6. Automating iCorrect Portrait

When combined with Photoshop Actions, iCorrect Portrait may be used in very productive workflows. Photoshop's Batch and Droplets both build upon the concept of the Action, so we will look more closely at the processes of recording and playing Actions.

Recording iCorrect Portrait Into An Action

1. Create a New Action

Select New Action… from the Actions palette menu (or use the icon indicated by the red arrow):

2. Start Recording

Give your action a name and click the Record button.

3. Run iCorrect Portrait

Run the iCorrect Portrait plug-in, performing whatever color correction you want.

4. Stop Recording

Stop recording the action by selecting "Stop Recording" from the Action palette menu:

Playing An iCorrect Portrait Action

1. Set the Desired Modal Control

Enable or disable the modal control for the action. When enabled, iCorrect Portrait's window will appear when the action is run, causing it to pause for user interaction. When disabled, iCorrect Portrait will run without a window and without pausing.

2. Play the Action

Select "Play" from the Action palette menu:

Note: The behavior of iCorrect Portrait depends upon the RGB working space selection. If you play an iCorrect Portrait action when the current working space is different from the working space that was in effect when the action was recorded, then the color correction behavior will be different. In such cases where the behavior may be different because of a working space change, iCorrect Portrait will issue a warning, allowing you to decide if you want to proceed or not:

How iCorrect Portrait Behaves When Played As An Action

All of iCorrect Portrait's settings and preferences are recorded into the action. When the action is played back, all of this recorded information is used by iCorrect Portrait, causing iCorrect Portrait's current settings and preferences to be overwritten. So playing a recorded action may also change your preferences.

If you leave your "Start With" preference set to "Previous Settings" when the action is recorded, then the color correction that was most recently used will be applied to every image. Similarly, if you leave your "Start With" preference set to "Custom Settings" when the action is recorded, then that color correction will be applied to every image.

If the Auto Black Point or Auto White Point is checked in the selected starting settings (whether from Previous or Custom settings), then each time you play back the action, the image is intelligently analyzed and the black and white point correction is adapted to the content of the image. This means that each image will likely get a different color correction from the same recorded action.

If you leave your "Start With" preference set to "Reset" when the action is recorded, then no correction will be applied by iCorrect Portrait. This is not useful unless the modal control for the Action is enabled. That is, if the Action is being used as a convenient way to open the iCorrect Portrait window, it may be desirable to start with the unmodified image. However, if the Action runs iCorrect Portrait without a window, it will have no effect.