Having created your 'logo' in the previous task, you can now go on to create your own watermark for your photos, and in the next task you can learn how to use Photoshop's 'Actions' to automate that task and 'Batch' processing to apply the watermark to a whole series of pictures (for example a set of images off your camera or its memory card) in one simple step.
The idea of having a watermark is fairly obvious - it places extra pixels which break up the image at a sutaible size over amn image ot prevent anyone using or copying it for their own purposes. Note that 'watermarked' images should be a 'flat' image (i.e. a jpeg or bmp image). Using a layered image (i.e. a native Photoshop image) would defeat the object, as the image could be edited and the watermarked layer discarded!
This task will only apply a 'watermark' to a single image. The next task shows you how to automate the process.
Open the abbey image on the left (by clicking on the image or the link on the left to open the full resolution version). Remember that it will open up a larger version in a new window. Right click on the larger version and choose 'Save image as' from the drop down menu. Save it in your working images folder or on your USB stick.
When you have downloaded the image, start Photoshop and use FILE > OPEN to locate the image and open it.
Add a layer to the image (you should know how to do this by now!) and make sure your foreground colour is white in the colour palette.
Select the Custom Shape tool (circled on the screen grab, right) and then go to the shapes drop down (highlighted by rectangle, right) to find your shape.
Draw your 'logo' onto the image, near the top and to the left, holding down the shift key to maintain original proportions.
As you did in the previous task, you need to select the outline of the logo again, by using the Magic wand and clicking 'inside' the white logo and letter shapes.
This is where it starts to get more complicated. With your logo shape selected, use the 'Blending Options' icon in the Layers panel (circled on right) to choose the Drop Shadow' option (arrowed). Use the following settings (as seen left):
Blend Mode: Multiply (or Screen)
Opacity: 90%
Distance: 0 px
Spread: 10 to 12 %
Size: 15 to 20 px
Leave all other attributes as is.
Then OK it.
Now we need a second effect: 'Bevel and Emboss'. As before, go to the 'Blending Options' icon, choose 'Bevel and Emboss' from the list and apply the following settings as seen on the left:
Structure:
Style: Inner Bevel
Technique: Chisel Hard
Depth: @50%
Size: 2 to 4 px
Shading:
Highlight Mode: Screen
Opacity: @80%
Shadow Mode: Hard Light
Opacity: @90%
All other attributes can be left as is.
Then OK.
Note that in both Drop Shadow and Bevel and Emboss, the colour for the shadow and bevel can be black or white. You might want to try either, according to the nature of your image.
To do this, you will need to go back to the 'Blending Options' icon for one last time. Now choose the 'Blending Options' item itself. The dialogue box on the left will come up.
In that dialogue, in the 'Advanced Blending' section (highlighted), drop the Fill Opacity down to 0% using the slider. Then OK.
To finish the watermark, use the Move Tool to pick up and move it into the centre of the image if necessary, then use short cut key combination: CTRL + D to Deselect it.
To keep a record of this task, save this modified image as a Photoshop file.
Then to 'embed' the watermark image into the image use FILE > SAVE AS to save the image as a jpeg to flatten it.
Make an evidence sheet using a screen grab of the Photoshop file open in Photoshop and the Layers palette visible, and the final image placed together on a page.
