How to run Photoshop Actions from Lightroom using Droplets
Lightroom is not designed to be a file browser, so it doesn't work quite like Bridge, but this doesn't mean it's not possible to still link the two. The workaround involves creating a droplet in Photoshop from an existing action, and then telling Lightroom to run the droplet once it's exported the images.
To Create a Droplet
1. In Photoshop, you need to have already created an action, and if you are going to run this on jpegs, it must include a Save As to set the jpeg compression. (When running the Save As while recording the action, just hit Ok without changing the file name or location, and choose your compression rate).
2. Go to File > Automate > Create Droplet and this dialog will appear:
3. Save your droplet somewhere safe with a logical name, and make sure you've set the save location to Save and Close, and tick the 'override save location' box. Click Ok to create your droplet.
Add the Droplet to Lightroom
4. Open Lightroom, select a file, and go to Export. At the bottom of the dialog you will see 'After Export' dropdown. Click 'Go to Export Actions Folder' and drop a shortcut to your droplet in the folder which appears. Close the Export dialog box.
5. When you reopen the Export dialog box to export your images from Lightroom, your droplet will appear in that 'After Export' dropdown.
6. Export your images from Lightroom, with your new droplet selected, and once the images have finished exporting, they will automatically run your action.
