Start with a dummy file.
Create/record a new action, call it Save As Tiff.
Start performing File|Save As…
Choose Tiff as your file type, accept the dialog, choose whatever options you want, and accept the options dialog, then click Save.
Stop recording.
Make sure that the dialog box toggle is set to ON in the action (the little square next to the action name).
You’re done.
The next time that you run that action a dialog box will appear that asks you for file name and destination, followed by an options dialog with the "defaults" you recorded in the action for you to change or just accept as they are.
Peace,
Tony
Thank you, Tony. This is a huge help…Another question: is there any way in this same action to also be able to change the name of each individual file that is being saved? That is, can I somehow get the action to stop for a moment to allow me to enter the new file name?
Yes. Following what I described above, it will ALWAYS pause for file name/location, and options such as compression. That is because the dialog box is toggled to ON.
Peace,
Tony
I was using this same action very often but instead to type a name I swept a preprinted serial numbered Bar Code card through a Keyboard Wedge Bar code reader. This saved strings like this: KMLG-HRFV. I gave the cards to the customer and they could type the string into a form and call up the picture on the Web.
One could also write an action to open and swipe the card and the picture would open.
How do you make a dummy file? Also, is it possible to batch process folders of tiff images saving as jpegs while keeping their original file names? I have hundreds of large tiffs I need to save as smaller jpegs, so a ‘fit’ command will have to be included… Thanks!
What I meant by "dummy file" was, something you don’t really care about, it’s just being used to allow you to create the action, by performing steps on it. If you make a mistake, it doesn’t matter.
In regards to batch processing to convert tiffs to jpgs, not only is it possible, it’s easy.
The basic idea is to create an action that includes a Save As JPG. There are only two key things to do once your action is created to run the action in batch, unattended.
First, in the actions palette, after you’ve created the action, go to the Save As portion of your action and make sure that the dialog is toggled to OFF – that’s the little square next to the action name.
Then you’re ready to batch, and the second key thing to do is in the batch dialog – check the box that says Override Save As information.
In the rest of that dialog box, you select your Source Folder, your Destination Folder, the Action to run, and leave the naming boxes at the bottom blank.
When you hit "go", it will open each file in the source folder, one by one, and perform your action on it, close it, and process the next.
That’s it.
Peace,
Tony
Thanks, Tony – that did the trick!
