Using Photoshop actions

N
Posted By
Newsonline
Apr 26, 2005
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182
Replies
6
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Closed
Hi, I use Photoshop 6.0 but am considering moving to Elements. I set up a list of actions, created as .atn files, in 6.0.

I would like to know if it is possible to import these actions into Elements and use them there.

If I can’t do this, can I create new actions in Elements that allow me to do the same task with one keystroke?

Among the functions I use them for is to put a one pixel black border round my images. Without the action, it would require five or six keystrokes.

Thanks.
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Raymond Robillard
Apr 26, 2005
Barbara Brundage did a tutorial on that subject… I don’t have the web address at hand (I’m at the office right now). Perhaps someone else could post it.

Ray
WE
Wendy_E_Williams
Apr 26, 2005
If you use a lot of actions then I would say that Elements isn’t going to be ideal way forward for you.

Some actions can be used in Elements but they do have to be specially recorded and you can’t record them in Elements you have to use the full version of photoshop to do that.

You probably could transfer your actions into Elements but you would need to rewrite them first … a simple example being that Elements doesn’t support action sets. So you would need to save each action as a separate file.

Another thing is that Elements (unless you use add ons) doesn’t have a lot of the functionality that Photoshop does … like curves, layer masks, pen tool etc. Plus quite a few of the functions are simplified … so you don’t have the same adjustments for things like layer styles.

Wendy
WE
Wendy_E_Williams
Apr 26, 2005
Here is the link to Barbara’s tutorial .. 🙂

<http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2005/02/23/PSelement3.html>

Wendy
BB
Barbara_Brundage
Apr 26, 2005
Wendy, well, yes and no. If an action happens to only contain steps that PE can understand it doesn’t need to be rewritten, just to have a thumbnail created for it. There are a surprising number of things you wouldn’t think PE could do (because they aren’t available via the interface at all) that will work. You’re absolutely right about action sets, and any action that requires the Play button to continue from a stop won’t work either, though.

Newsonline, I tend to agree with Wendy that if you have a very actions-oriented workflow you’ll probably be happier doing the upgrade to CS2 rather than buying PE (it’s not that much more money, since you can’t use PS to qualify for the previous owner rebates on PE).

If you want to pursue the actions thing, I would download the PE demo and see if your actiosn will run in that. Directions for using them in PE are here:

<http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2005/02/23/PSelement3.html>
BB
Barbara_Brundage
Apr 26, 2005
Oops. Thanks for the link Wendy. It wasn’t there when I started.
WE
Wendy_E_Williams
Apr 26, 2005
Hi Barbara,

Sorry I missed out the bit about they could already be compatible … I was skipping ahead with the thought that usually when people create their own work actions they tend to save them in sets 🙂

Wendy

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