Running the Scripts

There are at least 4 ways to execute scripts within Photoshop.

Method 1

  • In Photoshop, click the File Menu.
  • Click the arrow to the right of the ‘Scripts‘ sub-menu.
  • Click ‘Browse‘
  • Navigate to the relevant script file and load it by clicking OK.

Verdict: Time-consuming and fiddly!

Method 2

  • Add a copy of any script file to the Scripts folder inside the most recent Photoshop installation folder on your hard drive. On my PC, the precise path is C://Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop 2024/Presets/Scripts folder.
  • Once the scripts are there, restart Photoshop and click the File Menu.
  • Click the arrow to the right of the ‘Scripts‘ heading.
  • You should see your script(s) in the list. Select the one you want to use and click it.

Verdict: Slightly better than Method 1 once you’ve copied the scripts but still takes time.

This method can be vastly improved by creating an action to run your script. This makes it a contender for the quickest method!

How to Create an Action
  1. Open the Actions Panel (Window menu)
  2. Click the Menu icon at the top right. ‘Allow Tool Recording‘ should be ticked. 
  3. Click the Folder icon (4) if you want to create a new Actions group. Give it a relevant name.
  4. Click the Plus icon (5) to create a new action.
  5. Give your action a relevant name
  6. Click Record. This closes the dialogue.
  7. Click File menu >>> Scripts >>> KaleidEfex 1.0.
  8. The script will run. Click “Reset and Finish” to close the script.
  9. Click the Square icon (1) to stop recording.

Your action should be ready to use. Select it in the Actions Panel and click the Play icon (3).

Method 3

  1. Open Photoshop.
  2. Open the folder where you store your scripts in File Explorer. It should be above the Photoshop window.
  3. Reduce the size of File Explorer.
  4. Drag the script icon and drop it anywhere in the Photoshop workspace EXCEPT the image window. That will generate an error as Photoshop is expecting a valid image file.

Dragging and dropping is much easier if you use 2 or more monitors. I drag from one screen to the other. If you only have a single monitor, here’s an easy way:

  1. Open File Explorer and drag your script file to the Photoshop icon on your taskbar. DON’T drop it yet!!
  2. Wait until the Photoshop window opens and drag to the Photoshop window and release. The script will execute.

Verdict: I use 2 monitors and this the fastest method I’ve found! It soon becomes second nature!

Method 4

  1. Open the folder where you store your scripts in File Explorer.
  2. Right-click either of the script files, run off the arrow beside ‘Open With’ and select  ‘Choose another app’.
  3. Select Photoshop 2024 or the current version installed on your computer. (Click More apps if you don’t see it right away.)
  4. Check the box headed, ‘Always use this app to open .jsx files’.
  5. Click OK.

You can now execute the kaleidoscope scripts by double-clicking their icons.

Verdict: The simplest method but slower than Method 3. Also, there are other considerations:

  • NB ALL .jsx files will now show the Photoshop icon. That’s why the jsx script icon in the diagram above above appear with the Photoshop icon.
  • NB If you use javascript outside Photoshop, then doing this will cause ALL of your .jsx files to execute within Photoshop! Not the best idea!

 

Download Scripts

KaleidEfex