7 Choose a destination for the processed files from the Destination menu:

•None to leave the files open without saving changes (unless the action includes a Save command).

•Save and Close to save the files in their current location, overwriting the original files.

•Folder to save the processed files to another location. Click Choose to specify the destination folder.

8 Select Override Action “Save As” Commands if you want Save As commands in the action to refer to the batched files, rather than the filenames and locations specified in the action. If you select this option, the action must contain a a Save As command because the Batch command will not automatically save the source files.

Deselect Override Action “Save As” Commands if the action contains Save As commands for specific files that are required by the action.

9 If you chose Folder as the destination, specify a file-naming convention and select file compatibility options for the processed files:

•For File Naming, select elements from the pop-up menus or enter text into the fields to be combined into the default names for all files.The fields let you change the order and formatting of the filename parts. You must include at least one field that is unique for every file (for example, filename, serial number, or serial letter) to prevent files from overwriting each other.

•For File Name Compatibility, choose Windows, Mac OS, and UNIX to make filenames compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and UNIX operating systems.

Saving files using the Batch command options always saves the files in the same format as the original files. To create a batch process that saves files in a new format,

record the Save As command followed by the Close command as part of your original action. Then choose Override Action “Save In” Commands for the Destination when setting up the batch process.

10 Select an option for error processing from the Errors pop-up menu:

•Stop for Errors to suspend the process until you confirm the error message.

•Log Errors to File to record each error in a file without stopping the process. If errors are logged to a file, a message appears after processing. To review the error file, click Save As and name the error file.

To batch-process using multiple actions, create a new action and record the Batch command for each action you want to use. This technique also lets you process

multiple folders in a single batch. To batch-process multiple folders, create aliases within a folder to the other folders you want to process, and select the Include All Subfolders option.

Using droplets

A droplet is a small application that applies an action to one or more images that you drag onto the droplet icon: in Photoshop or in ImageReady.You can save a droplet on the desktop or to a location on disk.

Creating a droplet from an action

Actions are the basis for creating droplets—you must create the desired action in the Actions palette prior to creating a droplet. (See “Recording actions” on page 485.)

In ImageReady, you can also create droplets with the Optimize palette, so that you can apply Optimize palette settings to single images or batches of images.

To create a droplet from an action (Photoshop):

1Choose File > Automate > Create Droplet.

2Click Choose in the Save Droplet In section of the dialog box, and select a location to save the droplet.

3Select the desired set and action from the Set and Action menus.

4Set Play options for the droplet:

•Select Override Action “Open” Commands if you want Open commands in the action to refer to the batched files, rather than the filenames specified in the action. Deselect Override Action “Open” Commands if the action was recorded to operate on open files or if the action contains Open commands for specific files that are required by the action.

•Select Include All Subfolders to process files in subdirectories.

•Select Suppress Color Profile Warnings to turn off display of color policy messages.

5 Select a destination for the processed files from the Destination menu:

•None to leave the files open without saving changes (unless the action included a Save command).

•Save and Close to save the files in their current location.

•Folder to save the processed files to another location. Click Choose to specify the destination folder. Select Override Action “Save As” Commands if you want Save As commands in the action to refer to the batched files, rather than the filenames and locations specified in the action. Deselect Override Action “Save As” Commands if the action contains Save As commands for specific files that are required by the action.

6 If you chose Folder as the destination, specify a file-naming convention and select file compatibility options for the processed files:

•For File Naming, select elements from the pop-up menus or enter text into the fields to be combined into the default names for all files. Elements include document name, serial number or letter, file creation date, and file extension.

•For File Name Compatibility, choose Windows, Mac OS, and UNIX to make filenames compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and UNIX operating systems.

7 Select an option for error processing from the Errors pop-up menu:

•Stop for Errors to suspend the process until you confirm the error message.

•Log Errors to File to record each error in a file without stopping the process. If errors are logged to a file, a message appears after processing. To review the error file, click Save As and name the error file.

•Delete commands by dragging them to the Trash button .

•Add a command by dragging a state from the History palette to the area in which you want the command recorded in the droplet window.

To adjust droplet batch options:

1 Do one of the following:

•Before you create the droplet, select an action and choose Batch Options from the Actions palette menu.

•After you create the droplet, double-click the droplet to open the droplet window, and double-click Batch Options at the top of the droplet list.

2Select Original (same name and folder) to save the original file with the same name and in the same folder.

3Select Optimized to save an optimized version of the file. Then do any of the following:

•For In, choose the location in which you want to save the optimized file.

•For If Duplicate File Name, choose how and whether to append numbers or letters to indicate the optimized file in cases of duplicate filenames.

•For Modify File Name For, choose whether ImageReady appends or rewrites the filename using Windows, Mac OS, or UNIX file-naming conventions.

4 Select playback options:

•Run In Background to hide ImageReady during droplet execution, so that you can work in other applications while processing takes place.When you select Run In Background, other playback options requiring user input during processing are turned off.

ImageReady appears when the droplet completes execution.

Note: ImageReady is not available for creating and modifying current images while background processing is taking place.

•Display Image to show the images as they are being processed.

•Pause Before Save to stop the processing of each image before saving it.

5 Choose error options from the Errors menu:

•Stop to suspend the process until you confirm the error message.

•Skip Step to not process steps in which errors are encountered.

•Skip File to not process files in which errors are encountered.

Using droplets to automate optimization settings (ImageReady)

You can save Optimize palette settings for use on individual images or batches of images by creating a droplet for the settings. The droplet lets you apply the compression settings to an image or batch of images that you drag onto the droplet icon.

To create a droplet for automating Optimize palette settings:

1 With an image displayed in the image window, choose a compression format and desired compression options in the Optimize palette. (See “Optimizing images” on page 415.)