Photoshop Guide: Why and How to Record Flexible Actions in Adobe Photoshop (Video)

Flexible actions can create same layout with different document proportions and dimensions

In this video tutorial, I will cover how to record flexible Photoshop actions. Flexible actions do not depend on document orientation, proportions or dimensions. You just run action and it delivers exactly what you need and what you expect.

What are flexible actions?

Flexible actions (my personal naming convention) are something like responsive layout which is adapting to any screen. In this case, action will adopt elements to document dimensions, proportions, and orientation. What is the trick? The trick is to change ruler's measurement unit to Percent while recording Photoshop action.

Flexibility starts when you set measurement unit to Percent using right click on Ruler

You can set measurement unit to a percent using right click on View > Rulers. That will instruct Photoshop to use relative, percent based units instead of hard units like: Pixels, Millimeters or Centimeters.

How flexible actions can be useful

You can, for example, automate the creation of layout which you will use as starting point. The layout is arrangement of page elements. If you have your favorite arrangement to use as a starting point then you can automate that task regardless of page (document) orientation, proportions, and dimensions. This can be useful when creating photo books, photo albums or web pages and web page elements. Read this tutorial which features entire set with flexible layout actions.

Limitations of flexible actions

Now we know miracle and top secret! Hold on, as and everything else, flexible actions has its limitations. Everything will work just fine with basic shapes and selections in some cases what depend on what you want to automate. For complex shapes and operations you must limit flexibility to the same document proportions or/and dimensions what we will cover in some of my next tutorials.

Video tutorial

Here is my video recording which will explain to you why and how to record and use flexible actions. I have included and some technical details for better understanding. If you have any question or doubt, please do not hesitate to leave comments.