July Focus Tip: Batch Processing with Nik Software
Batch processing with Nik Software is a great way to save time while editing your images in Photoshop. For example, you could apply noise reduction to an entire folder of images using Dfine 2.0 in just a few clicks. The process is listed below using Dfine 2.0 as the example, but the same process can be used with any of the Nik filters, even adding multiple filters if desired.
The process begins by creating an Action, which you can do by following the steps below:
(Please note that this process is going to apply the filtered effect directly to your background layer. For a non-destructive workflow, you will want to duplicate the Background layer as the first step in recording your action.)
1. Open any image in Photoshop.
2. Make a duplicate copy of your original layer
3. Open the Actions palette by clicking on Window > Actions.
4. Click the ‘Create new action’ icon just to the left of the trash can icon at the bottom on the Actions palette in Photoshop, and assign a name for your action in the Name field.
5. Click on the Record button in the Actions palette to begin recording your action.
6. Select the Nik filter to be applied to the batch of images from the Filter menu. In this case, select Filter > Nik Software > Dfine 2.0.
7. Select the appropriate noise reduction settings in Dfine 2.0 and click OK.
8. Wait for Dfine 2.0 to complete the filter application process.
9. Click the stop icon (square) at the bottom of the Actions palette. Your Action is now complete and is listed in the Actions palette.
Before beginning the batch process, it is recommended that you create a new folder on your desktop to store the processed images. For example, ‘Dfine Processed.’ Then, start the Batch Process by following these steps:
1. In Photoshop, navigate to the File > Automate menu and select Batch.
2. Select the desired action from the Set and Action pull-down menus.
3. Under source, indicate Folder, and then click Choose. Navigate to the folder that contains all of the images that you want to apply the Batch Process to.
4. Under Destination, select Folder. Click Choose and navigate to the folder that was created on your desktop earlier. In this case, navigate to the “Dfine Processed” folder. While there are many other options available, I would run this batch with the rest of the settings at the default setting.
5. Click OK to run the Batch Process.
Thank you for this informative tip. It will potentially save much time.
However just a query:
I, like most of us, will shoot regularly in varying lighting conditions and with low and high ISO’s creating different levels of noise.
If I save the Action using the auto function in Dfine on a (D700) 3200 ISO mid-noisy image, then run the action on a folder of images from, say, 800-3200 ISO, will there be be adverse effects on the lesser noisy images?
Or will Nik Dfine assess each image on it’s own noise individually even when run as an Action?
Many thanks for your help.
Hello Guy,
There should not be any adverse effects due to the default settings inside of Dfine 2. By default the Auto Profile Load Behavior is set to Auto Profile Image so the action will automatically take into consideration all of the aspects of the image when it creates the unique profile for each image during the batch process.
To verify this setting at the bottom of the Dfine 2 interface click on the Settings button and note the Auto Profile Load Behavior field as it should be set to Auto Profile Image.
Please let me know if there are any further questions with the process.
Best Regards,
-Greg
Hi Greg,
Can you do the same thing in Lightroom 4?
Thanks for any hep you can give.
Michael
I really miss this feature in the Aperture Versions of the Nik Plugins, using Define2 in Apterture is extremely time consuming and frustrating…
Usually I use the Automatic Profile, so why not run the plugin over the 500 new images from the wedding while going out with the family?
Also very time-saving could be batched-preprocessing, so you can select 20 images to edit with Silver Efex or Viveza and go making some tea.
Then you can edit the images with less preprocessing time and drink a nice tea!
I really hope nik will concentrate more on automation.
Felix
Thanks for The info..
Very much helpful..
Felix I agree with you saying “I hope Nik will concentrate on Automation”
Batch processing any effect would be sweet
I don’t know if its just me or what, but what about every time I go use for example Dfine, I create a PSD file instead of TIFF, then when I want to apply say Viveza 2, should I be right clicking on the Dfine PSD I created? because once I apply the Viveza 2 effect, now I have 2 PSD files and if you’re catching on by now you’re beginning to my my problem, I’m creating several PSD’s everytime I add an effect I’ll have a final file ending something like this…funpic-edit-edit-edit.psd
last night I tried something new…when I right click I NOW select apply to original(Meaning the PSD I just right clicked on) and by doing this it will NOT create another edited PSD, so I take it this will be the way to apply the several effects, filters on to my images w/o creating a bunch of edited PSD files.
Ric