Automator: Watermark PDF Documents not working

I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. Is this procedure alright:

1) Copy /System/Library/Automator/Watermark PDF Documents.action/Contents/Resources/tool.py

2) Delete original script, paste Hiroto's script (I did this with TextEdit); save file

3) make it executable: chmod u+x [reference]

4) Run in Terminal (output should be "Usage: watermark —input <file> —output <file> <watermark files>")

artnaz wrote:

I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. Is this procedure alright:

1) Copy /System/Library/Automator/Watermark PDF Documents.action/Contents/Resources/tool.py

2) Delete original script, paste Hiroto's script (I did this with TextEdit); save file

3) make it executable: chmod u+x [reference]

4) Run in Terminal (output should be "Usage: watermark —input <file> —output <file> <watermark files>")

If you run in Terminal without any arguments, you will get errors.

If you run with the argument: —help, you will see the "Usage:" output.

You're absolutely right. I was (wrongly) under the impression that it would give me the arguments that I should provide. In combination with Automator it works too. So thanks a lot! 🙂

In my case, I want to get rid of the original file and replace it with a watermarked file with the same filename. This can be done with the following AppleScript. You don't need to "Dispense Items Incrementally" with this. Note I am moving the original file to an arbitrary folder called trashFolder.

Hey there!

Thanks to Tony T1 & Hiroto - great work guys!

I managed to get the watermark workflow working on my machine. I now want to streamline it but I am kinda stuck. Here is the workflow I've got at the moment:

It does get the job done but I would love to change a few things.

1) I would like to just drop the pdf onto the workflow and enter the watermark I need. However if I ask for the pdf first the shell script will take the watermark png as input and not the pdf. Any ideas how to change that? I already tried to set the pdf as a variable and to get that variable before the shell script is called. That didn't work out.

2) I would like to add the text of the watermark to the end of the file name. But I cant rename the output file without asking for it again before the renaming step. No clue why it doesn't accept the watermarked pdf as an input.

Oh and one more thing: Is there anyway to create a batch mode? So lets say I've got a text file with a lot of different names (Jenny Smith; Mike Meyers; the list goes on...). Could I feed that list of names into the workflow to output a watermarked pdf for very person? That would be the best case scenario!

Should I give up on automator and just do it all in a single apple script?

Any help is much appreciated 🙂

Apple fixed the Python code in the Automator action, and it now watermarks as it should in El Capitan when I retested it. This was a clean install of El Capitan, therefore did not benefit from previous fixes discussed this post.

kia.ora wrote:

Hey there!

Thanks to Tony T1 & Hiroto - great work guys!

I managed to get the watermark workflow working on my machine. I now want to streamline it but I am kinda stuck. Here is the workflow I've got at the moment:

It does get the job done but I would love to change a few things.

1) I would like to just drop the pdf onto the workflow and enter the watermark I need. However if I ask for the pdf first the shell script will take the watermark png as input and not the pdf. Any ideas how to change that? I already tried to set the pdf as a variable and to get that variable before the shell script is called. That didn't work out.

2) I would like to add the text of the watermark to the end of the file name. But I cant rename the output file without asking for it again before the renaming step. No clue why it doesn't accept the watermarked pdf as an input.

Oh and one more thing: Is there anyway to create a batch mode? So lets say I've got a text file with a lot of different names (Jenny Smith; Mike Meyers; the list goes on...). Could I feed that list of names into the workflow to output a watermarked pdf for very person? That would be the best case scenario!

Should I give up on automator and just do it all in a single apple script?

Any help is much appreciated 🙂

As VikingOSX said, you can now use the Watermark PDF Documents Workflow that's in Automator with OS X El Capitain

For an an Automator Workflow that you can "drop" PDF's on, and in batch mode:

First, d/l and install Dispense Items Incrementally from: http://www.macosxautomation.com/automator/examples/actions.html

Then use this Automator Workflow (and save as an Application):

The Run Shell Script Action is:

name=${1##*/}

echo ${name%.*}

To Run, "drop" as many PDF's (or Folders of PDF's) as you want onto the Application Icon.

This Workflow adds (Draft) to the end of the filename, but you can change that to any text you want.

Hi Tony and VikingOSX,

I am aware of the fix in El Capitan, however I currently in the middle of a big project and unable to update. Thank you so much for your input. I was able to put together an Automator workflow which works on Yosemite. Here is how I did it:

The workflow asks for an input text, creates a png of that text, watermarks the pdf with said text and then adds the input text to the filename. That way its very easy to watermark pdf with names. (e.g. a screenplay with actors/actresses names)

I already tried to assemble a similar workflow on Mavericks or OS X El Capitain but I was unable to do so. Do you guys have any ideas?