*Program Basic
PROGRAM BASIC: Downloading and Using Actions in Photoshop Elements 3
By and © Stacy Fox-Myers 2005
Nov 27, 2005, 16:05

Actions are a series of commands that were recorded in Photoshop and can be played back in Photoshop. These actions can also be used in Photoshop Elements if they were created using commands that PSE understands. As PSE users we cannot create actions or modify a Photoshop action to work in PSE. If you have found an action that was specifically made for PSE, the following directions will help you install and use the action. A partial list of sites offering PSE actions is listed at the end of this tutorial

1. Download the action by clicking on the link provided by the host website. Make sure to save the zipped action to a directory where you can find it again.
2. Double click on the zipped action to open it in WinZip and unzip it to a new directory.
3. PSE should not be running at this time. If it is running, close the program.
4. There should be one or more ATN files and a PSD file for the action. in the file browser copy these files into their own folder in C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 3.0\Previews\Effects\
5. Go to the C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 3.0\Previews\Cache\Effects Cache directory and delete the three files there (CatagoryCache.che, ListCache.che, and ThumbNailCache.che). PSE will recreate these files the next time you start it.
   
6. Go to the C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 3.0\Previews\Cache\Filters Cache directory and delete the three files there (CatagoryCache.che, ListCache.che, and ThumbNailCache.che). PSE will recreate these files the next time you start it.
   
7. Restart PSE.
8. In your Styles and Effects palette, click on Effects in the drop down menu on the left. Then look for your action's directory name in the right drop down list.
   
9. To use the action make sure that the active layer is the layer you want the action to work on and double click on the action in the palette. Your system may run for a while without any input from you.
   Note: Some actions like the alignment actions in Grant’s Tools require that you have several layers linked to the active layer to work correctly.

Sources of Actions for PSE

Grant’s Tools These free actions allow to you access some of the PS tools that PSE does not have a direct way for the user to initiate them (e.g. align, mask layers, guides, selection transform)

Atomic Cupcake Offers a variety of PSE actions geared right at digital scrappers. There are some freebies available and more actions for sale.

Adobe Studio Exchange Lots of PS actions some of which will work in PSE also. It doesn’t hurt to try an action to see if it works in PSE.

Action Central A site for the exchange of actions among users. Most actions are meant for PS but some are specifically for PSE.

Action FX Offers some free PS actions that are also compatible with PSE.