Automating photo processing for the web

jcdill

Does anyone here have a simple process for processing photos for the web using basic PS 7 tools?

I need to:

A) Resize images (both landscape and portrait) to max of 600 pixels;
Sharpen;
C) Sign with my copyright (dark text with a light glow so it works on all photos) in lower right corner, inset 5-10% in from the corner;
D) Save as a new file in a sub-folder.

I've been VERY frustrated with the tutorials I have found - they are piece meal, they don't work right, they don't explain what order to do the steps, they assume all source images are the same size or same orientation - they don't produce good results. I end up with sharpening artifacts, with my logo looking like crap (truncated, or too large for the image, or misplaced), or the image itself being way too sharp, or way too soft. I know that no one batch process for sharpening will work perfectly for all images, but I'm having a hard time finding anything that works well for even a fraction of my photos. I don't know if it generally works better to sign then sharpen, or to sharpen then sign, or does it depend on how the photo is signed (vector image, or type layer, or png, or brush, etc.)?

sigh

I'm using Photoshop 7. I don't have Image Ready, I don't have CS or CS2. It shouldn't be that hard to do all of this in PS7. I'd be happy to do all of this in some other tool if that ONE tool can do it all well, can do it with a simple batch or action, the tool is free, and the instructions on how to do ALL of these steps is straight forward, but so far I haven't found anything.

I can't be the only photographer who is stymied by this problem - someone here has to have had and solved it already, right?

Please HELP! Thanks!!!

Dna

I have used Arles in the past to make photos web ready. I *think* it will do all you want.

http://www.digitaldutch.com/arles/

Dna

Andy

jcdill wrote:

Does anyone here have a simple process for processing photos for the web using basic PS 7 tools?

I need to:

A) Resize images (both landscape and portrait) to max of 600 pixels;
Sharpen;
C) Sign with my copyright (dark text with a light glow so it works on all photos) in lower right corner, inset 5-10% in from the corner;
D) Save as a new file in a sub-folder.

I've been VERY frustrated with the tutorials I have found - they are piece meal, they don't work right, they don't explain what order to do the steps, they assume all source images are the same size or same orientation - they don't produce good results. I end up with sharpening artifacts, with my logo looking like crap (truncated, or too large for the image, or misplaced), or the image itself being way too sharp, or way too soft. I know that no one batch process for sharpening will work perfectly for all images, but I'm having a hard time finding anything that works well for even a fraction of my photos. I don't know if it generally works better to sign then sharpen, or to sharpen then sign, or does it depend on how the photo is signed (vector image, or type layer, or png, or brush, etc.)?

sigh

I'm using Photoshop 7. I don't have Image Ready, I don't have CS or CS2. It shouldn't be that hard to do all of this in PS7. I'd be happy to do all of this in some other tool if that ONE tool can do it all well, can do it with a simple batch or action, the tool is free, and the instructions on how to do ALL of these steps is straight forward, but so far I haven't found anything.

I can't be the only photographer who is stymied by this problem - someone here has to have had and solved it already, right?

Please HELP! Thanks!!!

I'm on CS2 so I'll try to help.

Does PS7 have batch automation tools? If yes, you can have a photoshop action do the resizing, sharpening, apply your logo, etc. Let me know and I'll try to help. I'll also seek out some PS7 users

jcdill

Andy wrote:

I'm on CS2 so I'll try to help.

Does PS7 have batch automation tools? If yes, you can have a photoshop action do the resizing, sharpening, apply your logo, etc. Let me know and I'll try to help. I'll also seek out some PS7 users

Yes, PS7 has batch tools.

The problems I've run into are:

A) Unable to properly locate the logo in the bottom right. Using select all then layer -> align layer bottom -> align layer right and then nudging the text up and left leaves me with clipped edges on the bottom and right sides - the "align" tool doesn't see the shadow and aligns the text only.

I'm beyond frustrated and enraged at how difficult it is to understand how to SAVE AS with actions and batches. No matter what set of selections I choose it's always wrong. The Over-ride batch setting seems to do something completely different from what I expect. I'm not a novice at this but there's something totally non-intuative about how Adobe codes and describes these functions.

Thanks!

Andy

jcdill wrote:

Yes, PS7 has batch tools.

The problems I've run into are:

A) Unable to properly locate the logo in the bottom right. Using select all then layer -> align layer bottom -> align layer right and then nudging the text up and left leaves me with clipped edges on the bottom and right sides - the "align" tool doesn't see the shadow and aligns the text only.

I'm beyond frustrated and enraged at how difficult it is to understand how to SAVE AS with actions and batches. No matter what set of selections I choose it's always wrong. The Over-ride batch setting seems to do something completely different from what I expect. I'm not a novice at this but there's something totally non-intuative about how Adobe codes and describes these functions.

Thanks!

So you want your logo to print on your prints - not a watermark for display only, right?

I agree with the non-intuitiveness of this function, it's the same in CS2

jcdill

Andy wrote:

So you want your logo to print on your prints - not a watermark for display only, right?

Correct. I need to be able to incorporate "signed" images in my blog and elsewhere.

Andy

jcdill wrote:

Correct. I need to be able to incorporate "signed" images in my blog and elsewhere.

OK

I've put out a couple emails to folks I think can really help, standby, might take 1/2 day or so for them to read and reply.

DavidTO

I'm not sure if it's still available, but I think what would help you is Dr. Brown's Image processor. It's now built in to CS2, so I'm not sure if it's still available for PS7, it was back in the day, but I can't seem to find it. Hunt it down, or pony up for CS2.

jcdill

DavidTO wrote:

pony up for CS2.

That's not an option. And it shouldn't HAVE to be an option! This isn't rocket science, it is something that should be EASY to do with back PS tools from even earlier versions (e.g. PS6 or even earlier). The program is called PHOTOshop, so batch processing of resizing and signing photos is something that should have been built into the program many years ago. I'm mystified why I can't find a tutorial that explains how to easily do this.

jcdill

Andy wrote:

I've put out a couple emails to folks I think can really help, standby, might take 1/2 day or so for them to read and reply.

Thanks! I'll keep checking back to see what news you might have.

DavidTO

jcdill wrote:

That's not an option. And it shouldn't HAVE to be an option! This isn't rocket science, it is something that should be EASY to do with back PS tools from even earlier versions (e.g. PS6 or even earlier). The program is called PHOTOshop, so batch processing of resizing and signing photos is something that should have been built into the program many years ago. I'm mystified why I can't find a tutorial that explains how to easily do this.

Batch processing is and has been built into PS for a long time. Dr. Brown's made it easier, that's all, and it's a good addition to PS. It was available for PS7, like I said, and maybe you can still find it. And it won't solve all your problems, either, it just helps.

Everything you want to do can be done in PS7, I believe. I'm not all that fluent in writing actions, but I don't see why you couldn't.

Have you tried recording your steps and creating an action? You make a new action, hit record, and go about your business. After you're done you may need to tweak a bit, but it shouldn't be that hard.

We do have a basic tutorial on writing an action, it's more of an introduction than a deep instruction, but you can find that here.

jcdill

DavidTO wrote:

Have you tried recording your steps and creating an action? You make a new action, hit record, and go about your business. After you're done you may need to tweak a bit, but it shouldn't be that hard.

Yes, I have tried it. Dozens of times. It IS that hard. PS doesn't have easy tools to resize both landscape and portrait in the same action, or to place a .sig in the bottom right corner on both landscape and portrait images. And the "save" problem has me pulling out my hair.

DavidTO wrote:

We do have a basic tutorial on writing an action, it's more of an introduction than a deep instruction, but you can find that here.

I know how to do actions. I have dozens of actions. The problem is getting these specific actions (resize, sign) to work properly on files of any size in both orientations, and then having save-as work properly in a batch.

DavidTO

OK, my last attempt to try and help here...

Are you on a Mac? If so, Applescript may be able to help, and possibly take the place of Dr. Brown's Image Processor.

jcdill

Andy wrote:

OK

I've put out a couple emails to folks I think can really help, standby, might take 1/2 day or so for them to read and reply.

Hi Andy,

Any news yet?

Thanks!!!

jcdill

jcdill wrote:

Hi Andy,

Any news yet?

Thanks!!!

bump....

Andy

jcdill wrote:

bump....

The problem is twofold: 1) my universe of PS-7 friends is small and 2) peeps are on vacation. Hang in there, I have re-asked a couple folks. I'm also moving this to Finishing School, the viewership of PS folks is wider.

mercphoto

jcdill wrote:

Yes, PS7 has batch tools.

The problems I've run into are:

A) Unable to properly locate the logo in the bottom right. Using select all then layer -> align layer bottom -> align layer right and then nudging the text up and left leaves me with clipped edges on the bottom and right sides - the "align" tool doesn't see the shadow and aligns the text only.

If this is text the solution is easy. You simply select the text tool, click, type. Photoshop will place it in the same relative position for any given sized document. I do this all the time. If this is a graphic or layer then simply add some dead space to the bottom and right of your graphic. In other words, don't nudge it to put in the spacing you want, put that spacing in the graphic itself.

I'm beyond frustrated and enraged at how difficult it is to understand how to SAVE AS with actions and batches.

I agree.

mickle

If you are using PS7 on a PC, there is a version of my Framer that will do it for you.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pooternerds/Framer/index.html

flyingpylon

jcdill-

I think the answer is that it really is *not* as easy to do what you want as it should be. I have struggled with this same issue and always found that actions and batch processing were not flexible enough to handle different image sizes and orientations, and the file naming convention I wanted.

My solution with CS2 was to create a script using a language called VBScript which is available on PCs with Windows. But scripts can also be written using Applescript or Javascript, both of which are available on the Mac.

A script will allow you to do all sorts of conditional processing (i.e. if it's landscape do this, if it's portrait, do that... find the width and height of the image and place the watermark exactly where you want it, etc. and then save the file where you want it with the exact name you want, etc.).

If you have no experience with any of the aforementioned scripting languages, writing a script will not be easy. I happen to have experience with VBScript, so I used that. But it took a fair amount of trial and error to make it all work. Also, I don't know what scripting capabilities PS v7 has. I know v6 did not have what I needed at the time.

So look into scripting, I think that will do what you want.

bham

I have and use both CS2 and PS7, mainly because I have some batch actions that I use on PS7 because it doesn't auto rotate images upon opening.

A couple of things. I would set up two different actions, one for horizontal and one for vertical. If you have the sig that you want to include as a file you will find out that opening a second file in the action is a mess because then if you do a batch it is looking to the folder that you set for that file. Before recording the action have the sig file already open and have selected all (ctrl a), then after you have opened the file that the sig will go into you paste (ctrl v). Then move to the appropriate location. Then merge visible (ctrl shift e), then save. Then before running any batch with this command you need to open the sig file and select all or it won't have anything to paste.

It took me a while to get to this solution also. Hope this is what you are looking for. If not pm me for more questions. Needless to say I use the automate batch commands alot.

jcdill

bham wrote:

A couple of things. I would set up two different actions, one for horizontal and one for vertical.

That really doesn't work for me at all. I shoot a lot of events - so when I need to batch process photos I'm talking dozens or hundreds of photos.

bham wrote:

If you have the sig that you want to include as a file you will find out that opening a second file in the action is a mess because then if you do a batch it is looking to the folder that you set for that file. Before recording the action have the sig file already open and have selected all (ctrl a), then after you have opened the file that the sig will go into you paste (ctrl v). Then move to the appropriate location. Then merge visible (ctrl shift e), then save. Then before running any batch with this command you need to open the sig file and select all or it won't have anything to paste.

This is just basic automation - I can do that fine. The problem comes when the source images are different sizes which happens when I've cropped some of the images. In that case the .sig comes out too big on the cropped images. sigh

jcdill

flyingpylon wrote:

I think the answer is that it really is *not* as easy to do what you want as it should be.

Is it really?

The program is called Photoshop. Thousands of photographers use it. I thought that along the way someone would have found a way to get it to do this.

flyingpylon wrote:

If you have no experience with any of the aforementioned scripting languages, writing a script will not be easy. I happen to have experience with VBScript, so I used that. But it took a fair amount of trial and error to make it all work. Also, I don't know what scripting capabilities PS v7 has. I know v6 did not have what I needed at the time.

So look into scripting, I think that will do what you want.

I have no experience with scripting, and I don't know if PS7 works with scripts, or have any idea where to start.

I'm REALLY baffled that this is (apparently) an unsolved problem!

mickle

flyingpylon wrote:

Also, I don't know what scripting capabilities PS v7 has. I know v6 did not have what I needed at the time.

PS7 scripting has virtually the same capabilities as the CS & CS2 versions minus the options for a user interface. You do need to download the scripting plugin from Adobe though.

bham

jcdill wrote:

That really doesn't work for me at all. I shoot a lot of events - so when I need to batch process photos I'm talking dozens or hundreds of photos.



This is just basic automation - I can do that fine. The problem comes when the source images are different sizes which happens when I've cropped some of the images. In that case the .sig comes out too big on the cropped images. sigh

Good luck. I shoot a ton of events and it works for me. I just learn that I need to manually do any pics I crop, since I have manually crop them anyway. But I have gotten so I do a better job in image capture so I rarely have to crop.

Your best bet may be to purchase the framing script that mickle posted.

Nikolai

Image Processor

DavidTO wrote:

I'm not sure if it's still available, but I think what would help you is Dr. Brown's Image processor. It's now built in to CS2, so I'm not sure if it's still available for PS7, it was back in the day, but I can't seem to find it. Hunt it down, or pony up for CS2.

Is, in fact, a fine example of the scripting support integrated into CS2. JScript and VBScript. Matt's "Speed Clinic" gives a good jump-start in this matter.

All jcdill wants can be done via relatively simple script (just because you can do EVERYTHING in script). It can even differentiate dark images from the light ones and select contrasting colors depending on the exact image/image area.
Unfortunately, it requires two things: copy of CS2 and some programming skills...

pixappeal

All,

What would be the 'quick' way to perform this task on CS2?

Mike

Isaac_Golding

jcdill wrote:

Is it really?

The program is called Photoshop. Thousands of photographers use it. I thought that along the way someone would have found a way to get it to do this.

I have no experience with scripting, and I don't know if PS7 works with scripts, or have any idea where to start.

I'm REALLY baffled that this is (apparently) an unsolved problem!

Jcdill, I've run into this situation quite a few times where I have different images of different sizes/orientations/crops/ and want to "mass watermark" them all.

I ended up doing on of several things.

#1 Made 2 actions, one port & one landscape.
Sorted images by orientation and ran the proper action against the proper orientation.

#2 For images of different sizes Lets just say some odd sized crop that was at odds with the rest of that collection. I simply used a brush signature that I had made.


The conclusion that I came to with Actions and signatures after days of poking around on the web. Beating my keyboard & mouse all to hell in frusteration, asking around on diff forums and other assorted shouts was that I wasn't going to find a "Magic do it all action" that will process every image regardless of size/orientation and place the signature in the correct location at the correct proportion for that image.

It simply boils down to "that dog won't hunt"

The program is called Photoshop not Batch Photoshop and its focus is on photos and yes it does have batch abilites. However those abilites are still based on the very complex gee-wiz math thats under the hood and what your talking about is a very complex process when your involving images of multiple sizes/orientations and adding signatures that have to scale to the correct proportion of that particular photo.

Of course this is just my opinion. If it turns out I'm wrong then that would be great for everybody.

claudermilk

Actually, you can.
First look here: http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html

That should be easier than my way, which was to figure it out on my own; it was a PITA & took a few evenings of trial & error, but I did eventually get a working action that placed a logo in the lower left corner & the copyright statement in the lower right.