Actions: Playing (Video Included)

The automation in Photoshop is mainly action-based. An action is a recorded sequence of your steps that can be reproduced afterwards.

Photoshop comes to you with a number of pre-packaged actions. So, let's begin with them.

1. Open your image..

2. Display the Actions palette (pull-down menu Window > Actions). You will see the default set of predefined actions.

3. Expand the "Default Actions.atn" set.

4. Select the "Wood Frame - 50 pixel" action and click "playback" button.

5. A message warning us that "Image size must be a minimum of 100 pixel wide and tall" pops up. One moment please... Ready!

6. Display the Action palette menu and switch to the button mode. This mode doesn't allow recording and editing; however, it is a bit easier for playing the existing actions.

7. Click the "Vignette (selection)" button. Photoshop warns us that "The command "Feather" is not currently available". What's the matter?. The bracketed word "selection" in the action name means that we have to select some area before playing this action.

8. Click Stop to interrupt the action. The action button turns red.

NB You can interrupt any action at any time by pressing [Esc] key.

9. In the image window, select an area with the Rectangular Marquee Tool.

10. In the Actions palette, click the "Vignette (selection)" button to continue (movie).

11. The Feather Selection dialog appears. Set radius, to define the transition softness and click OK to complete the task. Done!