How to create a droplet in Photoshop
TweetA droplet is an executable file generated by Photoshop that allows you to apply a set of actions just by dragging and dropping files or folders on to it. This is a great time saver when you have to apply the same action to a lot of files! If you do this manually, you’ll spend a lot of precious time, energy, and most probably get bored! We all want not to get bored, right?
Let’s say you have to resize 100 jpeg’s, or apply the same effect to 500 more jpegs, or even better, resize, apply the same effect and save them as gif’s. No problem! You create a droplet in Photoshop and the job couldn’t be easier!
So, let’s create ourselves some droplets, right?
Step 1. Create action
In this tutorial I used one of the images from our members area and Adobe Photoshop CS3 for PC. In this example, we’ll be making an action that will resize the image, apply a watermark to it and then save it as a jpeg file. You can download the droplet at the end of the tutorial.
First open an image,then bring up the actions window from the Window -> Actions, or with the keyboard shortcut ALT+F9.
Press the create new action icon and name it suggestively, then hit RECORD.
Resize the image by going to Image-> Image Size
Now apply a watermark. (I used 10% opacity and a drop shadow with a distance and size of 5px and 0 spread for a white text)
Now save it as a jpeg file by goiing to File-> Save As or CTRL +SHIFT + S for PC and COMMAND + SHIFT + S for Mac users
When finished recording the action, hit the STOP button.
Step 2. Create droplet
This is the easiest part…go to the File menu -> Automate -> Create droplet.
The create droplet window is now open. Here are 3 submenus – Save Droplet In, Play and File Naming.
The only button in the Save Droplet In menu is the CHOOSE button. Click the choose button to select your saving location, and name for the droplet. Then, go to the Play submenu, and select the action you want your droplet to make, from the Action drop-down menu. Hit Ok when you’re ready setting up you’re options…aaaaand cut! That’s it, you’ve just created a droplet! All you have to do, is use it!
Step 3. Using the droplet
Identify the location of the droplet in your computer and start dragging and dropping files (or even folders, just look over the options in the droplet menu and you’ll figure it out in no time) on to the droplet!
The final outcome:
DOWNLOAD:
15 Comments
Nora Reed
03.31.2009
Interesting and helpful tips. I think that I learn most about photoshop from these tutorials. Thanks. If you have the time, please check out my logo contest on logo blog. You can win some great mac prizes.
Everlins Nunes
04.10.2009
Agora eu seeei!!! Muito Obrigado.
John
04.15.2009
Droplet will not work when you use “Save As, or Save for Web” because the name you give it during saving, is written into the action. Therefore, every time a file is dropped onto the droplet it wants to overwrite the previous one. And yes I do have the Override “Save As” checkbox checked.
Thoughts?
John
04.15.2009
Not sure what went wrong the first time, but I got it working now.
Ahh you picky photoshop you.
Lol.
Wazza
10.26.2010
What did you do? I had the same problem but it’s still overwriting the previous file.
John
04.15.2009
Thanks for the good tut.
cosmin
04.15.2009
It may be a bit tricky with the “save as” thingy, I had some issues at first too, but I’m glad you worked it out, John! And I’m also very glad you liked the tut.
Come back for more:)
Tutorials Room
04.19.2009
Good Tutorial! It was chosen for the home page of http://www.tutorialsroom.com
Waiting for your next tutorial :)
Gangster39
10.10.2009
We discussed it two years back at this blog. ,
play my flash games
12.07.2009
so techie and at the same time grungy , love it thank you
play my flash games
12.08.2009
so techie and at the same time grungy , love it thank you
Om
11.30.2010
It really work for me.. thanks a lot.. its very useful for every designer…
thanks…
TANKEU WILLIAM
06.21.2012
good morning,
just to know whether i can receive tips about photoshop software from time to time?
thank you very much for your helps
Doink
06.22.2012
Indeed, you will. Just drop a comment and we’ll reply with a solution :)
Shane Robbins
10.18.2012
In my droplets (which I would like to save as a Jpeg), every time I run the droplet it asks me for save as settings for each individual picture, kinda defeats the purpose… Am I doing something wrong?
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