Creating a Custom Watermark - For Laymen

David French Travel Photography

What simple-to-use programs are there out there for a layman to create a custom watermark? "Simple-to-use" meaning you don't need much technical savvy at all to do it. GIMP is far too technical and involved for me; Win Watermark and Watermark Software weren't very useful or usable; and TSR Watermark Image...well, I may try that one again. Other suggestions welcomed!

I prefer a program that allows uploading the finished product on my SmugMug site, then applying the watermark to either single or multiple images in one fell swoop.

A few years ago - when I had another photo website (since discarded), I made a watermark easily enough myself with either Adobe Photoshop or Elements. However, in its dubious wisdom, Adobe has seen fit today to make those programs incompatible with Windows Vista. So I'm looking around again.

Thanks for any recommendations you can offer.

AceCo55

dfrenchphotography wrote: »

A few years ago - when I had another photo website (since discarded), I made a watermark easily enough myself with either Adobe Photoshop or Elements. However, in its dubious wisdom, Adobe has seen fit today to make those programs incompatible with Windows Vista. So I'm looking around again.

Thanks for any recommendations you can offer.

You could download a copy of Photoshop CS2 for free and that should work with Vista?

You can only create a custom watermark in Smugmug if you have either a Portfolio account or a Business account.
IF YOU DO HAVE EITHER OF THOSE ACCOUNTS:
1. create a watermark in Photoshop
2. save it as a .png file
3. upload that file to your Smugmug site ("My Smugmug Site" folder)
4. go to Account settings > Business >Watermarks > Manage > +Create ... follow prompts

If you do not have a Portfolio or Business account, AND YOU STILL WANT A CUSTOM WATERMARK, you would have to add it to you file before you uploaded it to Smugmug.
The problem with that is if you sell files/prints on you website, they would also have the watermark on them which would be unacceptable

If you are looking to create a .png file, but don't know how I'd be happy to do that for you and send you a completed .png file. You could then do steps 3 and 4 yourself.

If I have misunderstood your problem, just provide some more details to get through my thick head!

David French Travel Photography

If you'll please re-read my post carefully, a focused reply addressing it and only it would be most welcome.

AceCo55 wrote: »

You could download a copy of Photoshop CS2 for free and that should work with Vista?

You can only create a custom watermark in Smugmug if you have either a Portfolio account or a Business account.
IF YOU DO HAVE EITHER OF THOSE ACCOUNTS:
1. create a watermark in Photoshop
2. save it as a .png file
3. upload that file to your Smugmug site ("My Smugmug Site" folder)
4. go to Account settings > Business >Watermarks > Manage > +Create ... follow prompts

If you do not have a Portfolio or Business account, AND YOU STILL WANT A CUSTOM WATERMARK, you would have to add it to you file before you uploaded it to Smugmug.
The problem with that is if you sell files/prints on you website, they would also have the watermark on them which would be unacceptable

If you are looking to create a .png file, but don't know how I'd be happy to do that for you and send you a completed .png file. You could then do steps 3 and 4 yourself.

If I have misunderstood your problem, just provide some more details to get through my thick head!

AceCo55

A few years ago - when I had another photo website (since discarded), I made a watermark easily enough myself with either Adobe Photoshop or Elements. However, in its dubious wisdom, Adobe has seen fit today to make those programs incompatible with Windows Vista. So I'm looking around again.
If you found it easy to do, then either download free copies of Photoshop CS2 or CS3.
You CAN get both of these installed in Windows Vista. Do a Google search - it will outline how.


I prefer a program that allows uploading the finished product on my SmugMug site, then applying the watermark to either single or multiple images in one fell swoop.
Since you haven't indicated whether you have a PORTFOLIO or BUSINESS plan with Smugmug, I then tried to point out to you that UNLESS YOU DO have one of those then you cannot create a custom watermark for Smugmug to add to your uploaded photos. If you DO have one of those two plans then going the CS2 or CS3 route would work just fine for you (as you say you have easily done it before)
I then tried to point out that if you DON'T have one of those two plans, there is still a way of custom watermarking your images ... you just need to do it before you upload. If that IS the only way to get a custom watermark on your images, I then pointed out the one major drawback. (so that you could weigh up pre-loading your custom watermark OR upgrading your plan to one of the two that WILL allow custom watermarking)
Just in case you couldn't find software to do what you wanted, I even offered to create your custom watermark for you ... so that you could upload it to Smugmug and use it on uploaded photos (again assuming you have one of those two plans)

I then added "If I have misunderstood your problem, just provide some more details to get through my thick head!"
You chose not to provide any more details.

You're welcome ... have a nice day!