Tutorial: AKVIS Enhancer

Batch processing

Starting with version 5.0, AKVIS Enhancer offers batch processing - the possibility to apply the plug-in to a series of photos.

Batch processing is very useful and time saving when you have to correct a number of photos taken with the same camera settings in similar circumstances. This method allows applying the same settings of AKVIS Enhancer to a folder full of images. So you won't need to fix every photo separately.

Even if you have never used batch processing you will find no difficulties in understanding it. First you create an action and then apply it in Photoshop to a photo folder.

Suppose you have a series of photos taken in one of the most magnificent palaces of France - Versailles. All photos came out too dark.

• Step 1. First of all we should create two new folders, say Versailles-original and Versailles-after-Enhancer. Put photos for editing into the "Versailles-original" folder. Edited photos will be saved in the "Versailles-after-Enhancer" folder.
• Step 2. Open one of the original photos in Adobe Photoshop. We will use this photo to adjust AKVIS Enhancer's settings and create an action.
  
• Step 3. Open Actions palette and click Create New Set button. In the dialogue window give a name for a new set of actions, for example, AKVIS Actions.
• Step 4. Now we should record the new action. Press Create New Action button and in the dialogue window give a name to the new action, for example, Enhancer.

  On pressing the Record button, the recording of the action will immediately start.

  
• Step 5. Let's call AKVIS Enhancer plug-in and set optimal parameters.
  
• Step 6. Press the button . The plug-in window will close and in the Photoshop workspace we'll see the edited photo. In the Actions pallete in Enhancer action you will see a new line -AKVIS Enhancer.
  
• Step 7. Remember that the action is still being recorded. In the meanwhile we should save the edited photo. To do it choose Save As in the File menu and save the image into the "Versailles-after-Enhancer" folder.
• Step 8. Stop the action recording by pressing Stop playing/recording at the bottom of the Actions palette.
  
• Step 9. Delete the file that we have just saved in the "Versailles-after-Enhancer" folder.
• Step 10. The action is created and we can proceed to batch processing of the photos. In the File menu of the editor choose Automate->Batch.
• Step 11. In the Batch dialog window enter all data and set the parameters.
  • In the Set drop down combo box choose "AKVIS Actions" entry and in Action combo box - "Enhancer".
  • The Source combo box serves to indicate the source folder. Choose the Folder entry that allows to point a particular folder. Press Choose button and choose the "Versailles-original" folder.
  • As we did not record the "Open file" command into the action, the Override Action "Open" Commands checkbox should be deactivated.
  • In Destination combo box select Folder entry and after pressing Choose button select the "Versailles-after-Enhancer" folder.
  • Activate Override Action "Save as" Commands checkbox.
  • In the File Naming section the filenames structure for the edited files is created. We do not want to change the filenames, so in the first combo box we choose Document Name, and in the second - extension.
  
  • Step 12. Everything is ready, you only have to press Ok. Adobe Photoshop editor will process all photos in the "Versailles-original" folder one by one and save them to the "Versailles-after-Enhancer" folder. While Photoshop is busy with the batch processing you can do something useful.