drop shadow automate

[pco98]

Hello again,

After some help from Jerry and Wayne, I have now worked out how to add a nifty shadow to the outside of my images. I used Wayne's suggestion of creating a new slightly larger canvas and then pulling my original image over to it and adding the drop shadow.

I would now like to replicate this for all the images to be uploaded to my webpage. The problem is that while all the images will have a fixed pixel dimension on the long side, the short side will always be variable. Is there a way to automate this with precise canvas/drop shadow dimensions on both sides?

Thanks for any help,

Ross

http://www.travelboundphotography.com/

[genemcc]

Ross,

Before recording your steps change the measurement units to percent.  Then when you replay the action it will refer to percentages when looking at location items.

[Lightbox]

Spot on as said above, include a 105-110 percentage canvas increase in your action prior to the drop shadow. As long as you are resizing the images to the same dimensions on the long side, this will keep everything in proportion to what ever image size you throw at it.

[pco98]

Thanks everyone - I'm getting closer now but still have some issues to resolve.

The main problem I'm having is getting the shadow to show itself. The only way I can get this to work is if I cmd+n and make a larger canvas and then drag my image file over to it. But with the cmd+n I obviously have to put in specific dimensions not a percentage.

The other way I have tried is with my original image, I then go to canvas size and increase this using percentage. I then make new layer and select drop shadow but the shadow does not display i.e. it's outside of the canvas border. I have also tried creating the drop shadow layer first and then increasing the canvas size but this does not reveal it either.

What am I doing wrong?

Ross

[sniper]

The new layer is the same size as the one below, try making a duplicate layer, then increase the canvas size on the bottom layer, then the top layers drop shadow will fall on the border of the bottom layer.
You could also use the fit image command (file automate) to resize your image to set sizes first.  Wayne