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Action Installation and Troubleshooting Guide photoshop for mac or pc
paint the moon p h o t o s h o p™ a c t i o n s a n d t e x t u re s
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What’s inside 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. . 12. .
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click to jump to the page you need and check out the helpful resources and links page for video tutorials, paint the moon communities, training resources and more
Ins tallati on s te ps - d e tai le d In s tallati on s cre e n s hots Play y our acti ons i n Photos hop H e llo, ni ce to m e e t y ou!
And how to get in contact with Anni e.
Shoot!? ! G ot troub le ? { fi nd y ou r a n sw e r } L ay e r mas k ti ps and troub le s h oot i n g Twe ak and cus tom i ze y our ac t i on s Ti ps and tri cks for us i ng y our a c t i on s
H e l p f u l r e s o u r c e s , l i n k s a n d in f or m ation W h a t a re a c t i o n s ? W h o i s P ain t th e M oon ?
Note: this guide is very clickable!
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page 3
Installation Steps This covers everything from downloading to finding your installed actions.
1.
Download your actions. You will be directed to a page where you can click on the words "Click here" to immediately download your products after the payment goes through. You will also receive an e-mail at your payment address with the link in it.
2.
Locate the downloaded file and open the folder. If it is not unzipped (if it still has the .zip extension at the end), unzip it. Most machines have pre-installed software that allows you to double click it to unzip. If you find do not have unzipping software, you can download free software to do this online. A popular, highly rated FREE one are for the Mac is YemuZip. A popular, highly rated application for PC users is 7zip.
3.
Follow instructions located on page four to install the actions. This can be done by double clicking on the atn file, dragging the atn file onto an open Photoshop window or by selecting Load Actions (see page four for screen shot) from the actions panel fly out menu.
First time action user?
click to see some tips, tricks and a short video showing how to install and some tips for getting the most out of your actions
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page 4
Easy installation
three ways to install ... each one incredibly quick and easy
T h e e a s i e s t w a y t o i n s t a l l a c t i o n s i n P h o t o s h o p i s t o d ra g a n d d ro p t h e a c t i o n s fi l e o n a n o p e n e d p h o t o s h o p w i n d o w. O R y o u c a n j u s t d o u b l e c l i c k t h e . a t n fi l e a n d i t s h o u l d a u t o m a t i c a l l y o p e n P h o t o s h o p a n d i n s t a l l t h e a c t i o n fo r y o u . T h i s s h o u l d w o r k b o t h o n M a c a n d o n W i n d o w s . T h e m e t h o d b e l o w i s a l s o e a s y, b u t I p re fe r o n e o f t h e fi r s t m e t h o d s fi r s t.
Open Photoshop. Go to your Actions panel. If you don’t see it, go to Window > Actions. Click on the little arrow in the top right corner of the panel. From the fly out menu select “Load Actions” and then navigate to where you saved your actions. All done!
Ta ke p re c a u t i o n s . . . P h o t o s h o p s t o re s a c t i o n s i n t h e d e f a u l t P h o t o s h o p p re fe re n ce s fi l e . T h i s fi l e m a y g e t co r r u p t a n d n e e d t o b e d e l e t e d o r i s re p l a ce d a u t o m a t i c a l l y b y P h o t o s h o p . I a l w a y s re co m m e n d b a c k i n g u p y o u r a c t i o n fi l e s t o a C D o r e x t e r n a l h a rd d r i v e fo r s a fe ke e p i n g .
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Play your actions Once your actions are loaded, open your image, select which action you want to play (see how the Creamy Skin Brightener is highlighted?) and simply click the Play button. Sit back and watch the magic happen!
Note that some sets will have the actions in categories to make your workflow easier. The lines that have the bullet point across are meant as dividers and the little “vvvv” is denoting that category is below that particular category title.
Be sure to take a look at the video tutorial for organizing your actions into favorites folders too!
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page 6
Hi. I’m Annie.
So nice to meet you! I w a n t to th a n k you f or your sup p ort and b usiness. I truly ho p e y o u a r e t hr i l l ed w i t h y o ur Pa i nt t he M o o n pro d ucts . Y ou r s a ti s f a c tion is my numb er one p riority, and I t a k e p r i d e i n p r o v i d i ng ex c el l ent c us t o m er s er v i c e. I f yo u fin d, a fte r look i ng ov er the installation g uid e, troub l es ho o t i ng g ui d e a nd t ut o r i a l v i d eo s a v a i l a b l e, t ha t yo u a re s ti ll i n n e e d of assistanc e, p lease feel free to e-ma i l m e a t a nna b el l e@ p a i nt t hem o o n.net a nd I ’ m m o r e t h a n h a ppy to h e lp. I w i l l n e e d to h a ve th e following information in ord er to g et y o u t a k en c a r e o f a s q ui c k a s p o s s i b l e: • Pa i nt th e Moon produc t you are using • Y o ur com pu te r’s operating system • Y o ur ve rs i on of Ph otoshop • W h a t e xa ctly you r i s sue is, or where in the installation p r o c es s y o u a r e r unni ng i nt o a hi c c up . T he m o r e de t a i le d i n f orm a ti on I g et up front, the b etter and faster I c a n g et y o u t a k en c a r e o f a nd s t a r t ed us i ng a nd e n j o y i n g you r n e w a ctions. T h a n k you !
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page 7
! # @ ? # @!
?@#!!?@!#
Shoot! Got trouble? !?@?@#!#
t r o u b l e s h o o t i n g :
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First make sure you are running Photoshop versions CS2 or up.
I ran the action and it doesn't appear that anything has changed? Most likely you are using an action that has a layer mask that requires you to paint where you want the effects visible. Please see Layer Mask Basics for help (page 10), as well as the video tutorial on Layer Masks to understand how they work better. You'll need to use your white brush with the layer mask selected (the black box on the right of the layer) - paint where you want the effect to appear.
The effect is too strong for my image or it’s too bright! Adjust the layer opacity on the action’s layers, turn lightening and brightening or darkening layers on or off ... tweak the action until you get the right look for your image.
I keep getting a message saying "The object "layer "Background" is not available." Flatten your image prior to running actions, so that you only see the "Background" layer. If you need to do this, just right click on one of your layers and select "Flatten Image."
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page 8
! # @ ? # @!
!?@?@#!#
?@#!!?@!#
t r o u b l e s h o o t i n g :
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Everything is acting all wonky on me! I frequently get emails from customers who tell me that Photoshop seems to be acting up and giving them strange errors or just doing oddball things. Sometimes this will look like an action isn’t working properly. The random things that can go wrong and errors that pop up with a corrupt preferences file are extensive but include freezes and crashes, tools acting weird or missing from toolbox, menu commands all of a sudden not available, unusual errors or results while running actions, crashing upon start up and more. I have found that almost 95% of the time when customers are running actions and experience strange problems or error messages, the issue is easily fixed by deleting the preferences file. It’s super easy and usually clears up the problem immediately. Be sure not to let go of the keys until you see the message about deleting the settings or preference file ... just click yes and then you may let go of the keys. Here is how to do it: To dump your corrupt preferences file and give Photoshop a fresh start: For a Mac, when you restart Photoshop make sure you hit the Command, Option and Shift keys at the same time. When it asks if you want to delete the settings file, click yes. It will go ahead and delete the settings and then automatically restart. Getting the timing right can be a bit sensitive, so be sure to hold down those keys immediately after launching the Editor, but before the program actually opens completely. For a PC, when you restart Photoshop make sure you hit the Control, Alt and Shift keys at the same time. When it asks if you want to delete the settings file, click yes. It will go ahead and delete the settings and then automatically restart. Getting the timing right can be a bit sensitive, so be sure to hold down those keys immediately after launching the Editor, but before the program actually opens completely. Note: If it doesn’t work the first try, hold the keys this way … Hold down the Ctrl + Alt keys, then restart PS, and immediately press the Shift key. In that order. For Mac, Hold down the Command and Option keys, then restart PS, and immediately press the Shift key. In that order. Then restart PS. Try again and hopefully Photoshop will begin to play nice. :) Also, this will not delete your actions in your action panel, however, I always strongly advise Photoshop users to have their actions backed up in a safe place because problems can come up that will cause the actions to be zapped, and there are no hard copies of your action files on your drive that Photoshop has saved - you have to do this yourself. The easiest way to do this is simply make a backup copy of your atn files once you download them.
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page 9
! # @ ? # @!
!?@?@#!#
?@#!!?@!#
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I’m getting odd errors like “Invert not available” or “Clipping mask not available.”
Go to your Adjustments panel (if you can’t see it, go to Windows > Adjustment and make sure it’s checked). In the top right corner, click on the three little lines next to the arrow for the fly out menu to appear. You just need to make sure two things are set correctly: Make sure the Add Mask by Default is CHECKED Make sure that Clip to Layer is UNCHECKED Run the actions again and you should have no issues. If you are still having problems, see the section about deleting the preference file when PS goes wonky.
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page 10
! # @ ? # @!
?@#!!?@!#
!?@?@#!# t r o u b l e s h o o t i n g :
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I'm painting on my layer mask but nothing is changing! See next page for things to look for when your layer masks don’t appear to be working correctly. Layer masks are a perfect way to achieve targeted results when running actions. They allow you to have the action’s effect appear on part of the photo, but not the entire image. Using them is also essential for most of the actions in the Miracle Makeover action set ... such as the Sparkle Eyes actions, which requires you to paint on the layer masks to make the effect appear where you need it. Here I will teach you the very basics on layer masking. First you need to know that white reveals and black conceals. This is your layer mask - the black or white box next to your layer thumbnails: If the eyeball to the left is on, it means this layer is visible. If the layer mask is white (as it is here), it means the layer effects are visible. To mask (or hide) any specific areas of this layer or group, simply paint on the layer mask (make sure it is selected as it is here) with a black brush. The opposite is also true. If you have a black layer mask, it means everything on that layer is masked (or hidden) and to reveal anything you need to paint with a white brush. This is important to remember when using actions such as the Makeover series - because when the action finishes running you won’t see any difference until you start painting (i.e., revealing) on your layer masks. You can always switch back and forth between a black and white brush if you paint too much and need to correct it. You can also use a lower opacity or harder/softer brush to really control the effect to the greatest possibility. Most of the time you’ll want to use a soft airbrush at 0% hardness for best results (unless needing a hard edge for detail work). A b lack l a y er ma s k m eans ev er y t h i n g i s hid d en u n t i l y o u p a i n t with a whi t e br u s h
A white l a y er ma s k m eans ev er y t h i n g i s visib le un l es s y o u p a i n t with a b la c k br u s h t o hid e p ar t o f t h e effec t
C L I C K
for layer mask video
REMEMBER ...
Black Conceals - White Reveals
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page 11
! # @ ? # @!
?@#!!?@!#
!?@?@#!# t r o u b l e s h o o t i n g :
Painting basics for layer masks.
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If you can’t see your anything happening when painting, check these settings:
Blend mode: Normal
Select your top brush tool
Opacity: 100%
Flow: 100%
Make sure you have the layer mask selected before painting: Layer mask selected and ready to paint on.
Click small boxes for default black and white colors, click the little arrows to swap foreground and background. To quickly go back to default black & white hit “D”
Layer mask not selected - NOT ready to paint on.
The top color is your brush color. Black conceals, white reveals. To quickly switch colors, hit “X”
Make sure you have selected the default brush on top
I’ve checked all the above and everything is set correctly! Try resetting your preferences - instrutions for doing this are on page eight.
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page 12
Customize your look
Three Ways To “Tweak” Your Actions To Get an Individualized, Custom Look
Adjust layer opacity and use layer masks to adjust the effects of actions. For information on using your layer masks and painting on layer masks see the pages on layer masks. Almost all of the actions by Paint the Moon, except those with just one or two layers, will be grouped into a folder so you can adjust the opacity on the entire group of layers created by the action at once - giving you the ability to customize your look from subtle to dramatic.
Opacity of Layers
Adj u s t u p or d ow n to vary i nte nsi t y of t h at l ayer ’s e ffe ct
Layer Group
Ad j u s t th e o pa c ity (or u s e a la yer ma s k) on a l l th e a c tio n’s l a yers a t o n ce
Laye r Mask White Revea ls
Blac k Co n ce al s (re a d m o re abo ut l a ye r mas ks i n t he l a ye r mas k bas i c s)
Visibility (eyeball) Tu rns Layer On and Off
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page 13
Things you should know. Tips and tricks to get the most out of your actions.
Fix color casts and exposure issues first.
Always get your color right using the color correcting actions first (Picture Perfect and Miracle Makeover), then fix exposure issues (too dark or light) next ... leaving room for a little more lightening depending on which action you will be running. If you are using one of the all in one workflow actions, there will be lightening and darkening layers to work with, as well as basic warming and cooling layers and other adjustments al built in. If you run a skin smoothing or artistic action on an image with obvious color issues (too cyan, red, magenta, green, yellow or blue), it will tend to exaggerate the color problems. So, fix color and exposure problems first, then move on to the rest of your edits. Remember that the artistic actions play with the color in each individual image, shifting the colors and these actions may look different on different images depending on what colors are prominent in your photo.
Make sure you understand your layer masks.
Also remember when working with layer masks that white reveals what is underneath a mask on the layer and black conceals the effects. If there is a black box on a layer, you will need to paint on that layer mask to make the effect visible where you want it. See the layer mask basics in the Install Guides for more help, as well as our video tutorials on layers and layer masks. You can also adjust the opacity and the softness or hardness of your brush while painting on layer masks - this can help achieve a more natural look as you paint and build up the effect gradually (I especially recommend doing this on skin smoothing and darkening/lightening layers.
Play with layer opacity.
Don’t forget to adjust your opacity on your layers - either by selecting the layer group (the little folder at the top of your layer palette) to adjust all the action’s layers at once or by selecting individual layers as desired. This is a must to get the best results much of the time since every image is unique. When an action is first finished running, many times the opacity of the action layers or group will be at 100% opacity ... and you may think, "Whoa - not what I was going for," at first glance. However, I most likely it will need just to a 5 second tweak to the action (see page 12) to get just the right look depending on the photo.
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page 14
Finding what you need Paint the Moon Store
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tutorials on processing, using actions and photography - plus step by step recipes and many more free resources
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Tips and Basics Plus Install Video Tutorial for Photoshop
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Save time create art
Paint the Moon Photoshop™ actions transform your photos into art - saving time and making magic.
What are Photoshop™ actions? Most simply stated, Photoshop™ actions help you make your photos more awsome and do it much faster. The boring explanation is that they are a recording of all the commands and steps used to create an effect in Photoshop™ or Elements™. They can be replayed at the click of a button, saving you hours of time in editing as well as creating complex effects with ease. When using actions extensive Photoshop™ processing knowledge is no longer required to get professional, beautiful results and do it quickly so you can get back to doing what you love - taking photos. Watching your images transform before your eyes will have you whistling and singing while editing!
Actions can save you time and take a good (or even a ho-hum) image and turn it into a WOW image in seconds.
Paint the Moon offers Photoshop™ and Elements™ actions to help bring new life to your images and take
hours off of your editing time. Offering professional editing tools that help you do everything including professional retouching, essential workflow edits, and beautiful and unique artistic processing ... all at the click of a button. Paint the Moon actions work like magic to make processing amazingly quick and are a breeze to use. Paint the Moon actions are also highly “tweakable” to customize the results for just the right look to fit your image and your style. Many of them are batchable so you can process entire sessions with little interaction and breeze through hundreds of images easily. They help turn your photos into works of ART, taking your images to the next level! We also offer fine art and vintage textures to add a unique and high end look to your images. To help guide you through all steps of the editing process, Paint the Moon also has a wide variety of video tutorials available with new ones added regularly. Want to take them for a spin before making a purchase? We have beautiful free actions and textures to try before you buy! Be sure to also stop by our Facebook page for Exclusive free downloads and a supportive, inspiring and warm community of fellow photographers (likepaintthemoon.com).
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Thank you so much for your support!
you rock.
My goal is to help you succeed in doing what you love - making
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paint the moon p h o t o s h o p™ a c t i o n s a n d t e x t u re s