Everyday Samples

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.
  • Gradual Light – Gives you four choices of gradual, direction light that you can use to add light to certain areas of your image.
  • InstaClean – Quick but effective cleaning action to help your images look the best they can. 
  • 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.
  • Watermarking Action – Action to automatically prompt you to open your graphic watermark and applies it to the image.

Creative Actions

  • Denver – Action that creates soft, warm tones with a touch of haze.
  • Make Matte – Action that adds the matte effect to any image. Can be run at the end of another action.

Miscellaneous Actions – Just the odds and ends

  • 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.