Installing Actions in Photoshop Elements 7 and later, for use with the Action Player

Effective with Photoshop Elements 7, actions developed in Photoshop can be run in Elements using the Action Player.

Does this mean that all Photoshop actions will work in Elements? Sadly, no. Photoshop has certain capabilities that Elements lacks, which means that many actions will not work correctly. However, if a Photoshop action has been designed with Elements in mind, you can run it successfully.

Installation Instructions

What Operating System are you using?

Windows XP    Windows Vista or Windows 7    Mac

Windows XP

1. If you have Elements open, close it.
   
   
2. Copy the action set file (the ATN file) to this folder on your computer (but read the NOTES below first):
   
   C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\X.0\Locale\en_US\Workflow Panels\actions
   
   NOTES:
   1. The "en_US" part above may be different for you if you are using a version other than the US English version.
      
      
   2. The X should be replaced with the Version # of the version of Elements you have: 7 for Elements 7, for example.
      
      
3. Start Elements, and follow the instructions for using the Action Player.

Windows Vista or Windows 7

1. If you have Elements open, close it.
   
   
2. Copy the action set file (the ATN file) to this folder on your computer (but read the NOTES below first):
   
   C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\X.0\Locale\en_US\Workflow Panels\actions
   
   NOTES:
   1. Be sure that the first folder after "C:" is "ProgramData," not something similar like "Program files." If you don't see "ProgramData," click here for instructions for showing hidden folders.
      
      
   2. The "en_US" part above may be different for you if you are using a version other than the US English version.
      
      
   3. The X should be replaced with the Version # of the version of Elements you have: 7 for Elements 7, for example.
      
      
3. Start Elements, and follow the instructions for using the Action Player.

Mac

1. If you have Elements open, close it.
   
   
2. Copy the action set file (the ATN file) to this folder on your computer (but read the NOTES below first):
   
   [Your system drive]: library/Application Support /Adobe /Photoshop Elements /X.0/Locale/en_US/Workflow Panels/actions
   
   NOTES:
   1. "[Your system drive]:" refers to the Mac hard drive icon on your desktop.
      
      
   2. The "en_US" part above may be different for you if you are using a version other than the US English version.
      
      
   3. The X should be replaced with the Version # of the version of Elements you have: 7 for Elements 7, for example.
      
      
3. Start Elements, and follow the instructions for using the Action Player.