James,
I’m not a guru, but I’ve done this before. 🙂 Follow the steps given previously (Image menu>Mode>Indexed color. Choose Custom from the drop down list. Once you have done this, go back to the Image menu>Mode>Color table, which should now be enabled at the bottom of the menu. Click on Save and give your new palette a name and save it in the Photoshop Elements 2\Presets\Color Swatches folder.
If you want to use the new Color Table for a different image, load it via the Preset Manager or Swatch Palette>More. Beside files of type in the Load dialog, choose Color Table (*.ACT) from the drop down list instead of Swatches (*.ACO)
This is the only way I know of to create and save a palette from the current image. This is really super for creating palettes for skin tones!
Patti
Maybe a dumb question. What is the use?
Leen
The uses are varied. If you are working on a graphic and want the colors (Colours) to work with an existing graphic or web page you have a pallet of colors to choose from that will not clash. As Patti mentioned it is an easy way to get skin tones. A large group photo is taken, capture the pallet and you can use that in doing touchup of almost any skin tone. It is often used by digital painters to create a palette of pleasing colors from a photo as well. In creating mats for photos for web use you can choose a complimentary color easily. I’m sure others can add to this list but I think you get the idea.
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Have A Nice Day, 🙂
James Hutchinson
http://www.pbase.com/myeyesview http://www.myeyesviewstudio.com/
Fore what it is worth I do have a three custom collections of swatches for hair, skin and eye colours. If anyone wants them just email me.
Grant
James and Patti-Excellant set of tips. I had been using the eyedropper method to create sets of swatches.
Patti,
I have tried to follow your instructions but each time I try and save the new colour swatches they save as .act instead of .aco. how do I get to save them as .aco?
If I save them as .act where do they appear then? Sorry I’m getting very confused ….
Wendy
I think, Wendy, you just read that part of my instructions backwards. 🙂 They are supposed to save as .act (That’s the extension for Color Tables). Don’t let the different extension confuse you, when you save your Color Tables, they are supposed to go into the same folder as the Color Swatches (Adobe’s Color Swatches have the .aco extension). I suppose the different extension is to keep the standard ones intact so we won’t mess with them.
C:\Program files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 2\Presets\Color Swatches
When I go to save it goes to that folder by default. When I load a Color Table it goes to that folder, but to see to select your new Color Table files you have to change the Files of type to Color Table *.act.
Hope that helps.
Patti
I just read my instructions again I left out the part about the Color Table saving as .act entirely. Sorry for the confusion, Wendy.
Patti
Patti,
I was playing around today and I did as you said … I saved the file as an .act in swatches. Later I loaded colour swatches (default) … went to more>load swatches and loaded the .act file. Snipped all the default ones out and saved the created swatches … this time they saved as an .aco and now appear in the swatches pallette.
Thanks for all your help
Wendy
Patti,
Read your post to James about the color tables (ACT). YOu mentioned how to save the image’s colors, but what do you think is the best way to load those same colors back into a different image file?
A related issue:
I have two indexed mode files open and want to put one color profile into the other.
1. I tried Image > Mode > Color Table > Save on the first file.
2. I tried Image > Mode > Color Table > Load table that was just saved, but the result is some psychedelic mess! Any idea what i’m doing wrong?
TIA for any info!
phil
Digital- After you name your color table, all you have to do is load them when needed. Go to more tab on swatches palette, select load swatches, next open color swatch folder. Hint: you won’t see them with the swatches ACO files. In box labeled file type push on the arrow and select ACT. Boom there they are. I have notice their name doesn’t show up in the swatch color menu probably because they are ACT files. They will be at the end of the set of color swatches you currently have loaded in swatch palette.
Terri
