User's Manual

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Chapter 25: Automating Tasks
Actions
About actions
An action is a series of commands that you play back on a single file or a batch of files. For example, you can create
an action that appliesanImage Size command to change an imagetoaspecific size in pixels,followedbyanUnsharp
Mask filter that resharpens the detail, and a Save command that saves the file in the desired format.
Most commands and tool operations are recordable in actions. Actions can include stops that let you perform tasks
that cannot be recorded (for example, using a painting tool). Actions can also include modal controls that let you
enter values in a dialog box while playing an action.
Both Photoshop and ImageReady include a number of predefined actions. You can use these actions as is, customize
them to meet your needs, or create new actions. See “To load a set of actions” on page 738.
In Photoshop, actions are stored in sets to help you organize your actions.
Actions are the basis for dr
oplets, which are small applications that automatically process all files that are dragged
onto their icon. See “About droplets” on page 742.
To use the Actions palette
You use the Actions palette to record, play, edit, and delete individual actions. This palette also lets you save and load
action files.
A
B
C
DE
Photoshop Actions palette
A. Action set B. Action C. Recorded commands D. Excluded command E. Modal control (toggles on or off)
• To display the Actions palette, choose Window > Actions.
• To expand and collapse sets, actions, and commands, click the triangle to the left of the set, action, or command
in the Actions palette. Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the triangle to expand or collapse all actions
in a set or all commands in an action.
• To display actions as buttons (Photoshop), choose Button Mode from the Actions palette menu. Choose Button
Mode again to return to list mode. You can’t view individual commands or sets in Button mode.
• To select actions in the Action palette, click an action name. In Photoshop, Shift-click action names to select
multiple, contiguous actions and Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) action names to select
multiple, discontiguous actions.