HOWTO : Batch Watermarks 2

[mbusa11]

Is it possible to add water mark to my images in photoshop or fireworks as a batch job ?

 

[GrooveMonkey]

Have you looked at recording actions to do this?

If you tell me how you are doing your watermarks, i could suggest a way to record the action and apply the action to a folder of images.

 

[carlow]

Hi,

Beneath is a link from one of the Photoshop guru's

http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html

see also his other tips, very useful...

hope this helps

carlow

 

[mbusa11]

hey Cralow .. thanx for the link.. but the MOV file apppears to be missing .. so its a dead link..

Groove Monkey.. I still havnt started.. I am just looking for where to start. i actually have a bunch of pictures which i want to put a watermark on..

i will use whatever that works.. all the software that can do batch water marking are not free

and i have photoshop and fireworks.. and was thinking of how to use these to put the watermarks !

 

[GrooveMonkey]

Well, here's a way you can try.

1. Make yourself a watermark image, I created one on one layer that was semi transparent.

2. Copy the image so it is in your clip board (Ctrl - C).

3. Open up the actions pallette (alt-F9 in Windows).

4. Click new action (looks like the new layer button), name it whatever and hit record.

5. Open up a file you would like to add the watermark to and paste the watermark into it (Ctrl - V), position, change transparency, do whatever.

6. Merge the layers (if you don't you will have to save as psd)

7. Click stop on the actions pallette.

Now you have an action that will paste, set the transparency and merge the watermark on the image of your choosing.

To apply this to a folder of images go to "File" -" Automate" - "Batch". Select the action you just made, choose the source folder and click ok and sit back and watch Photoshop do your work for you.

Some limitations of doing it this way is,
- can't seem to record the repositioning, so the watermark will be pasted to the middle of the image.

- the watermark will always be the same size, will not resize it self for larger or smaller images.

- you have to have the watermark copied to the clipboard before automating.

There are probably better ways, play around with the record action feature and Im sure you'll get it to do what you need.

 

[mbusa11]

thanx for the help monkey, im still at work so wont be able to try this until i get home later tonite, but it looks like i might just get it to work for me. The only issue i see for now is the fact that you say that the watermark is going to be in the middle of the imsge. thats not cool !
The sizing part is something that im ok with as all my images are of the same exact size.. but think of a way to put that watermark in the corner

thanx

 

[GrooveMonkey]

the issue is when something is pasted from the clipboard, photoshop automaticlly centers it on a new layer, one way around this would be to have a couple of solid pixels (you should be able to even have these barely opaque) in the opposite corner from the watermark, that way when centered the watermark will be around (but not exactly in) the area you created it.

Not the most elegant way, but should work

 

[mbusa11]

excellent logic.. it shoud work.... now the issue is will i be able to handle all this myself.. only time will tell..

thanx again for the help

 

[prophotodx]

Try using filelace. Make the watermark document the same size as the images. Then you can put the watermark wherever you want it and it will be there every time.

One way to make your watermark to look more like a watermark is to play with the blending modes (that is if you do not want it solid)

See my image posted below...It is a bad example because it is from my old action...as you can see it is not centered, that is how I found the Place command to work so well.

DBX
(Try it my way, it might work...)

 

[GrooveMonkey]

Thats a good suggestion, i never used that feature, I'll have to try it out.