Photoshop your custom watermark...

[Mike Lane]

I just whipped up a little tutorial about how to create a clear bevel custom watermark in photoshop. You can find it here (http://mikelane2.smugmug.com/gallery/1244058/). (cross posted from smugmug pro support room).

Hope you like it. :thumb

[SamirD]

This is EXACTLY what I want to do with an existing graphic. But I don't have photoshop. :(

Any suggestions?

[Mike Lane]

Use your resources :D This isn't that complicated of a thing to do (with photoshop at least) so anyone in here can do it for you. Heck, I need the chance to create an action so I can do it. But I'll need to know exactly what you want.

Of course if you're looking for something super complicated, that's another thing.

[SamirD]

Here's a link to the original graphic:
http://pics.huntsvillecarscene.com/events/logo/Huntville%20Car%20Scene.bmp

All I'd probably want is the same thing you did in the example with a slight drop shadow and maybe move the word "Huntsville" in front of "Car Scene.com" to make it all on one line. And then put a copyright symbol in front of the whole thing.

I'd be very grateful if you could help with this. :thumb

[Mike Lane]

www.whatthefont.com tells me that you're using the font sofachrome for that bit of text. I don't have that font and I don't want to pay $15 for it. Oh wait, just a sec, I wonder if dafont.com has it. Yup, I can get it for free from www.dafont.com. I'll whip something up tomorrow.

[SamirD]

Very cool! I never knew of such a site.

[Mike Lane]

Here you go, just right click the image below and save it to your desktop. Then upload it to a smugmug gallery and get to watermarking.

Also if anyone is interested you can download the action I created here (http://www.dgrin.com/www.mikelanestudios.com/Smugmug%20Watermark.atn). The font that SamirD used is kind of small so you may want to play around with the layer styles to get a bevel that is more to your liking.

[claudermilk]

www.whatthefont.com (http://www.whatthefont.com) tells me that you're using the font sofachrome for that bit of text. I don't have that font and I don't want to pay $15 for it. Oh wait, just a sec, I wonder if dafont.com has it. Yup, I can get it for free from www.dafont.com (http://www.dafont.com). I'll whip something up tomorrow.

Cool site. Being a font-a-holic I'm bookmarking that guy. Thanks for the link.

[Mike Lane]

Cool site. Being a font-a-holic I'm bookmarking that guy. Thanks for the link.

Head over to http://del.icio.us/popular/font when you're jonsing for some hot font action. Also http://del.icio.us/popular/typography.

[SamirD]

Here you go, just right click the image below and save it to your desktop. Then upload it to a smugmug gallery and get to watermarking.

Also if anyone is interested you can download the action I created here (http://www.dgrin.com/www.mikelanestudios.com/Smugmug%20Watermark.atn). The font that SamirD used is kind of small so you may want to play around with the layer styles to get a bevel that is more to your liking.Thank you Mike! I'll try it right now. :thumb

[SamirD]

Okay, I tried it, but now I have some questions that I can't find answers via search. Almost there. :clap

How does the watermark scale? In other words, will it always appear the same way on each photo size? If so, I may need to scale it down some so I can put it in one of the corners.

How can I move the HCS part to the bottom right corner. It seems like the entire image that has the watermark moves within the picture. If that's the case, how can I change the watermark to just have the mark itself and no space? (I probably can't with the tools I have. :()

Thank you for all your help Mike. You've helped me directly and indirectly many times here with SM, and you're one of the reasons I didn't want to leave SM--and now that we have watermarking, I probably never will. :D

[Mike Lane]

Okay, I tried it, but now I have some questions that I can't find answers via search. Almost there. :clap

How does the watermark scale? In other words, will it always appear the same way on each photo size? If so, I may need to scale it down some so I can put it in one of the corners.

How can I move the HCS part to the bottom right corner. It seems like the entire image that has the watermark moves within the picture. If that's the case, how can I change the watermark to just have the mark itself and no space? (I probably can't with the tools I have. :()

Thank you for all your help Mike. You've helped me directly and indirectly many times here with SM, and you're one of the reasons I didn't want to leave SM--and now that we have watermarking, I probably never will. :D

The one I created is the maximum size for watermarks (800px wide). It will scale with the images but it will always be right in the middle. If you want it in one of the corners you'll have to make it smaller. Er, I guess I'd have to make it smaller. Just tell me how big you want it exactly compared to the smugmug Large size images and I whip it up for you.

And NP :thumb

[SamirD]

Thank you for the clarification. I'd like it about half the size lengthwise, so that it can be put in any corner and not take up more than half of the picture side to side.

That is, if it's still visible. It's just as important to be readable as it is to not be in the way. :): It will probably be clearer to just re-type it in a smaller font than to resize it, but that's your call. :thumb

[Mike Lane]

Next time I'll give you my paypal account for a donation :poke

[SamirD]

Whoo Hoo!! It works! :clap :clap :clap

I'll tell you what, give me your paypal address. I'm sure you spent at least a little bit of time on this and because of it I can do something I've waited to do for 2 years--automatically watermark my pictures! Hooray!!

[Mike Lane]

Whoo Hoo!! It works! :clap :clap :clap

I'll tell you what, give me your paypal address. I'm sure you spent at least a little bit of time on this and because of it I can do something I've waited to do for 2 years--automatically watermark my pictures! Hooray!!
Uh no, I was only kidding :thumb

[SamirD]

Uh no, I was only kidding :thumbIt's all good. :):

I was actually spending a little bit of time reflecting on how SM has changed my life for the better. I can publish more, be more creative, make more money, and have less headaches. :lust Signing up for a pro account on SM was the best decision I've made for my business. :D

Now, back to work. A thousand pictures await my approval. :wink

[SamirD]

Hmmm...I ran into a problem. Check this out:
http://newpics.huntsvillecarscene.com/photos/83330528-M-1.jpg

Any suggestions? :dunno I was initially thinking just making it bigger might help, but I'm not sure that would completely solve the problem. I expected it to dissappear a little bit, but it looks like it's actually hiding in there. :rofl

[Mike Lane]

Hmmm...I ran into a problem. Check this out:
http://newpics.huntsvillecarscene.com/photos/83330528-M-1.jpg

Any suggestions? :dunno I was initially thinking just making it bigger might help, but I'm not sure that would completely solve the problem. I expected it to dissappear a little bit, but it looks like it's actually hiding in there. :rofl

I'm not sure I have a solution for that other than to just make it bigger. If you're going for a watermark on the bottom right corner of the image you may as well make it opaque.

[Stustaff]

I like the design I just think its too opaque at that size. I would have the tect in white with the darker shadow and then put some opacity into it so its still visible.

[SamirD]

I like the design I just think its too opaque at that size. I would have the tect in white with the darker shadow and then put some opacity into it so its still visible.I like this idea. The problem I was thinking of with having something opaque was that if the color of the image matched the watermark, the watermark would still dissappear.

But with the watermark itself white and the outline in black, this should cover every scenario. If something's too light, you'll see a black outline. If something's too dark, you'll see the white letters. :thumb

If you don't mind Mike :uhoh, let's try the suggestion. Third time's a charm, right? :wink

[Mike Lane]

:huh

[claudermilk]

Head over to http://del.icio.us/popular/font when you're jonsing for some hot font action. Also http://del.icio.us/popular/typography.

To quote Samir: "You are a very bad man." :D

[Stustaff]

Looks MUCH better, good work guys.
Maybe a little bit of opacity though would be nice if im being picky.

[Chaggi]

Nevermind... figured it out. :)

[kbtarl]

I just whipped up a little tutorial about how to create a clear bevel custom watermark in photoshop. You can find it here (http://mikelane2.smugmug.com/gallery/1244058/). (cross posted from smugmug pro support room).

Hope you like it. :thumbMike, that is a great tutorial. I'll be sure to add that to my collection. I am new to this site so forgive me if these have already been addressed here.

I found a tutorial from Russell Brown that shows an action he created that "Brands his watermark (http://av.adobe.com/russellbrown/BrandingSM.mov)" on the pictures. This action works for both horizontal as for verticle shots.

I also have seen a tutorial for making a brush for your watermark. Being a brush you can vary everything about it including color. Check this out! (http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/brush/brush.htm)

Hope some of you find this helpful and again if its been on the board for sometime.....Im a newbie....I'll learn!:barb