How to insert a manual crop step in an action then continue?

[Jeff Clatworthy]

I'm trying to build a Photoshop action to process large numbers of high resolution images with abitrarily located image content, with the aim of centering the content in a fixed proportion and resolution crop, with the ultimate goal of a consistant placement in the resulting files.

As part of doing so, I'm trying to figure out how to include a step which prompts the user to crop the active image with a 800x800 pixel crop preset, then continue on with the rest of the action. Can anyone offer advice how to do this, as I don't seem to be able to find a way to do so in an interactive way, that can then continue other action steps.

[Zesty_wanderlust15A7 · Accepted solution]

Record any 800x800 crop (or your generally most desirable one), then tick that space to get the dialog icon.

If you want it to appear somewhere most beneficial in relation to the different docs, record it while your ruler is set to percentage. For example, if you record it perfectly in the middle, it should appear in the middle of any doc.

[Zesty_wanderlust15A7]

You'll possibly have to record it with a selected Crop Tool preset that is set to 800x800; not just simply make a 800x800 crop, cos then the user is more likely to (accidentally) change it.  I would have to try to see what could happen — maybe it's alright if you already specified 800x800.

[Jeff Clatworthy]

Thank you all for your input. I was able to use this info to complete an automation that achieved what is desired (despite the Custom 'Export for Web' naming settings not behaving correctly).

[Zesty_wanderlust15A7 · Accepted solution]

I've never seen a 'Use crop' step. How did you get it? 🙂

Try and deactivate that step to see if you really need it.

I think you just need one crop step (at worst one before it to select a specific Crop Tool preset).

Seems you would also need just one Flatten step.

Like many, I don't use the newer Export method (still bugged, reportedly).

Esp. for just one image, you can still use the Legacy one until they maybe take it out.

Alt + Shift + Ctrl + S

[Zesty_wanderlust15A7]

I've just tested and one Crop step should do it.

When recording, I picked the W x H x Resolution in the dropdown and specified 800px x 800px.

The one action step did remember that.

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What might be handy depending on your sizes is a View > Fit on Screen step. If it doesn't record, use the flyout option Insert Menu Item... (or do that first time; no need to press record).

[Jeff Clatworthy]

The 'Use Crop' step seemed to happen when I used the pre-made specific 800x800px crop.

The first 'Flatten Image' step is necessary, as we are processing a variety of different master files, many of which are layered in some way, which makes subtle shadows with alpha channels hard to see when cropping. The cropping step seems to produce a 'Layer 0' non-flat result, so the second 'Flatten Image' is just me being thorough, as the 'Export for Web' to JPG produces only a flattened  RGB JPG file. Knowing this has let me ignore any potential complications with the source files potential colour modes too.