I have free Photoshop Elements actions here on Texas Chicks – most of you know that already!
Sprucing them up was one of my get-organized-for-2013 resolutions. And I just finished!
What does this mean for you? If you own Elements 10 or prior, you can now have my actions all in one menu group in your Photo Effects panel. Do you own PSE 11? My actions are all in one neat little set for you to download.
New Free Actions
In addition to organizing the actions to make them easier for you to find, I’ve also created two new ones. Their task is simple but quite helpful, and only available in Elements via actions. Run the first action to select all the bright tones in your image. This is very helpful if you want to adjust the exposure of the highlights in your image only, or if you want to adjust skin tone, for example.
The second action selects the dark tones in your image. After running either of them, add a Levels adjustment layer (or any other adjustment layer for that matter). You will see that the new layer automatically has a detailed layer mask applied to it – the lighter portions of the mask will correspond to what your action selected – either brights or darks.
I will post a tutorial using these actions next week to show you exactly what they can do.
To Download the Free Actions
The link to download these new actions is in the newsletter that current subscribers will receive via email on January 11, 2013 at about 9:00 AM EST. Look for the link in the sidebar on the right of that email.
If you aren’t a subscriber, or are just finding this post after the 1/11/13, subscribe here. If you are a subscriber and can’t find your email, unsubscribe, then resubscribe.
Notes About the Action Sets
- The actions in these sets are compatible with Elements 6 and up
- I have retired a few of my older freebies because better free actions are available at MCP Actions. And yes, I’ve included the links to the better versions!
Another Freebie
Have you purchased Ready, Set, Actions!, my eBook telling you everything you need to know about Elements to get the most out of your actions? This book is great for beginners who want to use actions as a tool to help them learn how to use PSE.
Well, if you’ve purchased the book, you should have received a complimentary updated version of it last night. The book now has an addendum covering Elements 11 and its new Actions Panel. If you purchased the book, you should have received the email at the Paypal email address you purchased the book with. Make sure to check your spam folder!
And if you’ve been waiting to purchase because you weren’t sure whether it was compatible with the latest version of Elements, now you can!
Want more info? Download the first part of the book for free by liking my Facebook page. Look for the icon that looks like a lock with the words “Free Book Download” below it.
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
Erin, I received this message in my email inbox but did not receive a “newsletter” with the freebies. Does that mean that all of this time I have been missing out on a newsletter??
Then you are probably receiving the rss feed by email by not the newsletter. Click on the subscribe link in the blog post. Thanks!
Thanks, Erin! I tried but it said I was already subscribed. I will unsubscribe and resubscribe like you suggested. However, I’m still sad that I have been missing out on the newsletter all of this time. Thanks for sharing your knowledge (and actions) with all of us.
Hi Erin, and Tara. I too have the same problem, it’s only the feed I receive never a newsletter so no link there for Actions too..
Regards – LInda
Hi Linda, the article above tells you how to subscribe to the newsletter.
Hi Erin, I am still getting this message ” That email address is already subscribed to the list.”
Thank you! I just downloaded your new actions and can’t wait to use them! Thanks for sharing!
Erin,
Thank you very much for sharing your hard work with us for free. It is a wonderful blessing.
I do have a problem though…I received a new laptop for Christmas with Windows 8 installed on it and now I have NO idea how to install actions. I have googled and played around with it for hours. I can find no information on this process. Have you heard anything about this yet? I miss all the actions!!
Thank you again,
Camary
Camary, the process should be exactly the same as the process for Win 7. Did you follow those instructions? If they don’t work, would you please send me a screen shot of the navigation path. My email is erin@texaschicksblogsnandpics.com. You can google screen shots for win8 if you need help with that.
I’d love to hear whether it works for you. Thanks!
Thank you very much for the free actions for Photoshop Elements.
Thanks for the download. I am new to the newsletter and to PSE. I have had 10 for about a year and my husband got PSE11 for me at Christmas which I have yet to download. Recently there was a free download for CS2…I got it, but I think that is over my head for now…I don’t really know what an Action is, but when I open them they go directly to CS2. Is there a way to get them to the PSE10. I am more comfortable there. I have Windows 7 on my laptop and can find the actions in my download folder, but like I said when I click on them they open the CS2. Any help would be wonderful!! thanks, Andrea
Hi Andrea, follow the link above to the installation instructions. You aren’t supposed to open the files. Enjoy!
Thank you for the free actions! Can’t wait to try them and for the upcoming tutorials, too!!
I received your email but I can’t find the link to the download for the action.
Did you receive the weekly email with links to all posts for the week, or the daily RSS generated email that links to just the current post? It’s the weekly one you need.
Not sure I am getting the freebie emails either… not sure where to subscribe
Hi Denise. Read the article above. It tells you where to subscribe.
Thank you so much for the free actions…now I just need the tutorial! Have you changed the way you write you file names? It’s just that I was expecting to see some files under your file name of Texas-Chicks…ummm strange. I am using a new laptop so maybe it’s me. Anyway thanks very much – I enjoy getting your new letters.
Hi Mary, yes there should be files in the folder you downloaded. No one else is having this issues, so I suspect your new computer is doing something with them you don’t expect.
Ok I got it Thank you:) Now I need to figure out how to use it! Is there a training video or something that will teach me how to use it?
Hi, Erin,
thank you so much for the addendum and the freebies!
I was wondering….I have upgraded to PSE 11 and noticed that some of my actions are now in the actions panel located in the “more” button that you popup to use and some are in the FX panel. Is there a way to get them all into the FX panel? I much prefer that over the popup panel.
Thanks so much for all the great info you share!
Barb
Ahhh, found the link in my spam folder!
yes!! great news I received your Newsletter today after unsubbing and re-subbing last week, the bad news is the Actions are no longer on the side bar of the newsletter to download..lol
ah well maybe some other time, at least now I can get the Newsletter
So TY….Linda
Linda, after resubscribing, you would have received a separate email with links to the action. Each time someone subscribes, they receive this email. You can unsub and resub again, just keep a close watch on your email and spam folders.
Thanks so much!
Thank you so very much!!!!!!
Thank You!!
lick thes
Did you read the part above about unsubscribing and resubscribing?
Also, please check your spam folder
Ahhh, spam folder! Found the link!