Batch Watermarking Images with different PPI

[chargersrool]

Trying to figure out how I can batch watermark images with different PPI.
My current method:
Open Actions:
Create action-Watermark
Record

• I open the image I want to watermark, all horizontal/vertical images
• I place my watermark symbol (.png file) - File - Place
• Resize the watermark, then vertically and horizontally align.
• Save
• End Record

Outcome: I get many images with different sizes of the watermark, this is because the PPI is different I figured out. Now all I'd like to know is how can I get the same size watermark on all images without changing the PPI?

 

[MrToM]

We've had this problem before....try this...(Although this is just off the top of my head until I test it)...

When you record your action it records positions and sizes in pixels,(because it only records one of each), but what you can do is edit the action afterwards and change pixels for percent.

Anywhere in the action where pixels are used should be editable......you just need to work out the percentage for the position and size of the watermark and replace the pixel dimensions for the percentage.

I'm sure that's how I've done it before.....sorry if it doesn't work for you.

Regards.
MrTom.

 

[chargersrool]

Thanks for the speedy response Tom although I dont see the ability to resize the layer in pixels. can you help me find out where?

 

[MrToM]

Yeah....it'll be IN the action itself.....if you open the Actions panel your action is listed in it.

Open the Action by clicking the small arrow.....all the 'procedures' you did will be listed under it.

Find the part where you 'place' the watermark image.

Open that as well and you should see PIXEL values for Width, Height and Position.

DOUBLE Click one of them and you'll get a dialog where you can change PIXELS for PERCENT....your 'recorded' values will also be there.

You need to manually calculate the EQUIVALENT percentage and enter that as a percent value...

Here is one I did a while ago...



Yours will be slightly different as you will be editing a 'Place' action, not a Canvas Size Action but you should still get a dialog where you can change the Unit to percent, and the value that you calculate.

When calculating the values try to use one of your larger images as a template....it'll be more acurate.

You'll need the Image Size in PIXELS.
The Watermark Size in PIXELS.
The position of the watermark in PIXELS.

Convert those to percent...so if the watermark is 200 px wide and the Image is 1000px wide then the percent will be 20%.....and so forth.

That will 'Place' your watermark at exactly the same position relative to the image size....it'll also re-size it relative to the image.

Any probs just shout.

Regards.
MrTom.

EDIT: Hold the phone....it doesn't seem to let you edit 'Place'....darn....erm.....

 

[chargersrool]

Yea I was gonna say that... I dont see the ability to edit the action, it just opens the file explorer. Any workarounds?

 

[MrToM]

Just looking at it....i've found loads of tutorials but none that 'scale' the image as well....positioning is fine you can do that by changing the rulers to Percent first but scaling eludes me for the moment...

I'll keep trying unless someone else knows how to do it.

Regards.
MrTom.

 

[chargersrool]

Thanks for your help tom, Ill also try to figure it out.

 

[Paul MR]

My "Picture Processor" script will do this. Click on my sig and you will find it in the PSCS Scripts section.

 

[Tom Mann]

FWIW, in addition to all the other facilities it provides to photographers (eg, great printing, slideshow, cataloging, ACR adjustments, preset management, etc.), Lightroom absolutely excels at quickly producing watermarks on tons of images of different sizes, and allows lots of ways to very, very quickly customize the watermark's size (proportional or fixed), placement, orientation of the watermark, as well as whether it's text based or image based, color, etc., etc..

If one is sending out hundreds of photos from an event, the absurdly low price of $150 (or USD $80 for the student/teacher edition) means that LR pays for itself in a couple of hours of saved labor costs, and it's pure profit after that. If one is dealing with small numbers of images, maybe even just one carefully crafted image at a time, then the LR makes less sense, but it sounds like the OP may be in the same boat as me in terms of dealing with larger numbers of images.

HTH,

Tom M

PS - Here are a couple of screen shots that show some of the flexibility in just the watermarking part of LR as well as an example of a fixed-percentage size watermark produced by LR.

 

[chargersrool]

PAUL YOU ARE SO AWESOME YOU DONT EVEN KNOW IT!!! Thank you so much!