Scripting the Photoshop text object

Photoshop's lack of scripting support for selections in it's text object has brought my latest Applescript efforts to a sad dead end.

Tired of repetitively setting text attributes in Photoshop, I decided to employ some AppleScript to save and apply attributes from piece of text to another. After some effort I managed to get a number of the required operations working nicely. Attributes such as the font or size of a given text layer are quite accessible and easily modified with straightforward AppleScript statements.

Unfortunately when it comes to manipulating selections within a text object - Photoshop's scriptability falls down. In fact I found even having a text selection prevented my scripts to function at all.

I frequently use Photoshop to develop web sites designs for client approval before moving onto HTML and CSS. A script that cannot work with selections, more specific than the current text layer, is not sufficiently useful for me to be able to justify the time spent to write it. It's been a few versions since I tried Fireworks – perhaps it has some of the features I'm looking for. I've tried Freehand but I find the lack of pixel editing too limiting for anything but basic wireframes or particularly boxy designs.

Well that proved to be less constructive than I hoped. I did learn a few things from the exercise though – as soon as I find a worthy application for them I'll share. In the meantime keep plugging in those attributes.