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This ATEM (mini) Tips” series of short video tutorials for your Blackmagic ATEM hardware includes tips for all users, from beginner to advanced. Scroll down to see more in the series!

This is a collection of all PhotoJoseph LIVE shows, from the PhotoJoseph YouTube channel. Additional episodes are listed below!

Titles, Transparent Lower Thirds Graphics from Photoshop to ATEM

Photo Moment - March 19, 2021

To create accurate, transparent Title and Lower Thirds graphics with drop shadows and gradients for your ATEM Mini, ATEM Mini Pro, ATEM Mini Pro ISO, or any other ATEM switcher, exporting a PNG file is not enough! There's more to it than that, and the easy way requires Photoshop. Don't want to use Photoshop? Be sure to watch tip number 005!

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What this tip is about…

You've created lower thirds, title graphics, bugs, or any other graphic you might need for your live production on an ATEM. Your simple graphics look fine, and your drop shadowed ones probably look OK, too. But… somehow, the shadows aren't quite right, and if you tried to do make anything more complicated like a glow, or a graduated color transparency, then things looked downright awful. WHY?!

There's actually a very specific way that transparent graphics need to be made for an ATEM, and that's something called “premultiplied”. In this video, we'll start with a simple graphic that just works — mostly. Let's call it… good enough. Then, we'll break it with a more advanced graphic. And finally, we'll see how to make the graphic properly, using the free Photoshop plugin that's already been installed by the Blackmagic Design ATEM Software installer!

But what if you don't have Photoshop? That's OK! In the next tip, number 5, we'll explore how to make them in any graphics app, such as Affinity Photo.

📄 Full Video Transcript

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can you use Pond5® | Lower Third Templates in the atem mini?
Dude, after digging around you were the ONLY one I found making this clear. I had to really learn the hard way that you can't just export Photoshop PNGs with alpha and get it to look right. For premultiplied this was the only way I got it to work. Lord help us if they ever remove this export plugin from Photoshop. THANK YOU!
@@photojoseph nice. Watching now. Hell, looks like what you're doing in Affinity Photo could be a recorded action in Photoshop and possibly skip the ATEM plugin altogether if need be.
If they do, then you’ll need this tip: “Photoshop not required! Titles, Lower Thirds Graphics for ATEM - ATEM Mini Tips 05”
https://youtu.be/N2vLs9i0bA0
Our media pool doesn't seem to be able to import any PNG with transparency? Are we doing something wrong. It seems like you're able to export a PNG like normal and drag it in.
Yeah, there’s nothing special. Where is the PNG coming from? IIRC it may have to be the exact same size as the ATEM is set to. Or if it’s a PNG you downloaded, try opening in any other app and exporting it again.
Is it possible to use an upstream Key (For Greenscreen) and a downstream Key (For lower 1/3) at the same time - on an ATEM Mini Pro?
Why are you so good?
LOL I appreciate that
This is very helpful. Thank you. Just one question. I installed the Atom software control but that plug in it does not show in PS. Am I missing something?
Great content, great video, great explanation. Wondering if there is any other software available like Gimp which can do this for free?
Not that I know of. I'd recommend buying Affinity Photo. Great app, great price, and a lifetime license.
Short, sweet, concise and to the point! Thanks for the tips but also thank you for not yammering away and rambling about other stuff! Well done!
😊😊
What if you get transparent png-logo's with shadows from clients? They aren't pre-multiplied.
Request the PSD files. I don’t think there’s any way to “fix” a PNG. If there’s no complicated transparency then it will likely look fine but as you saw in this video, it can get bad quickly!
can I use the plugin and save it to my computer. It works great saving it to atem but when I turn off the atem extreme it loses what I put there. I want to save in folder so I can easily load when I get on site.
ahh, no unfortunately you can't, which is definitely something worth asking BMD for. But if you save the ATEM's settings, it will save the graphics to your computer. Which ATEM do you have? I think it's only the original Mini that doesn't save the graphics through a restart?
I like that beat on the end.
Thank you for being so articulate.
😊
Can you use the export plugin when the switcher isn't connected and on? I'm not seeing the Plugin in PS... my AMPro is not ever connected to my creation workstation. If not, how do you do this in Photoshop without the plugin? Thanks.
It needs to be connected via the network as shown here. Watch the next video on how to do this without photoshop to learn how to do it in any app (including photoshop without the plugin)
Love this info, and your other stuff! Is there a way to work "off-line"? I.e. when I'm at home and not at church, export to our google drive folder then import on Sunday?
Export png
What if we install Photoshop AFTER ATEM is installed... How do we add the plugin into Photoshop ????
@@photojoseph bonjour je m’appelle Adolph Je vous ai bien suivi dès le début jusqu’à la fin mais ma préoccupation et la suivante, je voulais faire ce même processus mais avec Vmix comment ça va se dérouler ?
Reinstall the ATEM software
This is neat, but doesn’t appear to work for ATEM switchers update 8.6.4 for anyone running a none M1 Mac unless you want to uninstall everything to go back a version and save the old plugin from 8.6.3
Has this been fixed yet?
There’s a conflict in 8.6.4 and Photoshop 2022 on Intel.
Hi, a freelance graphic artist is delivering the png's. Does not have ATEM plugin. I understand he will not be able to deliver them in the 'right' way, since he does not have not the plugin, nor the connection to the atem. What would be the best alternativ ? Thanks !
That would be in the very next part of this, video # 5 https://youtu.be/N2vLs9i0bA0
It doesn´t work for me
Excellent explanation, very much appreciated. I have been struggling to get this right for a while.
hey tell us how you've done this lighting and background pls!
Does the ATEM Mini software have to be loaded on the same computer where you have Photoshop installed? Can I add an ATEM Mini Photoshop plug-in to my computer's Photoshop software and then export it to a folder on our computer in our conference center that has the Atem Mini software installed?
The only way to install the Photoshop plugin is to install the ATEM software (although you might be able to copy it from one system to another). But that Photoshop computer just needs to be on the same network as the ATEM to load directly to it from Photoshop itself. There’s no way to save from the plugin to the computer — it only “saves” directly to the ATEM.
Exactly what I was looking for, thanks!
🙏
This has made my day!! Thank you
Yay!
How are you recording this? I'm asking because the audio is drifting. It's fine in the beginning but quite noticeable by the end, and it's not that long of a video.
@@santosovideo oh to replace a video you mean — god yeah. Vimeo does this. So annoying that youtube does not!!
@@photojoseph I assume that by "too late" you meant after you uploaded the video to Youtube (and published it). Uploading re-synced audio to a published video would solve that, but Youtube doesn't allow that.
@@santosovideo sorry, what does uploading soundtracks have to do with my drift issue here?
@@photojoseph Ah I see. I would pay ($5 per video?) to upload new soundtracks on Youtube, if it was possible. Mostly for my own sanity though!
It’s a problem in the editor. I didn’t notice until too late. Number 5 was way worse but I caught it in time.
I think the answer is no, but:
Can I use a Chroma Key and Super Source at the same time?
@@photojoseph Aha!! Actually, I think I get it now! I accidentally had both PIP and Supersource on...oops. Mistake number 1.

But I just need to position the USK to be over a SS box which is a media player and if those are synced, then I get the effect I want. Pretty sweet! If a bit more round-about than i'd like.

...now, if only I could define variables in the ATEM Software! Hah, that'd be fun. ;)
@@photojoseph Thanks! I think on the Extreme that I have, I can only use the DVE section of the USK. Switching back to Chroma Key (or Luma Key) turns off Super Source.
OK, you can use a USK with a chroma key on TOP of a supersource, but not as a SOURCE for a supersource. You're right that if you had a 2 M/E you could feed one into the other, as the supersource does allow the alternate M/E to be a source. It also allows itself to be a source, which is super weird. But with the Extreme, I believe it has four USK (my big 2 M/E only has two!), so you could build some pretty complex sh** that way.
I'm using the Extreme ISO...if it doesn't work there, would it be possible to route the output of 1 ME into the other ME so the Chroma key is fed back in normally?

I know that would require having a 2 M/E.....but.....maybe don't give me excuses.
Great tip! Love the series...
Thanks!
Nice shirt
LOL thanks!
Great video! Clear and helpful! Do you know if you can export as a pre-multiplied key file without having the atem hooked up? ie. no IP address. I do most of my graphics ahead of time to ready for a mobile set up. Thanks again for these vids. LOVE my atem mini and love leading more about it through you!
That’s a GREAT question — not with this plugin, no. However tomorrow’s tip will show you how to do this without the plug-in. Not as easy as the plug-in though.
I have a 10-minute attention span so these tips get my full approval and admiration.
Haha much appreciated
Hey Photo Joseph, many thanks for these videos, very helpful indeed! I have one question regarding image resolution. I am insecure about the conversion to 1920x1080 HD inside the switcher. This is obviously the highest resolution the ATEM Mini can produce. But does it actually matter to set the resolution on the connected cameras to a higher resolution when filming? Or wouldn't it make any difference, since it will be downsized anyway? Would it maybe actually be better to set all cameras to 1920x1080 HD in the first place, in order to avoid any possible data jam?
@@photojoseph Awesome, got it - thanks so much! Please keep up the great work!
Correct. However, (and I don’t know what that camera can or can’t do), but if you have the option, you may be able to set it to record 4K internally while outputing 1080p. That’s what my Lumix cameras can do.
@@photojoseph I think so, yes. Many thanks! This would mean: when connecting a BMPC, for example, I would always set the resolution to 1080p on the camera as well, right?
Glad you're enjoying! The switcher can only ingest 1080p and 720p at a variety of frame rates, and will convert to whatever you have the ATEM set to. Yes it's best to not have the ATEM do any scaling; if you convert, say, 25p to 29.97, you will see some odd skipping. As far as higher resolution; you can't… if you plug in a 4K source, it will not read it. Does that answer your question?
Does the plug-in work with Photoshop Elements? Thank you for sharing all the tips and knowledge.
Interesting question; I have no idea. Does Elements support a plugin architecture? Sorry this is a question best suited for the Blackmagic forums https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com
How about a course on the ATEM Mini? You make money, and we get a comprehensive understanding of this amazing device.
I would love to, but I simply don’t have time for it. This is a way that I can get a ton of information out on my own schedule. Subscribing to the channel is a good way to make a small contribution every month :-) youtube.com/photojoseph/join
@@photojoseph I appreciate that, and I'll find a way to contribute. However, what I suggested was a comprehensive course on the ATM mini. Thank you for all you do!!
You're getting it for free now… but if you want to send money, I take paypal ;-)
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