Batching images using the "Save for Web & Devices" optimizer
I have created an action workflow to resize images, change the resolution, etc. Now, in order to export the images, I want Photoshop to do these things:
1. Export using the settings in the "Save for Web & Devices" dialog box (options like specifying the color space, changing metadata, and other web-related optimization settings that are not available in the normal "Save As" dialog) in a given directory (hopefully the directory could be specified at batch time and not at action-writing time)
2. Auto-name the file (in a format like "image_01.jpg", "image_02.jpg", and so on)
3. Be able to do this using "batch" automation
If I add a step to my action that sets the appropriate settings in the Save for Web dialog, running the built-in Batcher (with systematic filenames and destination specification options) does *not* seem to use the Web settings that I had specified.
How could these things be accomplished?
P.S. Even better would be if I could export the same file in different sizes with different names. For example: suppose I had an image of a flower. I want to save a copy of the flower at a maximum width or height of 500 px to display on a photo gallery. This file could be saved as "image_01.jpg". I also want to make a *second* file in the same directory with a maximum width/height at 50 px; this would act as a thumbnail. The filename could be "thumb_01.jpg", the digits for the thumbnail corresponding to the digits on the gallery photo. Could something like this be achieved as well?
(If only Fireworks had automation! Fireworks is so much easier to use than Photoshop! lol)
1. Export using the settings in the "Save for Web & Devices" dialog box (options like specifying the color space, changing metadata, and other web-related optimization settings that are not available in the normal "Save As" dialog) in a given directory (hopefully the directory could be specified at batch time and not at action-writing time)
2. Auto-name the file (in a format like "image_01.jpg", "image_02.jpg", and so on)
3. Be able to do this using "batch" automation
If I add a step to my action that sets the appropriate settings in the Save for Web dialog, running the built-in Batcher (with systematic filenames and destination specification options) does *not* seem to use the Web settings that I had specified.
How could these things be accomplished?
P.S. Even better would be if I could export the same file in different sizes with different names. For example: suppose I had an image of a flower. I want to save a copy of the flower at a maximum width or height of 500 px to display on a photo gallery. This file could be saved as "image_01.jpg". I also want to make a *second* file in the same directory with a maximum width/height at 50 px; this would act as a thumbnail. The filename could be "thumb_01.jpg", the digits for the thumbnail corresponding to the digits on the gallery photo. Could something like this be achieved as well?
(If only Fireworks had automation! Fireworks is so much easier to use than Photoshop! lol)
ASKER
Thanks for the comment, but that still doesn't answer the main part of my question. How do make the batch actions export using the settings in the "Save for Web & Devices" dialog box and auto-name the new files?
Or would it be better to find a third-party batch image conversion application?
Or would it be better to find a third-party batch image conversion application?
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ASKER
Thanks for your very helpful response! Hmm. For some reason, even with the "Override Action Save-As Commands" checkbox checked, the destination folder and batch naming did not execute correctly. Maybe it is my system configuration or something. (I'm running CS4 on OS X 10.6.)
I ended up just getting a third-party converter that works well for my needs. But since your workflow is easy to follow and should work, I'll accept it as the solution :) Thanks again!
I ended up just getting a third-party converter that works well for my needs. But since your workflow is easy to follow and should work, I'll accept it as the solution :) Thanks again!
ASKER
The "Override Action Save As Commands" part didn't execute correctly, but all other parts are accurate and easy to follow.
* Record two action Layers, first one for larger image and second one for thumnail image
* Run the batch for larger image the source folder is your images folder
* Run the batch for thumnail image the source folder is your first batch destination folder