🎬 Macros for Photoshop
Resize 100 images? Apply same effects to 50 photos? Do it once, record it, replay on all. Actions = automation.
How to Record an Action
- Open Actions panel: Window → Actions (Alt+F9)
- Click Create New Action button (folder+ icon)
- Name it (e.g., “Resize for Instagram”)
- Click Record
- Perform your steps (resize, sharpen, save, etc.)
- Click Stop button when done
- Action saved! Now replay on any image
Real-World Example: Instagram Post Prep
Action Name: "Instagram Square" Recorded Steps: 1. Image → Image Size → 1080 x 1080px 2. Filter → Sharpen → Smart Sharpen (Amount: 50%) 3. File → Export → Save for Web - Format: JPEG - Quality: 80% - Optimized: Yes 4. Save to Desktop/Instagram folder Result: One click converts ANY photo to Instagram-ready
🔥 Batch Process 1000 Images
File → Automate → Batch
- Select your action
- Choose source folder
- Choose destination folder
- Click OK → Walk away, get coffee
Photoshop processes all images automatically. 1000 images in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours.
Popular Actions to Create
📱 Social Media
- Instagram square (1080×1080)
- Facebook cover (820×312)
- Twitter header (1500×500)
- LinkedIn post (1200×627)
🛍️ E-commerce
- Product resize + white bg
- Thumbnail generator
- Watermark application
- Color correction preset
📸 Photography
- Portrait retouch workflow
- HDR merge automation
- Web resolution export
- Copyright watermark
🎨 Design
- Convert to grayscale
- Apply brand colors
- Smart object conversion
- Layer style application
💡 Pro Tips
- Insert Stop: Pause action for manual adjustment (Insert Menu Item → Stop)
- Toggle dialogs: Click checkbox next to step to show/hide dialog during playback
- Share actions: Save as .atn file and share with team
- Download free actions: Adobe Exchange has thousands of pre-made actions
⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts
Assign F-keys to your most-used actions:
Action panel → Right-click action → Function Key
Now press F2 to run “Resize for Web” instantly!
“Client needed 500 product photos resized and watermarked. Created action, batch processed all in 15 minutes. Before actions? Would’ve taken 2 full days. Never doing manual work again.”