Computer Graphics with Photoshop - Print By Layer CS2 Script or Solution?

Author

Print By Layer CS2 Script or Solution?

truck@movingunits.com

2006-03-30, 6:17 pm

Here's the deal: I have 200 different personalized business cards i'm
trying to print out, and rather than changing each layer then printing,
etc, i'd love to have it streamlined so Photoshop prints 200 times, but
each time just scrolls through the different name layers, that way I
can just let it do it's thing... Is there a script or any sort of way I
can do this without having to do it manually?

Truck

2006-03-30, 6:17 pm

<truck@movingunits.com> wrote in message
news:1143752879.871615.283350@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
> Here's the deal: I have 200 different personalized business cards i'm
> trying to print out, and rather than changing each layer then printing,
> etc, i'd love to have it streamlined so Photoshop prints 200 times, but
> each time just scrolls through the different name layers, that way I
> can just let it do it's thing... Is there a script or any sort of way I
> can do this without having to do it manually?

No script needed. Search this group for a solution I posted a couple months
ago. It uses ImageReady's data-driven facility, which is built to handle
such things. If you don't find it, nudge and I will try to find it for you.
It would help if the names were in Excel or something.

Or maybe you could use Word and Sort/Merge. :) (Word is lousy with images.)

Larry Scripts

2006-03-30, 6:17 pm

Lucky you. I just have a script that will do that.
The ZIP file contains a README.txt file that tells you how to install and use this script.

http://home.comcast.net/~larryscrip...ntAllLayers.ZIP

Test this using a file with just a few layers first before using it on your 200 layer file.
Once it starts, it will run until it runs out of layers. Prints each layer to a separate sheet!

Larry

truck@movingunits.com

2006-03-30, 10:16 pm

Hmm I think I found your post but i don't think it really addresses
what I want to do. Basically by using this card printer, if I printed
each card 1 by 1, it'd take probably 2 minutes per card since the
printer has to recalibrate every time a new print is initiated.
Basically what I want to know: Is it possible to have photoshop print
off 200 copies of this card, but somehow go through each different name
layer automatically, so each card has a different name on it. Doing
this manually would take a long long long time, which is why i'm
asking.

Mike Hyndman

2006-03-31, 6:17 am

<truck@movingunits.com> wrote in message
news:1143760835.322083.107350@j33g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Hmm I think I found your post but i don't think it really addresses
> what I want to do. Basically by using this card printer, if I printed
> each card 1 by 1, it'd take probably 2 minutes per card since the
> printer has to recalibrate every time a new print is initiated.
> Basically what I want to know: Is it possible to have photoshop print
> off 200 copies of this card, but somehow go through each different name
> layer automatically, so each card has a different name on it. Doing
> this manually would take a long long long time, which is why i'm
> asking.
T,

Your problem is is that to print anything, it is a filename that is
delivered via the spooler to the printer driver not a layer name. If you had
200 cards, each existing as a file, what you want to do would be very
simple. You need to convert the layers into file, luckily,
File>scripts>export layers to files does exactly that. Save these files in
ther own folder and then have a look at the Automate>Batch options to print
out the resulting files.

HTH
MH

2006-03-31, 6:16 pm

"Larry Scripts" <larryscripts@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:442c5efb$0$15790$14726298@news.sunsite.dk...
> Lucky you. I just have a script that will do that.
> The ZIP file contains a README.txt file that tells you how to install and
> use this script.
>
> http://home.comcast.net/~larryscrip...ntAllLayers.ZIP
>
> Test this using a file with just a few layers first before using it on
> your 200 layer file.
> Once it starts, it will run until it runs out of layers. Prints each
> layer to a separate sheet!

Gosh, Larry, isn't more efficient to write just one new layer for each
print?

2006-03-31, 6:16 pm

Okay, here's the trick I posted last year.

CHEAP AND DIRTY way that works if you want to do it WITHOUT SCRIPTING.
The results are the same.

First, load up the list of names into something like Excel, or use Notebook,
Word, whatever you like and insert :"X," as the first, then a comma between
each name.

Like X, John Smith, Jill Baker, Sarah Navigator

Then save that file as comma delimited.

Now...
Open ImageReady (it comes with Photoshop).
Open the image you want to fill in with the names.
Create a new layer.
Type "X" in it with the text centered or justifed, whatever. (This X will be
replaced.)

Then right-click on that layer - to the right of the icon. (there are two
right-click options. You must click to the right of the icon.)
Take the Variables option.
In the first window, click on the lower option for [X] Text Replacement
Then type the word X in the text box
press the NEXT button
Then in the window that shows next, press IMPORT
find the file you just created and press Open

To be safe, now save the file.

Finally, under the menu File - Export - Data Sets as Files
press OKAY

Wait a couple minutes and you will have the photoshop images, each with a
single text layer containing the name .

(In the last dialog - Export - you can change the naming convention to what
you like. It doesn't change the contents of the image. You can also use CS's
Browser to rename the files afterwards and batch the whole group of images
to JPEG or GIF if you like. Alternatively, there's a free Droplet in
Photoshop's "Samples" folder that will do this. Just drag it into the
folder, then drag all your files onto it.)

How's that for working around scripting? :)