Creating Data-Driven Graphics; Define Variables - Adobe Photoshop CS6 User Manual

Creating data-driven graphics

Define variables

Rename a variable
Define a data set
Preview or apply a data set
Generate graphics using data sets
Creating data sets in external files
Import a data set
Data-driven graphics make it possible to produce multiple versions of an image quickly and accurately for print or web projects. For example, you
can produce 100 versions of a web banner with different text and images, all based on a template design.
Follow these general steps to create graphics from templates and data sets:
1. Create the base graphic to use as the template.
Use layers to separate the elements that you want to change in the graphic.
2. Define variables in the graphic.
Variables specify the parts of the image that change. (See Define variables.)
3. Create or import the data sets.
You can create the data sets in the template, or import them from a text file. (See Define a data set and Creating data sets in external files.)
4. Preview the document with each data set.
To see how your final graphics will look, you can preview before you export all the files. (See Preview or apply a data set.)
5. Generate your graphics by exporting them with the data.
You can export them as Photoshop (PSD) files. (See Generate graphics using data sets.)
Creating different versions of an image using variables
A. Source file template B. User defines layers as variables. C. Different versions of the image can be created, each with a different variable data
set.
To the top
Define variables
You use variables to define which elements in a template change. You can define three types of variables. Visibility variables show or hide the