How can I batch convert pictures with existing clipping path to JPEGs with a white background in Photoshop (or a free software like ImageMagick)?

Question

To be more detailed here: They are TIFF images, have one path - which is a clipping path - but still have their background, for some reasons.

There are hundreds of them so I cant just open it and select path -> make selection -> invert selection -> fill selection with white color..

I tried doing a Photoshop action which I could use as a action available at the batch processing mode. It didnt work, seem to be to sophisticated for the "action" module or I did it wrong.

Also tried to make a script for "ImageMagick" which worked - after I finally had the right parameters - for many pictures, but interestingly not for all - altough they are all made the same. All clipping paths from Adode Photoshop, saved as TIFF pictures.

If someone is a pro in ImageMagick I can post this script here and you may comment if I did something wrong here.

Hope someone can help. Please only possibilities which are free of cost like ImageMagick or can be done with Photoshop itself!

I am also in scripting with Python or Shellscript for example, anything based on that is also okay - but I searched for libraries and found nothing for Python :/

Answer 1

Clipping path doesn't change image representation in Photoshop: it only affects when you place it in inDesign/Illustrator/etc.

But if you still want to fill everything outside the clipping path with white you can use this script:

(function() {
    var sourceFolder = Folder.selectDialog("choose folder");

    fileList = sourceFolder.getFiles("*.tif");
    for (i = 0; i < fileList.length;i++) {
        open(fileList[i]);
        var doc = activeDocument;
        try {
            var workPath = activeDocument.pathItems[0].name
        } catch (e) {
            alert(e);
            return
        }
        loadSelection(workPath)
        doc.selection.invert();
        var white = new SolidColor;
        white.gray.gray = 0;
        doc.selection.fill(white)
        doc.selection.deselect();
        doc.close(SaveOptions.SAVECHANGES)
    }

    function loadSelection(name) {
        var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
        var ref = new ActionReference();
        ref.putProperty(c2t("Chnl"), c2t("fsel"));
        desc.putReference(c2t("null"), ref);
        var ref1 = new ActionReference();
        ref1.putName(c2t("Path"), name);
        desc.putReference(c2t("T   "), ref1);
        desc.putInteger(c2t("Vrsn"), 1);
        desc.putBoolean(s2t("vectorMaskParams"), true);
        executeAction(c2t("setd"), desc, DialogModes.NO);
    }

    function c2t(c) {
        return charIDToTypeID(c)
    }

    function s2t(c) {
        return stringIDToTypeID(c)
    }

})()