Adobe Photoshop

**matt w** · 07-05-2008, 12:41 PM

I'm trying to make a (watermark?) with Elements 5.0 to place over PowerPoint images that I turn into PDF files to post them read only on my site. See an example here:
http://sifaka888.x10hosting.com/reco...ower_draft.pdf
But the watermark image is too opaque by my standards --I can't see the images behind them. Of course with .gif files a pixel is either transparent or not. So how can I make a lightly transparent image to screen over the PowerPoint pages? Is this some simple process of selecting transparent pixels? I couldn't find it in Elements help.
Thanks a lot,
Matt

**chrishirst** · 07-06-2008, 04:23 PM

use a .png where you can have alpha transparency

If Elements can't handle PNGs, download the Gimp or Inkscape which can.

**matt w** · 07-06-2008, 08:59 PM

The resulting PDF file doesn't allow partial transparency. If it's a one point over 50% tranparency .png, it's opaque. If it's one under, it disappears.
--When I copy the watermark "DRAFT" .png onto the PowerPoint slide, then print the PowerPoint with CutePDF--
Is there a way to make the watermark text grainy or halftone or sandy or something?

**chrishirst** · 07-08-2008, 08:04 AM

This might be an overly simplistic answer but,

Have you put the overlay image to the "back" of the slide and set it to "Watermark"?

I must admit I haven't used PowerPoint recently, but that was the method we taught the company managers when I was a wage slave.
It was nice and easy for them and we only had to explain it about twice a week

**matt w** · 07-09-2008, 12:00 PM

Chris,
My answer was obvious and simple. In PowerPoint:

Choose View > Master > Slide Master to display the slide master.
Choose Insert > Picture > From File and choose an image file to insert.
Select the image and move it to the desired location.
Click on >Send to Back

Then I print the PowerPoint as a .pdf file, and it's stamped with a watermark that leaves the text of the presentation legible.

Thanks for your help,
Matt