Batch File removal of background color

[Hugh Betcha]

I feel like I'm going crazy  - I have a bunch (like hundreds) of files like this - I want to make an action to remove the pink colored background of the tiff, and save it with a transparent background.

I tried several actions, which work one at a time, but not as a batch!

[jazz-y]

1. uncheck "override action "Open" commands"

2. add "save as" command in action if you want to use option "override action "save as" commands", or uncheck and use "save and close" to overwrite source files, or "folder" to save files in another folder

and try again.

[JJMack]

If all of you image files only contain a background Layer either Action  may work, There are no open steps to be override and you could add a save as.  The add layer mask step in REMOVE PINK3 should convert the Background Layer to a normal layer so a layer masks can be added.  So you would most likely want to add the save As step  to save a PSD or PNG file to preserve the transparency.   

However, if any of your source image file are layered. I do not like either of your Actions for they do not start off  targeting the bottom layer.    Also the magic wand step in REMOVE PINK3 tolerance 0 may be better with a higher  value and the positioning I would like to see closer Pixel  X 0  Y 0.  That would also be  same for  action  REMOVE PINK2 its setting are not visible.

[Hugh Betcha · Accepted solution]

I think I discovered my own answer (thanks so much to the two people who responded though!);

I think the issue was that the TIFFs I had had a 'background' layer that was, by default, locked.

When I tried to 'unlock' that layer via the action - it didn't work, but if I duplicated the locked layer (which by default is UNlocked), I could delete the original (locked) layer, then use the magic want to delete the pink I didn't want.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

If you want to batch it more efficiently:

• Select the background layer
• Use the Layer > New > Layer from Background menu.

[Hugh Betcha]

Okay, I'll try that - thanks