To Buy Actions or Not to Buy Actions?

[Big Mike]

If you open the actions pallet and expand the list of steps...you should be able to change or edit any of the steps.

I've never tried any bought actions, so I don't know if they have any built-in protection against people changing them...but I don't see how they could.

Also, you could just run the action on your image, let it be flattened, save as something else, then open the original again and drop the new one on top. Then you have two layers and you can turn down the opacity of the top one. You should be able to do the same thing by creating a duplicate layer in the first place...as long as the action doens't try to flatten it.

Many of the actions that I've seen (again, not the bought ones) actually create a dup layer to start with anyway...so you always have the original layer in the working image.

When I'm going to do anything more than light editing...the first step is always to create a duplicate of the background layer.

 

[elsaspet]

Just unflatten in your history, WM. Also have your layer pallet open. You will see in there some sort of layer. Mess with the layer opacities until you get it like you like it. Then just smash it again.

This doesn't always work though unfortunaltey, as some actions just take you back to a snapshot in the layers.

 

[zendianah]

Hi everyone,
I was hoping we could start another discussion about actions. I am trying to decide if I want to spend my $ on some. I finally got Lightroom and PS3 which is really exciting. But, after spending so much time only using Elements 2.0 I'm a little overwhelmed with all of the options I now have. (I did learn PS in college on 7.0 so I'm not totally in the dark with a lot of the tools in CS3)
Anyway, I guess I just want to get some conversation started about them.
1.) How many of you use Actions?
2.) Which brand/company is your favorite? I know Kubota has been mentioned as well as Boutwell. Any others out there? I recently found this company and really liked their borders: http://www.ittybittyactions.com/borders.htm



Love those borders!! I was introduced to Jinky Art by a friend. She also has actions. I think I prefer KK or Boutwell actions although I havent purchased any yet. I will get Jinks borders though!

 

[AprilRamone]

Thanks for the suggestions on other actions Cindy.

Zendianah, I agree, I wasn't too impressed with the actions on her site, but I did love the borders enough to buy them since they were only $30. In the end I guess I just decided $30 was definitely cheap enough to just have some already made instead of having to make my own.

I have a feeling I will eventually be using some combination of my own actions, bought actions, and then probably bought borders for the most part as well since there are already so many lovely ones out there. Seems almost like a waste of time to recreate my own action if there is already another one out there that I already like.

That being said, I do think it's important to know what the action is doing and be able to recreate it on your own for the most part. But, actions will just make my pp work so much faster. I am so excited to finally be able to have them and not have to do every single picture individually.