Photoshop Action Challenge: a centered caption

[pbarnes]

<p>I use Photoshop CS4 to prepare photographs for display on my website. I have recorded an action that adds a white border 100 pixels wide around each photo. What I want do to is also add a text layer with a generic word (let's be imaginative and call it 'caption') in the font and colour I want, so I can easily edit the layer to add the actual caption for the photo. That is all fine, but I cannot work out how to record the action so that the text is centred in the middle of the bottom border of the photo. The problem is that the width of the photos varies. </p>

<p>Any suggestions gratefully received. I want the bottom of the text to be 50 pixels from the bottom edge of the border, and I will use the same font and text colour for each photo.</p>

[steven_lax]

<p>I've created a similar action and it is actually quite simple. Here is the recipe...<br>

1) Start recording your action and place the text anywhere on your image. Accept the text.<br>

2) Hold the shift key and click on the background layer in the layers pallette. This should select both layers and they should both be highlighted in the pallette.<br>

3) In the layer menu, select <em>align</em> then <em>bottom edge</em> . In the layer menu again, select <em>Align</em> then <em>Horizontal Center</em> . This will put your text in the center along the bottom edge.<br>

4) Single click on the text layer in the layers pallette so that it is the only layer selected. Select the move tool and bump the text layer up using your up arrow key to the position you want it. <br>

5) Stop recording.<br>

That should do it for you.</p>

[pbarnes]

<p>Steven, you are a Photoshop Hero. thanks, that worked a treat.</p>

[steven_lax]

<p>@Peter,</p>

<p>If you want to make this work a little bit better, choose center alignment when creating your text layer. That way, when you change the text, it'll stay centered.</p>