How to Batch Process Files in Photoshop Elements 3
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As I explain early on in Retouching Photos in Photoshop Elements 3: Visual QuickProject Guide, any files that you expect to edit should be first converted from the JPEG/JPG format and saved as TIFF files. Although JPEGs take up less space on your hard drive, they throw away detail every time you change and resave them. By converting these files to TIFFs, you can edit them repeatedly while preserving all the details of the original photo.
Using Elements's batch processing tool, you can convert dozens of JPEG files to TIFFs by simply clicking a few buttons. And, if you like, you can rename or resize them at the same time.
Within the Elements Editor, choose File > Process Multiple Files to open the Process Multiple Files dialog.
From the Process Files From drop-down menu, navigate to the folder containing the files that you want to convert. If you like, you can then click the Browse button to choose a separate Destination for the converted files. In our example, however, we'll just select the Same as Source check box.
If you want to rename the converted files while you're at it, just select the Rename Files check box and use the two pop-up menus to create a naming scheme for the new files, such as the original file's name plus the date. Since we're just converting the files, however, we'll leave this section unchanged.
If you want to resize all of the folder's photos while you're at it, select the Resize Images check box. Enter a number in the Width or Height field (but not both) and select the Constrain Proportions check box. (If you put a number in both fields, Elements would wind up cropping the photos that don't conform to those precise proportions. Selecting Constrain Proportions ensures that they will be rescaled without lopping off part of the photo.)
Finally, in the File Type section at the bottom of the dialog, we come to the real reason we're here: to convert the photos' format. Select the Convert Files to check box and use the adjacent pop-up menu to pick your new format, in this case TIFF.
Click OK to start the conversion; the duration will vary on how many photos you're converting. Each photo will appear in turn within the main window with a bottom status bar tracking the process. When Elements finishes, you'll find the converted files in the folder you designated in step 2. Now you can retouch any of those photos while keeping every detail intact.
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For more great tips on editing photos in Photoshop Elements 3, get your copy of Retouching Photos in Photoshop Elements 3: Visual QuickProject Guide today!