Thumbnail creation

[stoogest]

Hi all,

The wordpress blog that I produce has an option to load a thumbnail image that acts as a 'feature' image for my blog posts. I would like to make these thumbnails 128 x 128px.

Is there an easy way of doing this either in Photoshop (action? plugin?) or through software?

Please keep in mind that:
- the source image will be rectangular;
- the source image will be thousands of pixels wide/high; and
- I would like to have control over the part of the image that is used for the thumbnail

Any help is appreciated!

Andrew.

[Warbler]

You can approach this any number of ways, but here's how I'd do it. I'd use an action run via Image Processor. You can create a custom crop within Photoshop that is set to 128px by 128 pixels, or you can simply use a 1:1 ratio crop that already exists in CS6. The reason I'd use Image Processor to run it is that it wouldn't need the open command or the close command, and it won't overwrite your original file. It also has the option to set the size after the crop.

So, open a file in CS6. Then record your action. You just want to record the crop part. When you've done this, stop the recording, then go to the little check box in the action beside the crop command you have recorded. It is on the left but to the right of the tick. This is the "Toggle dialogue on/off" switch. When that action runs, it will always pause for your input when it runs. This is where you drag the crop around the picture to set it and then double-click on it. Once you do that the action continues. Image processor will continue to run all selected images via this process and you will simply be selecting the crop location manually for each and every one.

Set your image size in Image Processor to 128 by 128 and hey presto, done!

if you can't get it to work, give me a yell and I'll give you some screen shots.

Cheers,
Tim

^^^^^edit^^^^

Belay that my hearties (too late for Pirate Day on AP).

Set up a custom crop at 128 x 128 pixels in PS first. Then delete the bit about setting the size in Image Processor. Unfortunately the Image Processor resizes BEFORE it runs the action. I use Dr Browns Image Processor which lets me choose whether to run the action before or after the resize is done. Oops. Sorry about that. It'll work if you save a custom crop and use that. Don't resize in Image Processor. Or just run the action without worrying about Image Processor.

- - - Updated - - -

Here's how you create the Custom Crop Tool in CS6. Just select the pixel size and ignore the resolution, pick 96dpi if you want to select one. It'll make no difference.

Untitled-1.jpg

[stoogest]

Thanks for that Warbler! Much appreciated. I'll have play around with your process later today and see how I go!

Andrew.

[Warbler]

No problem Andrew. Let me know if you need more info. I didn't want to underestimate your knowledge of Photoshop Actions, but I can go into more detail if you need it.

Cheers,
Tim