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Not sure how to install actions in PSE? Read this tutorial, which includes screen prints. Video for installing on a PC is HERE. Video for installing on a Mac is HERE.
Cleaning or Finishing Actions – Use the below actions to either clean your image or finish it off by adding sharpening, vignette and/or a border.
- Border and Frame – Resizes image for web, then adds a small border and a large frame for more dramatic presentation. Video tutorial shows how to use it.
- Curves – Creates a duplicate layer and brings out the curves dialogue box. See this post to learn how to use it.
- Dodge/Burn Action – Makes a dodge and burn (50% neutral gray, soft light mode) layer, which you can use to lighten or darken, using either the white or black brush. Tutorial on how to do it yourself is HERE.
- Facebook Finishes - Resizes image to 700 pixels wide or tall. Option to add a border, vignette and sharpen. HERE is a video tutorial to see how to use the action.
- Quick Clean – a quick cleaning action that will helping you to give everyday snapshots a quick edit. Does not include a skin smooth layer. Flatten and run the free smooth skin action below. Video tutorial for Quick Clean can be viewed HERE.
- Resize and Sharpen – Action to resize your image for the Internet and a sharpening layer. Use a soft, white brush on areas of image you would like to be sharp.
- Smooth Skin – A duplicate layer with a Dust and Scratches filter plus a Gaussian blur filter run on it, mask added and inverted. Nothing magical, but functional. Take a soft, white brush and brush only over skin. Lower opacity to suit.
- Whiten Whites (for teeth and eyes) – Use a soft, white brush at about 60% opacity and brush over teeth and whites of the eyes.
Creative Actions
- Nashville – A cross processing look inspired by the Nashville preset in Instagram.
- Add Haze – An action that offers a variety of hazes for a variety of looks.
Miscellaneous Actions – Just the odds and ends
- Color Correct In PSE – Helps correct tonal and color problems using Levels and Threshold adjustment layers. Video tutorial is HERE.
- Add a Mask – Adds a layer mask to a duplicate layer (not needed for PSE 9). Same action as Coffeeshop’s Layer Mask Action, so if you have it, you do not need this one.
- Make a Thumbnail – Use to create missing thumbnails for actions in your Effects palette. Video tutorial is here.
Templates
- FB Four Spot Collage – Collage to share four images, sized to fit the 700 pixel limit for Facebook. This template utilizes clipping masks. To see how to use this template, watch this video tutorial.
