SPECIAL NOTES! Once you process your pictures you can't undo! Save your originals if you want copies of your unedited photos. We also recommend you start with a small folder of photos and try one editing process then work up from there.
You can Batch Process 3 different time saving things with Elements:
1) Conversion Options (change file formats)
2) Image Size (change image size)
3) File Naming (rename your images)
Process only one, or any two or all three at the same time-your choice!
Make sure the images you want to batch process are in one folder. (You can create a second folder now to put the processed pictures into, or you can create one later when you set up the process.)
Open PhotoShop Elements.
Go to File>Automate>Batch
A Batch dialogue window will open.
At the top left you will see Files to convert (see A., diagram below) and after it, a pulldown menu which should read Folder. If it doesn't, pull it down and select Folder.
Next, click the Source button (see B. in diagram) and navigate or browse to your folder with the originals. When you see it in the Choose a batch folder, select it and click the Choose button. You will now return to the main dialogue box and the path to your folder should show up after the Source button. (It will end with your folder's name.)
Move down the Batch dialogue box to the section Conversion Options. (see C.) There you will find a pulldown menu for selecting the file type. Whatever you want your pictures changed to (ie. JPEG, TIFF, etc.) select it, and it will show up on top of the button.
Now move down to image size (see D.) and make sure the little box is checked if you want to change the size of the originals. In my sample folder the originals are at 1792 pixels X 1200 pixels. If I want my picture to be half as big, I divide those numbers by 2 and my new pictures will be 896 X 600. Make sure you do the same division on each dimension, or you will have a skewed view. Also use the Resolution pulldown (see E.) to select a new resolution. If you are going to use them on the Web, you might as well set them at 72 dpi now.
Move to the File Naming section (see F.). Click the Rename Files box to activate the window. You now have 2 drop down boxes to name your files. Use one or both.
Example You want to make a slide show, and you have 250 photos of your classroom. You want to rename them beginning with classroom001.jpg.
Click the first drop down menu and select Document Name and type grad over document name. Click the second drop down menu and select a 3 digit serial number. An example of your selections will be shown above the 2 drop down boxes and should look something like classroom001.jpg.
There are many more naming options to choose from in the drop downs. That's all there is to it.
Finally, you need to go to the bottom of the Batch dialogue box and use the Output Options section. Click the Destination button (see G.) and navigate to the folder where you want to save your new, processed pictures. If you didn't create a folder for your new pictures before starting this, do so now by clicking the New button and make a folder. With it highlighted, click on Choose. After doing the choosing, you will return to the Batch dialogue box. Make sure the folder you chose is at the end of the path (the stuff after the Destination button).
You are ready to process your folder of originals. Click OK, sit back and watch the fun begin. When it's all done, you will have a new folder of resized and converted pictures. This is batch processing at its simplest level. You will learn more things you can do as time goes on. There are many more Batch Processing softwares on the market. Many are free and some have many more batching options than Elements.
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