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One more quick tip that is related to tip #1. On repetitive Photoshop work like enhancing photos or anything that uses multiple steps that you do over and over, Adobe has provided the ability to record the steps, save them and replay them with one button click. In Photoshop this is called an Action. Photoshop comes with preloaded Actions for a variety of functions and effects. These are in the Actions palette under Default Actions. They include many helpful and time saving functions like RGB to Grayscale, Vignette, and Sepia Tone among many others. You can also create an Action of any combinations of steps. I create an Action that I call Basic Color that includes Levels and Sharpening that I mentioned in Photoshop Tip #1. Here’s how.

Open the Actions palette by going to Window, Actions.Click on the upper right corner of the Actions menu bar and click on New Action…

Name your new action (I call mine Basic Color but you can use any name that you like. Then click the Record button. At this point simply go through your steps i.e. (Image, Adjustments, Levels, Options, Find Dark & Light Colors, Snap Neutral Midtones, Filter, Unsharp Mask, etc.)

When you are finished click the square button next to the red round button to stop the recording.

To use your new Action just click on the name (Basic Color) to activate it then click the play arrow (to the right of the round record button. Photoshop will now execute the action in sequence. COOL and a big time saver. Now to even make it faster, you can create a Droplet, an icon that can be kept on your Desktop. You can use this Droplet to drop an entire folder of photos on and it will run the Action on all the photos in the folder. EVEN COOLER! Here’s how:

Go to File, Automate, Create Droplet…

Choose Desktop for the Save Droplet In. Select Basic Color for play and if you want to save and or close the file to another location select that under Destination. Click OK.

To use your new Droplet just drag a file or folder on top of the icon on your Desktop.