PhotoWalkPro

After my post the other day on using the Lightroom Export function to speed up image prep, I received some comments from readers who told me that they also like to use Droplets for quick image prepping.  Droplets don’t get a lot of love being mixed in with all the other juicy Photoshop tools but they are something you might want to give notice to, especially when it comes to streamlining your workflow.

So what are Droplets you ask?  A Droplet is like a little program that applies an action to one or more images or a folder of images that you drop onto the Droplet icon.  So let’s say that you have recorded an action to sharpen your images before uploading to the web.  Instead of having to run a batch from within Bridge or Photoshop, you can just go to the folder and drag and drop it right on the Droplet icon and the action will start running on all of your images.  I typically put my Droplets on my desktop so that they are easy to access.

To create a Droplet, you first need to record the action that you want to use.  You can also use an existing action that you have already recorded.  Then in the Photoshop File menu, choose Automate > Create Droplet.

When the dialog box opens, specify where to save the droplet. Click Choose in the Save Droplet In section of the dialog box and navigate to the location.  Next, select the Action Set, and then designate which action you intend to use within the Set and Action menus. (Select the action in the Actions palette before you open the dialog box to preselect these menus.)  Finally, set the processing, saving, and file naming options.  Now click OK and go find your Droplet.  You should see the arrow shaped icon in the location you chose for it.

To use it, just drag an image, several images, or a folder on top of the icon and let go.  The droplet will open your images in Photoshop and apply the action.  Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy!

So next time you create a folder of images using your Lightroom Export preset, finish them off with the Droplet of your choice.

Related posts:

1. Protecting Your Images with a Watermark
2. The 7-Point System in Action
3. Quick Image Prep in Lightroom
4. Bridge vs. Lightroom
5. Cleaning Out Your Lightroom Catalog (Part B)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 at 12:05 am and is filed under Image Processing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.