Sunday, October 7, 2007

All Talk and No Action?

One of the major differences between Photoshop and Photoshop Elements is the ability to create actions. Actions are like one-button shortcuts for a repetitive, multi-step task. Actions do things like create torn edges, create ribbons, create photo effects . . . almost anything you can think of can be done with an action!

Photoshop Elements users, to a certain extent, also have the ability to use actions but they will be found in the Styles and Effects palette. Elements users do not have the ability to create their own actions.

For those designers using Photoshop who wish to create actions that are useable by Photoshop Elements owners, there are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Actions cannot call another action.
  2. Action sets may only contain a single action.
  3. Some Photoshop functions and modes are simply not available in Elements and actions which contain these will not work in Elements.

Additional steps must be taken to prepare an action for use in Photoshop Elements. For further information on this, visit Sue Chastain at About.com: Graphics Software.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the information on Actions and Photoshop Elements. Being new to your site and Photoshop Elements, I find your information very helpful and your designs lovely.

I hope to start creating layouts soon.

Thank you again. Cathy

Linda Vich said...

Glad I was able to provide you with some useful information, Cathy! Visit often and let us know when you post some of your layouts!