Ok, we've had some fun playing with the ready-made actions. Now it's time to record an action of our own. For example, let's create a yet another frame.
1. Open an image from our ASAP folder.
2. In the Actions palette menu, select the My Actions set (any Photoshop action must belong to a set).
3. Click the "new"
button
at the bottom of the palette. The New Action dialog appears. Enter a name for the
action and click Record (movie).
NB The red button
on
the Actions palette means that all our operations being recorded. So be careful and
avoid unnecessary steps.
4. First of all, we need more space for the new frame. Open the Canvas Size dialog,
enlarge the canvas by 90 pixels and set the canvas extension color to white* (movie).
*Users of Photoshop 7 and earlier versions must set background color before changing canvas size.
Look at the Actions palette. The first command is recorded!
5. Activate the Magic Wand
Tool
and click in the upper left corner* to select the white frame around the image (movie).
*That is where image co-ordinates start. If you click in some other area, your action may not work
properly with larger/smaller images.
6. Create a layer via copy [Ctrl+J].
7. Display the Styles palette and add to the Layer 1 (white frame) the Blue Glass style (movie).
8. Important! Once finished, click the
button
on the Actions palette to stop recording.
NB If you have made an unnecessary or wrong step while recording:
- stop recording
- drag and drop the error command(s) onto the "trash can"
pictogram
- resume recording
9. I just can't wait to test the recorded action. Open some other image and play the Yet Another Frame. Does it work?


Since 1999, Andrei has run the digiCollage – an online image editor's shop. Having edited all kinds of customers' images, he has vast Photoshop experience that he willingly shares with you in this course. You are invited to look over an expert's shoulder and see Photoshop in action.

