external editor
Photoshop Droplets as External Editor
Jun 02, 2008 @ 11:52 PM - Filed in:
Tips
Although this tip has nothing to do
with Applescript, it does involve Aperture and automating image
processing using a 3rd party application.
One of the nice features of Photoshop is its batch processing of images and its ability to run recorded actions. The two combined together allow a user to apply the action against a directory of images or already opened images. Photoshop then allows a user to save a batch process along with an action using what Adobe calls “droplets”. The user can drop images or directories on the droplet and Photoshop processes those images using the instructions found in the recorded action.
Earlier today I created a droplet in Photoshop and saved it to my desktop. I then launched Aperture and made the droplet I just made as my external editor. The desire is to select a group of images in Aperture and have Photoshop process them using my droplet. I thought this would be really handy for preparing an image for printing or maybe I wanted a series of filters applied to the image. With Aperture 2.1, it seems as though the last image in the selection is the only one that Photoshop processes.
Although I wanted the entire selection in Aperture to be processed using the Photoshop droplet, this idea can still save a few mouse clicks. Without using this tip, you would have to instruct Aperture to open the selection in Photoshop. Once that is completed you then have to tell Photoshop to process the opened images using your action. Granted the time and effort savings isn’t terriby substantial although it could be if you were processing hundreds of images. One benefit of using a droplet as an external editor is images are handled one at a time by the droplet which is great if your images are large (imagine opening 20 200 MB TIFFs at once with 2 GB of RAM versus 1 image at a time using the same system configuration). If and when Apple addresses the problem and allows Aperture users to process multiple images using Photoshop droplets, this tip will save even more time and effort.
One of the nice features of Photoshop is its batch processing of images and its ability to run recorded actions. The two combined together allow a user to apply the action against a directory of images or already opened images. Photoshop then allows a user to save a batch process along with an action using what Adobe calls “droplets”. The user can drop images or directories on the droplet and Photoshop processes those images using the instructions found in the recorded action.
Earlier today I created a droplet in Photoshop and saved it to my desktop. I then launched Aperture and made the droplet I just made as my external editor. The desire is to select a group of images in Aperture and have Photoshop process them using my droplet. I thought this would be really handy for preparing an image for printing or maybe I wanted a series of filters applied to the image. With Aperture 2.1, it seems as though the last image in the selection is the only one that Photoshop processes.
Although I wanted the entire selection in Aperture to be processed using the Photoshop droplet, this idea can still save a few mouse clicks. Without using this tip, you would have to instruct Aperture to open the selection in Photoshop. Once that is completed you then have to tell Photoshop to process the opened images using your action. Granted the time and effort savings isn’t terriby substantial although it could be if you were processing hundreds of images. One benefit of using a droplet as an external editor is images are handled one at a time by the droplet which is great if your images are large (imagine opening 20 200 MB TIFFs at once with 2 GB of RAM versus 1 image at a time using the same system configuration). If and when Apple addresses the problem and allows Aperture users to process multiple images using Photoshop droplets, this tip will save even more time and effort.