Automator + Photoshop, but mostly Automator....

In my opinion, you have about a 0% chance of doing this with basic Automator actions.

Automator has way too little control over loops and if/then logic, and I think that's going to be necessary given your outline.

For example, just take your first two steps:

1. Scan directory for all files.
2. Copy each file in the directory and make a new folder based on the file name.

step 1 is easy enough, bUt if you have, say, 100 files in the starting directory, you need step two to run 100 times, once per file. Automator stops right there. You can do one thing with those 100 files (e.g. move them all en masse to one new folder), but you can't do 100 different things - at least I've never found a way to do that in my time with Automator.

You *could* do this with AppleScript, or some other more robust scripting system (including shell scripts), and these could be embedded in your Automator workflow (via the Run AppleScript or Run Shell Script actions), but since 99% of the processing happens in that script, you have an AppleScript/shell solution, not an Automator one.

No matter what, your use case is very specific, so even if someone does help write the guts of any such script, you're going to need to understand the logic to be able to tweak/maintain the scripts over time (or pay someone to do so).

Hey Brenden,

It appears you'd like to run an Automator script to accomplish this workflow to save you some time. We'll do our best to provide the resources to assist with creating this.

Create a workflow in Automator on Mac to select the folder you want to scan. Then an action to create that copy of the files and create the new folder. Select another new action for moving the files. Search for Photoshop in the search field for opening the app and add your specific script you'd like it to run: Add AppleScript scripts to a workflow in Automator on Mac

After that you'll create another action to move those files once more and save it exactly how you'd want it to be saved. Lastly, one more action to move those files until it completes.

Hope it helps, take care!

Someone that has the spare time, and insight/willingness to provide a coding solution for you must decide to respond. As we are fellow users, and not Apple Community Specialist staff — that would depend on the first sentence.

I am busy with other things, and won't be able to help you with this issue.