- How can I trim/crop my images down to a specific size?
Use the Resize Canvas function (from the Image menu) in a script. You can set this up using the Absolute or Specific method and defining an area to cut and save. You can also use the Relative method and input negative numbers in the appropriate Pad boxes to trim the respective area off an image, or positive numbers to pad extra area around an image.
Note: Be sure to set up the appropriate pad color.
- How can I take a series of images with different file names and rename them as sequentially numbered files?
Make sure your BatchList has the files listed in the same order you want the consecutive naming. Then choose Batch > Batch Save and use the Naming Options dialog to set this up by selecting Add batch iteration number after name (or extension) checkbox.
- Can I copy a series of 8-bit grayscale images into the Alpha channel of my 32-bit images?
Unfortunately, DeBabelizer Pro currently has limited Alpha channel capabilities. It can only create a new Alpha channel (based on your original image) but is unable to insert a series of Alpha channel images into your corresponding original images.
- How do I place a grayscale version of an image in the Alpha channel?
Some applications may utilize a grayscale version of an image stored in the Alpha channel. You can use DeBabelizer Pro to easily place a grayscale of an open image into its Alpha channel, or automatically apply this process to a number of image files.
For a single image:
- Open the image to be pasted into the Alpha channel. Select "Edit > Copy" to copy the image to the Clipboard.
- Open the desired 24-bit or 32-bit image that will contain the alpha channel. The source image must be at least 24-bits for this to work properly.
- Choose "Edit > Paste" to paste the Clipboard contents into the image window as a floating selection. The pasted image appears in color as long as it floats on top.
- Choose "Tools > Channels > To Original Alpha" to place the displayed grayscale image into the original image's Alpha channel.
- Choose "Edit > Clear" to clear the floating selection.
- To view the contents of the alpha channel of your 32-bit image, simply choose "Tools > Channels > Alpha" and the contents of the image's Alpha channel will be displayed. You can choose Edit > Undo to revert back to the 32-bit image. Finally, save the image to any format that supports 32-bits.
Note: If you reduce the image to a lower bit-depth or save it in a format that does not support 32-bit color, the Alpha channel information will be lost.
For a group of image files:
- Create and save a new Workflow containing the series of menu commands listed above (items 3-5, after copying the alpha channel data to the clipboard and closing that image), and use the Workflow in a Standard Workflow > Save process with your Batch of images as the source.
- How do I scale images without anti-aliasing text in the background?
If your images contain text on a solid background, you can adjust the scale options so that DeBabelizer Pro does not anti-alias the edges of the text against its background.
Here's how:
- First set the background color to the correct color. If you are creating a workflow to apply the process to a number of images, you can insert a Set Background Color operation to set it to a specific color (if the background color is the same for all images), or you can set it to a palette index or the upper-left pixel in the image (the background color will be set according to the characteristics of the active image).
- Next, insert the Image Size > Specify operation, and double-click the operation to open the Scale dialog and modify the settings. In the Scale dialog (click the More button to view advanced options), select the "Background Color: Do NOT anti-alias with it" checkbox, and enter the desired scale percentage (you can use the dialog's preview to determine the correct percentage value).
- Finally, add any other operations you want and apply the workflow to your images. This should work, but if you still don't see the results you're looking for, you can try shaving the edges of the text (choose Tools > Shave-Outline > Shave Edges and Corners).
- How do I rename a series of images as sequentially numbered files?
You can set up a Standard Workflow - Save process to open each file in a Batch, and set the Auto Naming Options to specify naming options for the saved files. In the Standard Workflow - Save dialog, click the "Auto Naming Options" button to open the Auto Naming dialog. Choose a naming structure to increment from the end of a file name or extension (under Save Filename, choose one of the options for "Use this & increment"), or select the "Add cell number" checkbox.
Note: Make sure your files are listed in the proper sequence in the Batch, because this is the order DeBabelizer Pro uses to open and save the files, and to increment the file names.
- Why does a Save As operation leave the file unchanged?
This is usually because the image has been saved with a different file name or to a different folder, and DeBabelizer Pro is opening the original image. One way to determine which file DeBabelizer is opening is to check the dates of the files and make sure you are opening the one you just saved. Also, check the save destination for the file (set in the Save As dialog), and check the Naming and Save options to determine what conventions you most recently used.
- How do I include multiple saves in a Standard Workflow?
To easily save two different versions of the same source file, use the Standard Workflow – Save Double process (in the Standard Workflow dialog, click the Save Double tab). You can apply separate workflows to each version, or use the same workflow and simply specify two different save types.
If you require more than two saved version, use the Standard Workflow - Slideshow process and apply a workflow containing multiple Save As... operations. Make sure to include a Revert to Original operation in between each Save As… operation so that each saved file is derived from the original source image.
- How do I trim images and add a black border?
If all the images need to be trimmed by the same amount horizontally and vertically, you can create a workflow, then either create a Batch of the images or use a Standard Workflow - Save process.
- Create a workflow containing two Image > Canvas > Crop/Pad Edges by Amount operations. Set the first operation to crop the image by the amount you want to trim from each edge. Set the second operation to pad each edge by the desired amount, and set the Pad Color to black.
- Now you can either create a Batch of the images or use a Standard Workflow - Save process to apply the workflow to the desired source image files.
Note: If you apply the workflow to a Batch via drag and drop, be sure to include a Close operation after the Save As operation, so DeBabelizer Pro closes each image after it's processed. This will reduce memory problems that could result from leaving many images open.
To set up a Standard Workflow process, choose Automation > Standard Workflows… and click the Save tab to access the Standard Workflow – Save dialog. In the dialog, select the folder or Batch of images you want to add borders to and select the workflow you created from the Apply workflow pop-up menu. Specify the save parameters for the images and click Apply. DeBabelizer Pro automatically trims each image, pads it to create a border, and saves the modified image to the designated file name and destination.
- How can I place a logo on a series of different-size images?
To simply place an image or series of images on any group of images and align them at the upper-left corner, use DeBabelizer Pro's Standard Workflow - Composite process. For Background Image, select the Batch or folder of images you want to place logos on, and for Foreground Image, choose the logo you want to place on the images. However, to place the logo at a specific point on each image, you will need to create a workflow.
Here's how to set it up:
- Starting with a new Workflow, choose File > Place from the Workflow window's menu bar, then double-click the Place operation to set parameters. In the Place/Open dialog, select the logo file and click Place.
- Insert the Extras > Move Selection Marquee Relative to Page operation and double-click it. Use the dialog options to specify a placement for the foreground image (the logo) relative to the active image. You can specify horizontal and vertical distance from the edge of the image, or center the logo on the image.
- Insert the Edit > Select None operation (this will stamp down the marquee on the image and de-activate the selection, so you can apply additional operations to the entire image).
Note: If your logo uses a solid background that you want to appear transparent, set the background color to the correct color and choose Edit > Selection Transparency > Background Color to use a transparent background in floating selections. You can also include these operations in the workflow (make sure the Set Background Color and Selection Transparency operations are applied before the Select None operation).
- How do I place a translucent watermark on several images?
You can place a watermark (on 24-bit images only) using another image (such as a logo) or using text. In order to make the image or text translucent, you must first create a mask in the image's alpha channel. You can set up a workflow that will place a text mask or logo in the image's alpha channel, then generate the watermark. Apply this workflow within a Standard Workflow process to automatically apply the watermark and save the modified images.
Use these commands in a text watermark workflow (insert the commands from the Workflow window's menu bar):
- Tools > Channels > Alpha
- Tools > Text Overlay (double-click to set text parameters, using a shade of gray for the text color, and make sure the Transparent Background option is selected)
- Tools > Channels > To Original Alpha
- Image > Hue/Saturation (double-click to set translucency parameters - recommended settings are Hue and Saturation set to -60, and Value set to 60)
- Tools > Channels > Restore Image Where Alpha is 0
After you've created the workflow, choose Automation > Standard Workflows and click the Save tab. In the Standard Workflow - Save dialog, specify the source image, choose the workflow from the "Apply workflow" pop-up menu, set parameters for saving the modified image files, and click Apply.
To place a grayscale logo watermark use these commands in a workflow (insert the commands from the Workflow window's menu bar):
- Tools > Channels > Alpha
- Edit > Select All
- Edit > Set Background Color (double-click and set it to white)
- Edit > Clear
- File > Place (double-click to locate the logo file)
- Extras (in the Workflow window) > Move Selection Marquee Relative to Page (double-click to set placement parameters)
- Edit > Select None
- Tools > Channels > To Original Alpha
- Image > Hue/Saturation (double-click to set translucency parameters - recommended settings are Hue and Saturation to -60, and Value to 60)
- Tools > Channels > Restore Image Where Alpha Is Not 0
- How do I trim/crop my images down to a specific size?
You can use one of the Image > Canvas operations to crop an image to specific dimensions. To crop a group of images to the same size, place the operation in a workflow.
Here's how to set it up:
- From the Workflow window's menu bar, choose Image > Canvas > Canvas Size.
- Double-click on the Canvas Size operation to open the dialog and specify dimensions and image alignment.
Note: If an image is smaller than the specified size, DeBabelizer Pro will automatically pad the image. So be sure to set up the appropriate pad color in the Canvas Size dialog. When you apply the workflow to the images, DeBabelizer Pro trims them to the specified size. You can also use Crop/Pad Edges By Amount to change image dimensions by a specified amount, or use Crop To Image Coordinates to set specific coordinates. |
