How to Use Photoshop Actions in Photoshop Elements

Photoshop Elements is a sophisticated graphics program made accessible to the average home user. In addition to the basic photo editing features, Photoshop Elements includes Photoshop Actions that allows the user to add effects to photos. You can use Photoshop Actions to make your photos look like water colors or sketches, or to add frames or other decorative embellishments.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Access Photoshop Actions. This is available through the Styles and Effects palette, which you find by going to the Window menu and choosing Styles and Effects.

2. Create a new file. Save a 64 x 64 pixel .psd file in the same folder with a group of actions. Insert an image and use separate layers in your .psd file to represent each action, naming each layer according to the action you're using. You should see your images in the Styles and Effects palette.

3. Save your file. If you're using Photoshop 4 or an earlier version, you need to save the folder containing your actions and .psd file in Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\Previews\Effects. In Photoshop 5, save the folder in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\5.0\Photo Creations\special effects. Name the file "thumbs.psd."

4. Delete your working files. Before the your actions can appear in the Styles and Effects palette, you must delete the cached files. Go to Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\Previews\Cache\Effects and delete CacheCatagoryCache.che, ListCache.che, and ThumbNailCache.che. Then restart Photoshop Elements. In Photoshop 5, this step isn't necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with sample projects. Before working on your prized photo, use a sample photo and go through all the steps to see what you can do with Photoshop Actions. Creating a new file each time, you can be sure not to ruin your original photo file.