This article will show you how to create a watermark template to reuse in your MediaSilo projects and Review Links. In addition, we’ll review how to edit, delete, or clone an existing template.
Note that most options for managing watermark templates are only available to administrators. However, depending on your workspace-level settings, non-administrator users can create single-use watermarks for Review Links (See Create an Ad Hoc Watermark Template for a Review Link).
- Create a Watermark Template
- Create an Ad Hoc Watermark Template for a Review Link
- Update a Watermark Template
- Delete a Watermark Template
- Clone a Watermark Template
Create a Watermark Template
As an administrator, you can create watermark templates that are available across your entire workspace.
Start by opening the Administration page (Click the gear icon in the navigation bar on the left.). Then, go to the SafeStream tab.
Here, you’ll see a list of existing templates in your workspace. The Type column indicates if the template can be applied to videos, images, or documents.
Next, click the blue New Template button in the top right. Choose the type of template you want to create.
In this example, we’ll choose Video Watermark to design a template for video content. To learn about creating templates for images and documents, please click here.
This opens the watermark template editor. By default, an email watermark appears in your new template, though you can edit this watermark as described below.
In the preview window, you can drag the watermark to any spot on the screen. (For recommendations on where to place your watermarks, please see Best Practices for Watermarking Your Video Content<.)></.)>
To add more watermarks to the template, click the Add Mark button in the bottom left.
With the watermark selected, you can adjust its settings in the panel on the left. Each new watermark defaults to an email watermark; under Watermark Type, you can choose from the following options:
- The viewer’s email address
- The viewer’s name
- Custom text
- An image
If you select Custom Text, a text field appears directly below the Watermark Type menu. Here, you can enter any custom text you want to display, such as “Do Not Distribute” or “Property of [Insert Your Company Name].”
If you select Image, an upload window will appear below the Watermark Type menu. Be sure to upload an image file in PNG format. The file size cannot exceed 5MB, and we recommend image dimensions of 300 x 400 px. Transparency should be set in the file itself, since image transparency cannot be adjusted in the template editor.
Once you upload an image, you can click the image icon to choose a different image or the trash-can icon to remove the image. Note that a single template can contain up to three image watermarks.
You can adjust the color, size, or opacity of a text watermark (name, email, or custom text) by selecting the watermark in the preview window and changing its settings on the left side of the template editor.
Under Text Align, you can set a watermark’s position relative to the X button above the watermark itself. For example, clicking “Center” will center the watermark directly below its “X.” By default, a new watermark is left-aligned.
With a watermark selected, click the Frame Center buttons to center it horizontally or vertically. Select both Frame Center options to lock the watermark in the very center of the screen.
To remove a watermark, click its X button in the preview window. Note that a template must have at least one watermark. The X button is disabled if you try to delete the only watermark in the template.
When you’re done customizing your template, enter a title (required) and a description (optional) in the top left. These two fields are for your team’s internal reference only and do not appear in the template itself.
Lastly, click Save Template.
You’re now ready to apply the template to your content. To learn how, please see Enable SafeStream on a Project or Enable SafeStream on a Review Link.
Apply Custom Watermarking to a Project
You can apply watermarking to a project from the project settings window. As a project owner or administrator, you can:
- Apply an existing watermark template to a project, or
- Apply custom video watermarking without needing to create a new watermark template
On the Projects home page, click the three-dots button for the project you want to watermark. Then, select Edit Project from the options menu.
In the settings window, go to the SafeStream section. Here, you can turn on the toggles for Visible Video Watermarking, Forensic Watermarking, and/or Visible Image and Document Watermarking.
If you add Visible Video Watermarking, you can select an existing watermark template from the template menu, or click Add Watermarks to apply custom watermarking.
This will launch a new window where you can customize the watermarking for this project. You have the option to add the viewer’s name, the viewer’s email, an image file, custom text of your choosing, or any combination of these watermark types. Click Save Watermark when you’re done.
This option allows project owners and administrators to customize a project’s watermarking without having to create a new watermark template. The custom watermarking you apply to a project is not saved as a reusable workspace template.
Back in the project settings window, be sure to click Save Changes.
This method of applying custom watermarking to a project is only available if the option Only Allow Templates is toggled off. This workspace-level setting is located under Administration > SafeStream > Watermark Settings. |
Create an Ad Hoc Watermark Template for a Review Link
In addition to creating a reusable watermark template, you can also create an ad hoc, single-use template for any unwatermarked videos in a Review Link. This option is available to both administrators and workspace users with sharing permission.
For users to create an ad hoc watermark, an administrator must turn off the option “Only Allow Templates.” This workspace-level setting is located under Administration > SafeStream > Watermark Settings. If the toggle is on, then users cannot create ad hoc watermarks. |
In the Share window, select the Advanced option to view additional Review Link settings.
Click on Watermarking on the left side of the window. Then, turn on the toggle next to Apply Visible Video Watermarking.
Applying a watermark template to the files in a Review Link does not alter the watermark template of any files that are already watermarked due to their project settings. |
From the watermark template menu, select Create New Template. (You can also opt to select an existing template from the dropdown menu.)
This will open the watermark template editor, where you can customize your template as outlined in Create a Watermark Template. When you’re done customizing and naming your template, click Save Template.
If the watermark template displays a viewer’s identifying information (their name or email address), you’ll need to enter link recipients. First, click Audience on the left side of the Share window. Then, enter your recipients.
Your choice of watermark template can affect the link's Access setting. If a watermark displays the viewer's name, then you'll need to select Workspace users and enter workspace users as recipients. If a watermark displays the viewer’s email address but not their name, then you have the additional Access options of Public and Password protected. When you select Public or Password protected, you can enter any email address in the recipients field, even if that email does not belong to your MediaSilo workspace.
When you’re done, click the blue button in the bottom right to create your Review Link.
Update a Watermark Template
To make changes to an existing watermark template, go to the Administration page (Click the gear icon in the navigation bar on the left.) Then, select SafeStream from the tabs across the top of the page.
On the SafeStream page, you’ll find the list of watermark templates available in your workspace. You can sort by Default and Custom templates by clicking the filters along the left side of the page.
Find the template you want to edit, and click the three-dots button at the end of the row. Select Edit from the options menu.
This will open the watermark template editor, where you can update the template. When you’re done making changes, click Save Changes.
The changes you make to a watermark template are automatically applied to the projects and Review Links that are using that template. Depending on the changes you make, updating a watermark template can affect how viewers access the watermarked content. For example, if you add a Name watermark to a template, then the watermarked content can only be viewed by workspace users logged in to MediaSilo. On the other hand, updating a Custom Text watermark from “Confidential” to “Do not distribute” would not impact how the link is accessed. |
Delete a Watermark Template
To delete an existing watermark template, go to the Administration page (Click the gear icon in the navigation bar on the left.) Then, select SafeStream from the tabs across the top of the page.
On the SafeStream page, you’ll find the list of watermark templates available in your workspace. You can sort by Default and Custom templates by clicking the filters along the left side of the page.
Find the template you want to delete, and click the three-dots button at the end of the row. Select Delete from the options menu.
A popup window will ask you to confirm this action.
If you delete a watermark template that is currently in use, the template is still applied to the content it was previously applied to. However, the deleted template is no longer available in the list of templates you can apply to projects and Review Links. The deleted template will no longer be listed on the SafeStream page in Administration.
Clone a Watermark Template
In some cases, you may want to use an existing template as a jumping-off point for a new template. In this scenario, you can use the Clone option to create the new template without impacting the original one.
Start by going to the Administration page (Click the gear icon in the navigation bar on the left.) Then, select SafeStream from the tabs across the top of the page.
On the SafeStream page, you’ll find the list of watermark templates available in your workspace. You can sort by Default and Custom templates by clicking the filters along the left side of the page.
Find the template you want to clone, and click the three-dots button at the end of the row. Select Clone from the options menu.
This will open the watermark template editor, where you can modify the template or rename it to your liking. Hit the Save Template button when you’re done. The new template will be added to your list of templates.
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