:: workshop news & musings ::

Ifyou are unsure about using any of the Action Effect installers available in the Graffishop (the Action Effect installers like Glam Photo, FunFotoFX, Handy Actions, Portrait Lab, Splitter, etc.) then you might want to download the Sampler pack and give it a try.  It includes 5 actions – the 110% enlarge action from Handy Actions, the Weaver effect from FunFoto, the Old Romance action from Glam Photo, Soft Black & White from Portrait Lab, and a Sketch effect thrown in for a bonus.

Download, extract, turn off Elements including any Organizer components, and run the installer – it will do all the work for you. 

Once it completes, restart Elements and allow it enough to discover the new effects and add them to its database. Next, click into the Layer Styles section of the Effects palette and then click into the Photo Effects section of the palette (that will refresh the Photo Effects display).  Use the drop menu to locate Graffi Action Sampler, and the effects will be ready for use.

*This installer will work for Elements 6, 7 & 8.

Enjoy!

Therewas a request earlier for a set of simulated lens filters for 35mm cameras.  Awhile back (2005 or so) I made a complete set of actions that recreate the original Kodak Wratten lens filters.

I’ve updated the installer for Photoshop Elements 7 & 8 (not Elements 6 or earlier, though) and you can grab it at the bottom of this post – free (at least for now – demand will dictate if they stay free).  The actions all create several layers, with different blend modes and opacities.  You can easily mix-and-match the layers to experiment with the different combinations, and you can also adjust opacity & blend mode easily.

This is not intended as a one-click action set; rather, it’s intended to be a starting place for creating black-and-white or color-saturated retouches to your images.

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