Video - Watermarking your Photos
A few days ago I posed the question to our Photoshop Guys facebook page (click here if you want to join our page), to see what topics people were interested in. I got a lot of good responses so I thought I’d start picking away at them. This time I thought I’d cover watermarking your photos. I’ll be the first to admit, it’s more or less of a hack in Lightroom, as it’s not really meant for this. However, once you get it set up to watermark, Lightroom does offer a good quick alternative over using Photoshop, Batch Processing and Actions, etc… Hope you enjoy!
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on November 19th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Mogrify does watermarking brilliantly in a LR export…
on November 19th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Hi, first thing : I LOVE THIS! thx:)
now : problem, the black border around, is there any way to make that go away??
on November 19th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Thank you!
on November 19th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Regarding David’s comment about LR2Mogrify, I use it like this for watermarking web galleries:
http://www.peachpit.com/blogs/blog.aspx?uk=Export-and-add-to-catalog
You can use either a graphical watermark or pull a variety of data from each photo’s metadata (or both at the same time) to display on the exported photos.
on November 19th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I’ll be the third to say LR Mogrify has solved my watermarking needs. You might want to do a review of this amazing plug-in.
on November 19th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Matt,
Thanks for another great LRKT video. As to that “sticky” leash-thingy - it seems to have something to do with where the logo/watermark is positioned as it is applied to succeeding images that are oriented differently or of a different size.
I could be wrong. I’ve been wrong before.
Bill
on November 19th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
It’s about time you post something! Just kidding.
Thanks for this. I’ll have to give it try. -John
on November 19th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Let me be the fourth one to shout “LR2Mogrify”. Watermarking and much more almost free (you can choose yourself how much to pay). I really don’t understand why LR2 has such a lousy built-in watermarking.
Herwig
on November 19th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Matt, I used to do what you do for a living for another large software company and I love seeing what you come up with! Very few people come up with ideas that are outside the box (I used to get teased for doing this a ton!), but you do this consistently - finding ways to do things that may not have been intended, but still work really well. This was a great tutorial - I’m sure I’ll be using it from time to time and I really appreciate you sharing it!
Thanks!
Andi
on November 19th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
The problem with Matt’s example is that it outputs the images as if they are slideshow frames instead of stand-alone jpeg images. The only real solutions right now are LR/Mogrify or OnOne Photoframe.
on November 19th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Isn’t the problem with LR2Mogrify that it requires another generation of the image. Essentially LR generates an image from the RAW+developing, which is then fed to mogrify, which then saves another version. I haven’t watched the video yet, but I’m assuming if done inside LR that you don’t lose a generation in this workflow. Now whether that extra generation perceptively degrades quality may be up for debate, but just saying…
on November 19th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Matt, thanks for sharing! Having people talk about LR2Mogrify plug-in made me think of a suggestion: How about a “Free LR2 Add-on Essentials” type post or video. I’ve looked around the Adobe Exchange, but I think having something where you kind of go through the “best” options would be so helpful. Maybe you could even do something like Terry White’s “iPhone app of the week” but for LR2. I know you’re crazy busy, so adding one more thing to your plate might not be realistic, but thought I’d at least try.
Thanks,
Mike
on November 19th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Hi Matt,
I discovered this technique about a year ago and it seems to work well. As you stated, it’s kind of a hack.
I also discovered that this technique works in the Print Module. Where you can create a jpeg output if desired. ( at least on a PC)
For those interested, I explain how to add your signature to onto an image for printout on my blog- http://camerasview.com/archives/207
Also under my blog Lr prests tab you will find other templates that I have made and use to simulate calendars and framing your image.
As you and I discussed a while back, some people indicate that they have had issues with using the identity plate in this manner on Macs in the print module, yet you do not seem to have an issue in the web module.
Do you know if the issue still exist with the print module on a Mac under Lr 2.0 ?
Thanks for your continuing efforts
on November 19th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
BayTaper, it is true that the exported files are edited and then re-saved in the process of applying the watermark, but if you export to TIFF then there is no loss of quality from repeat saves as that is not a lossy format.
That said, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a perceptible difference between the export of a high quality JPG and a TIF after the watermark was applied in this manner.
Granted, I don’t think anyone would disagree that native watermarking functionality in Lightroom would be a nice addition.
on November 20th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Thanks Matt!
on November 20th, 2008 at 1:54 am
I don’t think BayTaper is worried about loss of quality but loss of diskspace.
on November 20th, 2008 at 2:02 am
Ah, perhaps you are correct? Sorry if I read that the wrong way.
Though, the disk space issue exists for saving JPGs from the Slideshow too. You are still making additional copies. In either case, depending upon the reason for watermarking there is no need to keep the copies on disk once you’ve either uploaded them to a web gallery or delivered them in some other fashion as you can always generate more from your source files if the need arose again. So, if disk space is an issue just deliver and then delete.
on November 20th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Hi Matt,
You’re right that method you describe is a little clunky. I’ve tried Mogrify and agree with other comments here, it’s good. But the problem with it is that you have to resize it in the dialog box when you have different crops or chip sizes from different cameras. The other method which I now use all the time is the one given in the Under The Loupe feature in the September 2007 issue of Photoshop User. In one click all the selected images are exported to PS and an overlay placed flattened and then re-imported in to Lightroom as a an srgb image with the watermark.
What’sthe advantage I hear you say. Well, when PS places an image it doesn’t matter how big the watermark is it centres it to the same size as the file irrespective of crop, size or shape of the image. Also as an import in to Lightroom, the srgb jpegs are already in a group for you in the Previous Import box. You simply click the Previous Import box and go to the Web module. This actually sounds more complicated than it is. Where it scores over Mogrify, is that using this system it’s all done automatically and you don’t have to do anything manually or leave Lightroom at all. With Mogrify the images are exported outside of Lightroom.
When I first read the article I dismissed it as being very complicated. It will be for some, but the time I’ve saved and the speed in which I can get watermarked galleries of images of all shapes and sizes out there is very quick indeed.
on November 20th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Thats great Matt - I’d been dropping back into PS for all my watermarking.
Kevin
on November 20th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
My question is: Where can I find and action for photoshop CS3 to put my logo on to a bunch of photos. Something simple just in the corner. Dose any have any good direction on the?
on November 21st, 2008 at 11:31 am
Matt, what software do you use for your tutorials. I am particularly interested in your video screen capture. I’d like to do some tutorials for my real estate business. Thanks!
on November 21st, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Nigel, I’m glad you found that article helpful. Props go back to Matt for inspiring it with his tutorial on creating a custom watermark in Photoshop.
Casey, If you are a NAPP member you can find Matt’s watermark tutorial for Photoshop in the April/May 2007 issue of Photoshop User Magazine. He also did a video tutorial for the NAPP member website as a follow up to the magazine article.
on December 11th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Thank you so much for this timely post!!!! I was just trying to figure out how to put a watermark on my pics for Facebook and for my blog and I so appreciate the tutorial. You guys are awesome! Thanks for making things simple!
on December 17th, 2008 at 4:15 am
It can not add watermark to video.
for mac users:
Here is a tutorial on How to add watermark (Text or image) to videos on Mac?
http://www.moviesmac.com/tutorial/add-text-or-image-watermark-to-video-on-mac.html
on December 26th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
There is no excuse for Lightroom not doing this as good as the mogrify plugin. Professional Photographers have been watermarking images before the world went digital. I myself still have my old proof embosser. WHY DONT YOU WIPE THAT L OFF YOUR DEVELOPERS FOREHEADS AND GET IT ADOBE - THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION FOR PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS - admitting its clunky is kind of embarrasing for you as the software for photography dont you think?
on December 29th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I have a logo that was created with a white background and it makes it difficult to import into colored backgrounds. How do I remove the white background to make it more transparent to blend in with the background?