II. Tools
Graphics automation tools for Creative Suite (including actions, scripting, Automator, data-driven publishing, server-based applications, and third-party programs) might seem like a motley crew. Each has its own goals, routes, and hidden powers—and weaknesses. As a group, though, they form an incredibly flexible and adaptable toolkit.
You could do worse than an action (in Photoshop or Illustrator) as a place to start exploring graphics automation. Actions contain the essence of a great graphics automation tool. They are fast and easy to build, maintain, and troubleshoot, and they serve up their structure in a beautifully simple set of stacked boxes. Each box is highlighted as it plays back what you have told it to do.
All of these tools ...
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