Watermarking Your Photos: A Tutorial

[Cajungaltx]

I don't know if anyone can use this - but I thought I'd share:

When I first started - I'd go in and type my 'name + photography' across EVERY image... to keep someone from 'borrowing it'.

I found a tutorial on how to do a brush preset - and holy cow did it shorten up some of my time.

I created a brush preset so now I just 'stamp' my logo on a seperate layer, and presto. To me, this seems like something everyone already knows, so if you get anything out of it, let me know! ;-)

Create your logo on a 5"x5", 300 pixel resolution. You want the background layer to be transparent. Do the logo large enough to fill that 5x5 (or whatever type of size your logo needs) area. Don't use a 10sized font... you want it large.

In the sample - I used sizes 52 and 48 fonts.

I do everything in layers, cause it makes it easier to work on (aka fixing my screwups!)



Once you've got your logo like you like it - crop off all the extra space you don't need.



Once you've cropped your logo - go up to EDIT, and down to DEFINE BRUSH PRESET.

A little box will come up - type in: LOGO BRUSH

Open up an image.

Click on Brush - and go to your brush list - the very last brush in your brush list should be your new brush you just created.

You can make the brush smaller/larger by pressing the { or } keys... or by using the slider in the brush selection area.

Stamp your image:



For posting to web - I always resize/sharpen for web - and then brush my logo on.

Hope this helps! ;-)

[ChristopherCoy]

You can also use the 'opacity' box at the top next to the brush selection drop down box, to make your 'stamp' translucent a watermark. You have to do this before you stamp it though!

[Phanee]

Donna, Thank you. You saved me lot of time.

[carrbowl]

I've done that...now if someone could make me smart enough to get the size right on every photo...I'll be soooo happpy!!!

[Phanee]

Renae, to adjust the size, you just have to change the brush size. (that is if I got your question correctly)

[cooltouch]

Ever since I d/l'd a trial copy of Corel's Paint Shop Pro Photo X2, I haven't even booted my old copy of Photoshop 7. PSPX2 has a very simple utility that allows you to "rubber stamp" your photos with water marks. I use it a lot for this.

However, I do this only to those images I post on the web, which are almost always 900x600 or smaller. Anything higher rez than that doesn't get posted online except for rare circumstances.

[carrbowl]

Originally Posted by Phanee

Renae, to adjust the size, you just have to change the brush size. (that is if I got your question correctly)

I can adjust the size ok...it just never looks like the right size one the photo is printed. Sometimes it's too big, and when I print wallets, it's always too small???

and don't worry about not understanding me..I seem to never type what my brain is saying!!!

[Westx]

IF you don't have a logo and just want copy right information you can do that in process mutiple photos by typing the copy right info in the lable area and adding it as a watermark.

Thats neat to know on the Logo setup. Thanks Donna

[Cajungaltx]

Originally Posted by carrbowl

I can adjust the size ok...it just never looks like the right size one the photo is printed. Sometimes it's too big, and when I print wallets, it's always too small???

and don't worry about not understanding me..I seem to never type what my brain is saying!!!

okay - let me see if I speak 'reneespeak'...

You are putting your logo on in photoshop - with the brush - but when it prints onto your photo - it doesn't look right?

A couple things - I don't put my watermark onto my photos in this same form. This is specifically for web posting, facebook, that kind of stuff.

For - say a senior's wallets - I'll put their name '09 in the corner, but that's it.

If I put something (logo) on the image - I actually have the printer do that - Miller's will setup your logo to do that every time, at the right size, for the image.

Cajungaltx added 0 Minutes and 59 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Originally Posted by Phanee

Donna, Thank you. You saved me lot of time.

Hey dude! Long time no see! How have you been since Texas School? I've kept up with Anthony (we chat on yahoo!) - but haven't heard how you were doing!

[photonewb]

Originally Posted by carrbowl

I've done that...now if someone could make me smart enough to get the size right on every photo...I'll be soooo happpy!!!

have you considered just creating an action and running it on the full sized image BEFORE resizing?

Smugmug allows you to create a watermark and upload it to their site, then select "add watermark" and it does it for you. Before that I've done the brush thing, and I've done the action thing and I found the action to be faster and IMO a much better solution. You will want to make 2 actions though (1 for portrait and 1 for landscape) or you'll have to move the layer around to where you want it.

[danm]

Originally Posted by photonewb

I found the action to be faster and IMO a much better solution. You will want to make 2 actions though (1 for portrait and 1 for landscape) or you'll have to move the layer around to where you want it.

this is basically what i did, my logo is added as part of my resize for web actions

[groovyone]

Very helpful! Thanks for sharing. I was just playing with logos and never thought to do it this way.

Now I just need to dig out whatever creativity I have an make a logo.

[Phanee]

Hey dude! Long time no see! How have you been since Texas School? I've kept up with Anthony (we chat on yahoo!) - but haven't heard how you were doing!

I am doing ok. Anthony and me exchanged couple of emails later. Didn't hear from him after that. I will catch you both on Yahoo then.

[Toad]

You know... the bad part about having a website called JustAnotherPhotographer.com is that to do the initials to make some sort of logo... it's JAP... I don't know about y'all... but when I hear jap, I think of the slur for the Japanese during WW2...
Anybody else get that?
What else could I do? Besides changing the sites name?

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by Toad

Anybody else get that?

Not until you said something about it....