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Watermarks in InDesign

Community Beginner ,
May 09, 2011 May 09, 2011

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Good afternoon

I have a 600+ page manual, with over 25 Master Pages throughout the document.

I would like to export the document for proofing for the client with a watermark of "DRAFT" across every page.

Is this possible to do in one go rather than having to go through each Master Page and add the word "DRAFT" across each one?

Thanks

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How to , Import and export

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , May 09, 2011 May 09, 2011

Export to PDF and add the watermark in Acrobat

Document>Watermark> Add

Follow the onscreen dialog.

And I would set the OPACITY to be about 20%.

Then I'd use the PDF optimiser to FLATTEN the pdf - that should make the Watermark difficult to remove.

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Community Expert ,
May 09, 2011 May 09, 2011

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Export to PDF and add the watermark in Acrobat

Document>Watermark> Add

Follow the onscreen dialog.

And I would set the OPACITY to be about 20%.

Then I'd use the PDF optimiser to FLATTEN the pdf - that should make the Watermark difficult to remove.

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Community Beginner ,
May 09, 2011 May 09, 2011

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Many thanks.

Ideally I wanted to do the whole thing in InDesign, but can just open up Acrobat and do it in there afterwards.

Many thanks

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Community Expert ,
May 09, 2011 May 09, 2011

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Think again. You would need to do that on every export.

Sure, you have to add "DRAFT" to 25 separate master pages (apparently, none is based upon another?), but you only have to do that ONCE. Having "to do so" 25 times doesn't seem too daunting to me... Even without using Copy/Paste

And if you put it on a layer of its own, you can easily switch it off for creating a final version.

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Community Expert ,
May 09, 2011 May 09, 2011

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Yeh it can be done that way. But I'm pretty much of the opinion that if it doesn't belong in the design it doesn't belong on a page. Far too easy to make an error, in my opinion.

I think adding it in Acrobat is a much safer way to do it.

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Mentor ,
May 09, 2011 May 09, 2011

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lcl276 wrote:

Good afternoon

I have a 600+ page manual, with over 25 Master Pages throughout the document.

I would like to export the document for proofing for the client with a watermark of "DRAFT" across every page.

Is this possible to do in one go rather than having to go through each Master Page and add the word "DRAFT" across each one?

Thanks

Although there are many ways "to skin a cat," once the cat is skinned, it didn't matter which one was used, especially to the cat.

Although there are opinions here on whether it's better to apply the DRAFT watermark in InDesign or Acrobat, there are several ways to deal with the problem of how to show/hide it. One may fit your workflow better than others.

* In your case with many master pages, you might begin with creating a new master page with the watermark on it, and base master pages on the master page with the watermark. This makes it easy to show/hide the watermark across all pages based on one master page. If some master pages are based on others, you can base such "foundation" master pages on the watermark master page.

To control the visibility of the watermark, you can use a combination of InDesign and Acrobat features.

* On the common based-on master page in InDesign, create a new bottom-level layer for the watermark. You can show/hide the InDesign layers in InDesign and/or in Acrobat. Acrobat has many options for dealing with PDF document layers that were created in source applications such as InDesign; to create an Acrobat layer, you need to import a layer from a PDF or layered image file, such as Photoshop.

* In InDesign, you can make layers and/or objects nonprinting. Hidden InDesign layers are retained in PDF exports.

* In InDesign you can apply a condition to the watermark and show/hide it before exporting to PDF, but Acrobat can't show/hide a condition, only layers.

* In InDesign, you can create a cross-reference to watermark text and insert content into the cross-reference source paragraph or leave it blank, to show/hide the watermark, or show/hide the condition on the cross-reference source or reference text, or show/hide the cross-reference's layer.

* Layer visibility in PDFs with "no changes" security settings can still be changed by users without passwords, so a DRAFT watermark layer can be hidden. Watermarks in PDFs with "no changes" security cannot be hidden or changed by users without passwords.

Applying and managing a watermark solely in a PDF can result in exporting an InDesign file to PDF and forgetting to apply the watermark in Acrobat before sending the document.

So, what's the surest and simplest approach to avoid forgetting to display a watermark in a PDF that users can't change, and to avoid forgetting to remove it from the final PDF? If the InDesign document is layered, and the user won't need access to layers, a good candidate is to create the watermark in InDesign and uncheck Create Acrobat Layers, and check View PDF after Exporting to verify the result. If the user requires access to PDF layers, perhaps to view different comp layouts, create the watermark on every essential layer, and check Create Acrobat Layers; this displays the watermark no matter which layer is showing. If there are many essential layers, conditional text is useful here, because it works across layers, so showing/hiding a conditionalized watermark on many layers at once is a one-click operation. If your document is an InDesign book consisting of multiple independent component files, you can use the book's synchronize feature to apply show/hide condition settings to all files in the book in one operation.

Search Google for terms like "InDesign layer visibility," "Acrobat PDF layer visibility," "InDesign conditional text," "InDesign synchronize book," "InDesign cross-reference," and similar terms for details on these topics.

HTH

Regards,

Peter

_______________________

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

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Advisor ,
May 10, 2011 May 10, 2011

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Hey,

There is hidden class inside InDesign scripting which allows you to add watermark directly inside InDesign. So, here is custom InDesign panel which allows you to set watermark without additional layers and stuff.

http://bit.ly/jdPEZj

tomaxxiWATERMARK.jpg

Hope this helps.

--

Marijan (tomaxxi)

http://indisnip.wordpress.com/

http://inditip.wordpress.com/

http://twitter.com/tomaxxi

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Community Expert ,
May 10, 2011 May 10, 2011

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You're an absolute GENT!

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Community Expert ,
May 10, 2011 May 10, 2011

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Marijan [tomaxxi] wrote:

Hey,

There is hidden class inside InDesign scripting which allows you to add watermark directly inside InDesign. So, here is custom InDesign panel which allows you to set watermark without additional layers and stuff.


Brilliant.

For those who don't know, would you mind explaining how to install this?

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Community Expert ,
May 10, 2011 May 10, 2011

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I downloaded it, then I double clicked it and it launched the Extensions Manager.

Restart inDesign, then it's located in Window>Utilities.

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Community Expert ,
May 10, 2011 May 10, 2011

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So did I, but some less experience users might be a little unsure and I like to see intructions for new types of installations included when possible. I guess you just covered it, though.

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Community Expert ,
May 10, 2011 May 10, 2011

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Perhaps Marijan can give more concise instructions

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Advisor ,
May 10, 2011 May 10, 2011

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Eugene got it right!

No secret features inside, maybe just few bugs

--

Marijan.

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Community Expert ,
May 10, 2011 May 10, 2011

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Wahooo I am so smrt.

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Guest
Nov 28, 2012 Nov 28, 2012

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Does this work in CS6?

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Community Expert ,
Nov 28, 2012 Nov 28, 2012

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Why not try it out?

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Advisor ,
Nov 28, 2012 Nov 28, 2012

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It should work in CS6 as well.

--

Marijan (tomaxxi)

http://tomaxxi.com

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Guest
Nov 28, 2012 Nov 28, 2012

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Eugene,

I couldn't at the time because I was using my laptop, which doesn't have CS6 installed on it ...

Marijan,

Have now tried it in CS6. Double-clicking on the file brings up Extensions Manager but it immediately vanishes and nothing is installed. Liked your webpage and many thanks for your reply.

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New Here ,
Nov 29, 2012 Nov 29, 2012

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Got it to install in CS6 and it works perfectly. Brilliant utility. Many thanks.

John Loydall

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New Here ,
Jun 03, 2013 Jun 03, 2013

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This is great thanks. I have designed a wedding album and want to send a proof copy to the client so this is perfect. One question, can the text be moved to appear over the photos? At the moment it is behind and I can not see how to change it. Thanks!

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Community Beginner ,
Jun 03, 2013 Jun 03, 2013

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Simply untick "Watermark in back" in the Tomaxxi Watermark panel and it'll go over the front of your images, and every other object.

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New Here ,
Jun 03, 2013 Jun 03, 2013

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Haha, thats my second question posted to the forum and second solution staring me in the face! Thanks!

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Community Beginner ,
May 10, 2011 May 10, 2011

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Marijan - absolutely perfect - EXACTLY what I was looking for.

Great sites in your signature too - have bookmarked them for further viewing.

Keep up the great work.

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Guest
Nov 26, 2012 Nov 26, 2012

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Hello Everyone

someone please tell me how to add watermark in Indesign document or using javascript.

Thanks.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 26, 2012 Nov 26, 2012

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Did you actually read the above thread? If no, please do so. If yes, why do you think it does not it tell you the answer to your question?

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