Batch conversion to 'Thumbnails'

[Squeaky]

I wish to batch convert to thumbnais images held in one folder to another folder for putting up onto my website.

I understand batch and actions but seem to be getting into difficulty.

Any help would be appreciated.

[theGuest]

Welcome Squeaky. :&

What exact kind of trouble are you running into?

Simple method would be this:

1) Create the action that will reduce an opened image to a specific size.

2) Under the FILE menu choose the "Automate/Batch" command.
Load in the Action you created using the topmost popout menu. Setup the other options to your specifications: source folder/target folder, etc.

3) Run the Batch Command.

Is that not what you've been doing?

[Squeaky]

Sir Mark....

Thank you for your very kind answer to my query.

What I had been doing is to try to use 'Save for Web' within an 'Action'.... I could not get it to work!

Your method works fine.... thanks... but another question from a bit of a 'dummy'....

If I use 'Save for Web' I get 'thumbnails' around 4K which a fine for what I want... but if I use 'Image Size' and reduce it to a similar width to the 'Save for Web' method and lower the resolution to 72 dpi I get a much greater file size.

Can you help me again.

Squeaky

[WFDesign]

Hey Squeaky, welcome aboard. }_

If I understand your question correctly, you're wondering why you can't just do "Save for Web's" work for it, and reduce the filesize manually, still using the regular old "Save" option.

The difference is that Save for Web does more than just lower the resolution. Depending on what filetype you're saving your files in, it also reduces the number of colors, blurs, sharpens, etc. to automatically generate an optimized image - that is, what it deems as the clearest image at the smallest size.

I guess theoretically it would be possible to do this manually, but since filesize is determined by so many factors, it's a lot easier to let Photoshop do the work for you.

What's great, though, is that the Save for Web dialogs give you quite a bit of control over what changes, if any, are made to your image. In JPEG format, you can control blur, matte colors, etc. The GIF format lets you optimize based on number of colors, transparency, and lossiness. It's good to play around with these when saving filed to make sure that you're getting the final image that you intended - not what Photoshop thinks you want. I'd suggest Choosing the 2-Up view from the upper left-hand corner so that you can always see the original, unedited image next to what it will look like after Save for Web optimizes it.

Hope this helps, and welcome to PST! Cheers.

[Ammar Midani]

Welcome Squeaky.
If i get you right you could always try the file/automate/web photo gallery, no?


Ammar

[Squeaky]

Sir Ammar....

Brilliant!

Squeaky

[Ammar Midani]

Alrighty then. I'm glad.


Ammar

[Squeaky]

Yes, the method of producing the thumbnails via 'Web Photo Galleries' seems to work fine for me.... I don't use the whole of the stuff this sub programme produces ... just the folder containing the 'thumbnails' .... after fiddling around a bit to get them to the correct size for my requirement.. I just pop them into my webpages produced via 'Dreamweaver'

One or two look a bit darker than thumbnails produced by the 'Save for Web' method but I have not done enough yet to really say if this is a problem.

Thanks once again

Squeaky

[NymPhezze]

Welcome Squeaky :)

[Ammar Midani]

BTW Squeaky When in Dreamweaver you can create a similar gallery via Fireworks.
Commands/web photo gallery..


Ammar