Photoshop Elements > Actions
When you use an action, it "plays" a series of steps.
The steps are steps that you could do yourself with Photoshop
Elements.
But, you can save time and effort by clicking the action.
You may be able to make one or two changes to the action's settings,
but that's it.
Unlike actions, plug-ins do things that Photoshop Elements can't
do.
When you click a plug-in, a window will open with several buttons
and sliders for changing the settings.
Go to Plug-ins.
Actions are created only in Photoshop, not in Photoshop Elements.
Generally, a Photoshop action will work in Photoshop Elements
if the action doesn't use functions and features
not available in Photoshop Elements.
Be sure to check whether an action is compatible with your version
of Photoshop Elements.
To check, look for a compatibility page on the action's website.
Or, download a trial version, and try it out.
Follow the installation directions for the action.
If there are no instructions, install the action in either the Action Player—or—in the Effects
palette/panel.
The Action Player is located in the Guided Edit section.
The Action Player is convenient, but not all actions will
work in the Action Player.
You can't:
• Select a particular layer while an action is playing.
• Use an action that requires you to click the green check
mark.
If you want to use an action with these requirements, install it in the Effects palette/panel.
Go to:
Install the
Action in the Effects Palette/Panel.
Install the Action in the Action Player.
The instructions below are for Photoshop Elements 8.0.
Do the following.
1) Close Photoshop Elements.
2) Click the download file on the website.
3) Select Save.
4) Save the file to My Download Files (XP), Download (Vista),
or Downloads (Windows 7), or Desktop (Mac).
5) After the file is downloaded, go to the above download location.
6) If the file is in a zip file, double click the zip file to
open it.
The action is a file with the extension .atn.
name_of_the_action.atn
The three files below may also be present.
They're not needed for the Action player.
• name_of_the_action.png
• name_of_the_action.thumbnail.jpg
• name_of_the_action.metadata.xml
The files are for actions located in the Effects palette/panel.
7) Place the .atn file
in the location below.
If you're using Windows, and can't find the folders below on
your computer, go to
Hidden Files & Folders.
XP: C: > Documents
and Settings > All Users > Application Data > Adobe > Photoshop
Elements > x.0 > Locale > en_US > Workflow Panels > actions
Vista: C: > ProgramData
> Adobe > Photoshop Elements > x.0 > Locale > en_US > Workflow
Panels > actions
Windows 7: C: > ProgramData
> Adobe > Photoshop Elements > x.0 > Locale > en_US > Workflow
Panels > actions
Mac: Hard Drive > Library > Application
Support > Adobe > Photoshop Elements > 8.0 > Locale
> en_US > Workflow Panels > actions
8) Open Photoshop Elements.
The program will take a while to become functional, as it has
to rebuild the Mediadatabase.db3 file.
If Photoshop Elements opens normally, the Mediadatabase.db3
file wasn't rebuilt.
The action won't appear in the Action Player.
Go to
Mediadatabase.db3.
9) Go to Using the
Action - Action Player.
In the Effects Palette/Panel
The instructions below are for Photoshop Elements 8.0.
Do the following.
1) Close Photoshop Elements.
2) Click the download file on the website.
3) Select Save.
4) Save the file to My Download Files (XP), Download (Vista),
or Downloads (Windows 7), or Desktop (Mac).
5) After the file is downloaded, go to the above download location.
6) If the file is in a zip file, double click the zip file to
open it.
The action is a file with the extension .atn.
name_of_the_action.atn
Other Files
The three files below may also be present.
They're installed in the same location as the above .atn
file.
name_of_the_action.png
This file is used by Photoshop Elements to create a JPEG thumbnail
for the action.
name_of_the_action.thumbnail.jpg
The supplier of the action has already created the thumbnail.
name_of_the_action.metadata.xml
This file creates a set category in which the action is found.
7) Place the .atn file, and any accompanying files,
in the location below.
If you're using Windows, and can't find the folders below on
your computer, go to
Hidden Files & Folders.
XP: C: > Documents
and Settings > All Users > Application Data > Adobe > Photoshop
Elements > x.0 > Locale > en_US > Workflow Panels > actions
Vista: C: > ProgramData
> Adobe > Photoshop Elements > x.0 > Locale > en_US > Workflow
Panels > actions
Windows 7: C: > ProgramData
> Adobe > Photoshop Elements > x.0 > Photo Creations >
Photo Effects
Mac: Hard Drive > Library >
Application Support > Adobe > Photoshop Elements > 8.0 > Photo Creations
> Photo Effects
8) Open Photoshop Elements.
The program will take a while to become functional, as it has
to rebuild the Mediadatabase.db3 file.
If Photoshop Elements opens normally, the Mediadatabase.db3
file wasn't rebuilt.
The action won't appear in the Effects palette/panel.
9) Go to Using
the Action - Effects Palette/Panel.
Using the Action
In the Editor, click the orange Guided Edit tab.
Look for Automated Actions, and then click Action Player.
Let's say you've installed an action called Glare Remover.
If Glare Remover isn't part of an action set:
• You must select it in the action set menu.
• You must select it again in the action menu, if it isn't automatically
selected.
Unlike Photoshop, actions in Photoshop Elements can only be used
on a single file.
Do the following.
1) Open the Effects palette/panel.
2) Look for the action in the All section, the fourth icon with
fx.
The name will appear when you hover the cursor on it.
If the action didn't come with a .png or .jpg file, there'll
be no icon, just a blank square.
3) Click the action.
4) Click Apply in the lower right corner.
You can create a shortcut (Mac: alias) to the actions folder
and to the Photo Effects folder.
Then, when you want to install an action, do the following.
1) Close Photoshop Elements.
2) Drag the file(s) for the action to the actions shortcut or
to the Photo Effects shortcut.
3) Open Photoshop Elements.
Make a Shortcut to the Folders
Windows
1) Navigate to the actions folder, or to the Photo Effects
folder.
Don't open the folder.
2) Right click on it, and select Send to > Desktop (create
shortcut).
Mac
1) Navigate to the actions folder, or to the Photo Effects
folder.
Don't open the folder.
2) Right click on it, and select Make Alias.
Can't right click with your mouse?
Press and hold Ctrl, and click your mouse button.
3) Drag the alias to your Desktop.
Problems?
If the action doesn't appear on the menu, or function properly,
the Mediadatabase.db3 file may not have been rebuilt by Photoshop
Elements.
Do the following.
1) Close Photoshop Elements.
2) Navigate to the following location and look for the Mediadatabase.db3
file.
XP: C: > Documents
and Settings > All Users > Application Data > Adobe > Photoshop
Elements > x.0 > Locale > en_US
Vista: C: > Documents
and Settings > All Users > Application Data > Adobe > Photoshop
Elements > x.0 > Locale > en_US
Windows 7: C: > ProgramData
> Adobe > Photoshop Elements > x.0 > Locale > en_US
Mac: Hard Drive > Library > Application
Support > Adobe > Photoshop Elements > x.0 > Locale > en_US
3) Rename the Mediadatabase.db3 as Mediadatabase_old.db3.
If necessary, you can revert to the old Mediadatabase.db3 file
by changing Mediadatabase_old.db3 back to Mediadatabase.db3.
4) Open Photoshop Elements.
The program may take a while to become functional, as it has
to rebuild the Mediadatabase.db3 file.
If the action doesn't appear on the menu, or function properly,
the ThumbDatabase.db3 file may not have been rebuilt by Photoshop
Elements.
Do the following.
1) Close Photoshop Elements.
2) Navigate to the following location and look for the ThumbDatabase.db3
file.
XP: C: > Documents
and Settings > All Users > Application Data > Adobe > Photoshop
Elements > x.0
Vista: C: > ProgramData
> Adobe > Photoshop Elements > x.0
Windows 7: C: > ProgramData
> Adobe > Photoshop Elements > x.0
Mac: Hard Drive > Library > Application
Support > Adobe > Photoshop Elements > x.0
3) Rename the ThumbDatabase.db3 as ThumbDatabase_old.db3.
If necessary, you can revert to the old ThumbDatabase.db3 file
by changing ThumbDatabase_old.db3 back to ThumbDatabase.db3.
4) Open Photoshop Elements.
The program may take a while to become functional, as it has
to rebuild the ThumbDatabase.db3 file.
You can use AutoHotKey to run scripts, which are like actions.
Go to
Batch Processing with AutoHotKey.
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