we are currently undergoing a massive redesign of our web site. we have roughly 7,000 pictures of different sizes, resolutions, etc. and want to standardize them by removing their backgrounds, making them the same size, and inserting a watermark - without sacrificing quality. The company that originally designed the site and still helps us with this kind of stuff estimates it will take over a year to accomplish this, manually fixing each picture.
Does that sound right? Is there software that will automatically do this? In ideal world, all this would have done at the (pre) design phase, but we are well past that now. Any useful ideas would be most appreciated.
The problem is because they are all different, you really do have to go through them one by one manually to do them. Not much you can do about that.
It could quite possibly take a year. Depending on the complexity of the images, it could take 15 or so minutes per image to clean it up. Times 7000, that’s 1,750 hours of work…
I almost wonder if it wouldn’t be easier to retake the pictures against a green screen.
Imagemagick is a batch processor and the resize watermark is not very hard.
Loss of quality will happen anyway if they are jpg images and you are saving again as jpg.
Removing the background is the hard part; if it is a standard background on each one it may be easier. This link demonstrates removal of a white background.
You could post some example images on the Imagemagick forum and there could be a script on this website that may be of use
You should never edit JPeG images as any change will reduce the quality. Any edits need to be applied to the original images in whatever format they were in. Just how easy the edits will be depends on what graphics software you have available.
Once you finish all the edits then you can regenerate and upload all the replacement JPeGs.
Making them the same size would be fairly easy and automatable. There’s a program called EZThumbnails available that can do that. It’s a free download at http://www.fookes.com/ezthumbs/?Easy%20Thumbnails.
Once you get into removing backgrounds and adding watermarks, though, I think you’re looking at a lot of manual work.
I should have clarified my response on this one a bit.
You’re talking about three things here:
Making all images the same size.
Inserting a watermark.
Removing the background.
As others have said, the first two are quick easy and can be perfectly automated. As others have pointed out, if you are working with the original JPG, then any changes to the image will result in a reduction of quality. Exactly how great that reduction depends on how great the change is. If you have the original images, you should use those instead.
The third part is the one that could take a year. Each image is likely a different shape, etc., so if they aren’t on a standard background (like a solid color), it’s very difficult (or impossible) to automate something like that. If they are all on a solid colored background, then batching that would be possible (though likely require some hand touch-ups).
Also, you should note if by “removing the background” you mean making it transparent, then you will have to save them as PNGs (JPGs don’t support transparency).
If you have the original image files, I would use those to make any edits otherwise use the oldest available version of each image file.
In either case, to eliminate any further loss of quality you would then need to import the image files into your image editing software (Photoshop, Photoshop Elements or whatever) and save the images in the software application’s uncompressed file format - PSD for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.
Then you can make as many changes to each image as you like and save them in the uncompressed file format without any quality loss until you are happy with them. Then export them as jpg (or png files if you need transparency in your images) for web publishing.
But to guesstimate how long it could take, we really first need to see some demo images posted because the type of background that needs to be removed will largely determine how long it will take.
I would not bother repling to this thread anymore as its been over 4 days and the OP has not bothered to comment
You just did
4 days is not a long time. There are all sorts of valid reasons why an op is not able or does not need to reply to their thread anymore. Personally I draw the line at a few weeks after which I probably won’t reply to a thread on the assumption that the op either has received a solution or is unable to reply/comment any further for some reason.
Aside from that, this is a community and the answers to one person’s question may help another. As long as the thread is open, if you have something constructive to add to the conversation, let’s see it. For those who have nothing to add, let them keep silent.
If you want to have the best, the best of those pictures can be with your watermark and standards, it will take time. But I don’t think a year is needed for this. Though maybe most of your pictures do not have good resolutions?
The year came in as an estimated because of the number (7,000) of pictures that need detailed manipulation. How many photos do you think you could change to that extent in one day?
Will it be only one artist who will manipulate the photos? EVen if its only one artist and your project is the only thing he will work on, he could manipulate at least 50 pictures in one day (8 hours), unless your photos really need overhaul-type manipulations like putting another person or thing to another picture. Then that would take quite a while.
The problem is for they are different, you really have to go through them one by one manually to do them. Not much you can do about that.
It could quite possibly take a year. Depending on the complexity of the images, it could take 15 or so minutes per image to clean it up. Times 7000, that’s 1,750 hours of work…
I almost wonder if it wouldn’t be easier to retake the pictures against a green screen.
Well, if that is the case, it would take almost a year. And I don’t think its a good idea to take the pictures against a green screen. For what exactly is the green screen?
If you have a constant solid colour as a background, it’s then very easy to quickly remove it and replace it with whatever other background you have in Photoshop or something similar.
Ok, it would also be easier if you make a template for that effect you want. And you can ‘insert’ or pile up layer after layer of the pictures over the template.
The OP was asking for removal of background. inserting watermark, standard size without losing quality. And just like I said, you can make a template for this.
There are many ways for standardize an image. I am a photographer and like to capture wedding photographs. Following three things we use to standardize images :
