Using the Conditional Mode Change Command in Photoshop

Photoshop enables you to specify instances where one mode changes into another so that you can utilize the conversion command in an action. Briefly, an action is a collection of recorded and saved commands that you can replay again and again.

Sometimes when you incorporate a mode conversion as part of an action, you get an error message because the file you’re opening may not have the same mode you specified as the source mode in the action. For example, you may have specified CMYK as your source mode in the action. But if the action opens a file in Grayscale mode, you get an error message, because the Grayscale mode of the file doesn’t match the CMYK source mode. The Conditional Mode Change command takes care of this problem. Here’s what you do to add this command to your action:

1. Start creating and recording your action.
2. Choose File➪Automate➪Conditional Mode Change.
3. In the Conditional Mode Change dialog box select the mode(s) you want as valid for the source mode. Other options include the All or None buttons to select all modes or no modes.
4. Select your desired target mode from the Mode pop-up menu.
5. Click OK.
If all goes well, Photoshop incorporates the Conditional Mode Change command as a step in your action.