Watermarking

AperturePlus

I know that this has been covered many times before, but can someone explain why it can take so long for watermarking changes to reflect on images?

I removed a watermark inadvertently and it was removed almost immediately and then I went to reinstate it and 10 minutes later, it is still not updated.

I can't understand why this historically has always been an issue (in terms of how long it takes to update). I understand that the server could be going through processes, but I can't understand (or accept, actually) why it takes so long.

Surely if this is one of the MAJOR benefits of being Pro, this is something that should be addressed?

AperturePlus

It's coming up for half an hour and it is still not updated.

I would like to point out an obvious... and I am sure others have done this as well... when I don't see any change after a few minutes, I then think that I have done something wrong, so go and re-do the watermark again. This appears to create a 'stacking' in commands, which slows the whole process further.

Smugmug please tell me that this is something that you are addressing and when it will be fixed? It really has been going on for far too long.

docwalker

Hi, The watermarking process creates multiple new display copies of the photos. That can take a while. Watermarking is also a lower priority in the server processing. I have checked the status of the watermarking queue and it is very low given the time of day and being a weekend morning. Usually it is much higher.

Can you contact us on the help desk with a link to the photos? We can take a look.

I am not saying this is your issue but very frequently when a user reports watermarks not working there are 2 likely causes.

1. They changed the watermark setting in the gallery settings. That is for marking photos as they are uploaded. Once uploaded, you must use the Tools>Many Photos>Watermarking option to mark the photos.
2. The photos are smaller than 800 pixels on the long side. You must exceed 801 pixels for the image to be watermarked.

AperturePlus

Thanks for the help and no - you are dead right - it is not my issue - (I note the 'passive-aggressive' response that has been referred to in the past on this forum.)

As mentioned, all I did was inadvertently remove a watermark and to get it back took over half an hour, which I don't find acceptable.

After you changed something.. the watermark/s all came back as I was expecting.

Back to what I originally asked - when are you going to get this sorted out once and for all?

rainforest1155

Watermark processing isn't instant as all display sizes need to be created from scratch. It may take some time, especially at times when there are lots of uploads coming in.
Delays in watermarking are inevitable and to be expected and we recommend that you enable watermarks in the gallery settings prior to uploading photos. That way your uploads are watermarking right away.

May I ask how you inadvertently removed watermarks? Maybe there's something in your workflow that could be streamlined to prevent this?

mishenka

Sebastian - enabling watermarks in the gallery settings does not always make sense. For instance I want my watermark to be a strip of text on the bottom side of the image. If I create one watermark file of a fixed width and apply it, at the uploading time, to all the images then it will be stretched differently for a portrait and for landscape image. It might look all right on a landscape type image but too big on a portrait type image. Basically SmugMug algorithm does not scale the file correctly. So I have to upload first and then apply different watermarks based on the image orientation.

Can you advise if there is any other way of doing it?

AperturePlus

It was because I went to resync from the LR plugin and didn't realise that I had not set watermarking in the plugin.

I would suggest that Smugmug re-think strategy regarding watermarking, as there are many people here who will go with your updated price schedule and stay Pro, simply to have watermarking available. This would make it an absolute priority for any person that subscribes to your service for the watermarking.

Over half an hour to get an updated watermark on one single shot is not a great service, it has to be said. It was only having complained above (and having received Docwalker's reply), that it suddenly went through - so I must presume that it probably would have taken even longer.

rainforest1155

Note that the watermarking setting in our Lightroom plugin watermarks your original photos and it is part of Lightroom with no connection to the SmugMug watermarking feature. With the originals watermarked, you could not remove the watermark from within SmugMug and all print products and downloads would also contain the watermark.

It was very likely coincidence that the watermarks were done shortly after Doc posted here. All our image processing is done fully automated (SkyNet lives) and only in extreme cases our Ops team may manually interfere.

Sabotimages

I want them gone
I have no idea what to do. I have removed the option to watermark my images but the watermarks I authorized months ago and remove still show in the previews. Any idea how to fix it?

denisegoldberg

Sabotimages wrote: »

I have no idea what to do. I have removed the option to watermark my images but the watermarks I authorized months ago and remove still show in the previews. Any idea how to fix it?

Did you just change the gallery setting or did you remove the watermarks? Changing the gallery setting only deals with newly uploaded photos.

To remove the watermark from already watermarked images, see the Removing watermarks section of the help page at http://help.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/93343-how-do-i-watermark-photos-.

--- Denise

Sabotimages

1st attempt
I have made the attempt but am waiting to see if Smug makes the changes this time.