How to work with Actions in the Capture One workspace

Once Actions are set up and published by studio administrators or managers, photographers and digitechs use them directly inside Capture One during capture, in batches, or at export. This article explains how to set up your workspace and apply Actions efficiently as part of daily production.

Contents

• Add the Actions tool to your workspace
• Apply Actions to images
• Use Next Capture Actions
• Run Actions during export (Export Actions)

Add the Actions tool to your workspace

To work with Actions efficiently, add the Actions tool to your workspace. This allows you to view, configure, and apply Actions on selected images without switching tools.

1. In Capture One, customize your workspace.
2. Add the Actions tool to a tool tab where you manage capture or output.

3. (Optional) Add Next Capture Actions if you want Actions applied automatically while shooting.

   

Placing the Actions tool alongside capture or output tools helps keep the workflow focused and predictable.

Apply Actions to images

You can apply one Action to any selected images (variants). This is useful when the same next step should happen for a group of images, such as background removal for e-commerce or retouching for a selected pick set.

1. Select one or more images (variants) in the Browser. Make sure that Edit all selected toggle is enabled.  
2. In the Actions tool, choose the Action you want to apply.
3. If the Action includes adjustable parameters, fill them in.
4. Click Export to invoke the Action on selected images and return the results from the external service.

If you need to apply the same Action to many images, use standard Capture One tools you already know:

• Copy and apply adjustments to transfer the Action from one image to others.
• Styles to apply a consistent setup, including Actions, across a batch.

Use Next Capture Actions

If your workflow is predictable, you can use Next Capture Actions to apply Actions automatically to new captures. This removes the need to apply Actions image by image.

1. Open the Next Capture Actions tool.
2. Select one or more Actions you want applied to new captures.
3. Start shooting.

To make new images inherit the selected Actions automatically. This is especially useful for high-volume sets where consistency matters, such as packshots that all require the same background or retouching step.

You can also click Copy Action from Primary to apply the selected Action from the primary variant to the next image.

Run Actions during export (Export Actions)

Actions are typically invoked at the end of the export process. Export still follows your Export Recipe as usual. When Actions are enabled for export, Capture One runs the Action on the variant after export completes.

1. Open the Export dialog and select your Export Recipe.
2. Open the Export Actions tool.
3. Enable Actions for export.
4. Choose where Action results should be saved:
   • The same location as the exported images, or
   • A separate subfolder for Action outputs.
5. Set the naming format. You can include the Action Name as a naming token.
6. Export your images.

Capture One exports the files first, then invokes the Action per variant. This keeps file delivery and processing clearly separated.