Batch - only Autotone?

[adwul62]

Up front: regretfully I do not have much experience with Photoshop (CS6) batch processing.
Please bear with me.

When launching batch processing, there is only 1 option to select from: Autotone.
So, for example, File > Automate > Image Processor Pro, at "Action" there is only Autotone to select from.

Adding new 'Sets' makes no difference, it remains Autotone only.

Two questions:
1. How to change this? (set to "Autocolor")

2.  Is there a way to add more actions to the same set?
(just as an example: run 1. autocolor, 2. adjust brightness/contrast, 3. adjust levels? at the same time)

Probably it must be set in a separate "Set", is there a way to run them both then?

Practical example: you've got 50 or 100 old photos (orange/yellow) in 1 folder and run Autocolor on half of them, but they also need a 2nd adjustment and some  even need a 3rd one.

Correcting them one by one would take too much time, way too much time. 
It is possible to get a fairly decent photo in some extra steps:
1. autocolor,
2. color balance blue: +NN,
3. exposure: 0,9,
4. brightness: +N,
5.contrast: +NN.

The result is okay then, but undoable for hundreds of photos, hence I am seeking a solution in this batch processing thing.

Any suggestions as to how to proceed?

Many thanks!

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

You have to record actions, that's the point of it.

[adwul62]

Ah! Right, thanks a lot.

Going to experiment on that...

Again thanks.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Could you please post screenshots with the pertinent Panels (Toolbar, Layers, Actions, Options Bar, …) visible? 

Do the Actions appear in Image Processor? 

In any case your using an obsolete Photoshop version may make trouble-shooting harder. 

[adwul62]

Sorry to keep you waiting... I have been experimenting a bit, but probably there are one or two steps that I am doing wrong. Vainly tried to figure this out myself.

Screenshot 1 - ignore the contents of the photo - it is just an example (photo shot well over 20 years ago)

Screenshot 2 - adjusted, it is at best 'fairly' acceptable

Then I went into "Actions" - there tried to create a new 'Set' -  but there no such thing as stop recording(?)

Then a new action, recorded the steps. Done. Stopped recording. Now what?

Is it stored somewhere, how to apply this in a batch?

It is a gray area for me.

[D Fosse]

First of all, I'd recommend you keep your own actions separate from the default example actions. Make a new set in the panel and put your actions there. The reason for that is that you should always save out action sets. Until you do, they are just stored as temporary items in your Preferences, and will not migrate in version updates. They will also be wiped if you need to reset preferences.

File > Automate > Batch:

(I've just named my set "Image Processor", not to be confused with the Photoshop script).

If you run the Image Processor script (or Image Processor Pro), there is a similar field to pick the action you want to run.

[adwul62]

Okay, I see. 
I had to create a new set and drag the actions stuff into that. 
(wrongly assumed that set itself included the actions. started out creating a set and then did the adjustments, assuming they would then be visible below the 'Set').

Probably I need two or maybe three different 'Sets' - 1. 'just' Autocolor (for many photos this, already, is quite sufficient) 2. some color balance correction, brightness and contrast (after the autocolor when that one appears to be not sufficient enough).
Anyway, thanks again for pointing me into the right direction.

[adwul62]

Two (hopefully...) last questions

When starting the actions from Bridge > Tools > Photoshop > Batch:

1. How to set Image Options to "10, Maximum' by default?

2. How to disable this pop-up by default in case of Batch?

Thanks!

[D Fosse]

The jpeg compression level will be recorded in the action. Maybe you need to actively choose something for it to record. I have never seen any jpeg options dialog with my actions.

[adwul62]

Super! That worked out fine.
Likely this is the level when you started out with Photoshop many, many years ago... 🙂
Again thanks.

[jane-e]

@adwul62 

I scanned this thread quickly, so this may have been said.

When you finish recording or editing an action, select the Set (folder) it is in, then go to the Actions Panel Menu and Save the action set. Otherwise you risk losing it.

Also, you don't need to create several sets unless it make sense for organization. A Set (folder) can contain several actions. As DFosse said, though, keep your actions out of the Default actions or any other Set created by Adobe.

Jane

[adwul62]

Thank you as well.

I created two 'Sets' for a start and shifted them up the Actionlist, so in batch, they are presented  as first, so to say.
Not sure if I should remove/delete the default entry. Backed up the two .atn files that I created.
When running, the output is saved as a new file but the naming is somewhat changed (adding e.g. -AC- for Autocolor) so as to keep the originals, in case of disappointing results.

[adwul62]

Sorry, I am still having some issues with this matter. Not the actions or sets but more having problems with the way "Batch" and "Image Processor" are handling the output.

What I want, when running batch/image processor from Bridge:
1. save the output, with a slightly different name (adding text to the file name), in the same folder as the originals

2. the originals should not be touched

-see below-

Any suggestions?
(Maybe, what I want is simply not possible)

Thanks.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Please post meaningful screenshots of the fully expanded Action in the Actions Panel. 

[adwul62]

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Why does the Action include »Save« if you don’t want the image to be saved? 

Edit: Batch and Image Processor can handle the creation of the new files, if Saving is part of the Action that will be applied before the new files are created. 

[adwul62]

Eh ... Sorry .. shouldn't be in there then? So, from Bridge I select files then Tools > Photoshop then Image Processor or Batch to perform the action and save it. Running a batch and not saving the file ... (?)
Bear with me, this is all new to me. So far correcting photos was one at the time.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

If you handle the creation of the new files via Batch or Image Processor and don’t want the original files to be saved then Saving as part of the Action would not make sense.