Of all the actions sets that ship with Photoshop, I find that the Production set and Image Effects set are the most useful to print designers and production artists. If you use a lot of Photoshop type effects in your print layouts, there are also some useful actions in the Text Effects set. Note that the Default set is a collection of actions that are available in other sets, such as Vignette from the Frames set.
Image Effects Set
There are several actions in the Image Effects set that you can use to create eye-catching effects that are commonly used in print layouts. Here are some examples:
Sepia Toning (layer) applies a sepia effect (a reddish-brown tint) to an RGB or CMYK image. This effect is commonly used to achieve an aged look. To apply this action to a grayscale image, select Sepia Toning (Grayscale).
Horizontal or Vertical Color Fade applies a smooth transition from color to grayscale. This effect is often used in print layouts to suggest the passage of time from past to present.
Production Set
The actions in the Production set are much more practical than they are creative. Here is where you’ll find actions you can use to complete simple, repetitive tasks, such as creating a new document or converting images to grayscale.
Custom RGB to Grayscale/Custom CMYK to Grayscale converts the image from RGB or CMYK to Grayscale mode by using the Channel Mixer adjustment. The action stops at the Channel Mixer step, allowing you to apply your own dialog box settings.
Frames Set
The Frames set includes actions that can be used to place eye-catching borders around your print images. The assortment of built-in frame effects ranges from simple (Drop Shadow), to classic (Vignette), to grungy (Spatter).
Drop Shadow Frame places a basic drop shadow underneath the image. Although this effect is often created in Photoshop, it’s worth noting that you can also create the same effect in layout applications such as Adobe InDesign CS3 or QuarkXPress 7.
Vignette (Selection) creates a bright center and dark edges surrounding it. Vignettes can be very effective when used in a print layout, because they tend to draw the viewer’s eye to the center of the image. This action requires that you make a selection around the image first. If you’re going for the classic vignette look, I suggest using either the Rectangular or Elliptical Marquee tools to make your selection.
Spatter Frame adds a ragged edge around the image, giving it a tattered appearance. This effect is often used in print layouts that are trying to capture a modern, edgy audience, such as a music advertisement or concert poster.
Editing Built-in Actions
Photoshop allows you to edit any of the built-in actions that come with the application. This is something you may want to consider doing, especially if you plan on using these actions with the Batch automate command. A smooth, uninterrupted batch operation usually requires a final Save As step that is generally not included in any of the built-in actions. You can add, alter, move, delete, or duplicate steps in a built-in action at any time. If you’d like to save the changes you’ve made, be sure to select the entire set in the Actions palette and choose Save Actions from the Actions palette flyout menu. For Mac users, I recommend saving the edited set (along with all your other action sets) in one location—Applications ➢Adobe Photoshop CS3 --> Presets --> Actions. I also recommend choosing a different name for the edited set and preserving the original.
Action Resources
If you’re hungry for actions, by no means limit yourself to the basics that are included with Photoshop. There is a virtual treasure trove of prewritten actions floating around out there in cyberspace just waiting for you to download and use. Many of these actions are free, whereas others require that you pay a fee. One of the best places to download free Photoshop actions is from Adobe’s Exchange website at http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm. Be sure to click the Photoshop button to go directly to the Photoshop Exchange page, and then choose Actions from the Categories menu. You can then scroll through the available actions and click to download them. Other websites that offer various Photoshop actions downloads are as follows:
- www.actionfx.com
- www.atncentral.com
- http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tools/actions.html
Image Effects Set
There are several actions in the Image Effects set that you can use to create eye-catching effects that are commonly used in print layouts. Here are some examples:
Sepia Toning (layer) applies a sepia effect (a reddish-brown tint) to an RGB or CMYK image. This effect is commonly used to achieve an aged look. To apply this action to a grayscale image, select Sepia Toning (Grayscale).
Horizontal or Vertical Color Fade applies a smooth transition from color to grayscale. This effect is often used in print layouts to suggest the passage of time from past to present.
Production Set
The actions in the Production set are much more practical than they are creative. Here is where you’ll find actions you can use to complete simple, repetitive tasks, such as creating a new document or converting images to grayscale.
Custom RGB to Grayscale/Custom CMYK to Grayscale converts the image from RGB or CMYK to Grayscale mode by using the Channel Mixer adjustment. The action stops at the Channel Mixer step, allowing you to apply your own dialog box settings.
Frames Set
The Frames set includes actions that can be used to place eye-catching borders around your print images. The assortment of built-in frame effects ranges from simple (Drop Shadow), to classic (Vignette), to grungy (Spatter).
Drop Shadow Frame places a basic drop shadow underneath the image. Although this effect is often created in Photoshop, it’s worth noting that you can also create the same effect in layout applications such as Adobe InDesign CS3 or QuarkXPress 7.
Vignette (Selection) creates a bright center and dark edges surrounding it. Vignettes can be very effective when used in a print layout, because they tend to draw the viewer’s eye to the center of the image. This action requires that you make a selection around the image first. If you’re going for the classic vignette look, I suggest using either the Rectangular or Elliptical Marquee tools to make your selection.
Spatter Frame adds a ragged edge around the image, giving it a tattered appearance. This effect is often used in print layouts that are trying to capture a modern, edgy audience, such as a music advertisement or concert poster.
Editing Built-in Actions
Photoshop allows you to edit any of the built-in actions that come with the application. This is something you may want to consider doing, especially if you plan on using these actions with the Batch automate command. A smooth, uninterrupted batch operation usually requires a final Save As step that is generally not included in any of the built-in actions. You can add, alter, move, delete, or duplicate steps in a built-in action at any time. If you’d like to save the changes you’ve made, be sure to select the entire set in the Actions palette and choose Save Actions from the Actions palette flyout menu. For Mac users, I recommend saving the edited set (along with all your other action sets) in one location—Applications ➢Adobe Photoshop CS3 --> Presets --> Actions. I also recommend choosing a different name for the edited set and preserving the original.
Action Resources
If you’re hungry for actions, by no means limit yourself to the basics that are included with Photoshop. There is a virtual treasure trove of prewritten actions floating around out there in cyberspace just waiting for you to download and use. Many of these actions are free, whereas others require that you pay a fee. One of the best places to download free Photoshop actions is from Adobe’s Exchange website at http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm. Be sure to click the Photoshop button to go directly to the Photoshop Exchange page, and then choose Actions from the Categories menu. You can then scroll through the available actions and click to download them. Other websites that offer various Photoshop actions downloads are as follows:
- www.actionfx.com
- www.atncentral.com
- http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tools/actions.html
How to Utilizing Built-In Actions in Photoshop
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