Batch Processing and the new "Export As" in Photoshop CC

[birdsnestcollective]

So, I am a photographer and have a bunch of TIFs. I always need to save all my images in a big 300dpi print resolution JPG (full size pixels) and then also in a 72dpi web resolution JPG (smaller pixels). I am trying to find a way to batch process this.

I was happy to find the new "Export As" but then I saw that it's not possible to save a preset?? I don't know why Adobe would change and make this kind of export function but not have the option to save one image in 2 different sizes/resolutions and make them as presets so that I can export all the images each in two different sizes.

Also I found out that it's not possible to make an action out of the "Export as" function as it is not recorded so I can't even make use of the regular old school "Batch" function?

Any photographers out there that have the same problem and no a good solution?

Thanks!

[masudr6167678]

Can you give me the action?

(email removed by moderator)

[JJMack]

The first thing you need to realize is you do not know the basic when it come to digital images. DPI Resolution is pixel size 300DPI means pixels are 1/300"x1/300" there are 90,000 pixels per square inch.  72Dpi  means pixels are 1/72"x1/72" there are 5,184pixels per square inch. Your 8" x 10" 300 DPI image has 2400x3000 Pixels and would print 33.3" x 41.6 if printed using 72DPI pixels.  72DPI pixels are much larger then 300DPI pixels.

DPI resolution is meaningless on the web. For Web devices "Displays" do not play the DPI game.  They Display a fixed number of pixels that are the size the are manufactured with. So are low resolution like my Samsung 18.5" 16:9 aspect raio Display which displays 1360x768 Pixels that are 84DPI.  While may Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4  8.4: 16:10 aspect ratio display displays 2560x1600pixe's that are 359DPI.

Your 2400x3000pixel image would not fit on either.  More of it would display on the galaxy 8.4" Display and would be sharper the your 300DPI print.

For the web you want an image with fewer Pixels.  You image need to be resampled(interpolated) to have fewer pixels. Every time you resample an image you will loose some image quality for you either need to through away information you have foe and image when reducing the number of pixels or you need to create details you do not have if you are increasing the number of pixels.  Reducing the number usually works better the increasing the number.   However if the change in size is  very large the results may not be acceptable.

You would use a Feature like menu File>Scripts>Image Processor..  to batch create your web image with the number of pixels reduces to fit onto web display devices.  These days you may need several versions of each image  for one web devices may have an 84Dpi  resolution and display 1360x768pixels when an other may have a 185DPI resolution and display 3840x2160 Pixels like my Dell 24" 4K display

[birdsnestcollective]

Hm, that's not really an answer to my question. I do understand, that all the different displays nowadays have different resolutions, but I'm not making images for all possibilities. Just need one JPG that could be printed (300dpi) and one JPG that can be used for my website portfolio for example (so 72dpi or all the different resolutions now I guess).

With the File>Scripts>Image Processor there are not many options to choose from (like Resampling different methods as in the new "Export As" feature).

I'm trying to find out if Photoshop as some kind of batch function where I can export one photo into different resolutions and sizes at the same time.

[JJMack]

The Image Processor Resize uses Photoshop Plug-in which a  NUMBER of PIXEL RESIZE  max number of pixels in the width and the max number of Pixel in the height.  The resized image will retain its current Aspect ratio and Current DPI Resolution.   For the web all you care about is the numbers of pixel in the image.  You care that your image will fit within some area size Like 400px by 500px.   You do not care the image is 400px by 400px 300DPI or 400px by 400px 72 dpi all you care about about is that square image fits within and area  400x500px on a display the will be displayed by whatever size pixel the display the are being displayed on has.

Fit image uses bicubic it is the best general choice.  If you want to specify the interpolation method you can download and use the Image Processor Pro Plug-in script  if has more features.   Most Image for the Web are downsized and Interpolation Bicubic Sharper is a poor choice if the large image have been sharpen. The results will have jaggies.

With the Image Processor Pro script You  save all the Image files you need in one run.   You can save Your Print size file and all the Jpeg files you may need for your website portfolio so they show well on the various web display devices.  The DPI or PPI resolution is meaningless on web display devices all the matters is the you have images with a good number of Pixels for the various web devices. Some are only capable of displaying something like 64,000 pixels where other can display 13,000,000.   There is no one size jpeg fits all.    An image that will fill the 64,000px display will display so small on the 13,000.000 pixel display that the viewer will not see the details you would like them to see.

I have an action that uses the Image processor pro save 10 different size JPEG for each image with the correct aspect ration and number of pixels for full screen slide shows on my various web enabled devices.

You really do not seem to understand what is important on the web is the number of pixels.  PPI DPI etc is absolutely meaningless yet you keep references it like it has some meaning on the web. It does not. On the web its just an non relevant number.

Save for web may even leave the DPI field empty however, if you open the saved for web file in Photoshp, Photoshop  will default it 72 for it need a value it can use.  If you add an inch of canvas it need to have some value to know how many  pixels should be added. Inches is a unit relative to DPI resolution. In Photoshop DPI has a meaning it is used.

[birdsnestcollective]

Thanks, that was very helpful!

Yes, I do get that the 72dpi nowadays is meaningless and is an antiquated form of thinking.

My question was more looking for an answer to the problem of exporting different file formats at the same time and saving time.  So thanks for your tips!!

[elliottd49280027]

As we all know, I'm sure DPI relates to the output device, as in a physical offset printer for example (dots per inch). Just to let you know, printing IS still going on... in fact, the printers I work with on occasion, are printing more now than they have for years. PPI of course, is literally 'pixels per inch' and relates only to things that exist in the digital realm. Let's try not to be so chauvanistic as designers... that'd be great. Billboards exist, backlit posters still exist, duratrans panels still exist et al. In fact, oddly enough, broadcast, OOH, radio, and print are still the most effective forms of advertising and marketing, statistically. To date. AND, NO ROBOTS! Ha ha ha.

Yes, I've been involved with web design (aka UX/UI) since the whole thing began, and do the majority of my work in that medium, but still do a significant amount of broadcast, OOH, and concept. It's not about the vehicle, it's about the idea and the impact. The day math takes over this field, will be the day I get out of it. After all, who doesn't despise math? Ha ha. 

[Theresa J]

Have you considered using Lightroom? Since you are a photographer it seems that Lightroom would be a natural application for you to use. With Lightroom you can create collections, which are virtual folders, put all the images that need exporting into a collection, and then export with presets.

I used to export my jpegs from Photoshop using custom actions, but switched to Lightroom for this task quite a while ago. Lightroom is included with your CC subsciption.

[birdsnestcollective]

Thanks Theresa, I am actually already using Lightroom. I color correct all my photos and then they are exported to TIFS and then I retouch them in Photoshop for skin and stuff like that. That's why I then have to save it as different versions of JPG.

[Conrad C · Accepted solution]

Just because you're editing in Photoshop doesn't mean you have to export from there. In this situation I would use Lightroom for the final export too. If you're using the Edit In command in Lightroom to open the files in Photoshop, that command should automatically add those TIFFs back into your Lightroom catalog for you. Each time you do the Photoshop edits and save, that should update the new copies that are in the Lightroom catalog so that they're current.

You should then be able to select all of the Photoshop-edited TIFF images in Lightroom and use the Export command to create your print and web versions. You can create two Export presets for Lightroom, one for print, one for web. With all of the edited TIFFs selected in Lightroom, export once to your print export preset, export a second time to your web export preset. This should be as simple as choosing File > Export with Preset > [your preset name] .

All selected TIFFs will be batch processed in the background, not too different than Image Processor. But because you can save presets, I think over the long term it's simpler and faster to repeat these types of exports in Lightroom.

For the Lightroom web preset it wont be enough to just specify 72ppi, since ppi won't matter. In the Export preset you'll need to limit the pixel dimensions, to something like 1000 or 1600 pixels wide depending on how you're displaying them on the web.

[birdsnestcollective]

Thank you so much. Somehow I never thought about bringing the TIFs back to Lightroom and exporting from there. I felt that doing it directly from Photoshop would make more sense. But you guys are completely right! It's much easier.

[Theresa J]

I was trying to say the same thing as Conrad, but he said it better. There really isn't any reason to save jpegs. Just export what you need from LR, send them to your client, or upload them to your website, and then toss them. You can always go back to LR and export them again at a different size.

[masudr6167678]

Please make an action just like this and use batch process to your images.

[D Fosse]

Just so we're absolutely clear on this: To export for web, you specify pixel dimensions, not ppi.

Export / Save For Web will strip the resolution metadata from the file. A file coming out of Export / SFW does not have a ppi. Not 300, not 72, nothing.

However, most applications will assign a default ppi value when re-opening the file. This may lead to the false assumption that the file is exported at a certain ppi. It isn't.

This is because ppi is a print parameter that means nothing on screen. The screen has its own pixel grid, its own native resolution, and files are displayed only according to pixel dimensions, number of pixels.

What the OP needs to do is easily accomplished in an action, using SFW/Export or Save As, or with the Image Processor.

[Jeff Arola]

Also take a look at the Image Processor Pro, which allows one to save a file in multiple variations.

ps-scripts - Browse /Image Processor Pro/v3_2 betas at SourceForge.net