Watermarking your LEGO photographs

[Hinckley]

Hello everybody,

I've had several requests to explain how I watermark my photographs. For those of you who don't know a watermark is the logo and web address you see in the lower left hand corner of this picture:

The blue brick logo and the words BrickZone.net...

I use photoshop to resize, crop and color correct my images amongst other functions. One of which is the watermark.

Here are the steps I take to watermark:

• create a watermark file-save it as watermark.psd
  
• add your logo and business name to it
  
• set the blending options on the logo and text layer to a lower opacity-it is set at %100, some watermarks are set low around 50% for real subtlety and some higher to stand out more-mine is set at 75%
  
• you can also add a color overlay in blending option that can easily be turned on or off-my watermark is set to blue but has a color overlay of white for darker pictures
  
• another option would be to put a light drop shadow under dark lettering, that way it shows up on any picture
  
• link the two layers-logo and text
  
• open the picture you want to watermark
  
• drag the two linked layers from watermark.psd to your photo
  
• save the photo using "save for web" option under file-this will optimize the jpg or gif for web use
  
• TIP: go to the view menu and select "snap" to get your watermark to the exact corner of the document
  
• the watermark can go anywhere over the image-depending on space and usage
  
• Advanced Photoshop Users: can create an action called watermarking and record the steps I listed-there will be a different action for every picture that has different dimensions as the move function is recorded using x and y from the top left corner of the image
  

I hope that helps and let me know if you have any questions...

[Doctor Sinister]

Thanks for this. *y*

Dr. S.

[TheFrisian]

Thanks for sharing Hinckley! I do have a couple of questions for you though. First of all, wouldn't it be easier for further use to simply merge the layers into one layer instead of linking them? I also noticed that you changed the opacity of the watermark before importing it to the target picture. Wouldn't it be more practical to change the opacity of the layer once it has been imported? That way it's easier to adapt the opacity settings to whatever looks good on that particular picture.

Hope you don't mind the questions, just wondering about the reasoning behind some of your techniques. ;-)

[Hinckley]

Thanks for sharing Hinckley! I do have a couple of questions for you though. First of all, wouldn't it be easier for further use to simply merge the layers into one layer instead of linking them? I also noticed that you changed the opacity of the watermark before importing it to the target picture. Wouldn't it be more practical to change the opacity of the layer once it has been imported? That way it's easier to adapt the opacity settings to whatever looks good on that particular picture.

Hope you don't mind the questions, just wondering about the reasoning behind some of your techniques. ;-)

You're welcome! And I love to answer questions so no problem there, either...

If you merge the text layer with the logo, you have to rasterize the text and it isn't as easy to manipulate it if you have to. ie-you can no longer edit the text... Linking the layers allows you to move them as if they were merged but leaves the data intact. If I am watermarking a bunch of images at once using an action I will duplicate the layers and merge them so I can leave the action recorded to paste it from the clipboard-which doesn't work with linked layers.

As far as the opacity goes, I have it set at an opacity that seems to work for all pictures, so adjusting it after importing it would only cause me twice the work.

Questions are always welcome!

[TheFrisian]

Thanks for explaining, it makes sense to me now! :-D Do you only use Photoshop or other programs as well?

[LuxorV]

Thanks for sharing, Hinckley *y* .

I personally use a file I called LuxorV_logo with text and symbol merged in one layer (I don't think I'm gonna change the text soon, and I keep the original symbol on a separate file, if I ever change my mind...), and usually do not change the opacity settings :-$ .

Nonetheless, I've learned something new, and I think it is always useful to create tutorials to explain those somewhat hidden commands in Photoshop :-P

LuxorV

[Hinckley]

You're all very welcome. I like to help out. *sweet*

Luxor V-have you delved into the land of recording actions? I am still on a PC that is kind of bogged down with all of my files at this point, so actions have been a life-saver...

[LuxorV]

I must candidly admit I have never recorded actions... I'm somewhat spartan with my photoshop-ing, decisely not professional :-P :-$

LuxorV

[Stauder]

Thanks Hink! I tought you didnt get da PM! ;-)

[Rickard]

Good tutorial Hinckley, but the method you show is very easy to brake. I like to use a Layer style to emboss the watermark , like this :

in PhotoShop, or PhotoShop elements it's very easy

1. open you image

2. use your type tool to create your text on a text layer

3. turn off the text layer

4. use Cmd (Mac) or Ctlrl (Winblows) Click the type layer to make a selection

5. Click on your background layer

6. With an active selection Layer>new>>Create new layer Via Copy

7. on the new layer click Layer>layer Style>>bevel emboss

8. Play with all the setting untill you find what you like

9. Go to Layer>layer Style>> Drop Shadow turn opacity down till it looks good

10. Optional Go to Layer>layer Style>>Outer Glow turn opacity down till it looks good

11. DELETE the Type layer

12. save as JPG

Edited January 29, 2008 by Rickard

[Norro]

Cheers Hinckley and Rickard! I was doing something similar, but in a far more complicated way ;-) X-D

God Bless,

Nathan

[Hinckley]

Good tutorial Hinckley, but the method you show is very easy to brake. I like to use a Layer style to emboss the watermark , like this :

Great technique Rickard! Thanks for sharing. For now I like people to see the picture. I will use the bevel method when my intellectual property is more of a commodity. ;-)