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ChelsieKBP Author

Level 1

1 points

Automator: Watermark PDF Documents not supplied required data?

I want to create a letterhead background on a Numbers document so I can email a Numbers document on my letterhead. I haven't found an easy answer so far until I came across the Watermark PDF Document feature in Automator. That would work perfectly, problem is, I can't get it to work at all. No matter what I have added, subtracted or rearranged I get the same results....The action "Watermark PDF Document" was not supplied with the required data. I'm really not sure what I'm doing wrong. Can someone walk me through what it is suppose to look like? I want it as a printer workflow so I can just take the document I'm working on in Numbers, go to the print menu, as if I was going to "print" it in to Preview, and it will convert it to PDF then put the watermark on it. I have done lots of research to try and figure out what I am doing wrong...and I hope it's something really silly because I am getting so frustrated.

Thanks!

Posted on Sep 30, 2013 10:59 AM

37 replies

Oct 1, 2013 7:20 AM in response to ChelsieKBP

Open the watermark file in Preview thne open the Inspector and look for

If I remove the alpha channel and run the workflow I get

ChelsieKBP Author

Level 1

1 points

Oct 1, 2013 7:21 AM in response to Tony T1

I tried those already, same result.

ChelsieKBP Author

Level 1

1 points

Oct 1, 2013 8:11 AM in response to Tony T1

Tony T1

Level 6

10,238 points

Oct 1, 2013 8:34 AM in response to ChelsieKBP

I was able to get this with overPDF selected (opacity 0.5). Couldn't get it to work with underPDF:

Tony T1

Level 6

10,238 points

Oct 1, 2013 8:51 AM in response to ChelsieKBP

I now got it to work with UnderPDF, but I had to take your PNG, open it in Preview and Export to a NEW png:

Tony T1

Level 6

10,238 points

Oct 1, 2013 11:17 AM in response to ChelsieKBP

Not what you want, but there's a way to do this in Numbers.

See: http://www.macworld.com/article/1059682/backimgnumbers.html

This is the result:

Sep 30, 2013 3:41 PM in response to ChelsieKBP

Post your workflow so we can see what you have tried.

regards

red_menace

Level 6

17,054 points

Sep 30, 2013 8:05 PM in response to ChelsieKBP

If you Show Package Contents of the saved workflow, in the /Contents/QuickLook folder there is a .png of the complete workflow that you can use instead of trying to use screenshots.

Tony T1

Level 6

10,238 points

Oct 1, 2013 7:01 AM in response to ChelsieKBP

Before creating a Print Plug-in, test it as a Workflow with "Ask for Finder Items"

Oct 1, 2013 7:06 AM in response to red_menace

red_menace thanks for the tip.

Never realized that that was there and it sure does make posting a workflow a whole lot easier!

ChelsieKBP Author

Level 1

1 points

Oct 1, 2013 7:10 AM in response to Frank Caggiano

When I saved it I had the alpha box checked...I also tired it with the watermarks above and it didn't work. How do I check that?

Tony T1

Level 6

10,238 points

Oct 1, 2013 7:12 AM in response to Frank Caggiano

He can test that with the PNG I posted here yesterday (the COPY watermark PNG).

Oct 1, 2013 7:24 AM in response to Tony T1

Tony T1 wrote:

He can test that with the PNG I posted here yesterday (the COPY watermark PNG).

I don't see a link to a file to download in any of your posts here. Did the system eat it?

just saw it

ChelsieKBP Author

Level 1

1 points

Oct 1, 2013 7:24 AM in response to Frank Caggiano

Yes, unfortunately it has alpha....I was hoping it would be as simple as that.

Oct 1, 2013 7:32 AM in response to ChelsieKBP

The only time I get that message is if, the watermark file isn't right or if the file I am trying to watermark is not a PDF file.

Wish I had more to offer.

regards

Automator: Watermark PDF Documents not supplied required data?