Lessons

Lesson Info

Create an Antique Color Action

in this image. I would like to give it a effect where I don't like having to go through all the steps all the time. I want to simplify a effect and make it so. It's just much more friendly by using actions. It's in effect. I think it did when we talked in a previous lesson on blending modes, I believe, although there is a chance it was in the one on filters. Uh, anyway, let's create one. I'm going to come in here and create a brand new action, and I'm gonna call this antique color. I'm gonna click record. And now here the steps I'd like to do first I wanna pull all the color out of this image, and I'm going to do that using an adjustment layer called black and white. Then I would like to take a copy of the original image and put it on top. So I'm gonna click on the layer that's underneath to select it, and I'm gonna move. While I'm not gonna move it, I'm gonna duplicated so one method for duplicated layers of type command J to jump it to its own layer control jam window salt type that,...

and then I'm gonna move that layer up in my layers stack. Then I want to apply the color that is found in that layer to the black and white version of the picture that's underneath, using a blending mode that's called Overlay and that will give its this kind of antique e look. But then the problem is, there's not enough shadow. Detailed dark portions of the much became much darker, so I want to do something to bring the original shadow detail back. Well, I would like to hide the dark portion of the image from both of these layers that air here, both the black and white and this layer that's on top. So I'm going to select both layers, hold down the shift key and click on that layer. And then I'm going to put it in a folder because when I put it on a folder, anything I due to the folder itself, will apply to all the layers that are contained within. So I'll come in here, and I will then choose, but not their FX blending options. And we had a lesson about advanced layers as part of the Complete Guide and it showed you that you could hide the dark portions of layer by pulling in a slider. Either one of these, in this case, he and split this part to make it blend in, just trying to bring back some of the darker areas. Then, to finish it off, I might as well name that folder, so I'll just double click on its name and I'm going to call this anti color, and now I'm done recording my action. So let's hit the stop button, and we might as well just test it. Let's revert the image to its original click on the name of reaction hit, play and see if it works. Certainly looks to. But then let's analyze our action and decide if it's gonna be universally applicable. Well, let's see what we did. We ended up making an adjustment layer. It's a black and white adjustment that should be universal. Oh, here we go. Look at what it says. It selects a layer, and it's called background. And that's because when we started this action, the only thing that document contained was a layer called background. Well, what if in the future, when I attempt to apply this. There is no later called background. Like if I revert this image right now in my layers panel, I double click in. I call this car now. It doesn't have a layer called background, so if I grab that action hit play, it's gonna give me an error. And it just says, Sorry. You told me to do something that that command simply is not available, so I'm going to stop. We'll refer to this image again because some of it has applied. And so let's figure out, How can we change what Layer is active without it recording the name of the layer as part of that? Well, the problem is, our steps in our action ended up going in here and creating a black and white adjustment layer. And then I move my mouse right down here to the layer below, and I clicked on it will, Any time you click on a layer like that, it's going to record the name of the layer. So let's figure out if there's a way to make the layer that's underneath active without actually having to click on it. And there is there's a keyboard truck cut for it If you look right now, I'm using my keyboard to switch between these two layers. The keyboard shortcut that I'm using to do so is holding down the option key That's Alton Windows and then using the square bracket keys on my keyboard. That's right about by Return Key and one of those bracket keys. The left one will end up getting the layer above in the opposite, and one will grab the layer that's below. So let's see if I can replace one of the steps in my action. Let's take a look here and right here. Made an adjustment layer and right there is where it switched layers and it has the name of the layer. So I'm gonna click on that particular step and I'll make sure over here in my layers panel, it looks like it did. At the time the action was being made at the stage. This was right when I was about to click in the layer below. I'll hit the record button and then I'm gonna hold on option and hit the left bracket key that switched. Which layer is active. I'll hit the stop button so we no longer record any more steps and let's see what we ended up with. It now says Select backward layer. I wish it said select underlying layer because backward doesn't make any sense to me. But anyway, that will do it without having the name of the layer in the action. So let's throw that step previous step away. All right, then layer via copy can work with any layer. Move current layer as long as it says current layer and doesn't say move background layer, then that should be fine. It says to layer three. Um, not sure there, but I'm assuming that means a certain number of layers above. We'll have to test it to be sure there, but there is a keyboard shortcut for moving a layer. Let me show you what it is before I showed. You have to unlock this layer to be able to move it, though I mentioned that option in those bracket keys changes, which layers active. If instead you do command in the same bracket keys, it would move a layer up and down, so one way I could have moved a layer instead of using my mouse, clicking on it and dragging it up He has to hold down the command key control on Windows and then use of square brackets to either move it up or down. Did that too many times of the keyboard? I was trying to get back to the same stage we had before, All right, so I'm assuming this will work. It says, Move to lay or three. I think that means later. Position three like the third slot in the layers panel. But we'll find out when we test the action. The problem that it could be with that is, what if the document had four layers to get begin with, then there's a chance that might not work. Okay, set current layer to overlay as long as it says current layer and not background layer. We're fine. Then here, it says, select the layer called black and white one. Well, what if there was already a black and white adjustment layer contained within the document? What this is doing is switching to this layer, and so that's something. Where if it was switching layers is something that it might not work, and so we could record that difference so it would not contain the name of the layer that's in there. I'd have to apply part of this action to get to that point, though, to figure out exactly what Layer was active. You could do that. I'm going to revert this image to the original, and I want it just to play down to right before that step. You see this little check boxes on the left? That means should I play or should I skip this step? I could tell it to skip those last few steps. Then if I just play this action, it's gonna end right there. There it's made it through. So the top most layer was active. Oh, I know what I needed to do. At that point, What I was doing was selecting both of those layers so I could put them in a folder. Well, just in case that layer wasn't called black and white one. What I can do is that same keyboard shark it. We used to switch layers, which is option, and the bracket keys. Just add the shift key to it, and that means don't switch layers, but add the layer that was underneath and therefore that's what could be used. So let's replace that step click on the name of the step will hit the record button and I'm gonna do shift option left bracket. That would be shift Ault left bracket windows and then I'll hit. Stop. Let's see what the difference is. So here it was saying to select the name of a very specific layer which might not always be in a document into added down here, it's saying, Select the backward layer, meaning the layer underneath in added, So that's more universally applicable. Okay, then let's see. Make group, uh, current layer. We're gonna call it Group one. That's fine. Um, we could have named it, but that little still work set the layer. Ah, these are the blending sliders and then set the layer to a name of anti color. That looks fine. Let's turn those check boxes back on so it will apply those steps unless test our action. Make sure we didn't break it in some way. Yeah, it ended up with that. Perfect. Now we could improve on this because this is the process I usually go through. But the best thing to do with that duplicate layer is to board it. And so what I could have done is when it was created. I could have turned it into a smart object and then at some point, Aiken blurry, because then it gives it more of an antique look. But we already have our action made, so sometimes you need to modify actions to improve them. And so let's just see if we can figure out at what point in here where various things created and moved. Well, here's where we moved current layer toe position three, which I think meant up here. And I think that right after that, that would be selected and I could turn into a smart object. So right at this point, that's where I want to deviate. And I'm gonna come down here, just hit record. And what I really want to do is go Layer. Where is smart objects? Convert a smart object, and so that's going to end up being a smart object. I think I wanna wait until it's already changed its blending mode. And that was the next step, I believe so. Let's hit Stop and let's see here. Yep, changing toe overlay and then right after it gets changed to overlay mode is what I want to blur it. Because when it's already in overlay mode, I'm going to get a preview. And in fact, I think it's gonna be even better if we do it after we make a group. And we had the blending sliders. So it's down here at the very end and see what the end step is. Okay, we're just naming it. Might as well just added at the very end of our action. So the end of our action, what I'm gonna do is it will have just named this group of the top. So most like that will be selected. I'm gonna hit record. I wanted to select the layer that's underneath, and I'll do that using my keyboard option left bracket. And then I'm gonna go to the filter menu and choose Blur. Click OK, and then we'll stop. The action in the very last thing I want to do is be able to choose the amount of blurring applied. So I turn on that. So you notice that what I'm going through in trying to add functionality to an action after it's been created, it's much harder to think about it. It's much easier to get confused about what you're doing. So for me, it's best to think through inaction in practice, the steps first. And when you're done practicing the steps, just ask yourself, Is there any more intelligent way I would want this done because it only takes time to create the action once you might as well spend the time to make a really good action. And that means, what should these layers be named? You might want to think about that so you don't just end up with default names. And is there any extra functionality that might be useful? Do incorporate. If so, work it right into the action. And if you do it the first time, it's much easier to think of than having to go back and modify. So now I'm gonna come over your here, Revert on. Let's just double check that the modifications I made work. So it just ends up with this blur screen and Aiken bring it down to not blur it all, or bring it up to get that soft kind of glowy feel in a work. Fine. It's best to try it out in a couple different documents, but I think we're doing all right here