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Photoshop Tutorial - Creating an Action

By
Real Estate Agent with Real Estate Showcase Photography

 

                                                          Creating an Action in Photoshop

 

There are some things that you may do repetitively in Photoshop. For example, creating frames around photos for your real estate brochures and flyers. It is handy to have an 'Action' for those instances. This tutorial teaches you how to create an Action from a series of steps, and allows you to perform that series with a click of a button. We'll use 'creating a frame' in this example. See Creating a Frame in Photoshop

 First, in your 'Actions' palette, create and name a new set.

 

Now, with your photo open, perform the steps for your framing. When finished, click the Stop button. Photoshop has now saved that series of steps for you in an 'Action' that you can refer to over and over.

 

 

That's it! You can create any number of different frames and save them to this set. When you need a frame, open your framing actions set, choose the one you want, click the play button, and voila!

 

 

DBoucher Photography

Nature and Wildlife Photography Notecards

 

Position yourself above your competition - Utilize a "Real Estate Showcase" Slideshow as a listing tool. Gift a DVD copy to the buyer at closing to share with out of town friends and family - Post it on your own website - Realtor Showcase Members can upload it to Realtor.com - Post it on your blog to showcase your listings.

Photos taken by Debi Boucher, DBoucher Photography, all rights reserved, may not be reproduced without express written permission.  Memories DVDs Real Estate Slideshow and Web Presentations, "Real Estate Showcase", to assist with Real Estate marketing and advertising. More affordable, more interesting, and more captivating than a virtual tour!

 

 

Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth
Debi, you are such a guru when it comes to Photoshop. Thx for this!
Jun 20, 2009 06:25 AM
Debi Boucher
Real Estate Showcase Photography - Woodland Park, CO
"Realtor Showcase" - Real Estate Photography/Virtual Tours

Thanks, Gary - I hope you find it useful!

Debi

Jun 20, 2009 08:39 AM
Gail MacMillan
Titusville, FL

Thank you MY DAH-LING....Since I'm your "pu-pil extrordinaire" I'll be putting this tutorial to an immediate test.  If you see a frame on my Speechless Sunday picture, you will know it worked....and I would never disappoint my Debou :-)  Thank you for all you do!!!

Jun 20, 2009 09:48 AM
Debi Boucher
Real Estate Showcase Photography - Woodland Park, CO
"Realtor Showcase" - Real Estate Photography/Virtual Tours

You are so very welcome, my friend! If you have any problems, let me know. Just be sure to save the action.

See Ya!

Debi

Jun 20, 2009 10:06 AM
Gail MacMillan
Titusville, FL

Sorry Deb....this is not as simple as it seems.  First I had to locate the actions tab, when I tried following along I ended up undoing history for the picture I'm working on.  I seem to have things in a mess at the moment.  Perhaps in the morning when I'm fresher, this will make more sense.  I will keep trying though :-)

Jun 20, 2009 10:24 AM
Debi Boucher
Real Estate Showcase Photography - Woodland Park, CO
"Realtor Showcase" - Real Estate Photography/Virtual Tours

You can't undo the history- it's just a different tab. History tab and Action tab are separate - just in the same palette. Start out with a photo in place, set up the action as in the instructions, click the record button, then create your frame. When you finish the steps for the frame, click Stop in the action palette. Have your photo ready to frame when you start. In other words, all else you wanted to do to it is finished except the frame.

Try again in the morning!

Jun 20, 2009 10:43 AM
Gail MacMillan
Titusville, FL

But history did undo....my picture was loaded, I made some adjustments and somehow when I tried to clear actions, which I clearly do not understand and had messed up, history showed up and as I deleted each history item (made up of the tools I had just used on this pic) the changes disappeared from the photo as well.  Maybe I'm having a blond (make that a senior gray) moment....LOL 

We'll work this out, I'm an over-analyzer and sometimes make things more complex than they should be.  Thanks for your patience, I'll try again in the morning :-)

 

Jun 20, 2009 10:58 AM
Debi Boucher
Real Estate Showcase Photography - Woodland Park, CO
"Realtor Showcase" - Real Estate Photography/Virtual Tours

Yes, when you delete the history (which is a history of each step, each change you make to an image), you are deleting each step on the photo. You do this if you've done something to the image you don't like - this gives you the opportunity to 'erase' the last step. When you 'cleared' the actions, you removed the actions you were using from the palette. If you look at the palette in the tutorial, you'll see that they (History and Actions) share the space so to speak, but one has nothing to do with the other for these purposes. Why were you deleting the steps in History, anyway? LOL

Jun 20, 2009 11:48 AM
Mary Douglas
United Country Ponderosa Realty, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado - Red Feather Lakes, CO
REALTOR, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

Good grief, Debi and Gail -- this sounds complicated!! LOL!! No "Voila" in Florida! HAHAHAHA!! I don't have photoshop, but wanted to say "hi" to my 2 friends.

Jun 20, 2009 12:17 PM
Debi Boucher
Real Estate Showcase Photography - Woodland Park, CO
"Realtor Showcase" - Real Estate Photography/Virtual Tours

No "Voila" in Florida!

LOL Mary! Thanks for checking in, and as always, for the laugh!  :) Gail, Did you see Mary's knock out iris?

Debou

Jun 20, 2009 12:25 PM
Gail MacMillan
Titusville, FL

Well My Love....I do have a frame this morning, but I don't think I created an action....just a frame....LOL

Hi back at ya MaryRedFeatherHead....big smiles

Yes Debou...not only did I see Ms. FeatherHead's knock out Iris, I promptly said so :-) See you guys later.

Jun 20, 2009 11:37 PM
Sharon Lee
Sharon Lee's Virtual Assistance - Jonesborough, TN
Retired and loving life

Hi Debi-This post I am sure will come in handy when I get photoshop. Thank you for sharing your expertise.  This kind of thing is fascinating to me so I appreciate reading posts like this that are helpful. Course I love reading all your posts and getting to know the wonderful woman behind the computer. I think she is pretty cool. It is also fun to see the cameradie between you and Miss Gail. <SMILE>

Jun 21, 2009 02:41 AM
Debi Boucher
Real Estate Showcase Photography - Woodland Park, CO
"Realtor Showcase" - Real Estate Photography/Virtual Tours

Hey Gail! Lovely frame! Maybe we should do a 'walk thru' on the action together?

Hi Sharon, You are VERY welcome!

Debi

Jun 21, 2009 04:08 AM
Jeff Engle
Neighborly Realty - Lincoln, CA
PlacerAreaHomes.com

Great refresher!  I've done actions, but infrequently.  It looks like a great way to save time in the long run.  Now, to just remember to name them something that I'll remember what they do!

Thanks,

Jeff

Jun 22, 2009 07:19 AM
Debi Boucher
Real Estate Showcase Photography - Woodland Park, CO
"Realtor Showcase" - Real Estate Photography/Virtual Tours

Hi Jeff, Yes, LOL You do have to name them something you'll remember! I hope you find this useful, and thanks for stopping by!

Jun 22, 2009 07:49 AM