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This lesson demonstrates how to protect your photographs with a transparent watermark using the Horizontal Type Mask Tool. And how to create an Action by recording (and saving), the steps you take. Open a photograph onto Photoshop’s workspace, ready to watermark.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards. Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
Watermark/glass type lesson - proceed here!
Recording, saving and playing Actions
The Actions command shares a palette with the History palette. After you have practised making your watermark, to save it as an Action, from the top menu choose Window then ensure there is a tick before Actions. Now, open your image, and immediately before you create your watermark - from the foot of the Actions palette, click the following Create new action icon.
In the subsequent New Action dialogue box, type a name for your action into the Name menu. Then click open Set, and choose a place to save your Action to - I chose Default Actions. Accept the remaining (default) settings, then click Record.
Now, continue with this lesson, and create your watermark.
Note: Whilst you are recording your steps, you will notice the following red circle at the bottom of the Actions palette. This signifies your steps are being recorded.
After you have created your watermark, or other Action - from the foot of the Actions palette, click the following Stop playing/recording icon.
Your Watermark Action is complete and ready to apply.
Therefore, open a photograph, then from the Actions palette, scroll the list of Actions, and left-click to highlight your new Watermark. Then click the following Play selection icon.
The watermark should now be applied to your image.
Note
The watermark is applied on its own layer, therefore, both the Inner Bevel and Drop Shadow settings, are editable.
Points to consider
Bear in mind, the original size of your watermark will not alter. Therefore, to ensure it is large enough to fit subsequent photographs, (when creating the Watermark Action), ensure it is created on a large canvas, or photograph. Additionally, think about the position of your watermark - if you create it at the top of a photograph, in future, the watermark Action will be applied to the top of your photographs.
If you reposition - or enlarge your watermark with either, the Free Transform command or Move Tool - it no longer blends with the background.
To Delete an action you have recorded, highlight it, then left-click and drag it over the following Delete bin.
Saving your Actions
If for example, you have saved your Action to Default Actions, (as I have), then scroll the Actions list, locate and left-click to highlight Default Actions. Then click the following tiny black arrow.
Then from the drop-down list, click Save Actions. 
Your Default Actions have been saved to the Photoshop Actions folder, found in Presets.
 
1/ Create a watermark or transparent type
Your choice of image will be open on Photoshop’s workspace.
2/
Duplicate the Background layer by left-clicking and dragging it over the following Create a new layer icon.
And work on the Background copy layer.
3/
Then from the toolbar, activate the Horizontal Type Mask Tool.
The size of the type depends on the size of your photograph - therefore, set the attributes to suit your image. I set the following, and I am using an outline font.
As soon as you activate the Horizontal Type Mask Tool, a rubylith (red) mask completely covers your photograph. And the type I-beam will be blinking, ready for the type - as shown below
Enter the wording of your choice, then centralise the type by left-clicking - just under the type, then, when you see the Move icon (triangle and cross), shown below,
left-click and drag the type to a central position. Position the type over important areas of your image - you are looking to make it very difficult for others to remove the watermark - therefore, placement is important.
4/
When you are happy with your type’s position, click the Commit any current edits
tick, in the Options bar.
The red mask is immediately removed, and your text will change to a selection marquee.
5/
Ensure the Background Copy remains active.
6/
Then from the top menu, choose Select then choose Inverse - the marquee now surrounds the type and the border.
7/
Now, press the Delete key of your keyboard. Although your photograph remains unchanged, if you look at the Background copy layer, you will see the background surrounding the text, has been removed.
8/
It is time to apply an Inner Bevel and Drop Shadow to the transparent type, therefore, click the black triangle next to the following Add a layer style (f -fx) icon.
And from the drop-down list, click Bevel and Emboss. Experiment with different settings and find a glassy look you like - I chose the following, and the Gloss Contour is Ring.
Do not click OK, instead, on the left-side menu, click Drop Shadow, and apply a shadow of your choice. I chose the following settings - however, again, play, and find a shadow you prefer.
Now, click OK. Then press Ctrl and D to remove the selection marquee.
Your watermark is complete, and ready to save.
Note
To remove the transparent type’s background - from the Layers palette, click (to remove) the eye icon from the Background layer. 
Your type now has a transparent background, and can be used for other projects. I applied Eyecandy Nature’s Drip and Perspective Shadow filters to my clouds - at the top of this tutorial.
9/
If you prefer, from the top menu, choose Layer then Flatten Image, and apply a second watermark, perhaps over the sky. Remember, your watermark can be as large, or small, as you wish - or more pronounced - experiment, and find one that works well for your photograph.
Wendi E M Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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