Automator: Watermark PDF Documents not working

I also used this print service feature a lot in Mavericks and now it doesn't work.

I need it for work and i'm considering rolling back to Mavericks because I can't find a way to do it in Yosemite.

Its a shame that I can't use Yosemite because of a simple Automator bug.

Hello,

I have the same problem too.

I reported this problem with FeedBack Assistant on Yosemite Beta, and no response from Apple.

Hope this fix soon.

Got the same problem with several MacBooks with Yosemite. I need this to ceate invoices for my company. Why is Apple not responding here?

Hello

We'd need to modify the python script (Watermark PDF Documents.action/Contents/Resources/tool.py) and call it in a Run Shell Script action, for modifying this file will invalidate the codesign of the orignial action.

Please read the following thread:

Automator Watermark PDF Workflow

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6620337

Regards,

H

Hiroto solved the problem in the discussion he linked.

To summarize:

1. Copy "/System/Library/Automator/Watermark PDF Documents.action/Contents/Resources/tool.py" to a folder of your choice (I used /Users/Tony/Library/Scripts)

2. Change line 29

from:

provider = CGDataProviderCreateWithFilename(imagePath)

to:

url = CFURLCreateFromFileSystemRepresentation(kCFAllocatorDefault, imagePath, len(imagePath), False)

3. After line 75 add:

scale = 1.0

4. Then make it executable:

chmod u+x ~/Library/Scripts/tool.py

In Automator, do not use the Watermark Workflow, use this Run Shell Script Workflow (and pass input [as arguments]):

~/Library/Scripts/tool.py \
--under \
--xOffset 15 \
--yOffset 55 \
--angle 0 \
--scale 0.75 \
--opacity 0.5 \
--input "$1" \
--output "${1%.*} (COPY).${1##*.}" \
~/Pictures/Other\ Images/Watermark\(COPY\).png

Adjust settings as needed, and for the last line, use the path to your watermark

Thank you for this !

I don't know anything in programming, but I feel I am about to solve my big watermarks problem!! Could you just tell me how I can open the action file to change the code as you describe?

And secondly, what do you mean with

4. Then make it executable:

chmod u+x ~/Library/Scripts/tool.py

where/how does this has to happen?

Thank you very much !!!

You can copy it to the Desktop.

Open Terminal (Applications->Utilities)

Enter:

cp "/System/Library/Automator/Watermark PDF Documents.action/Contents/Resources/tool.py" ~/Desktop

Now open tool.py on the Desktop with TextEdit

Make the 2 changes described above and save

Then in Terminal enter:

chmod u+x ~/Desktop/tool.py

You can then copy tool.py to any Folder you wish and use the Run Shell Script action in Automator described above.

Thanks for your patience with me, Tony!

I still have a stupid question, but: what do you have to change in the last line to replace with the path of the watermark? Everything? What's the "COPY" thing?

Thanks and sorry if it's stupid :-)

The last line is the path and filename to where your watermark is located.

In my example, I'm using a watermark named "Watermark(COPY).png" located in "Pictures/Other Images" in my Home Directory (the shortcut of which is ~)

Spaces and parenthesis need to be escaped with a backslash (\) or use of quotes.

…so the path and filename in my example is: ~/Pictures/Other\ Images/Watermark\(COPY\).png

Thank you again for your help!

Unfortunately, I get an error message: " Failed to run a shell script - Traceback (most recent call last)".

Not sure if you can help me with this :-) Or is there something obvious that I don't see?
Thanks a lot, but don't waste time on my case, I am slowly considering to do all my watermarks manually as in the good old days :-(((

In the Run Shell Script Action, did you select: Pass Input [as arguments]:

Hello

You need to replace this line:

provider = CGDataProviderCreateWithFilename(imagePath)

with the following two lines:

url = CFURLCreateFromFileSystemRepresentation(kCFAllocatorDefault, imagePath, len(imagePath), False) provider = CGDataProviderCreateWithURL(url)

Or the following one line if you prefer:

provider = CGDataProviderCreateWithURL(CFURLCreateFromFileSystemRepresentation(kCFAllocatorDefault, imagePath, len(imagePath), False))

Note that python is a peculiar language where indentation has speciial meaning to denote level of code block. You need to be very careful to preserve the indentation of the snippet above as 1 tab in the target code. (Replace the 4-spaces indentation of the snippet posted above with 1 tab in the target code. Otherwise python code won't work.)

Indeed it would be much easier to copy the entire code of the modified tool.py posted in the linked thread into a new file. 😉

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6620337

Good luck,

H

PS. By the way, you may also open action's package via contextual menu item "Show Package Contents", which you can show with right clicking (control left clicking) on the Watermark PDF Documents.action.

Hi Hiroto and Tony,

Thank you very much for your help... even if I didn't sort it all yet! But I am willing to go through it :-)

I will recap step by step w I do so that you can see if I make a stupid mistake somewhere

1/ I open TextEdit, I select text mode, I copy all Hiroto's code and I get this file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tn9fbcnvfdve751/tool.py

2/ I save this file as tool.py, let's say on my desktop.

3/ I open terminal, I do this:

4/ I make a new process in Automator:

Do you see what I do wrong ?? I think I really follow what you say, but it doesn't work... :'-(

Thank you !!!

Open Terminal and enter:

~/Desktop/tool.py -h

The output should be:

Usage: watermark —input <file> —output <file> <watermark files>

Yes, exactly. Followed by three points.

Usage: watermark --input <file> --output <file> <watermark files>...

Does this help??