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    PS Actions Cheat Sheet

    Uploaded by

    Demian Hagelsieb
    Photoshop actions allow users to automate repetitive tasks by recording a series of steps into an action. An example is provided of creating an action to save 100 illustrations in a certain way, which is much faster than manually saving each one individually. The document then explains how to create a "Smart Fill Action" to automatically fill shapes without leftover pixels between the outline and fill. Key steps include drawing a shape, selecting it, expanding the selection slightly, filling with color, and deselecting to leave a cleanly filled shape. Creating custom actions can significantly speed up a user's workflow in Photoshop.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    PS Actions Cheat Sheet

    Uploaded by

    Demian Hagelsieb
    116 views6 pages
    Photoshop actions allow users to automate repetitive tasks by recording a series of steps into an action. An example is provided of creating an action to save 100 illustrations in a certain way, which is much faster than manually saving each one individually. The document then explains how to create a "Smart Fill Action" to automatically fill shapes without leftover pixels between the outline and fill. Key steps include drawing a shape, selecting it, expanding the selection slightly, filling with color, and deselecting to leave a cleanly filled shape. Creating custom actions can significantly speed up a user's workflow in Photoshop.

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    Photoshop actions allow users to automate repetitive tasks by recording a series of steps into an action. An example is provided of creating an action to save 100 illustrations in a certain way, which is much faster than manually saving each one individually. The document then explains how to create a "Smart Fill Action" to automatically fill shapes without leftover pixels between the outline and fill. Key steps include drawing a shape, selecting it, expanding the selection slightly, filling with color, and deselecting to leave a cleanly filled shape. Creating custom actions can significantly speed up a user's workflow in Photoshop.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    116 views6 pages

    PS Actions Cheat Sheet

    Uploaded by

    Demian Hagelsieb
    Photoshop actions allow users to automate repetitive tasks by recording a series of steps into an action. An example is provided of creating an action to save 100 illustrations in a certain way, which is much faster than manually saving each one individually. The document then explains how to create a "Smart Fill Action" to automatically fill shapes without leftover pixels between the outline and fill. Key steps include drawing a shape, selecting it, expanding the selection slightly, filling with color, and deselecting to leave a cleanly filled shape. Creating custom actions can significantly speed up a user's workflow in Photoshop.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 6

    PS ACTIONS CHEAT SHEET

    What’s a Photoshop Action?


    Photoshop actions are magical - that’s what they are. But in all reality, an action is a series
    of recorded movements in Photoshop that help you work more efficiently. You can record
    operations that you perform with most of the tools and commands in Photoshop.

    An Action Story
    Let’s say you have a client who wants a MASSIVE batch of 100 illustrations saved out in a
    certain way. You know there’s an automated batch export tool in Photoshop, but you’re
    intimidated by it. Instead, you can set up a Photoshop action to “Save As” to a certain
    location and then close it all at once. By setting up this action, you remove the process of
    pressing “Save As,” selecting the save location and THEN closing out your document over
    and over 100 times. Instead of pressing 3 keys per illustration, you press 1 key. That’s 200 less
    keys pressed! What a time saver. Magic.

    Become a Photoshop Speed Demon


    Photoshop actions can really speed up your process. And the great thing about them is that
    there are endless possibilities - you can use them in your everyday workflow or customize
    them from project to project. Below, I’ll show you how to setup my favorite action, which I
    call the Smart Fill Action. Once you’ve learned how to do this, you’ll be an expert at creating
    your own actions in no time.

    Before Fill Action

    After Fill Action


    PS ACTIONS CHEAT SHEET

    Setting Up the Smart Fill Action


    Why fill a shape using an action when you have the paint bucket tool? You’ll quickly
    discover the answer to this question if you ever draw a shape with a textured brush
    and try to fill it. Because of the rough variation in the line, the Paint Bucket Tool tends
    to leave 1-2 pixels of space between your outline and your fill.

    You could go back in and trace over this awkward edge every time you fill something - OR
    you could set up a handy Photoshop action to get rid of it altogether! Here’s how.

    1. Before beginning with the action setup, open a blank Photoshop document.
    2. Draw a random shape on an empty layer (using a slightly textured brush is preferred to
    get more line variation). Use the Magic Wand Tool to select the inside of that shape.
    PS ACTIONS CHEAT SHEET

    3. Open the Actions panel from the Window menu.

    4. Once in the Actions panel, click on the New Action button in the bottom right corner.

    5. A New Action window will pop up. Name your action and set your preferred function key.
    This is the Hot Key you’ll press when you want to use the action. Press Record.
    PS ACTIONS CHEAT SHEET

    6. Now that your actions are being recorded, the first step is to open up the
    Expand command under Select > Modify > Expand.

    7. An Expand Selection window will appear. Expanding your marquee selection by a few
    pixels will make it so that the fill overlaps with the line you drew. Here, you can choose
    how many pixels you’d like to expand by. I usually go with 2px - for my style. Press OK.
    PS ACTIONS CHEAT SHEET

    8. Now that your selection is expanded, it’s time to fill it with color. To fill with the
    foreground color, use the key command Option (Alt) + Delete (Backspace).

    9. For the final recorded step, press Command (CTRL) + D, which will deselect your
    selection, leaving you with a completed, filled shape with no extra space between the
    outline and the interior fill. Yay!
    PS ACTIONS CHEAT SHEET

    10. At this point, you’ll want to stop recording so that you don’t add any unnecessary
    steps to your action. Press the small “stop” button in your Actions panel.

    11. Expand the drop down menus next to each step of the recorded action
    and check to make sure everything looks correct.

    12. You can now use your chosen function key whenever you want to trigger the action
    you’ve setup.

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