Freebies
Mini-Scripts. With my compliments.
This is the place to get some of the small little mini-scripts that I’ve cooked up over the years to help with my photography business. Many of them are just a few lines, but they fix annoyances that there is no other way to fix.
You’re welcome to use these as you see fit, and please understand that these are provided as-is and are totally usupported. That said, if you find an error with any of them, let me know and I’ll fix em right up.
check_selection.jsx
When I create actions, I try to make them work in as many possible cases as I can. This makes them more flexible and able to handle more types of imagery. This script helps with this goal.
What it does
If the active image has an active selection, it does nothing. But if it has no selection, it does a select all.
Why it’s useful
I created this one to handle the case where I want to crop an image but not have to do the crop myself. It’s very useful with AutoLoader.
Lets say you’re editing images for your next blog post and while you like some of them as-is, some others you want to crop. How can we eliminate the need to crop manually?
As part of the action that you run right before AutoLoader closes the file, call this script. The next step in the action is crop. Like this:
The reason we need to do it this way is that if you try the crop command with nothing selected, Photoshop will throw an error.
So right before you’re ready to move on to the next file, use the select tool (not the crop tool) to select the area you want to preserve, and the action together with this script will do the crop for you.
Problem solved.
This is one of my most-used mini-scripts these days because I use the select tool for cropping (Why? It’s just what I learned early on). I put it into almost everything, just to be safe.
Difficulty
Easy. No editing is required.
aspect_switchboard.jsx
Another small mini-script that I use when creating blog images.
What it does
It will call one of two actions you specify depending on the aspect of the file: portrait (wide) or landscape (tall).
Why it’s useful
Anywhere you need to do something different for landscape or portrait files, this one will make your automated life easier.
Difficulty
Moderate. You have to enter in the action names and sets you want to use with this script.
Make Ready Folder.jsx
Yes, another small mini-script that I use when creating blog images.
What it does
It will create a folder where you specify if it doesn’t already exist.
Why it’s useful
When I create blog images, I always save them to the same folder on my desktop by including the save step in the action. But here’s the rub: Photoshop doesn’t check to see if this folder exists before it tries to save the file; it just assumes this folder is present. If it is, great. But if it isn’t, Photoshop doesn’t stop or show you an error message. Instead, it assumes that the name of the folder is the name you want for the image, and proceeds to name every file using the folder name. So in my particular case I have a folder on my desktop called “sRGB Blog Images” and if this folder does not exist when I run my action, I’ll end up with a file called “sRGB Blog Images.jpg” instead of a bunch of file in the “sRGB Blog Images” folder. Doh.
Using this script right before the save step of your action ensures that the folder always exists, removing a source of frustration in my life.
Difficulty
Difficult, only because you have to understand how Photoshop references folders on your computer. If you want to dig into it, the manual you need is called the Javasscript Tools Guide. It’s very difficult to find, which is why you’re lucky that I extracted the relevant bits into aPDF for you to download here. It’s the guide from CS5, but don’t let that bother you.
Contest Preppie
Take the pain out of preparing contest entries.
This Photoshop tool prepares entries for final submission to online photo competitions. It has a bunch of cool stuff built in, but the coolest is something nothing else can do: automatically save at a specific size in kb. That’s right: no more manual Save for Web. Interested? Read on.
Contests are fun. Contest prep is not.
Contest Preppie FTW!
Contest Preppie has all kinds of automated goodness baked right in: metadata stripping, sharpening, colourspace conversion and customization via actions. And of course, image resizing and the all-important ability to save your images at the maximum possible quality while staying within the limits required by the contest. It just doesn’t get any easier.
It’s easy on the eyes, too.
All this and a bag of chips
Contest Preppie will run on the currently open and active file, or will process all the files you select in Bridge.
The Resize Settings are supplied by the contest you are entering: just plug them in and Contest Preppie will do the rest.
Extra options for processing your images include:
- Metadata removal for security and increased file efficiency;
- Colourspace conversion to ensure colour accuracy on the widest number of displays;
- Unsharp Mask to give your images a bit of a pop;
- And if you have your own Secret Sauce for final image preparation (and I know you do!) just call the action and you’re good to go!
And files are saved wherever you like, ready to go. Could this be any easier?
Recommended by
Contest Preppie is recommended by these fine organizations, all of which offer online competitions.
We’ve got you covered, unless you’re running CS3 or older.
Contest Preppie is compatible with any Windows PC or Mac running Photoshop version CS4, CS5, CS5.5, CS6, CC, CC (2014), CC (2015) or CC (2017). It’s that simple. Both 32bit and 64bit systems are supported, and of course Bridge is required for Bridge integration.
It comes with an installer to make sure everything is put in the right spot, and the installation manual spells it all out for you in case you get stuck.
I think your next contest will be a lot more enjoyable.
Sloppy Borders
Get Messy.
Back in the day, photographers would print their negatives in film carriers that they had filed for a unique and almost signature edge on their prints. Today, film is almost gone, but the sloppy border effect lives on! So why settle for plain keylines around your images when you can add artistic edges for dramatic effect? Go for totally custom and easy-to-apply Sloppy Borders!
What It Does
Sloppy Borders will create the artistic borders you’re looking for. It is a very adaptable program. With it, you can apply the same border to each file for a signature look, or apply a random border to each file. You can apply borders to a folder of files, or to files you select in Bridge. No need to pre-sort your portraits from your landscapes, and it will work with any image file of any aspect ratio. It just works.
Have It Your Way
Sloppy Borders was written with customization in mind, and the borders you apply are limited only by your imagination. You can use one of the border files included, or create your own (instructions for doing so are included in the easy-to-follow manual). You can even make the inner edge smooth if you like…the possibilities are almost endless.
Easily controlled
Applies sloppy borders in one of two styles, single or double. Your images can be any aspect ratio, and the sloppy borders will be adjusted to fit each one individuallySloppy borders are created from:
- one of the included files
- a custom border file created by you (instructions for making your own are included, natch)
Sloppy borders can be applied to:
- a folder of files
- files selected in Bridge
The sloppy border colour and canvas (background) colour is up to you, with presets for black and white
For extra variation, borders can be rotated randomly or by a fixed amount
Yes, border files are included
I just thought I’d let you know that Sloppy Borders is Awesome! I love it!
— Mitch W.
A Comparative Anatomical Study of the Sloppy Border, MikeD Style
With this plugin you can apply two styles of sloppy border: Singles and Doubles. What does that mean? Glad you asked. Read
Singles
Singles are created when a single border is applied to your images, leading to the look you see below:
The border is first adjusted to fit your image perfectly, and then applied so that the image fades into the border.
The border itself is created from one of these options:
- a border file you specify, making the borders on all images the same
- a border files chosen randomly, making your borders non-uniform
- nothing, creating a smooth inner edge
Doubles
Doubles are created when two borders are applied to your images, resulting in the look shown below:
These are created by the interaction of the Single described to the left with the addition of a second border.
Like the Single, this second border is created by applying one of:
- a border file you specify, making the borders on all images the same
- a border file chosen randomly, making your borders unique
- nothing, creating a smooth outer edge
Take a peek
If all randomization is enabled, over 80 different borders can result from the 10 included border files. Here are a few examples.
We’ve got you covered, but…
Sloppy Borders is compatible with any Windows PC or Mac running Photoshop version CS3, CS4, CS5, CS5.5 or CS6. Trends come and go, and due to a lack of interest Sloppy Borders will not be updated for Photoshop CC or higher. It’ll work, but you’ll have to install things manually and it’s unsupported. Caveat Emptor.
If you like borders, I think you’re going to like this plugin.
Proofmaker
Automation is Sweet
Proofmaker is a sophisticated Photoshop plugin that will resize your photos and prepare them for printing, proofing or the web. Resize to standard or custom print sizes and add borders, labels and logos. And it’s all controlled by a slick UI that is easy to understand. What are you waiting for?
Proofing
Creating bordered labeled proofs can be a trying experience. Getting even borders while fitting images to standard sizes without distortion can’t be done with actions. Separating the tall images from the wide ones gets old too. And adding a filename is just straight up impossible with an action. Lucky for you, Proofmaker can hand’e all these tasks with ease. When creating proof images for your clients, Proofmaker should be your only choice.
Printing
The steps to prepare your images for printing are nearly endless. For me (yes, I use it too) I resize, adjust the resolution, convert the colourspace and sharpen. And thanks to Proofmaker, it’s no problem. I have a pre-set for each print size, ready to go. So when it comes time to submit another print order, I simply run them through proofmaker and they’re ready to upload for printing. Easy.
Hey, Good Lookin’
- Resizing configurations can be saved as presets making it simple to reuse them later
- Works with portrait and landscape orientations automatically
- Runs on files in a selected folder, or files selected in Bridge
- Reads and writes JPEGS, TIFFs and PSDs, 8- or 16-bit
- Save for Web option is perfect for blogs
- Convert to sRGB or aRGB, or leave the colourspace unchanged
- Images can be resized to one of ten final print size presets, or to a custom size
- Images can be automatically cropped or padded to fit the selected final size
- Set the resolution to suit your needs
Thank you for creating such a cool and useful product while restoring my sanity!!
Vida P.
Samples
Proofmaker can be used for many things (for me it shines as an easy way to prepare images for printing) including — surprise! — images with filenames and copyright marks. Here are just a few examples of how Proofmaker is put to use, day in and day out.
We’ve got you covered
Proofmaker is compatible with any Windows PC or Mac running Photoshop versions CS3, CS4, CS5, CS5.5, CS6, CC, CC (2014), CC (2015) or CC (2017). It’s that simple. Both 32bit and 64bit systems are supported, and of course Bridge is required for Bridge integration.
It comes with an installer to make sure everything is put in the right spot, and the installation manual spells it all out for you in case you get stuck.
I think you’re going to really like this plugin.
SmartMark
Content Aware Watermarking
SmartMark does one simple thing: it determines the lightness of the area under your logo and, using this information, calls one of two actions: if the area is mostly light, call a dark action. And if the area is mostly dark, call a light action. And just like that, you can automate your watermarking jobs instead of babysitting them. Genius.
The problem with dumb watermarks
Watermaking images has always been an important part of protecting your work online. This is especially true as new ways of sharing images come along that strip away your original context and all meta data (I’m looking at you, Pinterest and Facebook).
There are a zillion ways to apply watermarks, but they all suffer from the same problem: visibility. If you have a dark logo it looks great on light backgrounds, but disappears on dark ones. Light logos look great on dark backgrounds but are practically invisible on white.
So what do do? Add a border to your logo? Or an outer glow? Or maybe you go as far as I used to do by putting the logo on its own background (this is the most common method of getting around this problem)? Or even by creating a border around your images and putting your logo there. All viable of course. But inelegant. And I loves me some elegance.
Lucky for you there is a better way, and SmartMark is it.
SmartMark to the Rescue
Detailed instructions are found here, but the gist of it is this:
- Create an action to change the look of your logo when you want it to be dark;
- Create a second action for when you want your logo to be bright.
- Modify your existing watermark solution to include a call to SmartMark after your logo has been applied, or use the included (and very well documented) watermarking action.
From that point on, whenever you run your action you’ll get a SmartMark, not just a watermark.
Examples Please
Here is what I mean. Here are 100% crops of my watermark applied using SmartMark. Notice that, in each case, the logo has been adapted to suit the lightness of the image underneath it.
Cool right?
Look See
Controlling SmartMark is dead simple. Because the hard part is in the code, not the interface.
A few FAQs for you
Will this replace what I use now for watermarking?
It will if you want it to, but it doesn’t have to. It is intentionally designed to work with pretty much every known way of applying watermarks. I include the action I use for watermarking to get you started if you don’t have a process already, but here’s the takeaway: if your current process for applying watermarks is a) an action, or b) can call an action before your image is flattened, SmartMarks is for you.
Why didn’t you make it a complete watermarking plugin?
Because there are already a ton of them, and they all do the same thing. And it’s not necessary. Actions are sufficient for placement if you know how to do it. And I do. And since I include my watermark action with your purchase and document it heavily in the manual, you will too.
How difficult is it to set up?
Installation is a snap, and there are detailed usage instructions too. You’ll have to know how to modify an action to get the most out of SmartMarks, but it’s not really that difficult.
Will this work with Lightroom?
Nope. Lightroom doesn’t have the smarts for SmartMark, and its watermarking routine doesn’t offer the ability to export to PS for processing.
We’ve got you covered
SmartMark is compatible with any Windows PC or Mac running Photoshop versions CC, CC (2014), CC (2015) or CC (2017). It’s that simple. Both 32bit and 64bit systems are supported.
It comes with an installer to make sure everything is put in the right spot, and the installation manual spells it all out for you in case you get stuck.
Don’t settle for dumb watermarks.
AutoLoader
AutoLoader is essential for anyone who edits files in photoshop.
It handles all the tedious file management tasks, allowing you to focus on the work at hand. Born from the need to individually retouch hundreds of photos, it has become an invaluable workflow component for hundreds of photographers worldwide. There is quite simply nothing faster than AutoLoader.
Is it for you?
Do you find yourself having to edit many files, one after the other? Do you hate the tedious steps required to manually load files one after the other? Do you hate wasting RAM pre-loading a bunch of images that slow your computer as they sit in the background doing nothing? If yes, then Autoloader is for you. Basically, it’s for anyone that hates to waste time.
How it works
Once you have set your options using the well-designed graphical interface, AutoLoader will open the files you specify into Photoshop, one after the other, with a single keystroke. It can load an entire folder of files, or only those you select in Bridge. It is both workflow efficient and resource efficient, and can save you hours of time. Yes, hours.
Cool Features
Choose a folder of images, or select them in Bridge…the choice is yours.
Is your edit too big for one day? No problem: AutoLoader remembers where you left off, so you can resume your session whenever you like.
Customize your edits by running actions at two strategic spots: after the image is loaded and before the image is saved.
Loads and saves PSD, TIFF and JPEG files. Does not load RAW files. Here’s why.
Two people can work through the same folder if one of them uses the “reverse order” feature.
Easy one-click install.
Turbo mode loads files up to 10X faster over previous versions. Nothing can beat it!
Helpful Tooltips make the straightforward interface even easier.
I just started using AutoLoader and I feel like I won the lottery! Thank you!!
Marion K.
Why You Need It: A Case Study
Consider the fate of poor Chester, the photographer. He has just returned from shooting a wedding, and now has 500 photos he would like to edit. A daunting task for any photographer. What can he do? He has three choices.
Option 1: Manually Open Each File
He decides to load each file, one after the other, manually. This is perfectly workable. So then, he loads the first file and works his magic on it. Then he has to:
- click File, then click Save As
- in the folder dialog, navigate to the save folder, and click OK
- he’s saving a JPEG file, so he next has to set his JPEG options, then click OK
- click File, then click Close
- click File, then click Open
- double-click the next file in the Browse dialog to open it. Of course, he sometimes forgets the file he just finished, and accidentally re-loads it again by mistake.
Whew! That’s a lot of clicking! He can speed this up a bit by using keyboard shortcuts, but it doesn’t change the fact that he has to click through five events to switch to the next file. Consider this: if it takes him 10 seconds to do all that, for 500 images he will spend 83 minutes of doing nothing but closing and opening files. Yikes!
Option 2: Preload a set of files
Chester then thinks to himself, “Chester,” (he talks to himself in the third person…it’s just his way), “you can save some time by opening a whole bunch of files in advance. That way, they’ll be ready for you when you want to work on them.”
So Chester drops a set of 50 files into Photoshop to try to avoid all that pointing and clicking.
But his computer grinds to a crawl…and then it hits him: 49 of those 50 files are doing nothing but sitting there, soaking up RAM and other system resources while they wait their turn. And to add insult to injury, he still has to click through 4 of the 6 steps required to move through his files! Oops.
Option 3: AutoLoader
Click.
That’s it.
Once you have told AutoLoader what to do, one tap of the hotkey saves and closes the current image and loads the next one. Easy and lightning fast. Sweet!
Even with my honkin’ Mac pro and a boatload of ram I was still manually opening 30 files,
waiting,
correcting,
saving,
closing.
That sucked. It no longer sucks. Thanks.
Mitch W.
We’ve got you covered
AutoLoader is compatible with any Windows PC or Mac running Photoshop versions CS3 to the latest version (I keep it up to date every time Adobe changes something). It’s that simple. Both 32bit and 64bit systems are supported, and of course Bridge is required for Bridge integration. The installation manual spells it all out for you in case you get stuck.
I think your Photoshopping will never be the same.
About MikeD
I've been programming for 25 years, and mucking about with Photoshop and Bridge scripting since the CS2 SDK was an optional add-in. Since then we've had 19 new versions of Photoshop and I'm still fascinated by creating tools to automate Photoshop in intelligent ways.