Photoshop Elements Action Pack v1.0

September 12, 2006 by Ben Long
Filed under: Automator Actions 

As all Photoshop Elements users know, the Actions Palette is one of the things that separates Elements from Photoshop CS2. Or rather, the lack of an Actions palette is what separates Elements from CS2. Photoshop Elements has no scripting facilities of any kind – no Actions palette within the program, and no scripting support for AppleScript or JavaScript. However, now with Automator and the Photoshop Elements Action Pack, you can finally automate Elements, to batch process your images.

Buit-in to every copy of OS X, Automator is a stand alone application that let’s you create "workflows" – flowchart like automation routines constructed from a series of individual Automator Actions. The Photoshop Elements Action Pack provides 21 Actions that give you control of all of Elements’ basic functions from resizing images to applying automatic color and contrast correction. With the Photoshop Elements Action Pack, you can finally automate some of your everyday, repetitive Photoshop Elements chores.

Because Automator can control much more than just Elements, you can automate entire photography and graphics production pipelines. For example, you can use Automator and the Photoshop Elements Action Pack to batch process the manipulation of your images and then automatically upload the results to a server, or archive them to a CD or DVD.

The following actions are provided in the Photoshop Elements Action Pack:

Add Layer via Copy Invert
Auto Color Correction NTSC Colors
Auto Contrast Open
Auto Levels Render
Auto Red Eye Fix Resize Image
Auto Smart Fix Rotate Image
Change Mode Rotate Layer
Clouds Sharpen Edges
Convert to 8-bit Sharpen More
Convert to Profile Unsharp Mask
Flatten Document  

The Photoshop Elements Action Pack was built around Elements version 4, but it will work with any previous version that has the same menu structure, and this version is fully compatible with PowerPC and Intel-based Macs. In addition to the action bundle, an assortment of sample workflows is provided, while the included 20-page manual will give you a reference for all of the included actions, as well as an introduction to using Automator, and strategies for building Elements workflows.

You can download the Photoshop Elements Action Pack for free using the link below.

If you find these actions useful, please don’t be at all shy about PayPal-ing me some cash! $5! $10! $1.2 million! I’m not picky! Just click this button right here:

Download the
Photoshop Elements Action Pack
in ZIP format (8.3 mb)

If you’d like to know more about Automator, check out Apple’s Automator pages.

Buy a copy of Photoshop Elements for the Mac at Amazon.com.

Need to upgrade to Tiger? Order it now from Amazon.com.

Related Links:
Other photo-related Automator Actions

AppleScript for Digital Photographers

Taking Action with Photoshop Actions
Adobe Illustrator Automator Action

For more on Automator, check out:
Automator.US
automatorworld.com


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Comments

14 Comments on Photoshop Elements Action Pack v1.0

  1. the Automator/Photoshop Elements Action Pack Released at Creative Toolbox on Tue, 12th Sep 2006 9:44 am

    2. [...] http://www.completedigitalphotography.com/?p=445 [...]

  2. Kenneth Verburg on Tue, 12th Sep 2006 1:59 pm

    3. I tried it with Photoshop Elements 3 on PowerPC, but it doesn’t seem to work. I did enable GUI scripting, I tried holding the Option key, but I don’t see the Photoshop Elements option in the Applications folder. When I run an example workflow it asks for the CS2.app. I then point it to Photoshop Elements 3 in the Applications folder, but Automater says it can’t find it. Anyone else got it to work with Photoshop Elements 3?

  3. MichaelImage on Thu, 14th Sep 2006 12:31 pm

    4. Same problem with Photoshop 4.0. actions not appearing in the action window no matter what you try. Option/launch, Import command, nothing seems to work

  4. Don Bennett on Thu, 21st Sep 2006 6:04 pm

    5. I too am having that same problem. It’s been driving me crazy trying to solve it, all to no avail. I have PS Elements 3 & 4 installed on a MacBook Pro. Any ideas?

  5. Ben Long on Fri, 22nd Sep 2006 10:23 am

    6. Hi Guys, Sorry about the installation problems. I’m hoping to get a chance to investigate in the next few days, but I’ve just been swamped. I’ll let you all know if I figure anything out. –ben

  6. Tom Middlemiss on Fri, 29th Sep 2006 12:42 pm

    7. 9/29/06

    Hi Ben..

    I have elements 3 and want to write an action program to bypass some fourteen steps in making multiple group shots.

    Will the action pack V1 do this?

    Thanks much,

    Tom Middlemiss

  7. anthony on Wed, 4th Oct 2006 3:15 am

    8. i tried severals automator actions with photoshop CS2 and CS but nothing happen. doesn’t work.

  8. miguel on Thu, 12th Oct 2006 9:17 am

    9. hi,
    i’m having exactely the same problem on macbook pro intel, elements 3…
    the app doesn’t show up in automator…
    pity :(
    miguel

  9. ian on Sun, 17th Dec 2006 12:59 am

    10. Any update on the actions not appearing problem, as I am also suffering from this?

    Ian

  10. personman on Mon, 30th Apr 2007 2:21 pm

    11. Thanks for trying, but this doesn’t work for me, either. I’m using PS Elements 4.

  11. Art on Tue, 5th Jun 2007 1:33 pm

    12. Same again for me – this action pack is not working for my installation of Photoshop Elements 3

  12. Dennis on Tue, 3rd Jul 2007 12:01 am

    13. There nsoesn’t seem to be an installations program in the download.

    can you help
    Dennis

  13. Ryan on Fri, 3rd Oct 2008 9:14 pm

    14. Actions do not work. Workflow will run to completion, however, none of the photoshop actions work.

  14. Mark Elliot on Sat, 31st Oct 2009 2:50 am

    15. I’ve tried nearly everything to get this to install, including starting automator with the option key, clearing the automator cache, dropping the app on the special script, and even trying to use my own automator installation bundles. No dice! Nothing appears in the automator library like a PSE actions folder. Ugh!

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