Chapter 6: Using Bridge to Organize and Process Photos 175 To use Bridge to launch batch processing of files, select the files you want to process in the Content panel and then select Tools ➪ Photoshop ➪ Batch from the main menu in Bridge. Photoshop is launched if it is not already up, and the Batch utility window, shown in Figure 6.20, is displayed. Using the Batch utility, you can select the action set and action to apply to the files. Do not change the Source from Bridge because it is using Bridge to get the list of files to process. However, you can modify the Destination and Errors settings. We discuss the Batch tool in much more detail in Chapter 31. FIGURE 6.20 Using Bridge, you can select files to be processed by Photoshop’s Batch process utility. Using the Image Processor Another very useful tool Photoshop provides when processing images is the Image Processor util- ity. The Image Processor utility is especially useful to quickly convert a set of files, one or all of, to the JPEG, PSD, or TIFF formats. Bridge provides a direct interface with Photoshop’s Image Processor utility, allowing you to quickly find the files using Bridge’s interface and then convert them using Image Processor. 10_584743-ch06.indd 17510_584743-ch06.indd 175 5/3/10 10:21 AM5/3/10 10:21 AM Part I: Getting Started with Adobe Photoshop CS5 176 To use Bridge, launch the Image Processor on a set of files, select the files that you want to process in the Content panel, and then select Tools ➪ Photoshop ➪ Image Processor from the main menu in Bridge. Photoshop is launched if it is not already running, and the Image Processor utility win- dow, shown in Figure 6.21, is displayed. Using the Image Processor utility, you can set the destination of the modified images, file types to convert the images to, and actions to be performed on the files as they are converted. Photoshop provides the best conversion based on the actions specified. We discuss the Image Processor tool in much more detail in Chapter 31. FIGURE 6.21 Using Bridge, you can select files to be processed by Photoshop’s Image Processor utility. Merging photos Merging photos is a concept that was nearly impossible until the invention of digital image process- ing. Computers now make it possible to analyze the data in images and combine them effectively. Two types of photo merging techniques can be applied to images. The first type is to combine a set of photos taken from the same position but at different points in the subject. The result is that sin- gle images, each containing part of the subject, can be combined into a larger image that contains the entire subject. 10_584743-ch06.indd 17610_584743-ch06.indd 176 5/3/10 10:21 AM5/3/10 10:21 AM Chapter 6: Using Bridge to Organize and Process Photos 177 The second type of photo merge is to take a set of images taken at the exact same point on the sub- ject and combine them into an HDR (High Dynamic Range) image. An HDR image contains much more tonal depth than is traditionally capable from a single image. In fact, there is more tonal data than can be seen on a computer monitor or even when printed on high-quality photo paper. The following sections discuss how to use Bridge to select images and then use the photo merging capabilities of Photoshop to actually merge the images. Using Photoshop Photomerge Photoshop provides the Photomerge utility to combine a series of photos taken at different points in a subject into a single combined panoramic image of the entire subject. You can select multiple images using Bridge’s interface, and then launch Photomerge to combine that set of images together. To use Bridge, launch the Photomerge utility on a set of files, select the files you want to process in the Content panel, and then select Tools ➪ Photoshop ➪ Photomerge from the main menu in Bridge. Photoshop launches if it is not already running, and the Photomerge utility window is dis- played. You can then specify the layout and options to use to merge the images. We discuss using Photomerge to combine images in much more detail in Chapter 22. Using Photoshop Merge to HDR Photoshop provides the Merge to HDR utility to combine a series of photos taken at the same point in a subject into a single combined HDR image. You can select multiple images using Bridge’s interface, and then launch Merge to HDR to combine that set of images together. To use Bridge, launch the Merge to HDR utility on a set of files, select the files you want to process in the Content panel, and then select Tools ➪ Photoshop ➪ Merge to HDR from the main menu in Bridge. Photoshop launches if it is not already running, a new document is created with each of the selected images as different layers, and then the Merge to HDR utility window is displayed, as shown in Figure 6.22. We discuss using the Merge to HDR utility to combine images in much more detail in Chapter 22. Auto-merging images into HDR and panoramic images The interface that connects Bridge with Photoshop also provides an Auto Collection script that automatically processes files and combines them into stacks of images that can be processed into panoramic or HDR images. Images are collected into stacks based on capture time, exposure settings, and image alignment. The Auto Collection script analyzes each stack to determine if the stack should be processed into an HDR image or a panorama. If the content of the images across the stack overlap by more than 80 percent and the exposure settings vary, then the stack is interpreted to be an HDR image. However, if the content overlaps by less than 80 percent and the exposure is constant, then the stack is interpreted to be a panorama. 10_584743-ch06.indd 17710_584743-ch06.indd 177 5/3/10 10:21 AM5/3/10 10:21 AM Part I: Getting Started with Adobe Photoshop CS5 178 FIGURE 6.22 Using Bridge, you can select a series of files to be merged into a single document by Photoshop’s Merge to HDR utility. Note Timestamps must be within 18 seconds for the Auto Collection script to process the photos. n Use the following steps in Bridge to process photos into stacks of HDR and panoramic images: 1. Select Edit ➪ Preferences to launch the Preferences dialog box. 2. Select the Startup Scripts panel, shown in Figure 6.23. 3. In the Startup Scripts panel, make certain that the Auto Collection CS5 is selected and then click OK. 4. Open the Folders panel in Bridge. 5. Navigate to the folder with the HDR or panoramic shots. 6. Select Stacks ➪ Auto-Stack Panorama/HDR from the main menu. This creates stacks in the folder containing sets of images that can be combined into an HDR or panorama. 10_584743-ch06.indd 17810_584743-ch06.indd 178 5/3/10 10:21 AM5/3/10 10:21 AM Chapter 6: Using Bridge to Organize and Process Photos 179 Tip Running the Auto-Stack Panorama/HDR setting from Bridge is very processor-intensive on your computer. It analyzes all the files in the selected directory. To reduce the overhead, move the files you know need to be stacked into their own directory. This reduces the amount of processing that is required. n 7. Select Tools ➪ Photoshop ➪ Process Collections in Photoshop from the main menu in Bridge to have Photoshop automatically merge them. The results are displayed in Adobe Bridge. FIGURE 6.23 Enable the Auto Collection CS5 script to automatically process sets of images into panoramic or HDR images. Creating PDFs and Web galleries Bridge allows you to output a set of images in either a PDF or a Web gallery. This is another useful feature of Bridge because you can use Bridge’s capabilities to find the files you are looking for and then quickly output them. Creating a PDF To create a PDF file from a set of images, select the images in the Content panel of Bridge. Then click the Output button in the toolbar and select Output to Web or PDF to bring up the Output window, shown in Figure 6.24. Click the PDF icon, set the following options for the PDF output, and click Save to create the PDF file: 10_584743-ch06.indd 17910_584743-ch06.indd 179 5/3/10 10:21 AM5/3/10 10:21 AM Part I: Getting Started with Adobe Photoshop CS5 180 FIGURE 6.24 Using Bridge to output a set of images to a PDF file l Template: The Template field allows you to select a predefined template from the drop-down list. Several predefined templates change the settings for PDF output. You also can click the Save Template button to save changes you make to the PDF output settings as your own cus- tom template. To delete the template, click the trash can icon next to the Template field. l Refresh Preview: You can click the Refresh Preview button at any time to apply the cur- rent output settings to the Output Preview window. This allows you to make changes to the settings and see how they will appear in the final PDF. l Document: The Document panel allows you to set the page size and orientation as well as the output quality and background color. You also can add a password to the PDF file that 10_584743-ch06.indd 18010_584743-ch06.indd 180 5/3/10 10:21 AM5/3/10 10:21 AM Chapter 6: Using Bridge to Organize and Process Photos 181 protects it from unauthorized viewing. You can disable printing from the Document options panel as well. l Layout: The Layout panel allows you to specify how images are placed on each page of the PDF file. You can set the number of columns and spacing. l Overlays: This panel allows you to set whether to add the filename and extension as an overlay below the image. You also turn on and configure page numbering in this panel. l Header: The Header panel allows you to enable/disable headers and define the text, font, and look of the header. l Footer: The Footer panel allows you to enable/disable headers and define the text, font, and look of the footer. l Playback: The Playback panel allows you to configure the behavior of the PDF file when it is played back as a presentation. You can specify to use full-screen mode, automatic advancement, and looping. You also can specify the transitions between pages. l Watermark: The Watermark panel allows you to add watermarks to the created PDF file. This protects images in the file from copyright violations. You can specify to use text or an image for the watermark. You also can control the size, location, rotation, and opacity of the watermark. Using the watermark is a good idea if you are adding images to the PDF file that you want to be copy-protected. l View PDF After Save: When this option is selected and you click Save, the saved PDF file is loaded by the default application. Creating a Web gallery Using Bridge to create a Web gallery is a great way to post images on the Internet. Bridge creates the necessary image files, Web pages, and scripts to support the Web gallery. The Web gallery allows you to use a browser to view images in a professional interface. To create a Web gallery from a set of images, select the images in the Content panel of Bridge. Then click the Output button in the toolbar to bring up the Output window, shown in Figure 6.25. Click the Web Gallery icon, and set the following options for the Web gallery output. After you have the gallery the way you want it, click Save to save the gallery to the local filesystem or Upload to upload the gallery to a remote FTP server: l Template: The Template field allows you to select a predefined template from the drop- down list. Several predefined templates change the available styles and settings for Web gallery output. You also can click the Save Template button to save changes you make to the Web gallery output settings as your own custom template. To delete the template, click the trash can below the Template field. Each template provides a different look and feel to the Web gallery. Try each of them until you find a look and feel you like. Caution When you switch between template styles, you may lose information specified in the output settings. You should select the template style you like first before making changes to the output settings. n 10_584743-ch06.indd 18110_584743-ch06.indd 181 5/3/10 10:21 AM5/3/10 10:21 AM . 10:21 AM5/3/10 10:21 AM Part I: Getting Started with Adobe Photoshop CS5 178 FIGURE 6.22 Using Bridge, you can select a series of files to be merged into a single document by Photoshop s Merge to. Processor. 10_584743-ch06.indd 17510_584743-ch06.indd 175 5/3/10 10:21 AM5/3/10 10:21 AM Part I: Getting Started with Adobe Photoshop CS5 176 To use Bridge, launch the Image Processor on a set of files, select. select images and then use the photo merging capabilities of Photoshop to actually merge the images. Using Photoshop Photomerge Photoshop provides the Photomerge utility to combine a series