Batch Process 4,000 PNG Files

[EmojiStickers.com]

Ok! I need to batch process about 4,000 PNG files with transparent backgrounds. Each PNG is an emoji. 

I run a sticker business [website removed]. I sell Emoji Sticker packs and individual die-cut emoji stickers. These are the same emojis as seen on the iPhone. I am redesigning my website and I need product images for my website. 

I have every single emoji in a PNG file. They have a transparent background.  I need to import each image into Photoshop, create a white stroke or "sticker effect" with a white border. Create a drop shadow. And save as a PNG with a transparent background. 

Notes: 

1. The edges on some of these PNGs are pixelated and when I create the stroke, it's jagged. I need to clean this up before creating the stroke. 

2. Also, some of these images have empty space in the middle of them. I need to fill those with the white background as well. 

3. Finally, I need to resize the emoji to fit the artboard. 

(These are NOT for print. I already have print files.)

Any help and I will send out some emoji sticker packs on the house! Thanks! 

Once I have these files, I need to place each emoji into layer that has a hand holding the emoji. 

Files attached!

[EmojiStickers.com]

Forgot to add this file. 

[Stephen Marsh]

1. The edges on some of these PNGs are pixelated and when I create the stroke, it's jagged. I need to clean this up before creating the stroke. 

It would be helpful to provide a layered PSD of the files with the stroke, are you using layer styles/fx? What if it's possible to have a clean stroke without cleaning up the PNG edge, would that work?

2. Also, some of these images have empty space in the middle of them. I need to fill those with the white background as well. 

I don't believe that the samples provided so far show any example of this?

3. Finally, I need to resize the emoji to fit the artboard. (These are NOT for print. I already have print files.)

How big is the artboard in pixels compared to the emoji size in pixels (do you perhaps mean canvas, not artboard)? Have you considered working from the print files? The icon is only 160px in size, but the PSD is 2000px. You really don't want to scale up the images!

This mostly sounds like something that an Action can do, and then the Batch command or Image Processor or Image Processor Pro etc. A custom script might be required, but that isn't known yet.

Point #2 might require special handling, so seeing a small range of different images that need the interior filled with white would be helpful.

You either design a process that works for all, or you will need to isolate the exceptions and process them differently.

[EmojiStickers.com]

@Stephen Marsh thanks for replying to me! 

I've attached a file and you see what I'm talking about. 

Is there a way to smooth out this stroke?

I'd need a process that does all of them, if possible!

[Stephen Marsh]

As I said, work from the print files, which are presumably larger in size, not smaller. You have a smart object with a canvas size of 160px. You have scaled this smart object up to 667px in size, this could be why the stroke style is so jagged.

If you must work like this, then you can load a selection from the smart object transparency, create a blank layer under the upsized smart object and apply a white stroke to that selection. You can also use the selection modifiers such as smooth and expand or contract to adjust the selection edges, or enter quick mask mode and apply filters etc.

Or you can apply a layer mask using the transparency of the layer and smooth the mask, so that the stroke style is based off the modified transparency of the layer mask, not the original upsized image edges.

I have attached an example PSD to illustrate.

[EmojiStickers.com]

@Stephen_A_Marsh

Unfortunately, the print files are not separate or of course I would be using them. 

The method that you provided actually works perfect. Can you detail exactly which step so I can create a batch action? You're awesome. Thank you!

[Stephen Marsh]

@EmojiStickers.com – I demonstrated two approaches... But both used loading the transparency channel of the layer to create a selection. CMD/CTRL click on the layer thumbnail icon in the layers panel to load the transparency selection, then "do something" with it (add a layer mask for example).

[EmojiStickers.com]

@Stephen Marsh Okay, I'll try. Just not very good with all of this.