The Photoshop Preview Image Exporter is an advanced automation script designed to effortlessly generate optimized JPEG preview images from your active Photoshop document. This script duplicates your document, removes all guides, flattens the image, and resizes it to a maximum dimension (set by default to 1200 pixels) so it can be used as a high-quality, web-ready preview. It also converts the duplicate document to RGB mode and ensures the exported JPEG is optimized for web use with a preset quality of 85. The script handles filename conflicts by appending a numeric suffix when necessary, preserving the original naming conventions with minor enhancements. Whether you’re preparing images for social media, portfolio previews, or web publishing, this script significantly streamlines your workflow by automating repetitive tasks.
Usage:
- Open your Photoshop document that you want to export as a preview image.
- Run the script in Photoshop (via File > Scripts > Browse… or your preferred scripting environment).
- If your document has been saved, the script will use its path; otherwise, you’ll be prompted to select a folder to save the preview image.
- The script will duplicate your document, remove any guides, flatten the layers, resize the image if its dimensions exceed the maximum set size (default: 1200 px), and convert it to RGB.
- Finally, the script exports the processed image as an optimized JPEG, handling file name conflicts by appending incremental numbers.
- A confirmation alert will display the saved file name upon successful export.
JavaScript
//@target photoshop
if (app.documents.length > 0) {
var fName = app.activeDocument.name;
var fileExt = '.jpg';
var jpegSizeMax = 1200; // for resizeDoc() function. Unit: px
var newName = prepareName(app.activeDocument);
var savePath = '';
// File path for saved doc
try {
savePath = app.activeDocument.path;
} catch (e) {
// File path for unsaved doc
savePath = Folder.selectDialog('Select the folder for save preview image');
}
}
// Main function
function main() {
duplicateDoc(); // Duplicate Image
clearAllGuides(); // Remove all guides from duplicate
var doc = app.activeDocument;
doc.flatten(); // Flatten Image
resizeDoc(doc, jpegSizeMax); // Resize image to specific size
doc.changeMode(ChangeMode.RGB); // Convert Image Mode to RGB
if (savePath != null) {
var fileName = decodeURI(savePath) + '/' + newName;
exportJPG(doc, fileName, fileExt);
}
doc.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES); // Close duplicate
};
function prepareName(doc) {
var name = decodeURI(doc.name);
name = name.replace(/\s/g, '-'); // Replace all space symbols
var lastDotPosition = name.lastIndexOf('.');
if (lastDotPosition > -1) {
return name.slice(0, lastDotPosition); // Remove filename extension
}
return name;
}
// Duplicate Image
function duplicateDoc(enabled, withDialog) {
if (enabled != undefined && !enabled) return;
var dialogMode = (withDialog ? DialogModes.ALL : DialogModes.NO);
var desc1 = new ActionDescriptor();
var ref1 = new ActionReference();
ref1.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID('Dcmn'), charIDToTypeID('Ordn'), charIDToTypeID('Frst'));
desc1.putReference(charIDToTypeID('null'), ref1);
executeAction(charIDToTypeID('Dplc'), desc1, dialogMode);
}
// Remove all guides from duplicate
function clearAllGuides(enabled, withDialog) {
if (enabled != undefined && !enabled) return;
var dialogMode = (withDialog ? DialogModes.ALL : DialogModes.NO);
var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
var ref = new ActionReference();
ref.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID('Gd '), charIDToTypeID('Ordn'), charIDToTypeID('Al '));
desc.putReference(charIDToTypeID('null'), ref);
executeAction(charIDToTypeID('Dlt '), desc, dialogMode);
}
// Resize image to specific size
function resizeDoc(doc, size) {
// If height > width resize based on height. Change DPI to 72
app.preferences.rulerUnits = Units.PIXELS;
if (doc.height.value > size || doc.width.value > size) {
if (doc.height > doc.width) {
doc.resizeImage(null, UnitValue(size, 'px'), 72, ResampleMethod.BICUBIC);
} else {
doc.resizeImage(UnitValue(size, 'px'), null, 72, ResampleMethod.BICUBIC);
}
}
}
function exportJPG(doc, fileName, ext) {
// Web export options
var options = new ExportOptionsSaveForWeb();
options.quality = 85;
options.format = SaveDocumentType.JPEG;
options.optimized = true;
var file = File(fileName + ext);
var msg = 'A file with the same name already exists in the folder "' + decodeURI(file.parent.name) + '". Replacing it will overwrite its current contents.';
if (file.exists) {
var rewrite = confirm('"' + decodeURI(file.name) + '" already exists. Do you want to replace it?\n' + msg);
if (!rewrite) {
var counter = 2;
do {
var newName = fileName + '-' + fillZero(counter++, 2);
file = File(newName + ext);
} while (file.exists)
}
}
doc.exportDocument(file, ExportType.SAVEFORWEB, options);
alert('The file saved as:\n' + decodeURI(file.name));
}
// Add zero to the file name before the indexes are less then size
function fillZero(number, size) {
var str = '000000000' + number;
return str.slice(str.length - size);
}
// Run script
try {
main();
} catch (e) { }