of the following areas, and then click Rename: Destination Folder (rename, move, or copy), New Filenames (choose elements from menus or enter text to create file names; click plus (+) to add and minus (-) to remove), Preserve file name in XMP Metadata, or Operating System Compatibility.

Using the Fit Image Command

PS 10.2

The Fit Image command is a quick way to adjust an image to a specific width and height without changing its current aspect ratio. While the same process can be accomplished using Photoshop’s Image Size dialog box, this way is quicker and works more reliably when used to change the size of an image within an action. Like another one of the Automate commands called Conditional Mode Change, the Fit Image command is designed to work best when incorporated into an action. When the action is executed, the Fit Image command will adjust the image’s size without opening any dialog boxes, or requiring you to answer any formatting questions.

Use the Fit Image Command

Open a document.

Click the File menu, point to Automate, and then click Fit Image.

Enter a Width and Height for the transformation.

Photoshop maintains the image’s aspect ratio.

Click OK.

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