Actions: Recording (Video Included)

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!

Click to view

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?

Click to view