What are "actions"?

[Lovely Laylee]

Hello,
I'm very new to PSE3 and am currently taking an online course. I am enjoying finding out how to use PSE3.
Maybe this will be covered in the course, but what are actions and how do you use them. I hear many photographers talking about "Johnny's black and white" action or they'll say "I made up an action for that." Is an action just steps they follow to edit a picture?
Thanks....

[Wendy]

Hi there ...

... and welcome to the forum :)

Actions are a quick automated way of applying a series of steps to images.

You will find that when people talk about using actions then they are normally using the full version of Photoshop. Elements doesn't have the same sort of capabilities ... it is possible to run some action on Elements but not in the same way as Photoshop. Its a much more complicated process.

Is there something specific that you are trying to do ?

Wendy

[Lovely Laylee]

Thanks for the reply. No, there is nothing I'm trying to do specific. I was just trying to understand what actions were and if PSE3 was capable of doing them. I'm just wanting to maximize my purchase and use the program for all its worth!! :)
I'm hoping to learn more here at these boards.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

If you are a subscriber then there are some useful extras in the subscribers area. They are actions but what they do is add on to Elements some of the features of the full version of Photoshop .... such as layer masks, channel mixer etc.

Now they are well worth loading :)

Wendy