Actions are one of the most useful and timesaving options in PhotoShop®. They consist of sets of steps to create complex effects. They’re ridiculously easy to use, since you play actions from controls similar to those for a video. Besides the default set of actions that come with PhotoShop, you can record new actions whenever you have a long list of steps you need to use many times.
You also can download and install actions created by other PhotoShop users. That’s how I obtained the White Marble action, a powerful trick I could never have invented on my own.
I downloaded the White Marble PhotoShop Action by Nate Skow (2007) from ShareCG.com. The action (.atn file) was free, but I had to set up a free account with ShareCG to be allowed to download items. I’ve included a link to the download page for this action at the foot of the page.
Many years ago, when Nate Skow uploaded his action file, the current PhotoShop version would have been CS3 (10.0) (which ran on Universal Mac OS X and Windows XP SP2 or later) but it’s possible that he was using an even older version. Because this resource was uploaded fourteen years ago, I had my doubts about it, but it worked well for me using PhotoShop CS6 (13) and Mac OS 10.12.6.
Once I had the White Marble Action installed, I tried it out. WOW! Starting with a new document filled with white, I played the White Marble Action and, maybe 2 seconds later, had a realistic white marble pattern with black veining! This is as close as I’ve ever come to seeing real magic. Every run produces a slightly different marble.
Next Level Variations
Then I experimented to find out how to add colors to the original black and white. I also discovered all kinds of beautiful variations by adding Layer Effects. I’ve written a tutorial (download it from this page!) so that you can repeat all my experiments.
Even if you don’t need a very realistic or perhaps a wildly colorful marble texture right now, it’s worth working through this tutorial for all the things you’ll learn about PhotoShop. Besides, it’s fun! Here is a partial list of skills covered in the tutorial:
- Installing a PhotoShop action.
- Playing all, or part of, an action.
- Several options to add color to this action.
- Tips on making a design or texture tileable.
- Saving a marble texture, or any other design, as a Pattern Preset.
- How to scale a Pattern Fill, even though you can’t.
Bonus: Lots Of Marble Textures
If you DO need a marble texture immediately, I’ve still got you covered! Download a collection of 26 different marble textures in two sizes, 256 pixels square and 1024 pixels square. With the information in the tutorial, you can turn any or all of these into Pattern Presets in PhotoShop to use again and again.
Applications needed: Acrobat Reader, PhotoShop, Modern web browser.
Subject area: Tips, Resources.
Level: Author.
Online Link-Resources
White Marble Action download page link: Click Here. Download page for the White Marble PhotoShop Action (file name: WhiteMarble.atn 2.69KB). Download is free, but you must log in or set up a free account on ShareCG to download files.
Downloads-Printable
Tutorial
UsingTheWhiteMarbleAction.pdf (6 MB) Using The White Marble Action tutorial to print. Includes instructions on how to install an action. Acrobat Reader, PhotoShop.
Downloads-Resources
MarbleTexturesCollection.zip (47.3 MB) 26 different Marble texture designs (JPEG format) in two sizes, 1024 pixels sq and 256 pixels sq. To preview the collection, click here.
